Texas’s New Law Allows Involuntary Detention Based on Anosognosia

In 2025, Texas passed Senate Bill 1164, a landmark mental health law that expands the grounds for involuntary psychiatric detention. The Bill will take effect on September 01, 2025. Previously, individuals could only be held if they posed an immediate danger to themselves or others. Under the new law, detention is also permitted when a person shows anosognosia, which means a lack of awareness of their own mental illness, even if no imminent threat exists. Supporters argue this change enables earlier intervention for individuals at risk of deterioration who refuse treatment, while critics warn it risks undermining civil liberties without adequate safeguards or investment in long term mental health resources. The law reflects a growing national debate over how to balance autonomy and public safety in psychiatric care.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/involuntary-treatment-anosognosia-homelessness-law-20808832.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com