Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §23-9.2:8 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§23-9.2:8. Student mental health policies.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall develop and implement policies that advise students, faculty, and staff, including residence hall staff, of the proper procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of students exhibiting suicidal tendencies or behavior, and provide for training, where appropriate. Such policies shall require procedures for notifying the institution's student health or counseling center for the purposes set forth in subsection C of §23-9.2:3 when a student exhibits suicidal tendencies or behavior.

B. The governing board of each public four-year institution of higher education shall establish a written memorandum of understanding with its local community services board or behavioral health authority and with local hospitals and other local mental health facilities in order to expand the scope of services available to students seeking treatment. The memorandum shall designate a contact person to be notified when a student is involuntarily committed, or when a student is discharged from a facility and consents to such notification. The memorandum shall also provide for the inclusion of the institution in the post-discharge planning of a student who has been committed and intends to return to campus, to the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws.