Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

Under this bill, if a healthcare provider knows or reasonably should know that a person under the provider's care has been admitted to a healthcare facility and has threatened or attempted suicide or to inflict serious bodily harm, then the provider must ensure that the person is provided access to a qualified mental health professional or contact information for a qualified mental health professional or mental health counseling resource. This access or information must be provided to the patient prior to the patient's discharge from the facility. A healthcare provider who violates this bill will be considered to have committed professional misconduct and will be subject to discipline by the healthcare provider's licensing authority. ON APRIL 7, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 615, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to provide that if a patient who is an inpatient in a licensed healthcare facility, or seeking services from an emergency department, expresses to a healthcare provider a recent threat or attempt at suicide or infliction of bodily harm to themselves, then the healthcare provider must enter the attempt or threat into the patient's medical record. Upon discharge from the facility, the facility must provide the patient with contact information to access a qualified mental health professional or counseling resource unless the patient is discharged to another facility. This referral requirement may be satisfied by providing contact information for this state's mobile crisis services or the statewide crisis hotline. A healthcare provider who violates this amendment will be subject to discipline by the healthcare provider's licensing authority.