AN ACT relating to public health and safety; amending provisions related to the involuntary hospitalization of mentally ill persons; expanding the list of examiners qualified to perform involuntary hospitalization examinations; and providing for an effective date.
EducationHealthcareTaxes
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Senator Schuler
Last action
2026-03-07
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2026
Plain English Breakdown
The official source material does not provide information on whether there are enough qualified individuals to meet demand for these examinations, nor does it specify training and certification requirements for additional examiners.
Expanding Mental Health Examiner List
This law changes who can perform mental health exams for people needing involuntary hospitalization, adding nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of qualified examiners.
What This Bill Does
Adds licensed psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners to the list of those allowed to conduct outpatient examinations for involuntary psychiatric detentions.
Includes licensed physician assistants with specific education, training, and experience in mental health assessment and diagnosis as eligible examiners.
Who It Names or Affects
People who may need involuntary hospitalization for mental health reasons
Healthcare providers conducting these examinations
Terms To Know
Involuntary Hospitalization
When a person is admitted to a psychiatric facility without their consent because they are considered a danger to themselves or others.
Licensed Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner with specialized training in mental health care.
Limits and Unknowns
The law does not specify how the additional examiners will be trained or certified.
It is unclear if there are enough qualified individuals to meet the demand for these examinations.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: 1
SF0023S3001
1 Delete the Steinmetz committee of the whole amendment
2 (SF0023SW001/AC) entirely and further amend as follows:
3
4 Page 2-line 14 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
5 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
6 practitioner".
1
SF0023S3001
1 Delete the Steinmetz committee of the whole amendment
2 (SF0023SW001/AC) entirely and further amend as follows:
3
4 Page 2-line 14 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
5 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
6 practitioner".
7
8 Page 2-line 15 After "assistant" insert "with documented
9 education, training and experience in
10 psychiatric or mental health assessment and
11 diagnosis".
12
13 Page 2-line 17 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
14 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
15 practitioner".
16
17 Page 2-line 18 After "assistant" insert "with documented
18 education, training and experience in
19 psychiatric or mental health assessment and
20 diagnosis".
Plain English: 1
SF0023S3001.01 [DIVIDED AMENDMENT]
(CORRECTED COPY)
1 Delete the Steinmetz committee of the whole amendment
2 (SF0023SW001/AC) entirely and further amend as follows:
3
4 Page 2-line 17 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
5 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
6 practitioner".
1
SF0023S3001.01 [DIVIDED AMENDMENT]
(CORRECTED COPY)
1 Delete the Steinmetz committee of the whole amendment
2 (SF0023SW001/AC) entirely and further amend as follows:
3
4 Page 2-line 17 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
5 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
6 practitioner".
7
8 Page 2-line 18 After "assistant" insert "with documented
9 education, training and experience in
10 psychiatric or mental health assessment and
11 diagnosis".
Plain English: 1
SF0023S3001.02 [DIVIDED AMENDMENT]
(CORRECTED COPY)
1 Page 2-line 14 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
2 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
3 practitioner".
1
SF0023S3001.02 [DIVIDED AMENDMENT]
(CORRECTED COPY)
1 Page 2-line 14 Delete "advanced practice registered nurse"
2 and insert "psychiatric-mental health nurse
3 practitioner".
4
5 Page 2-line 15 After "assistant" insert "with documented
6 education, training and experience in
7 psychiatric or mental health assessment and
8 diagnosis".
S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor 29-1-1-0-0
2026-01-05Senate
S Received for Introduction
2025-12-16LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 26LSO-0239
Bill No.:
SF0023
Effective:
7/1/2026
LSO No.:
26LSO-0239
Enrolled Act No.:
SEA No. 0060
Chapter No.:
80
Prime Sponsor:
Schuler
Catch Title:
Outpatient examination and commitment length.
Has Report:
No
Subject:
Individuals qualified to conduct outpatient examinations for psychiatric detentions.
Summary/Major Elements:
This act expands the list of authorized individuals who may conduct outpatient examinations as part of involuntary psychiatric detentions. The list of authorized individuals now includes licensed advance practice registered nurses, licensed physician assistants, licensed psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners and licensed physician assistants with the proper education, training and experience.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.
While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
26LSO-0239
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0023
ENROLLED ACT NO. 60,
SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session
AN ACT relating to public health and safety; amending provisions related to the involuntary hospitalization of mentally ill persons; expanding the list of examiners qualified to perform involuntary hospitalization examinations; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
.
W.S. 25
‑
10
‑
110(e) is amended to read:
25
‑
10
‑
110.
Involuntary hospitalization proceedings.
(e)
The court shall appoint one (1) or more examiners to examine the proposed patient and to make a written report to the court of the findings as to the history and mental illness of the proposed patient. The court may order the proposed patient to appear for examination and if the proposed patient does not appear the court may compel his appearance. The examination shall be held at a hospital, a medical facility, the home of the proposed patient or any other suitable place which will not have a harmful effect on
his
the patient's
health. The examination shall be conducted no later than seven (7) days from the date of the notice.
If the examination is conducted by an examiner other than a licensed physician,
a
licensed psychiatrist
, a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, a licensed physician assistant
or
a
licensed psychologist, the court shall appoint
one (1) of the following persons,
a licensed physician,
a
licensed psychiatrist
, a licensed psychiatric‑mental health nurse practitioner, a licensed physician assistant with documented education, training and experience in psychiatric or mental health assessment and diagnosis
or
a
licensed psychologist to review the findings of the examiner and conduct a further examination, if indicated, and to report to the court.
Section 2
.
This act is effective July 1, 2026
.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
1