{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/37.2-800.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/37.2-800.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/37.2-800.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/37.2-800.html"}],"law_id":76779,"edition_id":1,"section_id":76779,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-800","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026). Applicability of chapter","history":"1968, c. 477, \u00a7 37.1-63; 1976, c. 671; 2005, c. 716; 2008, cc. 850, 870; 2024, c. 780.","full_text":"For the purposes of this chapter, whenever the term mental illness appears, it shall include substance abuse. Whenever the term responsible person appears, it shall include a family member as that term is defined in \u00a7 37.2-100, a community services board or behavioral health authority, any treating physician of the person, or a law-enforcement officer. Whenever the term community services board or board appears, it shall include behavioral health authority.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":275699,"text":"For the purposes of this chapter, whenever the term mental illness appears, it shall include substance abuse. Whenever the term responsible person appears, it shall include a family member as that term is defined in \u00a7 37.2-100, a community services board or behavioral health authority, any treating physician of the person, or a law-enforcement officer. Whenever the term community services board or board appears, it shall include behavioral health authority.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15066,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12890,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:56","permalink":{"id":210259,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15066,"identifier":"1","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1","url":"\/37.2\/III\/8\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12890,"edition_id":1,"name":"Emergency Custody and Voluntary and Involuntary Civil Admissions","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12889,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":210257,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12890,"identifier":"8","token":"37.2\/III\/8","url":"\/37.2\/III\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12889,"edition_id":1,"name":"Admissions and Dispositions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12843,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":210255,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12889,"identifier":"III","token":"37.2\/III","url":"\/37.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12843,"edition_id":1,"name":"Behavioral Health and Developmental Services","identifier":"37.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","permalink":{"id":209673,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12843,"identifier":"37.2","token":"37.2","url":"\/37.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":76779,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-800","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026). Applicability of chapter","url":"\/37.2-800\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-800","metadata":false},{"id":63295,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-801","catch_line":"Admission procedures; forms","url":"\/37.2-801\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-801","metadata":false},{"id":66636,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-802","catch_line":"Interpreters in admission or certification proceedings","url":"\/37.2-802\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-802","metadata":false},{"id":84291,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-803","catch_line":"Special justices to perform duties of judge","url":"\/37.2-803\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-803","metadata":false},{"id":86844,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-804","catch_line":"Fees and expenses","url":"\/37.2-804\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-804","metadata":false},{"id":77215,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-804.1","catch_line":"Use of electronic communication","url":"\/37.2-804.1\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-804.1","metadata":false},{"id":57446,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-804.2","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Disclosure of records","url":"\/37.2-804.2\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-804.2","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":63295,"structure_id":15066,"section_number":"37.2-801","catch_line":"Admission procedures; forms","url":"\/37.2-801\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-801","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/37.2-800\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1968. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 477 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. Unfortunately, the 1968 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1976, chapter 671; in 2005, chapter 716<\/a>; in 2008, chapters 850<\/a> and 870<\/a>; in 2024, chapter 780<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":71312,"section_number":"16.1-241","catch_line":"Jurisdiction; consent for abortion","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-241\/"},{"id":81073,"section_number":"16.1-278.11","catch_line":"Mental illness and intellectual disability","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-278.11\/"},{"id":60253,"section_number":"2.2-3705.5","catch_line":"Exclusions to application of chapter; health and social services records","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3705.5\/"},{"id":58930,"section_number":"32.1-127.1:03","catch_line":"Health records privacy","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-127.1_03\/"},{"id":85097,"section_number":"37.2-308.01","catch_line":"Commitment hearings for involuntary admissions; data sharing","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-308.01\/"},{"id":67119,"section_number":"37.2-840","catch_line":"Transfer of individuals receiving services","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-840\/"},{"id":80096,"section_number":"53.1-77","catch_line":"Jurisdiction of judge or magistrate of adopting county or city authorized to issue temporary detention orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-77\/"},{"id":69157,"section_number":"54.1-2400.1","catch_line":"Mental health service providers; duty to protect third parties; immunity","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2400.1\/"},{"id":56394,"section_number":"54.1-2983.3","catch_line":"Exclusions and limitations of advance directives","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2983.3\/"},{"id":61746,"section_number":"54.1-2985.1","catch_line":"Injunction; court-ordered health care","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2985.1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":76036,"section_number":"37.2-100","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-100\/"}],"permalink":{"id":210261,"object_type":"law","relational_id":76779,"identifier":"37.2-800","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-800","url":"\/37.2-800\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/37.2-800\/","token":"37.2\/III\/8\/1\/37.2-800","dublin_core":{"Title":"(Effective July 1, 2026). Applicability of chapter","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 37.2-800","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

For the purposes of this chapter, whenever the term mental illness<\/span> appears, it shall include substance abuse<\/span>. Whenever the term responsible person appears, it shall include a family member<\/span> as that term is defined in \u00a7 37.2-100<\/a>, a community services board<\/span> or behavioral health authority<\/span>, any treating physician of the person, or a law<\/span>-enforcement officer. Whenever the term community services board<\/span> or board appears, it shall include behavioral health authority<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n(EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026). APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER (\u00a7 37.2-800)\n\nFor the purposes of this chapter, whenever the term mental illness appears, it\nshall include substance abuse. Whenever the term responsible person appears, it\nshall include a family member as that term is defined in \u00a7 37.2-100, a\ncommunity services board or behavioral health authority, any treating physician\nof the person, or a law-enforcement officer. Whenever the term community\nservices board or board appears, it shall include behavioral health authority.\n\nHISTORY: 1968, c. 477, \u00a7 37.1-63; 1976, c. 671; 2005, c. 716; 2008, cc. 850,\n870; 2024, c. 780.","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}}