February 10, 2016 – Legislative Update

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2016 Virginia General Assembly
February 10, 2016

The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia is to protect and advance the legal, human and civil rights of people with disabilities, to combat and prevent abuse, neglect and discrimination, and to promote independence, choice and self-determination by persons with disabilities.

There are two bills in the legislature that would affect the planned closure of Virginia’s training centers.

HB 294 (O’Quinn) – requires the Commonwealth to keep both the Southwestern Virginia Training Center and the Southeastern Training Center in operation. This bill was tabled in House Appropriations subcommittee on Health and Human Resources.

SB 683 (Miller) – prohibits the Department of Behavioral Health and the Community Services Board from communicating with any family member, except in writing, about transition planning if the family member has sent a letter saying that they want no further communication. Communication is permitted if it is within six months of the closure of the training center. The bill has passed the Senate and has been assigned to the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions.

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The disAbility Law Center of Virginia monitors bills in the legislature that may be of interest to people with disabilities. We are available to educate policy makers about the potential impact of legislative proposals. Please let us know of any legislative proposals or budget issues that you think we should be following. Contact us at info@dlcv.org or by calling 1-800-552-3962 or 804-225-2042.