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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Mental illness is a critical underlying concept in
3various areas of our law affecting mitigation of criminal
4responsibility and fundamental rights to property, individual
5liberty, and personal privacy; and
 
6    WHEREAS, For at least 2 generations, mental illness has
7been presumed to be brain disease which is best confronted as a
8treatable medical problem; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Vast amounts of State resources and tax monies,
10not to mention the creative energies and work of our citizens
11and civil servants, are continuously expended in accordance
12with Illinois laws and regulations dependent upon derived
13psychiatric definitions, formulations, and diagnostic criteria
14for mental disorders, in particular upon those definitions,
15formulations, and criteria which are found in the American
16Psychiatric Association's nearly 20-year-old Diagnostic and
17Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition
18(DSM-IV); and
 
19    WHEREAS, Some experts in the field of mental health are
20currently in major and substantial disagreement about methods
21and standards of psychiatric diagnosis; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Despite explicit admonitions in DSM-IV against
2the use of psychiatric diagnosis for legal purposes such as
3establishing competence, criminal responsibility or
4disability, Illinois courts and agencies have nonetheless
5habitually relied upon the formulations and criteria in the DSM
6for the precise expertise which the text itself disclaims; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
8Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) was released for publication
9in May of 2013, but the changes made in this DSM are provoking
10intense criticism from a diverse range of mental health
11experts; and
 
12    WHEREAS, the DSM-5 is attracting criticism from numerous
13publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Forbes Magazine, and
14the Huffington Post, that the new manual may lead to
15over-diagnosis of new or rare disorders, the loss of access to
16mental health services by persons whose condition may no longer
17be recognized, and possible misdiagnosis of autism due to the
18DSM-5's consideration of autism, Asperger's disorder, and
19other developmental disorders as a single diagnosis on a
20spectrum; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Forbes magazine outlines new disorders being
22introduced in the DSM-5 which have the potential to result in
23the over-medication of patients, including Disruptive Mood

 

 

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1Dysregulation Disorder, which requires a child to have at least
23 tantrums a week for a one-year period in order to be
3diagnosed, binge-eating disorder, hoarding disorder, and skin
4excoriation; and
 
5    WHEREAS, These examples will now be understood by the DSM-5
6to be legitimate disorders and therapists treating patients
7with these symptoms can be reimbursed by insurance companies;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Due to the changes in such a pivotal mental health
10diagnostic tool and the volume of critiques being voiced from
11mental health professionals, it is imperative that we have an
12open and transparent discussion on the DSM-5 as it relates to
13the diagnosis of persons with mental disease and disorders;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17the Task Force on Mental Health Diagnosis within Illinois Law
18be created to:
19    (1) thoroughly survey the Illinois Compiled Statutes and
20    Administrative Code to identify all instances where our
21    laws and government functions depend upon purported
22    understanding of mental illness or disorder, mental
23    capacity, mental health, behavior or psychology, which may

 

 

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1    have been recently discredited or found to be incorrect or
2    seriously called into question;
3    (2) forward initial recommendations of urgent legislative
4    actions which may be needed to avoid gross injustice or
5    waste of public resources to the General Assembly as soon
6    as possible; and
7    (3) produce a final report summarizing the task force's
8    findings and detailing recommended statutory or
9    constitutional strategies to recognize best practices and
10    highlight any areas of major disagreement within the
11    profession; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of the
13following members: 5 task force members appointed by the
14Speaker of the House, 2 of whom are State representatives (one
15who will serve as co-chairperson), and 3 of whom are
16professionals in the mental health field; 5 task force members
17appointed by the Minority Leader of the House, 2 of whom are
18State representatives (one who will serve as co-chairperson),
19and 3 of whom are professionals in the mental health field; one
20task force member appointed by the Governor under the Division
21of Mental Health under the Department of Human Services; and
22one task force member appointed by the Attorney General as a
23representative of her office and trained in a related field;
24and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That the task force be appointed and hold its
2first meeting by March 1, 2016; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That in appointing members of the task force, the
4Speaker and Minority Leader shall consider that professional
5experience in diverse mental health-related fields may be a
6positive qualification; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That the task force shall take voluntary
8assistance and testimony from individuals and professional
9organizations and institutions; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the members of the task force shall serve
11without compensation; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall
13provide staffing and administrative support services to the
14task force upon request; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That the task force shall submit its final report
16to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Attorney General
17no later than December 31, 2016.