Tyson Smith files bill to target jail mental health evaluations
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A representative for Columbia in Missouri’s state house has joined other lawmakers in the push to address the Missouri Department of Mental Health's referral backlog.
Democratic State Rep. David Tyson Smith filed House Bill 2952 on Jan. 13.
If approved, HB 2952 will give the state 45 days to conduct a medical evaluation of a detainee, starting from the day of their arrest. If the person is deemed mentally unfit for court, the state has an additional 45 days to provide treatment to the person.
"No more languishing in County Jail," Smith said in an X post announcing the bill.
No more languishing in County Jail. I just filed HB2952 which requires mental health evaluations to occur within 45 days and transfer and treatment to occur within another 45 days.
— David Tyson Smith (@dts4mo) January 13, 2026
When a person is arrested, the state currently has 30 days to give the detainee a mental health evaluation to determine if they are fit to stand trial. If the person is found unfit, they are referred to the Department of Mental Health for treatment.
The state has 922 beds available for criminal commitment. The average wait for a bed is 14 months, leaving hundreds of detainees stuck waiting for treatment.
Officials have also noted a decline in mental health for those waiting in jails since jails cannot force detainees to take medication.
Under HB 2952, the DMH or agency in charge of the detainee will also be required to provide a report to the court on the cause if there is a delay in testing or treatment. Courts will be able to approve delays as long as they are limited to 15 days.
Representative Brian Seitz (R-Branson) filed similar legislation in December with House Bill 1677.
Both bills have been read by the House.
