Summary

News

About

Web Links

• VA Legislative Information Systems (LIS)
• House Committee pages

Subcommittees

Institutions Subcommittee

Meets on:

Members: Marcia Price, (Chair),  Rob Bell,  Christopher Head,   Patrick Hope,  Mark Levine,  Rodney Willett

Health Professions Subcommittee

Meets on:

Members:  Dawn Adams(Chair),  Karrie Delaney,  Keith Hodges,  Sam Rasoul,  Roxann Robinson,  Ibraheem Samirah

Health Subcommittee

Meets on:

Members: Patrick Hope (Chair),  Dawn Adams,  James Edmunds,  Buddy Fowler,  Cliff Hayes,  Bobby Orrock,  Sam Rasoul,   Kathy Tran

Social Services Subcommittee

Meets on:

Members: Elizabeth Guzman (Chair),  Lashrecse Aird,  John Avoli,  Karrie Delaney  Kathy Tran,  Wendell Walker

Bills

Bills reported out 

HB 1932 – Child-placing agencies (January 27, 2021)

• Delegate Levine sponsored a bill that which repeals the provisions that allows child-placing agencies to refuse to perform, assist with, counsel, recommend, consent to, refer, or participate in any child placements when proposed placement would violate agency’s religious or moral convictions.
• Voted to report bill with amendments 13 – Yeas 9 – Nays.

HB 1962 – Foster care; termination of parental rights (January 27, 2021)

• Delegate Gooditis sponsored a bill that which requires social services in localities to involve in the development of a child’s foster care plan the child’s relatives and closest kin who are interested in the child’s welfare.
• Voted to report bill with substitute 21 – Yeas 0 – Nays.

HB 1988 – Processing and dispensing of cannabis oil (January 27, 2021)

• Delegate Adams sponsored a bill that which would effect changes to the processing and dispensing of cannabis oil by pharmaceutical processors in the Commonwealth. Allows for designated care facilities to assist with the administration of cannabis oil for any patients residing in the caregiver facility.
• Voted to report bill with substitute 22 – Yeas 0 – Nays.

HB 2005 – Disposition of remains (January 27, 2021)

• Chairman of the subcommittee sponsored a bill that which establishes order of priority for persons who have the right to make arrangements and otherwise be responsible for a decedent’s funeral and the disposition of his remains.
• Voted to report bill with substitute 18 – Yeas 3 – Nays.

HB 2086 – Portability of background checks for childcare providers (January 27, 2021)

• Delegate McGuire sponsored a bill that which exempts prospective employees and volunteers in childcare provision from background check requirements once on has been completed in the previous five years.
• Voted to report bill with substitute 20 – Yeas 0 – Nays.

