---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- MENTAL HEALTH LAW (Creates a twenty-seven (27) month pilot program that allows an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), certified in psychiatric/mental health, to certify the need for mental health treatment.)"
description: "AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- MENTAL HEALTH LAW (Creates a twenty-seven (27) month pilot program that allows an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), certified in psychiatric/mental health, to certify the need for mental health treatment.)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "HB 5819"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 5819 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Behavioral Healthcare", "Dept. of BHDDH", "Health Care Plans/Services", "Mental Health", "Nurses"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bennett"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 12
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-02-23"
last_action: "2023-06-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/05ea3d79-a886-4176-a537-0be50e5b47df"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "fc81b2078f8e01d262abc6a1140778622c5dfae69a43490894ef8dacf990a04a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ri"]
---

# Rhode Island HB 5819 (2023) — AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- MENTAL HEALTH LAW (Creates a twenty-seven (27) month pilot program that allows an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), certified in psychiatric/mental health, to certify the need for mental health treatment.)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **5819 SUB A as amended** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/HouseText23/H5819Aaa.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT — **70–0** (pass) · lower
- AS AMENDED — **71–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bennett — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-23** 02/23/2023 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2023-02-24** 02/24/2023 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/28/2023)
- **2023-02-28** 02/28/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2023-06-02** 06/02/2023 Scheduled for consideration (06/06/2023)
- **2023-06-05** 06/05/2023 Proposed Substitute `substitution`
- **2023-06-06** 06/06/2023 Committee recommends passage of Sub A `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-06-06** 06/06/2023 Placed on House Calendar (06/08/2023) `reading-3`
- **2023-06-08** 06/08/2023 House passed Sub A as amended (floor amendment) `passage`
- **2023-06-08** 06/08/2023 Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (06/13/2023) `reading-3`
- **2023-06-13** 06/13/2023 Senate passed Sub A as amended in concurrence `passage`
- **2023-06-14** 06/14/2023 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-06-19** 06/19/2023 Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/05ea3d79-a886-4176-a537-0be50e5b47df`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).