2017 Virginia General Assembly
Legislative Highlights
January 12, 2017
Tomorrow morning, the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation will consider several bills coming from a workgroup known as the “Deeds” or the “SJ47” group (It is not an official legislative commission.) Among the bills on the docket tomorrow are:
SB 933 (Favola) requiring “mental health first aid” training for jail officers.
SB 940 (Cosgrove) requiring jails to screen prisoners for mental health needs, according to a uniform protocol to be developed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
SB 941 (Cosgrove) Requires the Department of Behavioral Health to develop a plan for discharge or transfer of inmates with serious mental illness.
SB 942 (Cosgrove) Directs the Board of Corrections to review deaths of any inmate in a local or regional jail.
To get the “docket” for any committee, click to this link:here and then scan the meeting schedule for the time that the Committee is meeting. If there is an agenda available, it will be a live link on the meeting schedule.
The disAbility law Center of Virginia will be monitoring developments 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.
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 of people with disabilities through zealous and uncompromising legal advocacy and representation.