Following investigations of the April shootings at Virginia Tech, the United States Senate unanimously approved an amendment to an appropriations bill requesting updated standards for the transmission of student mental health information to law enforcement officials. Senators Jim Webb, D-Va. and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced the amendment as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill.
"I think there is shared sentiment that school authorities are not clear about the information that they can release to proper authorities without fear of liability," Webb spokesperson Jessica Smithsaid, adding that school administrators often keep information "close to the vest" regarding a student's mental health status or "violent tendencies," because they are unsure of the proper action to take.
If the bill containing the amendment is enacted, the standards for transmission of this information will be updated for the first time since 2002, according to Smith.
"The next step is that the overall bill, the appropriations bill, is likely to pass in the Senate, which means the amendment would pass as well," she said.
Smith said she believes that the amendment will have a direct effect on college and university students.
"I think the Virginia Tech community was unsure as how to respond to an apparent case of mental illness, and once this measure is formally implemented, incidents like this may be prevented in the future," she said. "The guidance in terms of what was appropriate to report, and when, was not clear."
The amendment was not met with any partisan resistance.
"The unanimous support in the Senate is indicative that the legislation had merit," said Carter Cornick, chief of staff for Sen. John Warner, R-Va. "Senator Warner was pleased to see the amendment go through."
Cornick added that if the bill passes in the Senate, it will then go before the House of Representatives.
-- compiled by Alex Foreman
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