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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="8-506" title_number="8" title_name="Substance Use Disorders Law" subtitle_number="5">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the eligibility restrictions under § 8–505(a) of this subtitle, a court may commit a defendant to the Department for inpatient evaluation as to drug or alcohol abuse if:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The court finds it is not clinically appropriate for the defendant to be evaluated in a detention facility or an appropriate outpatient facility; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>After an initial evaluation, the Department:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Recommends a comprehensive inpatient evaluation of the defendant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Certifies that an appropriate facility is either currently, or within a reasonable time will be able to, conduct the evaluation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Provides to the court a date by which the evaluation can be conducted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Gives the court prompt notice when an evaluation can be conducted.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall provide the services required by this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A designee of the Department may carry out any of the Department’s duties under this section if appropriate funding is provided.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall facilitate the prompt evaluation of a defendant under this section and ensure that each evaluation is conducted in accordance with regulations adopted by the Department.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A court may order law enforcement officials, detention center staff, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services staff, or sheriff’s department staff within the appropriate local jurisdiction to transport the defendant to and from an evaluation facility.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A commitment under this section may not require evaluation for more than 7 days unless the medical condition of a defendant warrants an extension of a maximum of 14 days.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Except during the first 72 hours after admission of a defendant to an evaluation facility, the Department may terminate the evaluation if the Department determines that continued evaluation:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Is not in the best interest of the defendant; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Does not serve any useful purpose.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Whenever an evaluation recommends treatment, the evaluator’s report shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Name a specific program able to provide the recommended treatment; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Give an actual or estimated date when the program can begin treatment of the defendant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On completion of an evaluation under this section, the Department shall notify the court.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Before a defendant is released from an evaluation facility under this section, the Department shall give the court that ordered the evaluation and the correctional facility, if any, to whose custody the defendant is to be released notice of the proposed date and time of release and have the defendant returned to the court as provided in the evaluation order.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If a defendant leaves an evaluation facility without authorization, the responsibility of the Department is limited to notification of the court that ordered the defendant’s evaluation, as soon as it is reasonably possible.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Notice under this subsection shall constitute probable cause for a court to issue a warrant for the arrest of a defendant.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
