Provides for the membership of the Mental Health Advocacy Service

HB 574 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:64(A)(3) to update the names of two organizations represented on the board of trustees of the Mental Health Advocacy Service. The bill changes references from the Mental Health Association of Louisiana to the Louisiana Mental Health Association and from the Louisiana Medical Society to the Louisiana State Medical Society. These name changes apply to the statutory provision that establishes the nine-member board composition, which includes representatives from law school deans at specified universities, a president or representative from the mental health organization, and a selected member from both the medical and state bar associations.

The practical effect of this legislation is to align the statutory naming with the current legal names of these organizations. Mental health advocacy groups and medical professionals serving on the Mental Health Advocacy Service board will now be selected based on the updated organizational titles. Any future appointments to the board positions designated for the mental health association representative and the medical society member will reference the new legal names, ensuring that the correct entities are identified for board participation and that there is no confusion about which organizations hold these seats.

This amendment operates within the existing framework of R.S. 28:64, which establishes the Mental Health Advocacy Service as a board-governed entity responsible for providing legal advocacy in mental health matters. The change reflects an organizational naming convention update and does not alter the fundamental structure or authority of the board, the qualifications of its members, or the service's powers and duties. The statute continues to require representation from the specified law schools, the state medical society, and the state bar association alongside the mental health organization representative.