Marchman Act

The Marchman Act, officially the "Hal S. Marchman Alcohol and Other Drug Services Act of 1993", is a Florida law that provides a means of involuntary and voluntary assessment and stabilization and treatment of a person allegedly abusing alcohol or drugs.

Prior to October 1, 1993, substance abuse was addressed by chapters 396 and 397. Chapter 396 was primarily concerned with alcoholism while chapter 397, was more concerned with drug dependency. As of October 1, 1993, the new chapter 397, called the Hal S. Marchman Alcohol and Other Drug Services Act, superseded chapters 396 and 397. Unlike the prior chapters the new chapter 397, dubbed the “Marchman Act”, does not distinguish between drug dependency and alcoholism using the term “substance abuse.”