"Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed bills Wednesday that will make it easier for Virginians to receive treatment as part of the first significant overhaul of the state's mental health system in three decades.

Some of the proposals had been sought for years but did not get approval until a Virginia Tech student from Fairfax County with a history of mental health problems fatally shot 32 students and teachers before killing himself on campus a year ago next Wednesday.

Kaine (D) told a packed room of legislators, mental health advocates and state employees that the changes will "benefit generations of Virginians to come."

"It has been a difficult year, but it has been a year where people haven't [shrunk] from trying to learn and improve," he said. "The Tech tragedy reminded us . . . we have a significant need to improve mental health services."

The changes will bring Virginia in line with nearly every other state in several key ways, including lowering the standard under which a mentally ill person can be forced into treatment.

"It's the most sweeping overhaul in 30 years," Del. Robert B. Bell (R-Charlottesville) said. "We talk a lot about things being a big deal. This one actually is."

The 26 bills expand the criteria under which a mentally ill person can be barred from buying guns, require mental health officials to more closely monitor people in community-based treatment and allow the sharing of information among providers and court officials to keep better track of people in treatment.

"It's a terrible shame that it took something as terrible as Virginia Tech and the incident there to bring to light so many inadequacies in the mental health system," said Andrew Goddard of Richmond, whose son Colin was shot four times and survived. "I'm sure many people were crying out about these for a long time. It didn't get the spotlight that it deserved."

Kaine signed the bills surrounded by Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) and 10 legislators who helped write the legislation. They applauded after he finished.

"It was a very good day," said Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax), who has worked on some of the proposals for years. "We now have a solid legal framework to deal with persons with mental illness. We did not have one before."

The Virginia Tech killer, Seung Hui Cho, had been ruled a danger to himself in 2005 and was ordered to receive mental health treatment but never did.

"It takes care of the mental health problems that allowed Cho to work his way through this labyrinth of what existed in the way of mental health services and get in a position of creating havoc," said Del. C. Charles Caputo (D-Fairfax), whose district is home to the families of two Virginia Tech victims. "The risk of that happening again as a result of this legislation is extremely minimized."

Last month, the General Assembly passed a two-year, $77 billion spending plan that included an increase of $42 million for more caseworkers, psychiatrists and other staff to treat and monitor the mentally ill.

"Now the real job begins," said Del. Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Newport News), vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "While we have done some significant public policy changes, the real challenge in the out years is to make sure we provide the funding to put services where folks need them most. . . . It's going to be tough, but it's about establishing priorities."

Legislators called the funding increase significant, particularly at a time when Virginia faces a shortfall of more than $1 billion in the next two years. Some mental health advocates said the state needs to spend even more.

Mira Signer, executive director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Virginia, had asked for an additional $25 million over two years.

"We are very grateful and thankful that more funding is being allocated," Signer said. "It's a huge step in the right direction, but we did call attention to the need for more funding because Virginia has traditionally lagged behind in community-based care."

Kaine said he will ask his staff to evaluate what recommendations from the Virginia Tech Review Panel report have not been implemented and possibly suggest them to the legislature next year.

"We recognize while we have done good, this is not the end of what we need to do. We have more work to do," Kaine said.

Many victims' families remain disappointed that the General Assembly failed to pass a bill that would have required all firearms sellers to conduct background checks on buyers at gun shows. Caputo, who introduced a bill to make that change this year, plans to do so again next year.

"It's not just one thing: mental health," he said. "We have to fix this horrendous gun situation."" (Anita Kumar, The Washington Post, April 10, 2008)