Subdivision 1. Apprehend and hold. To protect the public health in an emergency, the court may order an agent of a community health board as authorized under section 145A.04 or peace officer to take a person into custody and transport the person to an appropriate emergency care or treatment facility for observation, examination, testing, diagnosis, care, treatment, and, if necessary, temporary detention. If the person is already institutionalized, the court may order the institutional facility to hold the person. These orders may be issued in an ex parte proceeding upon an affidavit of the commissioner or a designee of the commissioner. An order shall issue upon a determination by the court that reasonable cause exists to believe that the person is: (a) for indirectly transmitted diseases, an imminent health threat to others; or (b) for directly transmitted diseases, a substantial likelihood of an imminent health threat to others.
The affidavit must set forth the specific facts upon which the order is sought and must be served on the person immediately upon apprehension or detention. An order under this section may be executed on any day and at any time.
Subd. 2. Duration of hold. No person may be held under subdivision 1 longer than 72 hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, without a court hearing to determine if the emergency hold should continue.
History:1987 c 209 s 15; 1987 c 309 s 24; 2015 c 21 art 1 s 109