HOUSE BILL NO. 1316 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 9, 2008 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 23 a section numbered 23-9.2:9, relating to threat assessment teams at each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. ---------- Patron-- Nutter ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 23 a section numbered 23-9.2:9 as follows:

§ 23-9.2:9. Threat assessment team; establishment; duties.

A. The board of visitors or other governing body of every public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall establish a threat assessment team that includes student and faculty representatives, law enforcement, human resources, legal counsel, and mental health professionals in order to address incidents of aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior on campus and to provide guidance and best practices for preventing violence.   

B. The board of visitors or other governing body shall determine the infrastructure of the threat assessment team that may include, but not be limited to, the following areas: (i) mission statement; (ii) membership; and (iii) leadership of the team.

C. Each threat assessment team, with the assistance of counsel, shall develop and adopt a campus-wide threat assessment policy that provides (i) guidance to students, faculty, and staff about how to recognize and address threatening behavior, including the identification of specific individuals on the threat assessment team with whom to share information and when that information may be shared; and (ii) access to a range of support services for students including mental health services, crisis management, and comprehensive and compassionate services for victims.

D. Each threat assessment team shall regularly seek cooperation from: (i) residential life; (ii) academic affairs; (iii) law enforcement; (iv) the counseling center; and (v) student judicial affairs in order to successfully monitor any threatening behavior.