CHAPTER 493

AN ACT to amend and reenact Sections 37-125.1, 87-125.15 and 87-185.1 of
the Code of Virginia, relating to mentally-ill, epileptic, mentally-
deficient and inebriate persons.

(S 234]

Approved March 30, 1956

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That Sections 37-125.1, 37-125.15 and 37-135.1 of the Code of Virginia
be amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 37-125.1. Any person who has been or who may be committed or
admitted to any hospital for the mentally-ill or colony for the epileptic or
the mentally-deficient and any person admitted or committed for drug
addiction or the intemperate use of alcohol, or the estate of any such
person * or the person legally liable for the support of any such person,
shall be liable for the expenses of his care, treatment and maintenance in
such institution. Such expenses shall not exceed the actual per capita
cost of maintenance, or the sum of * sixty-five dollars per month, which-
ever amount is the lesser, and shall be fixed by the Department of Mental
Hygiene and Hospitals, but in no event shall recovery be permitted for
amounts more than * five years past due.

§ 37-125.15. The Commissioner of Mental Hygiene and Hospitals may
prescribe statement forms which shall be completed by those persons
legally liable under Section $7-125.1 for the support of the patient. Such
statement * shall be sworn to by such person and returned to the * Com-
missioner within thirty days from the time such statement was mailed to
such person. Should such person fail to return such statement to the *
Commissioner, properly completed, within thirty days, the Commissioner
shall send another statement by registered mail and if * the statement,
properly completed, is not then returned * within thirty days the person
* to whom it was sent by registered mail shall be assessed five dollars for
each week, or part * of each week, in excess of the thirty-day period that
CHS. 493, 494] ACTS OF ASSEMBLY 709

the statement is overdue, which sum or sums shall be collected by the De-
partment in the same manner as other sum or sums due for the care,
treatment and maintenance of patients, from the persons whose duty it
was to complete each statement, and, when collected, such sum or sums
shall be paid into the same fund into which other collections are paid
under this article. The attorney for the Commonwealth of the county or
city in which the person so assessed resides shall represent the Depart-
ment in making such collections.

A copy of this section shall be placed in a prominent place, in bold
face type, upon each statement form.

§ 37-135.1. Any patient who has remained on trial visit for one year
with the consent of the superintendent of the hospital or colony which
placed him on trial visit shall be discharged; provided, that, upon written
authorization of the Commissioner obtained prior to such patient's entitle-
ment to discharge, the trial visit may be extended by the superintendent
from time to time for periods not exceeding six months at any one time.