Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill this week, sponsored by Sen. David Gowan, aimed at addressing a serious issue stemming from Arizona’s physician shortage.
Currently, in order for someone experiencing severe mental illness to receive a court order for mental health treatment, a petition must be filed accompanied by the affidavits of two physicians. Gowan’s bill will now allow rural counties of 500,000 residents or less to submit a petition for court-ordered treatment, accompanied by an affidavit from one physician and either one physician assistant or a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner.
“This new law will benefit Arizona’s rural communities and one of our state’s most vulnerable populations,” said Gowan. “The legislation allows for medical professionals with expertise in the mental health field to provide a statement that can be used in court orders for mental health treatment. An inability to get two physicians to meet the requirements for procuring a court order for treatment was leaving folks with severe mental illness to decompensate in their mental states. This heartbreaking issue was brought to me by a hospital in my district, and it was my honor to create this legislation to help.”