Senate approves bill allowing school-based telehealth counseling in updated MOU

The Virginia Senate on Jan. 28 passed SB 1370, a bill updating the model memorandum of understanding (MOU) between school divisions and mental-health providers to permit counseling for students by school counselors through telehealth.

The bill’s sponsor, the junior senator from Loudoun, Senator Srinivasan, said the measure expands availability of mental-health resources by adding procedures for students to receive counseling via telehealth and described it as a recommendation of a joint subcommittee on pandemic response and preparedness.

Supporters said telehealth makes it easier for counselors who work remotely to reach students, while several senators pressed for clarifications about implementation and oversight. The senior senator from Prince William asked whether the text’s reference to “the department” specified which department would maintain the model MOU; Srinivasan answered that the Department of Education would do so. The senior senator from Fairfax, Senator Marsden, asked what the term “school-based telehealth provider” meant; Srinivasan and other supporters said the phrase was intended to enable remote counselors to serve students and to reflect contemporary telehealth practice rather than imply simultaneous in-person and virtual presence.

Senators also raised practical concerns about access disparities, technical reliability, privacy, parental consent and clinical limits. Senator Soraville referenced third‑party AI summaries of telehealth challenges — unequal access, data security, limits on hands-on care and consent — and asked whether the bill addressed those issues. Srinivasan said the text was intentionally limited and that future amendments could address specific implementation problems.

The bill passed on final passage after a brief rule-room exchange that included a successful reconsideration motion. Recorded votes show an initial passage tally of 37 yeas and 2 nays, a motion to reconsider that passed 38–0, and a final passage vote of 39–0.

SB 1370 does not create a new licensing regime or set clinician practice standards; it updates the model MOU to include telehealth procedures and assigns responsibility to the Department of Education to maintain and update the model as “relevant.” The bill’s text, as explained on the floor, leaves implementation details to local school divisions and to agreements between districts and providers.

Supporters argued that allowing telehealth counseling expands access for students in areas with counselor shortages or where providers work remotely. Opponents and questioners emphasized the need to track equity of access, data security and parental involvement and suggested legislative follow-up if unforeseen problems arise.

SB 1370 now awaits enrollment following final passage.