HB 1223 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Health professionals; mandatory suicide training required.

Summary

Health professionals; mandatory suicide training required. Requires health care professionals to complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The bill requires counselors, licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners, marriage and family therapists, behavioral health technicians, qualified mental health professionals, occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers to complete such training at least once every six years and requires other health professionals to complete such training once. The bill requires the Commissioner of Health and the Department of Health Professions to develop a model list of training programs in suicide assessment, treatment, and management and update such list at least once every two years.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Feb 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Health and Human Services Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from its original introduced version to a House Committee substitute version, significantly expanding the scope of mandatory suicide training requirements. The original version applied only to eight specific mental health professions, while the substitute version extends requirements to include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals not previously covered. This expansion aims to ensure broader suicide prevention training across the healthcare system.

Scope change

The bill's scope was substantially expanded from eight mental health professions to include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who were not previously required to complete suicide training.

SCOPE

Subsection B was changed from a catch-all provision for professionals not listed in subsection A to a specific list of 13 additional professions including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers.

The original broad catch-all provision for any professional not listed in subsection A was replaced with a specific enumerated list, making the requirements more precise but also more limited in scope.

ELIGIBILITY

New professions were added to mandatory training requirements, including physicians, interns, residents, physician assistants, genetic counselors, licensed midwives, behavior analysts, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physical therapists, and certified sex offender treatment providers.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

Assigned sub: Behavioral Health

lower

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors