Nothing makes a weekend like a bit of compromise. Delegate Rob Bell’s House Bill 903—that identical twin to Senate Bill 207—passed the General Assembly with 97 votes in favor (and three delegates not voting). Number 903, which will allow campus threat assessment team members to share confidential medical and criminal records with each other, moves on to Governor Bob McDonnell’s desk to meet its ultimate fate.
The amended version of Bell’s bill would also allow selected sharing of threat assessment reports with the public under the Freedom of Information Act. Virginia Press Association Executive Director Ginger Stanley told C-VILLE previously that her organization, like others, "wanted to be able to have a look back on how these teams react."
To a degree, they will. While the public would not receive access to the same medical and criminal records as threat assessment teams, they would be permitted to access team reports through FOIA if the subject of an assessment causes "the death of, or serious bodily injury, including sexual assault, to another person," according to a press release from Bell’s office.
