Behavioral health services; correctional facilities, exchange of medical/mental health information.
HB2655 amends Virginia law to expand and clarify when medical and mental health information may be exchanged for people in juvenile and adult correctional settings. The bill updates confidentiality and disclosure rules in juvenile records law and in statutes governing state, local, and regional correctional facilities so that certain agencies and officials can access records without the person’s consent when needed for treatment, safety, security, classification, parole/probation planning, reentry, and post-release services. It also expressly supports coordination with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, social services agencies, behavioral health providers, and correctional staff for pre-release and reentry planning.
The bill further directs the Department of Corrections to develop policies to improve exchange of medical and mental health records, including better access to electronic health records and electronic information exchange for telemedicine and telepsychiatry. For local and regional jails, it adds a requirement that recent health care providers disclose information necessary for continuity of care upon request, and it grants those providers civil liability immunity for disclosures made under the statute absent bad faith or malicious intent. The measure preserves existing limits on substance abuse records and HIV test results and keeps the information confidential except for the purposes authorized by law.
HB2655 would modify sections 16.1-300, 53.1-40.10, and 53.1-133.03 of the Code of Virginia, broadening the statutory framework for sharing protected medical and mental health information in juvenile justice and correctional contexts. It would affect the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Corrections, local and regional jails, parole and probation officials, community services boards, social services agencies, and health care providers by authorizing more structured information exchange for treatment, safety, security, and reentry purposes. The bill also creates an explicit continuity-of-care disclosure duty for providers serving jail inmates and provides liability protection for compliant disclosures.
Based on the bill text and available context, the overall sentiment appears supportive of improving behavioral health coordination in correctional settings. The bill’s framing emphasizes treatment continuity, reentry planning, and operational safety, suggesting a policy goal of reducing gaps in care for incarcerated and recently released individuals. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the available materials.
The main policy tension in HB2655 is between improving access to medical and mental health information for correctional and reentry purposes and preserving confidentiality of sensitive health records. Potential concerns would likely center on privacy, the scope of agencies allowed to access records, and whether expanded sharing could expose juveniles or incarcerated people to broader disclosure than necessary. The bill addresses some of these concerns by limiting disclosure to relevant information, preserving confidentiality rules for substance abuse and HIV-related records, and restricting further dissemination, but the balance between care coordination and privacy remains the central issue.