Bills passed

• HB 1737 Nurse practitioners; practice without a practice agreement. Reduces from five to two the number of years of full-time clinical experience a nurse practitioner must have to be eligible to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2022.
•  Clinical nurse specialist; licensure of nurse practitioners as specialists, etc. Changes for clinical nurse specialists the requirement to register with the Board of Nursing as a clinical nurse specialist to licensure by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to practice as a nurse practitioner in the category of clinical nurse specialist and provides that a nurse practitioner licensed as a clinical nurse specialist shall practice pursuant to a practice agreement between the clinical nurse specialist and a licensed physician and in a manner consistent with the standards of care for the profession and applicable law and regulations. For the transition of registration to licensure, the bill requires the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to jointly issue a license to practice as a nurse practitioner in the category of a clinical nurse specialist to an applicant who is an advance practice registered nurse who has completed an advanced graduate-level education program in the specialty category of clinical nurse specialist and who is registered by the Board of Nursing as a clinical nurse specialist on July 1, 2021.
• HB 1805 Aging services; economic and social needs. Provides that, in providing aging services, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services shall prioritize providing services to older persons with the greatest economic or social need. The bill defines “economic need” as need resulting from an income level at or below the poverty line and “social need” as need caused by noneconomic factors, including (i) physical and mental disabilities, which may include developmental disabilities and human immunodeficiency virus; (ii) language barriers; and (iii) cultural, social, or geographic isolation, including that caused by racial or ethnic status, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation that restricts an individual’s ability to perform normal daily tasks or threatens such individual’s capacity to live independently.
• HB 1808 Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Commissioner of; reports to designated protection. Requires the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Commissioner) to add written reports of the facts of alleged serious incidents, deaths, abuse, or neglect of individuals receiving services in programs operated or licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) to the list of reports the Commissioner must provide to the Director of the Commonwealth’s designated protection and advocacy system. Currently, the Commissioner is required to provide reports of critical injuries involving, or deaths of individuals receiving, services in facilities and reports of serious injuries to or deaths of individuals receiving services in programs operated or licensed by the Department to the Director of the Commonwealth’s designated protection and advocacy system. This bill is identical to SB 1154.
• HB 1817 Certified nurse midwives; practice.  Eliminates the requirement that certified nurse midwives practice pursuant to a practice agreement and provides that certified nurse midwives shall practice in accordance with regulations of the Boards of Medicine and Nursing and consistent with the Standards for the Practice of Midwifery set by the American College of Nurse-Midwives and shall consult and collaborate with and refer patients to such other health care providers as may be appropriate for the care of the patient.
• HB 1820 SNAP benefits program; eligibility for benefits, postsecondary education.  Adds participation in educational activities that lead to a post-secondary credential from an accredited institution of higher education or other postsecondary school licensed or certified by the Board of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to the list of activities to which a participant in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work may be enrolled and directs the Board of Social Services to amend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits program to (i) establish broad-based categorical eligibility, (ii) set the gross income eligibility standard at 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, (iii) not impose an asset limit for eligibility, and (iv) increase opportunities for self-sufficiency through postsecondary education by allowing SNAP benefits program participants to satisfy applicable employment and training requirements through enrollment in an accredited public institution of higher education or other postsecondary school licensed or certified by the Board of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
• HB 1823 Public schools, child day programs, and certain other programs; carbon monoxide detectors required. Requires each building that was built before 2015 and that houses any public school classroom for students, licensed child day program, or other program that serves preschool-age children to be equipped with at least one carbon monoxide detector.
• HB 1831 Home care organizations; personal care services through audio-video telephone communication. Directs the Board of Health to include in regulations governing home care organizations a provision for supervision of home care attendants providing personal care services by a licensed nurse through use of interactive audio or video technology.
• HB 1845 Alcoholic beverage control; license fee reform. Delays the effective date of the 2020 alcoholic beverage control license and fee reform from July 1, 2021, to January 1, 2022. During the period of delay and subject to certain requirements, the bill allows on-premises wine or beer licensees to sell wine or beer for off-premises consumption and allows such licensees, as well as off-premises wine or beer licensees, to deliver wine or beer that the licensee is authorized to sell without a delivery permit. The bill contains a technical amendment and an emergency clause.
• HB 1873 Brain injury; clarifies definition. Eliminates the requirement that an injury occur before the age of 65 to constitute a brain injury as that term is used in the context of licensure of private providers of behavioral health services. This bill is identical to SB 1421.
