Private behavioral health services providers; licensure. (HB540)

Introduced By

Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) with support from co-patron Sen. Roz Dance (D-Petersburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Licensure of private behavioral health services providers. Clarifies provisions governing issuance of a license to a private provider by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, provides that a provisional license may be issued to a provider that has failed to comply with regulations other than those related to health and safety of a person receiving services in certain cases, and clarifies situations in which certain sanctions may be imposed upon a provider. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/06/2014Committee
01/06/2014Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/14 14100846D
01/06/2014Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
01/09/2014Assigned HWI sub: # 2
01/23/2014Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
01/28/2014Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/28/2014Committee substitute printed 14104196D-H1
01/29/2014Read first time
01/30/2014Read second time
01/30/2014Committee substitute agreed to 14104196D-H1
01/30/2014Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB540H1
01/31/2014Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (96-Y 0-N)
01/31/2014VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (96-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2014Constitutional reading dispensed
02/03/2014Referred to Committee on Education and Health
02/03/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB540H1)
02/20/2014Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2014Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/24/2014Read third time
02/24/2014Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/26/2014Enrolled
02/26/2014Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB540ER)
02/26/2014Signed by Speaker
02/28/2014Signed by President
03/05/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB540ER)
04/03/2014G Approved by Governor-Chapter 497 (effective 7/1/14)
04/03/2014G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0497)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 53 seconds.

Comments

spotter writes:

This is a terrible idea. Exactly which regulations do NOT relate to the health and safety of a person receiving services?

We just went through a shameful year and a half, from March 5, 2012 to October 1, 2013, in which the Commonwealth twiddled its thumbs before stifling a yawn and finally shutting down six facilities with 400 people run by the notorious Scott Schuett in the Hampton Roads area. Most of these victims were DBHDS and CSB clients, dumped into these so-called assisted living facilities alongside frail elderly people. At least two elderly ladies were savagely beaten by the severely mentally ill people sent to live alongside them. Three people died. The proprietor, Scott Schuett, responded to a citation by outrageously claiming that "The inspector must be unfamiliar with the mentally ill. It is a well-known fact that you cannot stop mentally ill peoople from fighting."

Please google Scott Schuett for more appalling details.

Before anybody considers watering down the standards that apply to behavioral health providers, we need to know more about what situation and what agencies instigated this ill-advised legislation.

We need tougher rules and better enforcement!