Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 74.djvu/349

 74

STAT.]

PUBLIC LAW 86-671-JULY 6, 1980

ment under section 2 or 4), endeavor to arrange with the proper authorities of such State, or of a political subdivision thereof, for the assumption of responsibility for the care and treatment of such person by sudi authorities and shall, upon the making of such arrangement in writing, transfer and release such person to such authorities. I n the event the State of the residence or legal domicile of an eligible person cannot be ascertained, or the Secretary is unable to arrange with the proper authorities of such State, or of a political subdivision thereof, for the assumption of responsibility for his care and treatment, the Secretary may, if he determines that the best interests of such person will be served thereby, transfer and release the eligible person to a relative who agrees in writing to assume responsibility for such jyerson after having been fully informed as to his condition. SEC. 4. (a) Until the transfer and release of an eligible person pursuant to section 3, the Secretary is authorized to provide care and treatment for such person at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, at any other Federal hospital within or (pursuant to agreement) outside of the Department, or (under contract or other arrangements made without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, as amended) at any other public or private hospital in any State and, for such purposes, to transfer such person to any such hospital from a place of temporary care provided pursuant to section 2. I n determining the place of such hospitalization, the Secretary shall give due weight to the best interests of the patient. (b) The authority of the Secretary to provide hospitalization for any person under this section shall not apply to any person for whose medical care and treatment any agency of the United States is responsible. SEC. 5. (a) Any person admitted to any hospital pursuant to section 2 or section 4 shall, as soon as practicable, but in no event more than five days after the day of such admission, be examined by qualified members of the medical staff of the hospital and, unless found to be in need of hospitalization by reason of mental illness, shall be discharged. Any person found upon such examination to be in need of such hospitalization shall thereafter, as frequently as practicable but not less often than every six months, be reexamined and shall, whenever it is determined that the conditions justifying such hospitalization no longer obtain, be discharged or, if found to be in the best interests of the patient, be conditionally released. (b) Whenever any person is admitted to a hospital pursuant to this Act, his legal guardian, spouse, or next of kin shall, if known, be immediately notified. SEC. 6. (a) If a person who is a patient hospitalized under section 2 or section 4, or his legal guardian, spouse, or adult next of kin, requests the release of such patient, the right of the Secretary, or the head of the hospital, to detain him for care and treatment shall be determined in accordance with such laws governing the detention, for care and treatment, of persons alleged to be mentally ill as may be in force and applicable generally in the State in which such hospital is located, but in no event shall the patient be detained more than fortyeight hours (excluding any period of time falling on a Sunday or legal holiday) after the receipt of such request unless within such time (1) judicial proceedings for such hospitalization are commenced or (2) a judicial extension of such time is obtained, for a period of not more than five days, for the commencement of such proceedings.

309

Hospitals.

41 USC 5.

Limitation,

R i g h t s o f p atient.

Request for r e -

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