HRS § 334-60.4 - Notice; waiver of notice; hearing on petition; waiver of hearing on petition for involuntary hospitalization

(a) The court shall set a hearing on the petition and notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be served in accordance with, and to those persons specified in, a current order of commitment. If there is no current order of commitment, notice of the hearing shall be served personally on the subject of the petition and served personally or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, deliverable to the addressee only, on the subject's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, legal parents, adult children, and legal guardian, if one has been appointed. If the subject of the petition has no living spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, legal parent and adult children, or if none can be found, notice of the hearing shall be served on at least one of the subject's closest adult relatives if any can be found. Notice of the hearing shall also be served on the public defender, attorney for the subject of the petition, or other court-appointed attorney as the case may be. If the subject of the petition is a minor, notice of the hearing shall also be served upon the person who has had the principal care and custody of the minor during the sixty days preceding the date of the petition if such person can be found within the State. Notice shall also be given to such other persons as the court may designate. (b) The notice shall include the following: (1) The date, time, place of hearing, a clear statement of the purpose of the proceedings and of possible consequences to the subject; and a statement of the legal standard upon which commitment is authorized; (2) A copy of the petition; (3) A written notice, in plain and simple language, that the subject may waive such a hearing by voluntarily agreeing to hospitalization, or with the approval of the court, to some other form of treatment; (4) A filled-out form indicating such waiver; (5) A written notice, in plain and simple language, that the subject or the subject's guardian or representative may apply at any time for a hearing on the issue of the subject's need for hospitalization, if the subject has previously waived such a hearing; (6) Notice that the subject is entitled to the assistance of an attorney and that the public defender has been notified of these proceedings; (7) Notice that if the subject does not want to be represented by the public defender the subject may contact the subject's own attorney; (8) Notice, if such be the case, that the petitioner intends to adduce evidence to show that the subject of the petition is an incapacitated or protected person, or both, under article V of chapter 560, and whether or not appointment of a guardian is sought at the hearing. If appointment of a guardian is to be recommended, and a nominee is known at the time the petition is filed, the identity of the nominee shall be disclosed. (c) If the subject executes and files a waiver of the hearing, upon acceptance by the court following a court determination that the person understands the person's rights and is competent to waive them, the court shall order the subject to be committed to a facility that has agreed to admit the subject as an involuntary patient or, if the subject is at such a facility, that the subject be retained there. [L 1984, c 188, pt of §3; gen ch 1985; am L 1997, c 383, §46; am L 2004, c 161, §36]