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Assembly passes mental health reform package

www.roanoke.com

The General Assembly voted unanimously today to approve a package of bills intended to reform Virginia’s mental health system and fill gaps exposed by April's shootings at Virginia Tech.

The slate of bills was approved 99-0 in the House of Delegates and 40-0 in the Senate.

The legislation would ease Virginia's standard for involuntary commitment and improve monitoring of individuals under outpatient commitment orders. It further defines the roles of several different mental health providers, authorizes them to share information and allows the extension of emergency custody orders from four to six hours.

“This is actually kind of exciting because everyone is in agreement,” said Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax County, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill.

Legislators also added a last-minute clause to get around the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The language provides that court orders placing individuals in treatment also provide for disclosure of relevant medical information.

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