Whenever it appears that a person is eligible for care or treatment by the veterans' administration or other agency of the United States, and hospitalization is necessary for the proper care or treatment of such person, the probate court, upon receipt of a certificate from the veterans' administration or such other agency showing that facilities are available and such person is eligible for care or treatment therein, may order such person to said veterans' administration or other agency for care and treatment.

Upon admission, such person shall be subject to the applicable regulations of the veterans' administration or other agency of the United States. The chief officer of any hospital to which any person is admitted pursuant to hospitalization as provided in sections 5905.01 to 5905.19 of the Revised Code, or under the law in effect at the time of such admission, shall have the same powers as are exercised by heads of hospitals for mental diseases and the department of mental health and addiction services with respect to the retention, transfer, parole, or discharge of the person hospitalized; provided no person shall be transferred to a hospital operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof without the consent of such department.

The right of such person to appear and defend shall not be denied.

The judgment or order of hospitalization by a court of competent jurisdiction of another state ordering a person to the veterans' administration or other agency of the United States, or any hospital operated by any such agency, for care or treatment shall have the same effect as to such person while in this state as in the state in which the court entering such judgment or making such order is situated, provided that no nonresident ordered to a veterans' administration facility located in Ohio shall thereby acquire a legal settlement in Ohio.

Upon receipt of a certificate that facilities are available in any such hospital operated by the United States for the care or treatment of any person ordered to any hospital for the mentally ill or other hospital in this state for the care of persons similarly afflicted, and that such person is eligible for such care or treatment, such department may transfer any such person to the veterans' administration or other agency of the United States in the state. Upon effecting any such transfer, the ordering court shall be notified thereof by the transferring agency; provided that no such person shall be transferred if the person is confined pursuant to conviction of any crime or misdemeanor, or if the person has been acquitted of any such charge solely on the ground of insanity, unless prior to such transfer the court originally ordering such person enters an order for such transfer after appropriate motion and hearing.

Any person transferred as provided in this section is ordered to the veterans' administration or other agency of the United States pursuant to the original order as though the person had been originally so ordered.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Effective Date: 07-01-1980 .