Section 35-5-31 - Commitment to Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States government(1) Whenever, in any proceeding under the laws of this state for the commitment of a person alleged to be a person with mental illness, person with an intellectual disability, or otherwise of unsound mind, or otherwise in need of confinement in a hospital or other institution for his proper care, it is determined after the adjudication of the status of the person as may be required by law that commitment to a state psychiatric hospital or institution or other institution is necessary for safe-keeping or treatment, and it appears that the person is eligible for care or treatment by the Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States government, the court, upon receipt of a certificate from the Veterans Administration or such other agency showing that facilities are available and that the person is eligible for care or treatment in those facilities, may commit the person to the Veterans Administration or other agency. The person whose commitment is sought shall be personally served with notice of the pending commitment proceeding in the manner provided by the law of this state; and nothing in this section shall affect his right to appear and be heard in the proceedings. Upon commitment, the person, when admitted to any facility operated by the Veterans Administration or other agency within or without this state shall be subject to the rules and regulations of the Veterans Administration or other agency. The chief officer of any facility of the Veterans Administration or institution operated by any other agency of the United States to which the person is so committed shall, with respect to the person, be vested with the same powers as superintendents of state psychiatric hospitals or institutions within this state with respect to retention of custody, transfer, parole or discharge. Jurisdiction is retained in the committing or other appropriate court of this state at any time to inquire into the mental condition of the person so committed, and to determine the necessity for continuance of his restraint, and all commitments under this section are so conditioned.(2) The judgment or order of commitment by a court of competent jurisdiction of another state or of the District of Columbia, committing a person to the Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States government for care or treatment, shall have the same force and effect as to the committed person while in this state as in the jurisdiction in which is situated the court entering the judgment or making the order, and the courts of the committing state or of the District of Columbia shall be deemed to have retained jurisdiction of the person so committed for the purpose of inquiring into the mental condition of the person and of determining the necessity for continuance of his restraint, as is provided in subsection (1) of this section with respect to persons committed by the courts of this state. Consent is given to the application of the law of the committing state or District of Columbia in respect to the authority of the chief officer of any facility of the Veterans Administration or of any institution operated in this state by any other agency of the United States to retain custody, or transfer, parole or discharge the committed person.(3) Upon receipt of a certificate of the Veterans Administration or such other agency of the United States that facilities are available for the care or treatment of any person committed to a state psychiatric hospital or institution or for the care or treatment of persons similarly afflicted, and that the person is eligible for care or treatment, the superintendent of the state psychiatric hospital or institution may cause the transfer of the person to the Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States for care or treatment. Upon effecting any such transfer, the committing court or proper officer of the court shall be notified of the transfer by the transferring agency. No person shall be transferred to the Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States if he is confined because of conviction of any felony or misdemeanor or if he has been acquitted of the charge solely on the ground of insanity, unless before transfer, the court or other authority originally committing the person enters an order for the transfer after appropriate motion and hearing. Any person transferred as provided in this section shall be deemed to be committed to the Veterans Administration or other agency of the United States under the original commitment.
Codes, 1930, § 7349; 1942, § 7506; Laws, 1930, ch. 204; Laws, 1944, ch. 176, § 1; Laws, 2008, ch. 442, § 13; Laws, 2010, ch. 476, § 8, eff. 4/1/2010.