Virginia lawmakers pass bill to expand overdose fatality review teams to include veteran suicides

A recently approved measure from State Del. Marty Martinez is set to extend overdose fatality review teams’ authority to include suicide deaths by overdose involving veterans and military personnel, as noted by the Virginia State House.

Clearing both the House and Senate as of March 6, 2026, the legislation received a unanimous vote of 98-0 in the House and 39-1 in the Senate.

The proposal, designated as HB513 and introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, was summarized by the legislature as: “Suicide fatality review teams, local and regional; established, membership, penalty.”

This summary is based on the underlying bill language. The explanation includes clarifications for accuracy and understanding of its scope.

In summary, the measure gives local and regional overdose fatality review teams explicit power to review suicide deaths by overdose among veterans and military service members. Teams are authorized to investigate any overdose death of a Virginia resident, with new seats for representatives from the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Before launching review cases, teams must set operational guidelines. Investigations are put on hold if a criminal inquiry is ongoing or without state clearance, while privacy rules, exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act, and other liability protections remain unchanged.

The House vote included support from 63 Democrats and 35 Republicans.

In the Senate, 20 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat opposed the bill.

Del. Marty Martinez (Democrat-29th District) sponsored the bill, along with Del. Katrina Callsen (Democrat-54th District), Del. Michael B. Feggans (Democrat-97th District), and two additional co-sponsors.

Martinez holds a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, earned in 1986.

The 29th House District is now represented by Martinez, who succeeded Bill Wiley after elections in 2024. Martinez is a Democrat serving in the Virginia State House.

In Virginia, the process for creating laws starts when a bill is brought forward in either the House of Delegates or the Senate. Bills then go to one or more committees for examination and possible change. Upon committee approval, the legislation is brought before both chambers for full debate and final votes. Once adopted by both the House and Senate, the bill can be signed into law by the governor. Alternatively, the governor can veto it or let it become law without a signature. The General Assembly’s regular sessions begin every January and see hundreds of bills introduced, though many do not become law.

Details for this report are drawn from the Virginia State House. Additional source data is available here.