And other legislative news.

A new bill that seeks to modernize Kentucky's mental health laws is heading to the House floor.

More and our look back at legislative stories.

We haven't yet reported on from the week that we call PostScript.

On Thursday, the House Standing Committee on Health Services voted to pass House Bill 485, which amends two parts of the current law dealing with mental health.

One involves the involuntary hospitalization of those suffering from a mental health illness.

Under current law, courts either have to hospitalize or release the individual once they're evaluated.

The sponsors of House Bill 45 say it gives judges more options, including ordering them to go to outpatient treatment, take their medication or follow up with their doctor.

The other law deals with the involuntary commitment of those found and competent to stand trial for certain violent crimes.

Among the changes in the bill, revising the criteria for involuntary commitment and adjusting the timelines for evidentiary hearings, speaking in favor of the bill today, Kirsten Russell of Louisville, whose mentally ill brother killed her mother in 2018.

Russell says multiple hearings have forced her and her family to continually relive the tragedy.

In the years that have followed since this tragedy.

My family and I have endured the grueling legal process we never fathomed because he was found incompetent to stand trial in a criminal court.

We had to go the route of civil commitment.

What this is entailed is evidentiary hearings every six months, with him being able to choose to have a jury once a year if he wants one, what she does.

I have taken the stand each time to identify his voice on the 911 call in which you hear him asking my mom, whom he had already killed.

What her address is to say this is a form of torture is an understatement.

We are being victimized.

Each and every time we have to go to court and face him and relive the worst day of our lives.

The bill sponsors say it was a collaborative effort that involved judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, mental health practitioners and advocates, and the state health cabinet.

The bill now advances.