Keeping Law SimpleLegislation, clearly explained
Back to Wyoming
Wyoming2006Enacted

SF0056

Changes to Involuntary Mental Health Commitments

Last scannedOct 18, 2026, 2:19 AM

In one sentence

This law updates how hospitals are chosen for emergency mental health detentions and sets rules for who pays for the first 72 hours of care.

What it does

  • Requires the Department of Health to adopt standards and designate hospitals or other licensed treatment facilities qualified to accept patients and provide treatment.
  • Requires the Department of Health to enter into contracts with designated hospitals or facilities for the inpatient treatment of persons with mental illness.
  • States that proceedings for involuntary hospitalization may be commenced in the county where the person is initially detained.
  • Makes the county of residence liable for costs of treatment for the first 72 hours of detention, or until a hearing is conducted, whichever occurs first.
  • Provides that if continued emergency detention is ordered, the county's liability for costs terminates and the Department of Health becomes responsible for costs of treatment, transportation, and continued detention.
  • Designates the state hospital as the hospital of last resort to receive patients if no designated hospital or other licensed treatment facility is readily available.

Who it affects

  • The Department of Health.
  • Hospitals and other licensed treatment facilities designated to accept emergency patients.
  • County governments responsible for initial detention costs.
  • Individuals detained under emergency mental health conditions.

Limits and unknowns

  • The source material is a working draft showing amendments, so specific procedural details for the court hearing are not fully described in this excerpt.
  • The source does not specify the exact criteria the Department of Health will use to designate hospitals, only that it must adopt standards.
  • The bill does not detail the specific medical treatments required during the 72-hour detention period.

Plain language

Terms to know

Involuntary commitment
A legal process where a person is required to stay in a hospital for mental health treatment without their consent.
Emergency detention
A short-term hold on a person who is believed to be mentally ill and a danger to themselves or others.
Hospital of last resort
The facility that must accept a patient if no other approved hospital is readily available.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestOfficial summaryCurrent bill text
Read the official summary

SF0056 Bill Summary Bill No.: SF0056 Drafter: JHR LSO No.: 06LSO-0165 Effective Date: 7/1/2006 Enrolled Act No.: HEA0060 Chapter No.: 111 Prime Sponsor: Joint Judiciary Interim Committee Catch Title: Involuntary commitments. Subject: Amends procedures for the involuntary commitment of the mentally ill. Summary/Major Elements: This bill: Provides that the Department of Health shall adopt standards and procedures to designate hospitals or other treatment facilities to provide treatment to persons detained under emergency conditions because the person may be mentally ill and a danger to self or others; Specifies the proceeding for an involuntary hospitalization shall be commenced in the county where the person was initially detained and that costs for the first 72 hours of the emergency detention shall be borne by the person's county of residence; Provides for termination of a county's costs for detention, treatment or transportation, if continued emergency detention (i.e., beyond the first 72 hours) is ordered before an involuntary hospitalization hearing is conducted. The Department of Health shall be responsible for costs once continued emergency detention is ordered; Specifies the Wyoming State Hospital is the hospital of last resort to receive a person involuntarily hospitalized.

Public statements

Why lawmakers voted

Last checked Aug 9, 1:28 AM

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker argues that patients often lack the capacity to consent, so removing procedural barriers allows for necessary transfers when they are truly in the patient's best interest.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:07:42 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the amendment because timely action without waiting periods or hearings serves the patient's best interest and allows hospitals to exercise necessary discretion.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:08:27 Watch the statement

Wyoming roll calls

Recorded votes

8 roll calls

H Adopted JCC01 55-2-3-0-02006-03-09 · House55 yes 2 no
Yes
55
No
2
Absent
0
Excused
3
Conflict
0

Yes 55

Alan C JonesH25Ann RobinsonH58Becket HinckleyH41Bill ThompsonH60Bruce BarnardH49Colin SimpsonH24David R EdwardsH06David R MillerH55Debbie HammonsH27Douglas OsbornH40Doug SamuelsonH07Edward BuchananH04Elaine HarveyH26Erin E Mrs. MercerH53EsquibelFrank PhilpH34George BagbyH15Gerald GayH36Jack D Landon Jr.H30James C HagemanH05Jane WarrenH13Jeff WasserburgerH32Jerry IekelH29Jim SlaterH46John HastertH39Kathleen DavisonH20Keith M GingeryH23Kermit C BrownH14Kevin A WhiteH45Kurt BucholzH47Larry MeuliH08Lorraine K QuarbergH28Mark SemlekH01Marty A MartinH48Mary GilmoreH59Mick PowersH18Monte OlsenH22Owen PetersenH19Pat ChildersH50Pete JorgensenH16Peter S IllowayH42Randall B LuthiH21Robert A BrechtelH38Rodney "Pete" AndersonH10Rosie M BergerH51Ross DiercksH02Roy CoheeH35Stephen D WattH17Steve HarshmanR · H37Tom Lubnau IIH31Tom WalshH56Wayne ReeseH11W. Patrick P GogglesH33Zwonitzer, DK.Zwonitzer, DL.

