While a number of hospitals in the region say they had beds available at the time and were not contacted, two state investigations have focused on the time limits for emergency custody and temporary detention, as well as ways to ensure that psychiatric beds can be secured more quickly in a crisis.

Yost proposes an additional two-hour extension on emergency custody orders — now limited to four hours with a two-hour extension — and extend the time limit on temporary detention from 48 to 72 hours, with a new minimum of 24 hours to ensure a thorough psychiatric evaluation. Gov. Bob McDonnell has endorsed both proposed changes.

The third proposal would allow a magistrate to issue a temporary detention order, or TDO, even if an appropriate bed has not been secured at a psychiatric facility, if the emergency custody order is about to expire.

Currently, a magistrate cannot issue a TDO unless a psychiatric facility is specified for receiving the person. Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel has recommended that removal of the requirement be considered by a new task force created by the governor to study ways to improve mental health services and crisis response in Virginia.

“I don’t know where that bill is going to go,” Yost said.