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H.B. 5

             1     

PROHIBITION OF COERCIVE RESTRAINT

             2     
THERAPY

             3     
2003 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Sponsor: Mike Thompson

             6      This act modifies the Mental Health Professional Licensing Act. The act restricts the use,
             7      practice, or application of restraint to certain circumstances.
             8      This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
             9      ENACTS:
             10          58-60-117, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             11      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             12          Section 1. Section 58-60-117 is enacted to read:
             13          58-60-117. Coercive restraint therapy.
             14          (1) (a) As used in this section, "coercive restraint" means personal, physical, or
             15      mechanical restraint, including:
             16          (i) the application of physical force without the use of any device, for the purpose of
             17      restraining the movement of the patient's body; or
             18          (ii) any manual method or physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment
             19      attached to or adjacent to the patient's body that the patient cannot easily remove that restricts
             20      freedom of movement or normal access to one's body.
             21          (b) "Coercive restraint" does not include briefly holding, without undue force, a
             22      patient, in order to calm the patient, or holding a patient's hand to escort the patient safely from
             23      one area to another.
             24          (2) Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (3), a licensed mental health therapist
             25      or any other unlicensed individual may not:
             26          (a) practice, use, or apply coercive restraint on or to a patient; or
             27          (b) direct, prescribe, or instruct that coercive restraint be used or applied on or to a

             28      patient.
             29          (3) Subsection (2) does not apply:
             30          (a) to a hospital that is subject to Requirements for States and Long Term Care
             31      Facilities, 42 C.F.R. Subchapter G, Part 482;
             32          (b) to a residential treatment facility that is subject to Requirements for States and
             33      Long Term Care Facilities, 42 C.F.R. Subchapter G, Part 483; or
             34          (c) when a mental health therapist determines that coercive restraint is reasonably
             35      needed to:
             36          (i) protect the patient or another person from what reasonably appears to be imminent
             37      physical injury; or
             38          (ii) protect property from what reasonably appears to be imminent, substantial damage.
             39          (4) All use of coercive restraint by a mental health therapist shall be documented in the
             40      patient's file or chart.
             41          (5) Any restraint permitted under Subsection (3)(c) must be terminated when
             42      conditions described in Subsection (3)(c) no longer exist or may be remediated by less
             43      restrictive means.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 7-17-02 8:56 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


Interim Committee Note
    as of 12-11-02 10:44 AM

The Health and Human Services Interim Committee recommended this bill.

Legislative Committee Note
    as of 12-11-02 10:44 AM

The Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel recommended this bill.

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