1. An indigent resident of this state discharged as having been determined to no longer be a person in a mental health crisis, but having a residual medical or surgical disability which prevents him or her from obtaining or holding remunerative employment, must be returned to the county of his or her last residence, except as otherwise provided pursuant to subsections 2 and 3. A nonresident indigent with such disabilities must be returned to the county from which he or she was involuntarily court-admitted, except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3. The administrative officer of the mental health facility shall first give notice in writing, not less than 10 days before discharge, to the board of county commissioners of the county to which the person will be returned and to the person’s legal guardian.

2. Delivery of the indigent person must be made to an individual or agency authorized to provide further care. If the person has a legal guardian, the facility shall notify the guardian before discharging the person from the facility. The legal guardian has discretion to determine where the person will be released, taking into consideration any discharge plan proposed by the facility assessment team. If the legal guardian does not inform the facility as to where the person will be released within 3 days after the date of notification, the facility shall discharge the person according to its proposed discharge plan.

3. An indigent person may be delivered to a state that is a party to the Interstate Compact on Mental Health ratified and enacted in NRS 433.4543 regardless of residency in the manner provided in the Compact.

4. This section does not authorize the release of any person held upon an order of a court or judge having criminal jurisdiction arising out of a criminal offense.

(Added to NRS by 1975, 1607; A 2009, 1669; 2015, 1036)