§ 225. — Findings and purposes.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 24USC225]
TITLE 24--HOSPITALS AND ASYLUMS
CHAPTER 4--SAINT ELIZABETHS HOSPITAL
SUBCHAPTER III--MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Sec. 225. Findings and purposes
(a) The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Governmentally administered mental health services in the
District of Columbia are currently provided through two separate
public entities, the federally administered Saint Elizabeths
Hospital and the Mental Health Services Administration of the
District of Columbia Department of Human Resources.
(2) The District of Columbia has a continuing responsibility to
provide mental health services to its residents.
(3) The Federal Government, through its operation of a national
mental health program at Saint Elizabeths Hospital, has for over 100
years assisted the District of Columbia in carrying out that
responsibility.
(4) Since its establishment by Congress in 1855, Saint
Elizabeths Hospital has developed into a respected national mental
health hospital and study, training, and treatment center, providing
a range of quality mental health and related services, including--
(i) acute and chronic inpatient psychiatric care;
(ii) outpatient psychiatric and substance abuse clinical and
related services;
(iii) Federal court system forensic psychiatry referral,
evaluation, and patient treatment services for prisoners, and
for individuals awaiting trial or requiring post-trial or post-
sentence psychiatric evaluation;
(iv) patient care and related services for designated
classes of individuals entitled to mental health benefits under
Federal law, such as certain members and employees of the United
States Armed Forces and the Foreign Service, and residents of
American overseas dependencies;
(v) District of Columbia court system forensic psychiatry
referral, evaluation, and patient treatment services for
prisoners, and for individuals awaiting trial or requiring post-
trial or postsentence psychiatric evaluation;
(vi) programs for special populations such as the mentally
ill deaf;
(vii) support for basic and applied clinical psychiatric
research and related patient services conducted by the National
Institute of Mental Health and other institutions; and
(viii) professional and paraprofessional training in the
major mental health disciplines.
(5) The continuation of the range of services currently provided
by federally administered Saint Elizabeths Hospital must be assured,
as these services are integrally related to--
(i) the availability of adequate mental health services to
District of Columbia residents, nonresidents who require mental
health services while in the District of Columbia, individuals
entitled to mental health services under Federal law, and
individuals referred by both Federal and local court systems;
and
(ii) the Nation's capacity to increase our knowledge and
understanding about mental illness and to facilitate and
continue the development and broad availability of sound and
modern methods and approaches for the treatment of mental
illness.
(6) The assumption of all or selected functions, programs, and
resources of Saint Elizabeths Hospital from the Federal Government
by the District of Columbia, and the integration of those functions,
resources, and programs into a comprehensive mental health care
system administered solely by the District of Columbia, will improve
the efficiency and effectiveness of the services currently provided
through those two separate entities by shifting the primary focus of
care to an integrated community-based system.
(7) Such assumption of all or selected functions, programs, and
resources of Saint Elizabeths Hospital by the District of Columbia
would further the principle of home rule for the District of
Columbia.
(b) It is the intent of Congress that--
(1) the District of Columbia have in operation no later than
October 1, 1993, an integrated coordinated mental health system in
the District which provides--
(A) high quality, cost-effective, and community-based
programs and facilities;
(B) a continuum of inpatient and outpatient mental health
care, residential treatment, and support services through an
appropriate balance of public and private resources; and
(C) assurances that patient rights and medical needs are
protected;
(2) the comprehensive District mental health care system be in
full compliance with the Federal court consent decree in Dixon v.
Heckler;
(3) the District and Federal Governments bear equitable shares
of the costs of a transition from the present system to a
comprehensive District mental health system;
(4) the transition to a comprehensive District mental health
system provided for by this subchapter be carried out with maximum
consideration for the interests of employees of the Hospital and
provide a right-of-first-refusal to such employees for employment at
comparable levels in positions created under the system
implementation plan;
(5) the Federal Government have the responsibility for the
retraining of Hospital employees to prepare such employees for the
requirements of employment in a comprehensive District mental health
system;
(6) the Federal Government continue high quality mental health
research, training, and demonstration programs at Saint Elizabeths
Hospital;
(7) the District government establish and maintain accreditation
and licensing standards for all services provided in District mental
health facilities which assure quality care consistent with
appropriate Federal regulations and comparable with standards of the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals; and
(8) the comprehensive mental health system plan include a
component for direct services for the homeless mentally ill.
(Pub. L. 98-621, Sec. 2, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3369; Pub. L. 102-150,
Sec. 3(a), Oct. 31, 1991, 105 Stat. 980.)
References in Text
This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), was in the original
``this Act'', meaning Pub. L. 98-621, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3369, known
as the Saint Elizabeths Hospital and District of Columbia Mental Health
Services Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title note below and Tables.
Amendments
1991--Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 102-150 substituted ``October 1,
1993'' for ``October 1, 1991''.
Effective Date
Section 12, formerly Sec. 11, of Pub. L. 98-621, renumbered Sec. 12,
Pub. L. 102-150, Sec. 4(1), Oct. 31, 1991, 105 Stat. 981, provided that:
``(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act [see Short
Title note below] shall take effect on October 1, 1985.''
``(b) Section 10 [amending section 324 of this title and repealing
sections 161, 164 to 166, 168, 168a, 169, 169a, 170 to 172, 175 to 177,
180 to 185, 191, 192, 194, 195, 195a, 196, 196b, 197 to 204, 206, 211 to
214, 221, and 222 of this title and section 300aa-3 of Title 42, The
Public Health and Welfare] shall take effect on October 1, 1987.''
Short Title of 1991 Amendment
Section 1 of Pub. L. 102-150 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
section 225h of this title, amending this section and sections 225b and
225f of this title, and renumbering provisions set out as a note under
this section] may be cited as the `District of Columbia Mental Health
Program Assistance Act of 1991'.''
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 98-621 provided that: ``This Act [enacting this
subchapter, amending section 324 of this title, repealing sections 161,
164 to 166, 168, 168a, 169, 169a, 170 to 172, 175 to 177, 180 to 185,
191, 192, 194, 195, 195a, 196, 196b, 197 to 204, 206, 211 to 214, 221,
and 222 of this title and section 300aa-3 of Title 42, The Public Health
and Welfare] may be cited as the `Saint Elizabeths Hospital and District
of Columbia Mental Health Services Act'.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 225c, 225f of this title.
