All verbal or physical actions threatening suicide or serious violence toward a reasonably identifiable victim or victims should be reported to local law enforcement. Mandated reporting should apply to psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, social workers, addiction treatment counselors, educators, case managers, and probation agents.

That is a recommendation of the Task Force to Study Access of Mentally Ill Individuals To Regulated Firearms.

Delegate Simmons and I will try to translate those words into bill language.  Along the way, we will also have to make some decisions.

If we include suicide, will people be less likely to tell one of those professionals of their concerns?

Which educators should be covered by the law?  Teachers, supervisors, office staff?

Our decisions will not be the last word.  They will be reviewed by the House committee to which our bill is referred

That’s what I told the members of the Task Force at its meeting this afternoon.

Some of them wanted us to delay introducing a bill until the group reached a consensus.

“With all of the attention focused on gun violence this session, now is an opportune time to begin consideration of these issues by the General Assembly,” I stated.  “My colleagues may decide that, like you, they need more time to do this right.”