                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION (§ 16.1-345.1)

A. Petitions and orders for emergency custody, temporary detention, and
involuntary commitment of minors pursuant to this article may be filed, issued,
served, or executed by electronic means, with or without the use of two-way
electronic video and audio communication, and returned in the same manner with
the same force, effect, and authority as an original document. All signatures
thereon shall be treated as original signatures.

B. Any judge may conduct proceedings pursuant to this article using any two-way
electronic video and audio communication system to provide for the appearance of
any parties and witnesses. Any two-way electronic video and audio communication
system used to conduct a proceeding shall meet the standards set forth in
subsection B of &#xA7; 19.2-3.1. When a witness whose testimony would be helpful
to the conduct of the proceeding is not able to be physically present, his
testimony may be received using a telephonic communication system.

HISTORY: 2005, c. 51; 2007, cc. 500, 897; 2009, cc. 455, 555; 2010, cc. 778,
825.