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253B.045 TEMPORARY CONFINEMENT.

Subdivision 1. Restriction.

Except when ordered by the court pursuant to a finding of necessity to protect the life of the proposed patient or others or as provided under subdivision 1a, no person subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be confined in a jail or correctional institution, except pursuant to chapter 242 or 244.

Subd. 1a. Exception.

(a) A person who is being petitioned for commitment under section 253B.185 and who is placed under a judicial hold order under section 253B.07, subdivision 2b or 7, may be confined at a Department of Corrections or a county correctional or detention facility, rather than a secure treatment facility, until a determination of the commitment petition as specified in this subdivision.

(b) A court may order that a person who is being petitioned for commitment under section 253B.185 be confined in a Department of Corrections facility pursuant to the judicial hold order under the following circumstances and conditions:

(1) The person is currently serving a sentence in a Department of Corrections facility and the court determines that the person has made a knowing and voluntary (i) waiver of the right to be held in a secure treatment facility and (ii) election to be held in a Department of Corrections facility. The order confining the person in the Department of Corrections facility shall remain in effect until the court vacates the order or the person's criminal sentence and conditional release term expire.

In no case may the person be held in a Department of Corrections facility pursuant only to this subdivision, and not pursuant to any separate correctional authority, for more than 210 days.

(2) A person who has elected to be confined in a Department of Corrections facility under this subdivision may revoke the election by filing a written notice of intent to revoke the election with the court and serving the notice upon the Department of Corrections and the county attorney. The court shall order the person transferred to a secure treatment facility within 15 days of the date that the notice of revocation was filed with the court, except that, if the person has additional time to serve in prison at the end of the 15-day period, the person shall not be transferred to a secure treatment facility until the person's prison term expires. After a person has revoked an election to remain in a Department of Corrections facility under this subdivision, the court may not adopt another election to remain in a Department of Corrections facility without the agreement of both parties and the Department of Corrections.

(3) Upon petition by the commissioner of corrections, after notice to the parties and opportunity for hearing and for good cause shown, the court may order that the person's place of confinement be changed from the Department of Corrections to a secure treatment facility.

(4) While at a Department of Corrections facility pursuant to this subdivision, the person shall remain subject to all rules and practices applicable to correctional inmates in the facility in which the person is placed including, but not limited to, the powers and duties of the commissioner of corrections under section 241.01, powers relating to use of force under section 243.52, and the right of the commissioner of corrections to determine the place of confinement in a prison, reformatory, or other facility.

(5) A person may not be confined in a Department of Corrections facility under this provision beyond the end of the person's executed sentence or the end of any applicable conditional release period, whichever is later. If a person confined in a Department of Corrections facility pursuant to this provision reaches the person's supervised release date and is subject to a period of conditional release, the period of conditional release shall commence on the supervised release date even though the person remains in the Department of Corrections facility pursuant to this provision. At the end of the later of the executed sentence or any applicable conditional release period, the person shall be transferred to a secure treatment facility.

(6) Nothing in this section may be construed to establish a right of an inmate in a state correctional facility to participate in sex offender treatment. This section must be construed in a manner consistent with the provisions of section 244.03.

(c) The committing county may offer a person who is being petitioned for commitment under section 253B.185 and who is placed under a judicial hold order under section 253B.07, subdivision 2b or 7, the option to be held in a county correctional or detention facility rather than a secure treatment facility, under such terms as may be agreed to by the county, the commitment petitioner, and the commitment respondent. If a person makes such an election under this paragraph, the court hold order shall specify the terms of the agreement, including the conditions for revoking the election.

Subd. 2. Facilities.

Each county or a group of counties shall maintain or provide by contract a facility for confinement of persons held temporarily for observation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and care. When the temporary confinement is provided at a regional treatment center, the commissioner shall charge the county of financial responsibility for the costs of confinement of persons hospitalized under section 253B.05, subdivisions 1 and 2, and section 253B.07, subdivision 2b, except that the commissioner shall bill the responsible health plan first. If the person has health plan coverage, but the hospitalization does not meet the criteria in subdivision 6 or section 62M.07, 62Q.53, or 62Q.535, the county is responsible. When a person is temporarily confined in a Department of Corrections facility solely under subdivision 1a, and not based on any separate correctional authority:

(1) the commissioner of corrections may charge the county of financial responsibility for the costs of confinement; and

(2) the Department of Human Services shall use existing appropriations to fund all remaining nonconfinement costs. The funds received by the commissioner for the confinement and nonconfinement costs are appropriated to the department for these purposes.

"County of financial responsibility" means the county in which the person resides at the time of confinement or, if the person has no residence in this state, the county which initiated the confinement. The charge for confinement in a facility operated by the commissioner of human services shall be based on the commissioner's determination of the cost of care pursuant to section 246.50, subdivision 5. When there is a dispute as to which county is the county of financial responsibility, the county charged for the costs of confinement shall pay for them pending final determination of the dispute over financial responsibility. Disputes about the county of financial responsibility shall be submitted to the commissioner to be settled in the manner prescribed in section 256G.09.

Subd. 3.Cost of care.

Notwithstanding subdivision 2, a county shall be responsible for the cost of care as specified under section 246.54 for persons hospitalized at a regional treatment center in accordance with section 253B.09 and the person's legal status has been changed to a court hold under section 253B.07, subdivision 2b, pending a judicial determination regarding continued commitment pursuant to sections 253B.12 and 253B.13.

Subd. 4.Treatment.

The designated agency shall take reasonable measures to assure proper care and treatment of a person temporarily confined pursuant to this section.

Subd. 5.Health plan company; definition.

For purposes of this section, "health plan company" has the meaning given it in section 62Q.01, subdivision 4, and also includes a demonstration provider as defined in section 256B.69, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), a county or group of counties participating in county-based purchasing according to section 256B.692, and a children's mental health collaborative under contract to provide medical assistance for individuals enrolled in the prepaid medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs according to sections 245.493 to 245.495.

Subd. 6.Coverage.

(a) For purposes of this section, "mental health services" means all covered services that are intended to treat or ameliorate an emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric condition and that are covered by the policy, contract, or certificate of coverage of the enrollee's health plan company or by law.

(b) All health plan companies that provide coverage for mental health services must cover or provide mental health services ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction under a court order that is issued on the basis of a behavioral care evaluation performed by a licensed psychiatrist or a doctoral level licensed psychologist, which includes a diagnosis and an individual treatment plan for care in the most appropriate, least restrictive environment. The health plan company must be given a copy of the court order and the behavioral care evaluation. The health plan company shall be financially liable for the evaluation if performed by a participating provider of the health plan company and shall be financially liable for the care included in the court-ordered individual treatment plan if the care is covered by the health plan company and ordered to be provided by a participating provider or another provider as required by rule or law. This court-ordered coverage must not be subject to a separate medical necessity determination by a health plan company under its utilization procedures.

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Revisor of Statutes