• HB 1874 Behavioral health; assessments in local correctional facilities, report. Provides that the State Board of Local and Regional Jails, in establishing the minimum standards for behavioral health services in local correctional facilities, shall include a requirement that if a behavioral health screening indicates that the person may have a mental illness, an assessment of his need for mental health services shall be conducted within 72 hours of the time of the screening.
• HB 1879 Alcoholic beverage control; sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine. Allows distillers that have been appointed as agents of the Board of Directors (the Board) of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (the Authority), mixed beverage restaurant licensees, and limited mixed beverage restaurant licensees to sell mixed beverages for off-premises consumption and deliver such mixed beverages to consumers subject to requirements set forth in the bill. The bill allows the Board to summarily revoke a licensee’s privileges to sell and deliver mixed beverages for off-premises consumption for noncompliance with the requirements set forth in the bill or applicable provisions of current law. The bill also allows farm winery licensees to sell pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption. The bill directs the Authority to convene a work group to study the sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption and report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2021. The provisions of this bill sunset on July 1, 2022, and this bill is identical to SB 1299.
• HB 1885 Comprehensive review of computer science standards, etc., in public schools; DOE to perform, report.  Requires the Department of Education to perform a comprehensive review of the ongoing implementation of mandatory computer science standards in elementary schools and middle schools and the alignment of middle school and high school computer science courses and course pathways. The bill requires such review to include recommendations for implementation processes at the local level, profiles of implementation processes that have been successful for school divisions, a description of opportunities for enhanced collaboration with relevant computer science stakeholders to expand computer science education opportunities for all students in the Commonwealth and for relevant professional development for teachers, and examining methods of data collection annually from local school divisions pertaining to computer science implementation. The bill requires the Department of Education to prepare a report on its comprehensive review and provide such report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Secretary of Education, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction no later than November 1, 2021.
• HB 1894 Naloxone or other opioid antagonist; certain employees of DJJ authorized to administer. Department of Juvenile Justice designated as probation and parole officers or as juvenile correctional officers to possess and administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist for overdose reversal pursuant to an oral or written order or standing protocol issued by the prescriber within the course of his professional practice.
• HB 1913 Career fatigue and wellness in certain health care providers; programs to address, civil immunity.  Expands civil immunity for health care professionals serving as members of or consultants to entities that function primarily to review, evaluate, or make recommendations related to health care services to include health care professionals serving as members of or consultants to entities that function primarily to address issues related to career fatigue and wellness in health care professionals licensed, registered, or certified by the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, or Pharmacy, or in students enrolled in a school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, or pharmacy located in the Commonwealth. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 1205.
• HB 1950 Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team; Va. Department of Health, et al., to establish, report. Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the Department of Health to convene a work group to develop a plan for the establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team and to report such plan to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2021.
• HB 1953 Licensed certified midwives; clarifies definition, licensure, etc. Defines “practice of licensed certified midwifery,” directs the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to establish criteria for the licensure and renewal of a license as a certified midwife, and requires licensed certified midwives to practice in consultation with a licensed physician in accordance with a practice agreement. The bill also directs the Department of Health Professions to convene a work group to study the licensure and regulation of certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and certified professional midwives to determine the appropriate licensing entity for such professionals. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 1320.
• HB 1957 Adult adoption; investigation and report. Removes the requirement that an investigation and report be conducted when a petition is filed for the adoption of a person 18 years of age or older on the basis of good cause shown and after a showing that the person to be adopted is at least 15 years younger than the petitioner and the petitioner and the person to be adopted have known each other for at least one year prior to the filing of the petition for adoption.
• HB 1962 Foster care; termination of parental rights, relatives and fictive kin. Requires local departments of social services and licensed child-placing agencies to involve in the development of a child’s foster care plan the child’s relatives and fictive kin who are interested in the child’s welfare. The bill requires that a child 12 years of age or older be involved in the development of his foster care plan; under current law, a child’s involvement is mandatory upon reaching 14 years of age. The bill contains other amendments to provisions governing foster care and termination of parental rights that encourage the placement of children with relatives and fictive kin.
• HB 1973 Alcoholic beverage control; privileges of banquet licensees.  Provides that banquet licensees that are nonprofit corporations or associations conducting fundraisers and that are authorized to sell wine, as part of any fundraising activity, in closed containers for off-premises consumption to persons to whom wine may be lawfully sold may, if conducting such fundraiser through an online meeting platform, ship such wine, in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, in closed containers to persons located within the Commonwealth.
