An Act to amend and reenact § 37.2-311.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation.
HB225 amends Virginia’s Marcus alert statute to create a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force and to refine the framework for the state’s comprehensive crisis system. The bill updates definitions tied to crisis response, including community care teams, mobile crisis teams, crisis call centers, crisis stabilization centers, and the Marcus alert system, which is the set of protocols used to route behavioral health crises into appropriate mental health, substance use, developmental disability, or brain injury services. It also clarifies the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ responsibilities for developing and supporting crisis services.
The measure is aimed at improving how Virginia responds to behavioral health emergencies by emphasizing diversion from law enforcement or hospital-based responses when feasible and by strengthening specialized crisis services. It references national standards and federal crisis infrastructure, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and SAMHSA, and it continues the state’s move toward a coordinated, statewide crisis continuum that includes same-day mobile response and short-term stabilization options.
The bill amends § 37.2-311.1 of the Code of Virginia, affecting the statutory definitions and duties that govern Virginia’s comprehensive crisis system and Marcus alert framework. It expands and clarifies the legal structure for crisis call centers, mobile crisis response, community care teams, and crisis stabilization centers, and it reinforces the Department’s role in planning and implementing behavioral health crisis services. The practical effect is to shape how localities, behavioral health providers, and law enforcement coordinate responses to individuals in crisis, while supporting diversion to behavioral health services whenever possible.
The available context suggests a generally supportive and policy-driven sentiment around the bill, with the legislation enacted as Chapter 370 and no recorded committee transcript or vote record indicating organized opposition. The bill appears consistent with broader bipartisan interest in improving behavioral health crisis response, reducing unnecessary law-enforcement involvement, and expanding access to specialized crisis care. Because no committee discussion or vote details are provided, there is no evidence of formal debate in the supplied record.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, potential areas of debate could include the role of law enforcement in crisis response, the scope of local discretion in creating mobile crisis teams or community care teams, and the resources needed to build out the crisis system. However, the record supplied here does not identify any legislators, agencies, or stakeholder groups explicitly raising objections or amendments.