BREAKING: Families Rights Matter2 Demands Urgent National Reform

Silent Epidemic’: Families Rights Matter2 Unveils 10-Point Plan to Overhaul Broken Mental Health System in All 50 States and U.S. Territories After Preventable Tragedies Spark Nationwide Outrage

KANSAS CITY, KS, April 12, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Families Rights Matter2, founded by Army veteran and national advocate Leon Shelmire Jr., has released a strengthened 10‑Point HIPAA Modernization Plan and is calling for it to be enacted as law in every U.S. state and territory.

This announcement follows a wave of national news stories showing how families are repeatedly shut out during psychiatric emergencies — often with fatal consequences.

Each point of the plan corresponds to a real incident reported by major news outlets, demonstrating how modernized laws could have changed the outcome.

THE 10‑POINT PLAN — THE NEWS STORIES — AND WHY EACH MUST BECOME LAW IN EVERY STATE AND TERRITORY
1. Mandatory Family Communication
News Article Title:
“Michigan Father Shut Out of Son’s Emergency Care as Hospitals Cite HIPAA Barriers”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Families cannot protect loved ones if hospitals refuse to communicate. Mandatory communication must be a legal requirement in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

2. Standardized National HIPAA Training
News Article Title:
“Clinicians Fear HIPAA Penalties, Block Families During Psychiatric Crises”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Training must be uniform across the country so no family is denied help because a provider misunderstood HIPAA.

3. Emergency Consent Exceptions for Adults in Crisis
News Article Title:
“Psychotic Patient Left Without Treatment as Doctors Debate Consent Rules”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Every state must allow emergency exceptions when a person is incapable of making informed decisions.

4. Required Safety Updates to Families
News Article Title:
“Mother Forced to Rely on Insurance Alerts to Know if Son Is Alive”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Families deserve basic safety information — this must be a legal right in every state and territory.

5. Duty to Consider Family Input
News Article Title:
“Crisis Team Ignores Family’s PTSD Warning; Patient Overdoses After Discharge”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Family medical history saves lives. Every state must require clinicians to document and consider it.

6. National Definition of ‘Incapacity’
News Article Title:
“Idaho Hospitals Release Patients in Psychosis Due to Vague Mental‑Health Hold Laws”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
A uniform definition is needed so crisis standards are consistent across all states and territories.

7. Modernize HIPAA to Cover 988, Crisis Lines & Apps
News Article Title:
“988 Callers Face Confusing Consent Rules and Data‑Sharing Gaps”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
988 and crisis‑line protections must be standardized across all states and territories to protect callers and families.

8. Mandatory State Intervention After Repeated Crisis Holds
News Article Title:
“Patients Caught in Revolving‑Door ER Holds With No Long‑Term Treatment Options”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Every state must require long‑term stabilization after repeated crisis holds to stop the revolving‑door cycle.

9. Police Crisis Response Units in Every Department
News Article Title:
“Woman in Mental‑Health Crisis Fatally Shot After Standard Police Response, Not Crisis Team”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Every police department in every state and territory must have a crisis‑trained response unit.

10. Mental‑Health Treatment Units in Jails & Prisons
News Article Title:
“Rikers Inmate Dies in Understaffed Mental‑Health Unit Amid National Treatment Shortages”
Why This Must Become Law Nationwide:
Every jail and prison in all U.S. jurisdictions must operate a mental‑health treatment unit to prevent avoidable deaths.

About Families Rights Matter2
Families Rights Matter2 is a national advocacy movement dedicated to modernizing HIPAA, strengthening family rights during mental‑health emergencies, and preventing crisis‑related tragedies. Founded by Army veteran Leon Shelmire Jr., the movement provides policy solutions, public education, and legislative outreach across the United States.

Learn more at https://familiesrightsmatter2.shelmireministries.org/ or contact us at 913-675-4977.

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For the original version of this press release, please visit 24-7PressRelease.com here