North Carolina House Passes Involuntary Commitment Reform Bill
The measure orders agency studies and phased technical changes to speed evaluations and improve bed tracking as it moves to the Senate.
Overview
- The House approved House Bill 1104 in a 100-10 vote, moving the bill to the state Senate after months of work by a select committee.
- The bill requires DHHS, the Department of Information Technology, and the Administrative Office of the Courts to study the involuntary commitment (IVC) process and deliver recommendations by Feb. 1, 2027.
- It expands outpatient commitment powers by allowing courts to order up to 180 days of outpatient treatment and rewrites criteria to include a history of failing to follow prescribed care.
- HB 1104 phases in technical fixes for bed tracking by granting law enforcement access to BH SCAN starting Aug. 1, 2026, and requiring real-time availability and reservation functions by Aug. 1, 2027.
- Advocates and some lawmakers say the bill focuses on studies and pilots rather than immediate funding or staffing fixes, so hospitals, sheriffs and courts remain at odds over how to implement practical operational changes.