The Board shall appoint a state human rights committee that shall appoint local human rights committees to address alleged violations of human rights of individuals receiving services. One-third of the appointments made to the state or local human rights committees shall be individuals who are receiving or who have received services or family members of such individuals, with at least two individuals who are receiving or who have received public or private mental health, developmental, or substance abuse treatment or habilitation services within five years of the date of their initial appointment on each committee. In addition, at least one appointment to the state and each local human rights committee shall be a health care provider. Remaining appointments shall include lawyers and persons with interest, knowledge, or training in the mental health, developmental, or substance abuse services field. No current employee of the Department, a community services board, or a behavioral health authority shall serve as a member of the state human rights committee. No current employee of the Department, a community services board, a behavioral health authority, or any facility, program, or organization licensed or funded by the Department or funded by a community services board or behavioral health authority shall serve as a member of any local human rights committee that serves an oversight function for the employing facility, program, or organization.
1999, c. 969, § 37.1-84.3; 2001, c. 453; 2005, cc. 201, 716; 2012, cc. 476, 507.