2017 Virginia General Assembly
Legislative Highlights
February 8, 2017
The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia is to advance independence, choice and self-determination; protect legal, human and civil rights; and eliminate abuse, neglect and discrimination.
Here is the status of some of the mental health bills we have been following:
STILL ACTIVE
HB 1483 (Bell, Richard)—defines a qualified mental health professional. Approved by the House.
HB 1784 (Bell, Rob) requires a comprehensive plan establishing discharge planning duties for jails Approved by the House.
HB 1910 (Yost) establishes a “duty to warn” for physicians assistants. Approved by the House.
HB 1996 (Hope) requires a person to be transferred from jail within 10 days of being found in need of treatment. Approved by the House.
HB 2184 (Yost) creates a process for evaluation of inmates for mental health issues. Approved by the House.
HB 2462 (Bell, Rob) allows an inmate to be transferred for inpatient mental health treatment even if already receiving treatment on an outpatient basis, in jail. Approved by the House.
SB 933 (Favola) – requires mental health training for jail personnel. Approved by the Senate Committee on Finance and incorporated into SB 940.
SB 935 (Lucas) — allows an inmate to be transferred for inpatient mental health treatment even if already receiving treatment on an outpatient basis in jail. Conformed to HB 2462 and approved by the House Courts subcommittee on Mental Health.
SB 940 (Cosgrove) — requires mental health screening in jails. Approved by the Senate, and approved by the House Courts subcommittee on Mental Health.
SB 1006 (Hanger) – requires the state courts and the Department of Behavioral Health to share relevant data concerning involuntary admission. Conformed to the house version and recommended to report by the House Courts subcommittee on mental health.
SB 1442 (Deeds) – requires mental health screening in jails. Recommended to report and refer to Appropriations by the House Courts subcommittee on Mental Health.
SB 1222 (Barker) creates a registry of psychiatric patients who may be in need of hospitalization. Approved by the Senate. See also HB 1918 ,below
SB 1442 (Deeds) Requires a uniform mental health assessment tool for jail personnel. Approved by the Senate.
DEAD AS OF “CROSSOVER”
HB 1480 (Helsel) requires mental health training for first responders. Tabled in subcommittee.
HB 1782 (Bell, Rob) gives the State Board of Corrections the authority to investigate deaths in jails. Approved by House Courts of Justice, but tabled by a subcommittee of House Committee on Appropriations.
HB 1783 (Bell, Rob) requires a uniform standard for mental health screening on admission to jail. Approved by House Courts of Justice, but tabled by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations.
HB 1918 (Robinson) adds to the emergency bed registry de-indentified information about individuals who have been in need of involuntary admission. Tabled in subcommittee.
HB 1975 (Yost) states that a person being held on a temporary detention order must be held for a minimum of 23 hours before commitment hearing. Tabled in subcommittee.
HB 1997 (Hope) authorizes local law enforcement to take a person to a local crisis stabilization unit instead of jail where appropriate. Tabled in subcommittee.
HB 2330 (Herretick) allows an inmate to be transferred for inpatient mental health treatment even if already receiving treatment on an outpatient basis, in jail. Tabled in subcommittee, but see HB 2462, dealing with the same issue.
SB 1064 (Deeds) – requires mental health awareness training for first responders. Tabled by the House Courts subcommittee on mental health.
SB 1233 (Chafin) creates additional persons who can conduct mental admission evaluations. Passed by indefinitely in Senate Finance.