No 2

Deborah AldenH03Del McOmieH54

Excused 3

Burke JacksonH52Layton D MorganH12Thomas A LockhartH57
S Adopted JCC01 28-2-0-0-02006-03-09 · Senate28 yes 2 no
Yes
28
No
2
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 28

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06

No 2

Bill Mr. VaseyS11Kenneth J DecariaS15
S Did Not Concur 0-30-0-0-02006-03-06 · Senate0 yes 30 no
Yes
0
No
30
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

No 30

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06
H Passed 3rd Reading 57-0-3-0-02006-03-06 · House57 yes 0 no
Yes
57
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
3
Conflict
0

Yes 57

Alan C JonesH25Ann RobinsonH58Becket HinckleyH41Bill ThompsonH60Bruce BarnardH49Colin SimpsonH24David R EdwardsH06Debbie HammonsH27Deborah AldenH03Del McOmieH54Douglas OsbornH40Doug SamuelsonH07Edward BuchananH04Elaine HarveyH26Erin E Mrs. MercerH53EsquibelFrank PhilpH34George BagbyH15Gerald GayH36Jack D Landon Jr.H30James C HagemanH05Jane WarrenH13Jeff WasserburgerH32Jerry IekelH29Jim SlaterH46John HastertH39Kathleen DavisonH20Keith M GingeryH23Kermit C BrownH14Kevin A WhiteH45Larry MeuliH08Layton D MorganH12Lorraine K QuarbergH28Mark SemlekH01Marty A MartinH48Mary GilmoreH59Mick PowersH18Monte OlsenH22Owen PetersenH19Pat ChildersH50Pete JorgensenH16Peter S IllowayH42Randall B LuthiH21Robert A BrechtelH38Rodney "Pete" AndersonH10Rosie M BergerH51Ross DiercksH02Roy CoheeH35Stephen D WattH17Steve HarshmanR · H37Thomas A LockhartH57Tom Lubnau IIH31Tom WalshH56Wayne ReeseH11W. Patrick P GogglesH33Zwonitzer, DK.Zwonitzer, DL.

Excused 3

Burke JacksonH52David R MillerH55Kurt BucholzH47
H01 Recommended Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-02006-02-27 · House8 yes 0 no
Yes
8
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
1
Conflict
0

Yes 8

Ann RobinsonH58Deborah AldenH03Edward BuchananH04George BagbyH15Jack D Landon Jr.H30Kevin A WhiteH45Monte OlsenH22Tom Lubnau IIH31

Excused 1

Stephen D WattH17
S Passed 3rd Reading 28-2-0-0-02006-02-22 · Senate28 yes 2 no
Yes
28
No
2
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 28

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06

No 2

Bill Mr. VaseyS11Kenneth J DecariaS15
S01 Recommended Do Pass 4-1-0-0-02006-02-16 · Senate4 yes 1 no
Yes
4
No
1
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 4

Bruce Burns Jr.S21John G HanesS05Kathryn L SessionsS07Tony RossS04

No 1

Kenneth J DecariaS15
S Introduced and Referred to S01 29-1-0-0-02006-02-14 · Senate29 yes 1 no
Yes
29
No
1
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 29

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06

No 1

Kenneth J DecariaS15

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Assigned Chapter Number - 111LSO
  2. Governor Signed SEA No. 0060Governor
  3. H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0060House
  4. S President Signed SEA No. 0060Senate
  5. Assigned Number SEA0060LSO
  6. H Adopted SF0056JC01House
  7. S Adopted SF0056JC01Senate
  8. H Appointed JCC01 MembersHouse
  9. S Appointed JCC01 MembersSenate
  10. S Did Not ConcurSenate
  11. H Passed 3rd ReadingHouse
  12. Amendment AdoptedHouse
  13. H Passed 2nd ReadingHouse
  14. Amendment AdoptedHouse
  15. H Passed CoWHouse
  16. Amendment AdoptedHouse
  17. H Amendments AdoptedHouse
  18. H Placed on General FileHouse
  19. H01 Recommended Amend and Do PassHouse
  20. H Introduced and Referred to H01House

Changes

Amendments

4 stored

SF0056H2001

Adopted 2nd reading by LANDON

SF0056H3001

Withdrawn 3rd reading by SIMPSON

SF0056H3002

Adopted 3rd reading by SIMPSON

SF0056HS001

Adopted Standing Committee by H01