District of Columbia Mental Health Civil Commitment Modernization Act of 2004
Public Law 108-450 · H.R. 4302 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 10, 2004 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA-11)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Eleanor Norton
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
District of Columbia Mental Health Civil Commitment Modernization Act of 2004 - (Sec. 2) Amends the District of Columbia Code to modify the composition of, appointment to, and organization of the Commission on Mental Health.
(Sec. 3) Limits to Commission members who are psychiatrists or qualified psychologists (currently, the Commission or any of its members) the competency to be witnesses at any mental health proceeding.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes Superior Court extension for up to 21 days, under certain conditions, of the period for which an individual may be detained for emergency observation and diagnosis in a facility, hospital, or mental health provider.
(Sec. 5) Authorizes the Commission to grant a continuance of up to 14 days beyond the current allowed recess of five days for the counsel of persons alleged to be mentally ill to prepare a case. Requires extension of the emergency observation and detention period for the subject of the hearing for the duration of the continuance.
(Sec. 6) Revises procedures on hearings and determination of mental illness. Limits to the least restrictive alternative the kind of facility to which a Court may order a person's commitment, consistent with the best interests of the person and the public.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes a one-year renewal of commitment status by the Commission, subject to judicial review, of a person in a facility, hospital, or mental health provider.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Dec 10, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-450.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 30, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 20, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 7, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Oct 6, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4302.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Davis, Tom moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 5, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 449.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Government Reform. H. Rept. 108-729.
- May 12, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 6, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.