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HB 2230

Emergency custody and involuntary admissions; transfer of custody to facility.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Cherry

HB 2230 clarifies emergency custody transfer procedures from law enforcement to mental health facilities for involuntary psychiatric admissions in Virginia.

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Bill Summary · HB 2230

Legislative bill overview

HB 2230 modifies Virginia's emergency custody and involuntary admission procedures, specifically addressing the transfer of custody from law enforcement to mental health facilities. The bill appears to streamline or clarify protocols for how individuals taken into emergency custody are transferred to appropriate mental health or medical facilities for evaluation and treatment.

Why is this important

Emergency custody laws directly affect how quickly people experiencing mental health crises receive care and how law enforcement resources are deployed. Clarifying transfer procedures can reduce unnecessary police detention time, improve treatment access, and potentially decrease costs associated with jail holds for individuals who need psychiatric evaluation rather than criminal processing.

Potential points of contention

  • Burden on facilities: Expanding or clarifying transfer requirements could increase operational demands on mental health facilities, raising questions about whether facilities have adequate staffing and bed capacity to accommodate transferred individuals
  • Law enforcement concerns: Police departments may resist provisions that shift responsibilities or create additional procedural requirements without corresponding resource increases
  • Timeline and liability issues: Unclear custody transfer protocols can create gaps where responsibility is ambiguous; the bill's specifics on timing, documentation, and liability during transfers will be contentious

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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