• HB 1976 Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; mission of Authority, membership. Adds to the mission of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (i) developing strategies to increase diversity in the health workforce by examining demographic data on race and ethnicity in training programs and health professional licensure, (ii) identifying ways to leverage technology to increase access to health workforce training and health care delivery, and (iii) developing a centralized health care careers roadmap in partnership with the Department of Health Professions that includes information on both licensed and unlicensed professions and that is disseminated to the Commonwealth’s health care workforce stakeholders to raise awareness about available career pathways. The bill increases from three to five the number of members representing health professionals or employers or representatives of health professionals on the Board of Directors of the Authority and removes the requirement that the chairman and vice-chairman of the Board of Directors be legislative members. The bill adds the Chief Workforce Development Advisor to the list of officials and entities to whom the Board of Directors reports biennially on the activities and recommendations of the Authority.
• HB 1987 Telemedicine; coverage of telehealth services by an insurer, etc. Requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance to provide for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine for certain high-risk patients, makes clear that nothing shall preclude health insurance carriers from providing coverage for services delivered through real-time audio-only telephone that are not telemedicine, and clarifies rules around prescribing of Schedule II through VI drugs via telemedicine, including establishing a practitioner-patient relationship via telemedicine.
• HB 1986 George Mason University; management agreement with the Commonwealth. Provides a management agreement between the Commonwealth and George Mason University pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act (§ 23.1-1000 et seq.). This bill is identical to SB 1204.
• HB 1989 Public health emergency; emergency medical services agencies, real-time access to information. Directs the Department of Health to develop and implement a system for sharing information regarding confirmed cases of communicable diseases of public health threat with emergency medical services agencies in real time during a declared public health emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat and with the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board and regional emergency medical services councils upon request, in order to protect the health and safety of emergency medical services personnel and the public.
• HB 1995 Rare Disease Council and Rare Disease Council Fund; created, report. Creates the Rare Disease Council for the purpose of (i) advising the Governor and the General Assembly on the needs of individuals with rare diseases in the Commonwealth; (ii) identifying challenges that such individuals face, including delays in obtaining a diagnosis or the receipt of a misdiagnosis, shortages of medical specialists who can provide treatment, and lack of access to therapies and medication used to treat rare diseases; (iii) funding research related to rare diseases and the development of new treatments for rare diseases; and (iv) funding for supports for persons with rare diseases in the Commonwealth. The bill also creates the Rare Disease Council Fund to be used for the purpose of (a) funding research related to rare diseases and the development of new treatments for rare diseases and supports for persons with rare diseases in the Commonwealth and (b) supporting the work of the Rare Disease Council.
• HB 2002 Child support; health care coverage, eligibility requirements. Provides that in any case in which a petitioner is seeking to establish child support, the intake officer shall provide the petitioner information on the possible availability of medical assistance through the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) plan or other government-sponsored coverage through the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill also requires the Department of Social Services to refer children for whom it has issued an order directing the payment of child support to the FAMIS plan if it appears that the gross income of the custodial parent is equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
• HB 2010 Earned sentence credits; rate at which sentence rates may be earned, prerequisites. Contains a technical amendment. This bill is declarative of existing law.
• HB 2039 Physician assistant; eliminates certain requirement for practice.  Allows a physician assistant to enter into a practice agreement with more than one patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist and provides that a patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist shall not be liable for the actions or inactions of a physician assistant for whom the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist provides collaboration and consultation. The bill also makes clear that a student physician assistant shall not be required to be licensed in order to engage in acts that otherwise constitute practice as a physician assistant, provided that the student physician assistant is enrolled in an accredited physician assistant education program.
• HB 2061 VIIS; any health care provider in the Commonwealth that administers immunizations to participate. Requires any health care provider in the Commonwealth that administers immunizations to participate in the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) and report patient immunization history and information to VIIS. Under current law, participation in VIIS is optional for authorized health care entities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.
• HB 2065 Produce Rx Program; Dept. of Social Services, et al., to develop a plan for a 3-yr. pilot Program. Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to report on the activities of the work group and the elements of the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2021.
