Bill > HB513

This bill establishes local and regional suicide fatality review teams, which can be formed by counties, cities, or combinations thereof, to review deaths by suicide, promote inter-agency cooperation, understand suicide causes, develop prevention plans, and advise state agencies on policy changes. These teams are permitted to review deaths of any resident of the Commonwealth suspected to be by suicide, including military service members and veterans, and are required to establish rules for their review process, with agencies sharing information only if they agree to maintain confidentiality, a violation of which is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The teams can be composed of various local officials such as medical examiners, social services officials, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and school superintendents, with the option to appoint additional members like healthcare professionals and veterans' representatives. The bill also amends existing law to exempt information and records obtained or created by these suicide fatality review teams from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, ensuring their confidentiality and preventing their disclosure in legal proceedings, with violations of this confidentiality also being a Class 3 misdemeanor, and provides immunity from civil liability for team members and those providing information, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Health and Social Services

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB513