Texas Health and Safety Code 574.104 – Physician’s Application for Order to Authorize Psychoactive Medication; Date of Hearing
(a) A physician who is treating a patient may, on behalf of the state, file an application in a probate court or a court with probate jurisdiction for an order to authorize the administration of a psychoactive medication regardless of the patient’s refusal if:
(1) the physician believes that the patient lacks the capacity to make a decision regarding the administration of the psychoactive medication;
(2) the physician determines that the medication is the proper course of treatment for the patient;
(3) the patient is under an order for inpatient mental health services under this chapter or other law or an application for court-ordered mental health services under § 574.034, 574.0345, 574.035, or 574.0355 has been filed for the patient; and
(4) the patient, verbally or by other indication, refuses to take the medication voluntarily.
(b) An application filed under this section must state:
(1) that the physician believes that the patient lacks the capacity to make a decision regarding administration of the psychoactive medication and the reasons for that belief;
(2) each medication the physician wants the court to compel the patient to take;
(3) whether an application for court-ordered mental health services under § 574.034, 574.0345, 574.035, or 574.0355 has been filed;
(4) whether a court order for inpatient mental health services for the patient has been issued and, if so, under what authority it was issued;
(5) the physician’s diagnosis of the patient; and
(6) the proposed method for administering the medication and, if the method is not customary, an explanation justifying the departure from the customary methods.
Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 574.104
- Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Probate: Proving a will
(c) An application filed under this section is separate from an application for court-ordered mental health services.
(d) The hearing on the application may be held on the date of a hearing on an application for court-ordered mental health services under § 574.034, 574.0345, 574.035, or 574.0355 but shall be held not later than 30 days after the filing of the application for the order to authorize psychoactive medication. If the hearing is not held on the same day as the application for court-ordered mental health services under those sections and the patient is transferred to a mental health facility in another county, the court may transfer the application for an order to authorize psychoactive medication to the county where the patient has been transferred.
(e) Subject to the requirement in Subsection (d) that the hearing shall be held not later than 30 days after the filing of the application, the court may grant one continuance on a party’s motion and for good cause shown. The court may grant more than one continuance only with the agreement of the parties.