• HB 2070 Community services boards; contracts with private providers. Clarifies that community services boards may enter into contracts with private providers for delivery of mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services.
• HB 2079 Pharmacists; initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs and devices. Expands provisions governing the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs and devices by pharmacists to allow the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs, devices, and controlled paraphernalia to persons 18 years of age or older, in accordance with protocols developed by the Board of Pharmacy in collaboration with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, and of (i) vaccines included on the Immunization Schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (ii) tuberculin purified protein derivative for tuberculosis testing; (iii) controlled substances for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus, including controlled substances prescribed for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis pursuant to guidelines and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (iv) drugs, devices, controlled paraphernalia, and other supplies and equipment available over-the-counter, covered by the patient’s health carrier when the patient’s out-of-pocket cost is lower than the out-of-pocket cost to purchase an over-the-counter equivalent of the same drug, device, controlled paraphernalia, or other supplies or equipment. The bill requires any pharmacist who administers a vaccination pursuant to clause (i) to report such administration to the Virginia Immunization Information System. The bill also (a) requires the Board of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, to establish protocols for the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs, devices, and controlled paraphernalia by pharmacists in accordance with the provisions of the bill by November 1, 2021; (b) requires the Board of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine, to adopt regulations within 280 days of the bill’s enactment to implement the provisions of the bill; and (c) requires the Board of Pharmacy to convene a work group composed of an equal number of representatives of the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine and other stakeholders to provide recommendations regarding the developing of protocols for the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of certain drugs and devices by pharmacists to persons 18 years of age or older.
• HB 2086 Child care providers; background checks, portability. Exempts prospective employees and volunteers of certain child welfare agencies from statutory background check requirements where the individual completed a background check within the previous five years, provided that (i) such background check was conducted after July 1, 2017; (ii) the results of such background check indicated that the individual had not been convicted of any barrier crime and was not the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect; and (iii) the individual is an employee or volunteer of any child welfare agency that is subject to background check requirements or has been separated from such employment or volunteer position for not more than 180 days. The bill requires such child welfare agencies, prior to hiring or allowing to volunteer any individual without the completion of a background check, to obtain written certification from the Department of Education that such individual satisfies all such requirements and is eligible to serve as an employee or volunteer at the child welfare agency. The bill also directs the Department of Education to establish a two-year pilot program for the purpose of stabilizing and improving the quality of child care services in the Commonwealth, which shall include payment of a fixed amount of funds to providers that have agreed to meet certain standards related to quality of care provided, to the extent allowed by federal law, and to report on the pilot program by December 1 of each year.
• HB 2092 DBHDS; background checks, persons providing contractual services. Requires background checks for contract staff providing direct care services for Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ licensed services. The bill also sets out the barrier crimes for any person who provides contractual services directly to an individual receiving services on behalf of a licensed provider.
• HB 2098 Southwestern Va. Mental Health Institute; Governor to lease a portion of property to Smyth County. Authorizes the Governor to lease a portion of property previously used by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute to Smyth County in as-is condition for a term of three years upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed by the parties, including, without limitation, Smyth County’s responsibility for building or infrastructure refurbishments and operational expenses. The bill also corrects tax map references from a 2019 conveyance of property in Smyth County.
• HB 2111 Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures, Task Force on; established, report.  Directs the State Health Commissioner to establish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and states that the Task Force shall conclude its work by December 1, 2023.
• HB 2116 Funeral service licensees, etc.; priority for personal protective equipment and immunization, etc. Provides that in any case in which the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health has made an emergency order or regulation for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health or a communicable, contagious, or infectious disease or other danger to the public life and health, funeral service licensees and persons employed by a funeral service establishment shall be included in any group afforded priority with regard to (i) access to personal protective equipment and (ii) administration of any vaccination against such communicable disease of public health threat during such emergency. The bill contains an emergency clause.
• HB 2117 Children’s Services Act; funds expended special education programs. Requires that funds expended for private special education services under the Children’s Services Act only be expended on educational programs that are licensed by the Board of Education or an equivalent out-of-state licensing agency. The bill also provides that as of July 1, 2022, such funds may only be expended for programs that the Office of Children’s Services certify as having reported their tuition rates.
