Section 218.95. Synonymous terms.

  1.  For purposes of construing the provisions of this and the following subtitles of this title and chapters 904, 913, and 914 relating to persons with mental illness and reconciling these provisions with other former and present provisions of statute, the following terms shall be considered synonymous:

  a.  “Mentally ill” and “insane”, except that the hospitalization or detention of any person for treatment of mental illness shall not constitute a finding or create a presumption that the individual is legally insane in the absence of a finding of incompetence made pursuant to section 229.27.

  b.  “Parole” and “convalescent leave”.

  c.  “Resident” and “patient”.

  d.  “Escape” and “depart without proper authorization”.

  e.  “Warrant” and “order of admission”.

  f.  “Escapee” and “patient”.

  g.  “Sane” and “in good mental health”.

  h.  “Asylum” and “hospital”.

  i.  “Commitment” and “admission”.

  2.  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the general assembly that words which have come to have a degrading meaning shall not be employed in institutional records having reference to persons with various mental conditions and that in all records pertaining to persons with various mental conditions the less discriminatory of the foregoing synonyms shall be employed.

[C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §218.95]

83 Acts, ch 96, §159, 160

; 96 Acts, ch 1129, §39

; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §263

; 2015 Acts, ch 30, §71

Subsection 1 amended