TENNESSEE
MENTAL HEALTH AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY LAW
Title 33 Revision
Commission
Governor Don Sundquist established the Title
33 Revision Commission in the late summer of 1998. Representatives
of consumers, family members, professionals, advocates,
providers and legislators with mental health, mental retardation,
developmental disabilities and children’s interests
and expertise constituted the Commission. Evelyn C. Robertson,
Jr. was named Commission Chair in September 1998 and Mary
Rolando was selected as Director.
Governor Sundquist provided a mandate to
perform a comprehensive review of Title 33, the MHDD laws,
and make recommendations for their revision. This was
the first comprehensive review of Title 33 since its inception
in 1965.
The Commission remained largely intact during
the course of the project. Tragically, Commission member
Ms. Bonita Scott passed away during the course of the
project. Otherwise, only one member was unable to complete
his appointment.
The Commission appointed study committees
to review specific areas of Title 33: Powers and Duties,
Mental Health Services, Mental Retardation Services, Children’s
Issues, Transportation, Privileges and Responsibilities,
Interstate Relations, and Definitions and Housekeeping.
Between February and June 1999, each committee met frequently
to complete its review and, with independent legal support,
make recommendations to the Commission in lay terms on
improvements.
Study committee recommendations were the
basis of legislative proposals considered by the Commission,
which were drafted into legislative language and presented
to the Governor in January 2000. The legislature
approved all of the Commission's legislative recommendations,
which became law over the Governor's signature on June
23, 2000.