• HB 2124 COVID-19; DMAS shall deem testing, treatment, and vaccination to be emergency services. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to, during a public health emergency related to COVID-19 declared by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, deem testing for, treatment of, and vaccination against COVID-19 to be emergency services for which payment may be made pursuant to federal law for certain aliens not lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
• HB 2131 Alcoholic beverage control; license application, locality input. Adds the chief administrative officer of a locality to the list of persons who may be sent notice of certain license applications by the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill also expands the definition of “criminal blight” for which the locality may require a property owner to take corrective action to include a condition existing on real property that endangers public health or safety and is caused by (i) the regular presence on the property of persons in possession of controlled substances and (ii) the discharge of a firearm under certain conditions.
• HB 2154 Hospitals, nursing homes, etc.; regulations, patient access to intelligent personal assistant. Directs the Board of Health to amend regulations governing hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities to require each hospital, nursing home, and certified nursing facility to establish and implement policies to ensure the permissible access to and use of an intelligent personal assistant provided by the patient while receiving inpatient services. “Intelligent personal assistant” is defined in the bill as a combination of an electronic device and a specialized software application designed to assist users with basic tasks using a combination of natural language processing and artificial intelligence, including such combinations known as “digital assistants” or “virtual assistants.”
• HB 2162 Medical care facilities; designated support persons for persons with disabilities.  Requires every medical care facility, as defined in the bill, to allow a person with a disability who requires assistance as a result of such disability to be accompanied by a designated support person who will provide support and assistance necessary due to the specifics of the person’s disability to the person with a disability during an admission to such medical care facility. The bill (i) defines “person with a disability” and “designated support person”; (ii) provides that a designated support person shall not be subject to restrictions on visitation adopted by the medical care facility but may be required to comply with reasonable requirements of the medical care facility adopted to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability, the designated support person, and staff and other patients of and visitors to the medical care facility; and (iii) authorizes a medical care facility to restrict a designated support person’s access to specified areas and movement on the premises of the medical care facility when such restrictions are determined by the medical care facility to be reasonably necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability, the designated support person, and staff and other patients of and visitors to the medical care facility. The bill requires every medical care facility to adopt protocols to inform patients of their right to be accompanied by a designated support person, and to develop and make available to persons with disabilities written information regarding the right of a person with a disability to be accompanied by a designated support person and policies related thereto. The bill contains an emergency clause and directs the Board of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
• HB 2065 Produce Rx Program; Dept. of Social Services, et al., to develop a plan for a 3-yr. pilot Program. Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to report on the activities of the work group and the elements of the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2021.
• HB 2166 Involuntary admission; provisions governing involuntary inpatient & mandatory outpatient treatment. Amends provisions governing involuntary inpatient and mandatory outpatient treatment to (i) revise criteria for entry of a mandatory outpatient treatment order to become effective upon expiration of an order for involuntary inpatient treatment; (ii) eliminate the requirement that a person agree to abide by a mandatory outpatient treatment plan to be eligible for mandatory outpatient treatment and instead require that the judge or special justice find that the person is able to adhere to a mandatory outpatient treatment plan; (iii) eliminate the role of a treating physician in determining when a person is eligible to transition from inpatient to mandatory outpatient treatment under an order for mandatory outpatient treatment following a period of involuntary inpatient treatment; (iv) increase from 90 to 180 days the length of an order for mandatory outpatient treatment; (v) revise requirements for monitoring of a person’s adherence to a mandatory outpatient treatment plan by a community services board; (vi) expand the category of persons who may file petitions for various reviews of a mandatory outpatient treatment order or plan; and (vii) add a provision for status hearings during the period of mandatory outpatient treatment. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.
• HB 2191 Social services, local departments of; investigations and family assessments, etc. Provides that a local department of social services shall, upon request of the legal guardian or custodian of a child, disclose to such legal guardian or custodian the location of the child when the child is in the custody of another legal guardian or custodian, unless the local department finds that such disclosure would compromise the safety of the child or the legal guardian or custodian.
• HB 2197 Individuals w/ intellectual & developmental disabilities; DMAS to study use of virtual support, etc. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to study and develop recommendations for the permanent use of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supports and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting access to assistive technology and environmental modifications and to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
