Healthcare (Mental Health)

in committee · Virginia · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SB 205: Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children five years of age or younger to receive services through such program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends early intervention services for disabled infants/toddlers, expanding access to healthcare programs for vulnerable children.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 103: Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children four years of age or younger to receive services through such Program. Under current law, the Program is available for children between birth and three years of age.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends early intervention healthcare services for infants/toddlers with disabilities, maintaining access to critical developmental support under federal program requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 317: Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; development of behavioral health co-response teams.

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 248.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates behavioral health co-response teams to divert non-violent mental health calls from police, reducing unnecessary criminalization and aligning with reform goals like reducing recidivism.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables behavioral health co-response teams for crisis calls, enhancing mental health service access per Behavioral Health Commission recommendation.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 48: Suicide prevention; VDH to convene work group to develop plan to reduce among at-risk populations.

Department of Health; suicide prevention; at-risk populations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to develop a statewide strategic plan to reduce suicides among at-risk populations in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Joint Commission on Health Care, the Chair of the House Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates Department of Health to develop suicide prevention plan for at-risk populations, advancing mental health services under healthcare policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

Track

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 513: Suicide fatality review teams, local and regional; established, membership, penalty.

Local and regional suicide fatality review teams; penalty. Permits localities or combinations of localities to establish a local or regional suicide fatality review team. The bill provides exemptions from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for information and records obtained or created regarding a review of a fatality by such team.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAdds VA representation to overdose review teams focusing on veteran suicides, enhancing mental health service analysis and prevention efforts.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransAdds veterans/military suicides to overdose review teams' purposes and mandates VA department representation, directly addressing veteran mental health through systemic review processes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse Veteran Healthcare Veteran Mental Health

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 248: Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; development of behavioral health co-response teams.

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 317.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates behavioral health co-response teams for non-violent crises, diverting calls from traditional law enforcement to specialized care, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates co-response teams for behavioral health calls, improving mental health crisis response through law enforcement partnerships as recommended by Behavioral Health Commission.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Mental Health Tags Public Safety

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1304: Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to SB 580.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patient communication rights in behavioral health facilities, advancing patient access and rights within healthcare services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health

in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 1462: Medicaid and health insurance plans; supervised billing.

Supervised billing; Medicaid and health insurance plans. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to permit a qualified licensed provider to bill for clinical services provided by a qualified non-licensed provider under the supervision of the qualified licensed provider and requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for mental health services or substance use services provided by a qualified non-licensed provider under the supervision of a qualified licensed provider when such services would be covered if provided by a qualified licensed provider. Additionally, the bill reduces the time limit for a retroactive denial by a health insurance carrier from 12 months to 180 days.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates Medicaid/insurers to cover mental health/substance use services by non-licensed providers under supervision, expanding access and support for mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicaid Mental Health

Track

vetoed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 15, 2026

HB 229: Weapons; possession prohibited in hospital that provides mental health or developmental services.

Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and that no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies certain exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to SB 173.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits weapons in mental health hospitals to enhance safety, protecting patients and staff in healthcare settings per bill's focus on mental health services.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health

Track

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 325: Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training.

Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored to firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in current law. The bill provides the option for each fire department to use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel. This bill is identical to SB 140.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health awareness training for fire personnel, directly supporting mental health services within first responder programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Tags Public Safety