1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding two bills currently before the Oregon legislature that would significantly expand mental health commitment standards: House Bill 2467 and Senate Bill 171. These nearly identical bills propose troubling changes to Oregon's mental health laws by redefining "dangerous to self," "dangerous to others" and "serious physical harm" for involuntary commitment purposes. After careful review, I believe these changes would severely undermine civil liberties while failing to improve mental health outcomes. The most alarming aspect of these bills is their proposal to allow commitment based on predicting an individual's behavior up to 30 days in the future. This standard is not only unrealistic—no one can reliably predict future behavior with such specificity—but likely unconstitutional. No other state employs such a vague, extended timeline for commitment decisions. Additionally, the overly broad definition of "serious physical harm" could permit commitment for medical conditions unrelated to mental health. Under the proposed language, someone with poorly managed diabetes could potentially face involuntary commitment simply because a judge assumes they won't take insulin. The definition—"a physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious and protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ"—extends far beyond appropriate boundaries for mental health intervention. Perhaps most concerning is the potential removal of medical expertise from the commitment process. Currently, qualified mental health clinicians must examine and determine whether an individual poses a danger before court-ordered commitment can proceed. These bills threaten to replace critical medical judgment with a judge's speculative assessment. As your constituent, I strongly urge you to oppose HB 2467 and SB 171. Instead, I encourage you to support legislation that would strengthen our mental health system through increased access to voluntary, community-based services, improved crisis response options, and better support for individuals in recovery. Oregon should be leading the way in creating humane, effective mental health policies that respect individual rights while providing appropriate care. These bills would move us in the opposite direction. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I would appreciate hearing your position on these bills.