{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-271.4.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-271.4.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-271.4.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-271.4.html"}],"law_id":74779,"edition_id":1,"section_id":74779,"structure_id":12962,"section_number":"19.2-271.4","catch_line":"Privileged communications by certain public safety personnel","history":"2012, cc. 148, 320; 2017, c. 609.","full_text":"A\n\nA person who is a member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team, established pursuant to subdivision A 13 of § 32.1-111.3, shall not disclose nor be compelled to testify regarding any information communicated to him by emergency medical services or public safety personnel who are the subjects of peer support services regarding a critical incident. Such information shall also be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).B\n\nA person whose communications are privileged under subsection A may waive the privilege.C\n\nThe provisions of this section shall not apply when:1\n\nCriminal activity is revealed;2\n\nA member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is a witness or a party to a critical incident that prompted the peer support services;3\n\nA member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to prevent a crime against any other person or a threat to public safety;4\n\nThe privileged information reveals intent to defraud or deceive the investigation into the critical incident;5\n\nA member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to the employer of the emergency medical services or public safety personnel regarding criminal acts committed or information that would indicate that the emergency medical services or public safety personnel pose a threat to themselves or others; or6\n\nA member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is not acting in the role of a member at the time of the communication.D\n\nFor the purposes of this section, “critical incident” means an incident that induces an abnormally high level of negative emotions in response to a perceived loss of control. Such an incident is most often related to a threat to the well-being of the emergency medical services or public safety employee or to the well-being of another individual for whom such employee has some obligation of personal or professional concern.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":268729,"text":"A person who is a member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team, established pursuant to subdivision A 13 of § 32.1-111.3, shall not disclose nor be compelled to testify regarding any information communicated to him by emergency medical services or public safety personnel who are the subjects of peer support services regarding a critical incident. Such information shall also be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":268730,"text":"A person whose communications are privileged under subsection A may waive the privilege.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":268731,"text":"The provisions of this section shall not apply when:","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"C1"},"3":{"id":268732,"text":"Criminal activity is revealed;","type":"section","prefixes":["C","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"C1","prefix_anchor":"C1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"C2"},"4":{"id":268733,"text":"A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is a witness or a party to a critical incident that prompted the peer support services;","type":"section","prefixes":["C","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"C2","prefix_anchor":"C2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C1","next_prefix":"C3"},"5":{"id":268734,"text":"A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to prevent a crime against any other person or a threat to public safety;","type":"section","prefixes":["C","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"C3","prefix_anchor":"C3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C2","next_prefix":"C4"},"6":{"id":268735,"text":"The privileged information reveals intent to defraud or deceive the investigation into the critical incident;","type":"section","prefixes":["C","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"C4","prefix_anchor":"C4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C3","next_prefix":"C5"},"7":{"id":268736,"text":"A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to the employer of the emergency medical services or public safety personnel regarding criminal acts committed or information that would indicate that the emergency medical services or public safety personnel pose a threat to themselves or others; or","type":"section","prefixes":["C","5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"C5","prefix_anchor":"C5","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C4","next_prefix":"C6"},"8":{"id":268737,"text":"A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is not acting in the role of a member at the time of the communication.","type":"section","prefixes":["C","6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"C6","prefix_anchor":"C6","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C5","next_prefix":"D"},"9":{"id":268738,"text":"For the purposes of this section, “critical incident” means an incident that induces an abnormally high level of negative emotions in response to a perceived loss of control. Such an incident is most often related to a threat to the well-being of the emergency medical services or public safety employee or to the well-being of another individual for whom such employee has some obligation of personal or professional concern.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C6"}},"ancestry":[{"id":12962,"edition_id":1,"name":"In General","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12961,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":169213,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12962,"identifier":"1","token":"19.2\/16\/1","url":"\/19.2\/16\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12961,"edition_id":1,"name":"Evidence and Witnesses","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":169211,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12961,"identifier":"16","token":"19.2\/16","url":"\/19.2\/16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":70616,"structure_id":12962,"section_number":"19.2-267","catch_line":"Provisions applicable to witnesses in criminal as well as civil cases; 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newspersons engaged in journalism","url":"\/19.2-271.5\/","token":"19.2\/16\/1\/19.2-271.5","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-271.4\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2012. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 148<\/a> and 320<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2017, chapter 609<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":55569,"section_number":"2.2-3700","catch_line":"Short title; policy","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3700\/"},{"id":73301,"section_number":"32.1-111.3","catch_line":"Statewide Emergency Medical Services Plan; Trauma Triage Plan; Stroke Triage Plan","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-111.3\/"}],"permalink":{"id":169311,"object_type":"law","relational_id":74779,"identifier":"19.2-271.4","token":"19.2\/16\/1\/19.2-271.4","url":"\/19.2-271.4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-271.4\/","token":"19.2\/16\/1\/19.2-271.4","dublin_core":{"Title":"Privileged communications by certain public safety personnel","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-271.4","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A person who is a member of a critical incident<\/span> stress management or peer support team, established pursuant to subdivision A 13 of § 32.1-111.3<\/a>, shall not disclose nor be compelled to testify regarding any information communicated to him by emergency medical services or public safety personnel who are the subjects of peer support services regarding a critical incident<\/span>. Such information shall also be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700<\/a> et seq.). <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A person whose communications are privileged under subsection A may waive<\/span> the privilege<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The provisions of this section shall not apply when: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Criminal activity is revealed; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> A member of a critical incident<\/span> stress management or peer support team is a witness<\/span> or a party<\/span> to a critical incident<\/span> that prompted the peer support services; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> A member of a critical incident<\/span> stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to prevent a crime<\/span> against any other person or a threat to public safety; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The privileged information reveals intent<\/span> to defraud or deceive the investigation into the critical incident<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> A member of a critical incident<\/span> stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to the employer of the emergency medical services or public safety personnel regarding criminal acts committed or information that would indicate that the emergency medical services or public safety personnel pose a threat to themselves or others; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> A member of a critical incident<\/span> stress management or peer support team is not acting in the role of a member at the time of the communication. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> For the purposes of this section, “critical incident<\/span>” means an incident that induces an abnormally high level of negative emotions in response to a perceived loss of control. Such an incident is most often related to a threat to the well-being of the emergency medical services or public safety employee or to the well-being of another individual for whom such employee has some obligation of personal or professional concern. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS BY CERTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL (\u00a7 19.2-271.4)\n\nA. A person who is a member of a critical incident stress management or peer\nsupport team, established pursuant to subdivision A 13 of § 32.1-111.3,\nshall not disclose nor be compelled to testify regarding any information\ncommunicated to him by emergency medical services or public safety personnel who\nare the subjects of peer support services regarding a critical incident. Such\ninformation shall also be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act\n(§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).\n\nB. A person whose communications are privileged under subsection A may waive the\nprivilege.\n\nC. The provisions of this section shall not apply when:\n\n 1. Criminal activity is revealed;\n\n 2. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is a\n witness or a party to a critical incident that prompted the peer support\n services;\n\n 3. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team\n reveals the content of privileged information to prevent a crime against any\n other person or a threat to public safety;\n\n 4. The privileged information reveals intent to defraud or deceive the\n investigation into the critical incident;\n\n 5. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team\n reveals the content of privileged information to the employer of the emergency\n medical services or public safety personnel regarding criminal acts committed\n or information that would indicate that the emergency medical services or\n public safety personnel pose a threat to themselves or others; or\n\n 6. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is\n not acting in the role of a member at the time of the communication.\n\nD. For the purposes of this section, “critical incident” means an\nincident that induces an abnormally high level of negative emotions in response\nto a perceived loss of control. Such an incident is most often related to a\nthreat to the well-being of the emergency medical services or public safety\nemployee or to the well-being of another individual for whom such employee has\nsome obligation of personal or professional concern.\n\nHISTORY: 2012, cc. 148, 320; 2017, c. 609.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}