In December, 2025, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia issued a report that showed that there were hundreds of deaths in the developmental disability community that were unexpected and possibly preventable. The shocking results generated a great deal of public attention. As a result, the Virginia General Assembly is considering legislation that would address some of the recommendations from dLCV’s study.
HB 1380 (Seibold) requires the Department of Behavioral Health to develop and implement regulations requiring all providers to conduct regular medical drills, similar to fire drills, to have all staff trained in CPR. In dLCV’s study, we found a shocking number of incidents where staff delayed response while they called their supervisor, left the home to look for help, or responded in panic. Regular medical drills will reduce the delays in responses and provide the person in crisis with valuable time and a better chance of survival. The bill also requires the Department to use sanctions of increased severity when there are repeat or serious offenses.
HB 1370 (Mehta) requires the development of regulations to conduct regular medical drills, as above. The regulations would be in effect by November 1, 2026.
Both bills are assigned to the House Committee on Health and Human Services. We expect them to be assigned to a sub committee.
There are hundreds of bills currently before the 2026 legislature. dLCV is looking for volunteers to help sort through them to identify proposals that might impact people with disabilities. If you are interested in serving as a Bill Reviewer, please email ga@dlcv.org with “Bill Reviewer” in the subject line. A member of our team will follow up with the next steps.
The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia is to advance independence, choice and self-determination; protect legal, human and civil rights; and eliminate abuse, neglect and discrimination of people with disabilities through zealous and uncompromising legal advocacy and representation. Please contact us if you think there is a bill we should be following!