• HB 2206 Child Care Subsidy Program; expanding Program to serve more families. Provides that regulations governing the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) shall be amended to provide that (i) a family shall be eligible for assistance through the Program if the family’s income does not exceed 85 percent of the state median income, the family includes at least one child who is five years of age or younger and has not yet started kindergarten, and the family meets all other income and eligibility requirements of the Program and (ii) job search activities shall be considered eligible activities for the purposes of the Program. The bill provides that a family determined to be eligible for assistance through the Program shall be eligible to receive assistance for a period of 12 months or until the family’s household income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income, whichever occurs sooner. The Department of Social Services shall administer the program, as amended by the bill, in cooperation with the Department of Education. The bill contains an emergency clause and provides that the provisions of the bill shall be applicable to applications for assistance through the Program received prior to August 1, 2021.
• HB 2212 Children’s Services Act; effective monitoring and implementation. Requires the director of the Office of Children’s Services to provide for the effective implementation of the Children’s Services Act (§ 2.2-5200 et seq.) in all localities by (i) regularly monitoring local performance measures and child and family outcomes; (ii) using audit, performance, and outcomes data to identify local programs that need technical assistance; and (iii) working with local programs that are consistently underperforming to develop a corrective action plan for submission to the Office and the State Executive Council for Children’s Services.
• HB 2220 Surgical technologist; certification, use of title. Provides that no person shall hold himself out to be a surgical technologist or use or assume the title of “surgical technologist” or “certified surgical technologist” unless such person is certified by the Board of Medicine; currently, a person must be registered with the Board of Medicine to use the title “registered surgical technologist.” The bill also (i) adds a requirement that an applicant whose certification is based on his holding a current credential as a certified surgical technologist from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting also demonstrate that he has successfully completed an accredited surgical technologist training program and (ii) provides that the Board of Medicine may certify a person who has practiced as a surgical technologist at any time in the six months prior to July 1, 2021, provided that he registers with the Board of Medicine by December 31, 2021.
• HB 2222 Military medical personnel program; facilities that offer medical services to public, etc. Adds any facility that offers medical services to the public and that is supervised by one or more physicians or podiatrists to the list of entities that may participate in the military medical personnel program established by the Department of Veterans Services and directs the Department to assist veterans and other service members who are preparing for discharge or release and who have recently served in health care-related specialties but who do not meet the definition of “military medical personnel” in finding employment in the health care sector.
• HB 2230 Supported decision-making agreements; DBHDS to develop and implement a program, etc.  Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) to develop and implement a program to educate individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and others regarding the availability of supported decision-making agreements, the process by which an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability may enter into a supported decision-making agreement with a supporter, and the rights and responsibilities of principals and supporters who are parties to a supported decision-making agreement, which shall include specific training opportunities, development of model supported decision-making agreements, and development of information about and protocols for preventing, identifying, and addressing abuse and exploitation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who enter into supported decision-making agreements. The bill directs the Department to collect data regarding the utilization of supported decision-making agreements in the Commonwealth and report such information, together with recommendations to enhance the utilization of supported decision-making agreements, annually to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1.
• HB 2039 Physician assistant; eliminates certain requirement for practice. Allows a physician assistant to enter into a practice agreement with more than one patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist and provides that a patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist shall not be liable for the actions or inactions of a physician assistant for whom the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist provides collaboration and consultation. The bill also makes clear that a student physician assistant shall not be required to be licensed in order to engage in acts that otherwise constitute practice as a physician assistant, provided that the student physician assistant is enrolled in an accredited physician assistant education program.
• HB 2284 Driving privileges, certain; Commissioner of DMV to reinstate privileges and waive fees. Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to reinstate driving privileges, and to waive fees related to the reinstatement, for individuals whose privileges were suspended prior to July 1, 2019, for failure to pay court fines and costs in other jurisdictions.
• HB 2300 Hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies. Requires each hospital with an emergency department that is currently regulated by the State Board of Health (the Board) to establish a protocol for treatment and discharge of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency, which shall include provisions for (i) appropriate screening and assessment of individuals experiencing substance use-related emergencies and (ii) recommendations for follow-up care, which may include dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal, issuance of a prescription for naloxone, and information about accessing naloxone at a community pharmacy or organization that dispenses naloxone or other opioid antagonist to persons without a prescription. