republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-888.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Civil commitments & temporary detention orders; def. of mental illness neurocognitive disorders.	Civil commitments and temporary detention orders; definition of mental illness; neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities; Secretary of Health and Human Resources to evaluate placements for certain individuals; report. Specifies that for the purpose of civil commitments and temporary detention orders, behaviors and symptoms that manifest from a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability are excluded from the definition of mental illness and are, therefore, not a basis for placing an individual under a temporary detention order or committing an individual involuntarily to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The bill provides that if a state facility has reason to believe that an individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability, the state facility may require that a licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional reevaluate the individual's eligibility for a temporary detention order before the individual is admitted and shall promptly authorize the release of an individual held under a temporary detention order if the licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional determines the individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to evaluate, identify, and develop placements for individuals with neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as any statutory or funding changes needed to prevent inappropriate placements for such individuals, and to report his findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 176.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 888	Virginia HB 888 (2024)	bill		enacted	Vivian E. Watts	4	32	6	2024-01-09	2024-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/9753496c-57d3-4608-ab20-70c9edc59277	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB888	62c967d9df15ec8860b0e8e14e36e7ad350c3e779667b00d0d16bdba68738ce8	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 888 (2024) — Civil commitments & temporary detention orders; def. of mental illness neurocognitive disorders.

Civil commitments and temporary detention orders; definition of mental illness; neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities; Secretary of Health and Human Resources to evaluate placements for certain individuals; report. Specifies that for the purpose of civil commitments and temporary detention orders, behaviors and symptoms that manifest from a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability are excluded from the definition of mental illness and are, therefore, not a basis for placing an individual under a temporary detention order or committing an individual involuntarily to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The bill provides that if a state facility has reason to believe that an individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability, the state facility may require that a licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional reevaluate the individual's eligibility for a temporary detention order before the individual is admitted and shall promptly authorize the release of an individual held under a temporary detention order if the licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional determines the individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to evaluate, identify, and develop placements for individuals with neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as any statutory or funding changes needed to prevent inappropriate placements for such individuals, and to report his findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 176.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. CHAP0696 (committee substitute) — source
2. Committee substitute printed 24106312D-H1 (committee substitute) — source
3. HB888ER (committee substitute) — source
4. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103978D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) — 97–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Rules (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Rules with substitute (17-Y 0-N) — 17–0 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Health and Human Services (22-Y 0-N) — 22–0 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Vivian E. Watts — primary (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2024-01-09 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103978D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-09 Referred to Committee on Rules referral-committee
• 2024-01-26 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-01-26 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-01-26 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-01-26 Reported from Rules with substitute (17-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-01-26 Committee substitute printed 24106312D-H1 substitution
• 2024-01-26 Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services referral-committee
• 2024-01-31 Impact statement from DPB (HB888H1)
• 2024-02-01 Reported from Health and Human Services (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-05 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-06 Passed by for the day
• 2024-02-07 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-02-07 Committee substitute agreed to 24106312D-H1 substitution
• 2024-02-07 Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB888H1 substitution
• 2024-02-08 Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-08 VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-09 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-09 Referred to Committee on Rules referral-committee
• 2024-02-23 Reported from Rules (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-26 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2024-02-27 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-27 Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-03-04 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-03-04 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB888ER) passage
• 2024-03-04 Impact statement from DPB (HB888ER)
• 2024-03-04 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-03-07 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-11 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-08 Approved by Governor-Chapter 696 (effective - see bill) executive-signature
• 2024-04-08 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0696)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/9753496c-57d3-4608-ab20-70c9edc59277. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).