                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAMS AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES (§ 22.1-79.4)

A. Each local school board shall adopt policies for the establishment of threat
assessment teams, including the assessment of and intervention with individuals
whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of school staff or students
consistent with the model policies developed by the Virginia Center for School
and Campus Safety (the Center) in accordance with &#xA7; 9.1-184. Such policies
shall include procedures for referrals to community services boards or health
care providers for evaluation or treatment, when appropriate.

B. The superintendent of each school division may establish a committee charged
with oversight of the threat assessment teams operating within the division,
which may be an existing committee established by the division. The committee
shall include individuals with expertise in human resources, education, school
administration, mental health, and law enforcement.

C. Each division superintendent shall establish, for each school, a threat
assessment team that shall include persons with expertise in counseling,
instruction, school administration, and law enforcement and, in the case of any
school in which a school resource officer is employed, at least one such school
resource officer. New threat assessment team members shall complete an initial
threat assessment training and all threat assessment team members shall be
required to complete refresher threat assessment training every three years.
Threat assessment teams may be established to serve one or more schools as
determined by the division superintendent. Each team shall (i) provide guidance
to students, faculty, and staff regarding recognition of threatening or aberrant
behavior that may represent a threat to the community, school, or self; (ii)
identify members of the school community to whom threatening behavior should be
reported; and (iii) implement policies adopted by the local school board
pursuant to subsection A.

D. Upon a preliminary determination that a student poses a threat of violence or
physical harm to self or others, a threat assessment team shall immediately
report its determination to the division superintendent or his designee. The
division superintendent or his designee shall immediately attempt to notify the
student&#8217;s parent or legal guardian. The division superintendent or his
designee shall provide, either in such initial attempt to notify the
student&#8217;s parent or legal guardian or through a separate communication to
the student&#8217;s parent or legal guardian made as soon as practicable
thereafter, materials on recognition of and strategies for responding to
behavior indicating that a student poses a threat of violence or physical harm
to self or others that shall include information on the legal requirements set
forth in &#xA7; 18.2-56.2 relating to the safe storage of firearms in the
presence of minors and that may include guidance on best practices and
strategies for limiting a student&#8217;s access to lethal means, including
firearms and medications. Such materials shall be selected in accordance with
the provisions of the criteria set forth in the guidelines required by
subsection G. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude school division
personnel from acting immediately to address an imminent threat.

E. Each threat assessment team established pursuant to this section shall
collect and report to the Center quantitative data on its activities using the
case management tool developed by the Center.

F. Upon a preliminary determination by the threat assessment team that an
individual poses a threat of violence to self or others or exhibits
significantly disruptive behavior or need for assistance, a threat assessment
team may obtain criminal history record information, as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7;
19.2-389 and 19.2-389.1, and health records, as provided in &#xA7;
32.1-127.1:03. No member of a threat assessment team shall redisclose any
criminal history record information or health information obtained pursuant to
this section or otherwise use any record of an individual beyond the purpose for
which such disclosure was made to the threat assessment team.

G. The Board, in cooperation with the Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Services and the Department of Health, shall develop guidelines
for the provision of materials on recognition of and strategies for responding
to behavior indicating that a student poses a threat of violence or physical
harm to self or others required pursuant to subsection D. Such guidelines shall
include criteria for selecting such materials as well as materials that have
been preapproved for such use by the Board.

HISTORY: 2013, c. 710; 2014, cc. 7, 158; 2016, c. 554; 2019, cc. 39, 456; 2022,
c. 769; 2023, c. 295; 2025, c. 500.