Virginia § 18.2-252 - Suspended sentence conditioned upon substance abuse screening, assessment, testing, and treatment or education

§ 18.2-252. Suspended sentence conditioned upon substance abuse screening, assessment, testing, and treatment or education

The trial judge or court trying the case of any person found guilty of a criminal violation of any law concerning the use, in any manner, of drugs, controlled substances, narcotics, marijuana, noxious chemical substances and like substances shall condition any suspended sentence by first requiring such person to agree to undergo a substance abuse screening pursuant to § 18.2-251.01 and to submit to such periodic substance abuse testing, to include alcohol testing, as may be directed by the court. Such testing shall be conducted by the supervising probation agency or by personnel of any program or agency approved by the supervising probation agency. The cost of such testing ordered by the court shall be paid by the Commonwealth and taxed as a part of the costs of such proceedings. The judge or court shall order the person, as a condition of any suspended sentence, to undergo such treatment or education for substance abuse, if available, as the judge or court deems appropriate based upon consideration of the substance abuse assessment. The treatment or education shall be provided by a program or agency licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, by a similar program or services available through the Department of Corrections if the court imposes a sentence of one year or more or, if the court imposes a sentence of 12 months or less, by a similar program or services available through a local or regional jail, a local community-based probation services agency established pursuant to § 9.1-174, or an ASAP program certified by the Commission on VASAP.

Code 1950, § 54-524.101:4; 1973, c. 473; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1979, c. 435; 1998, cc. 783, 840; 2000, cc. 1020, 1041; 2007, c. 133; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2020, cc. 1285, 1286.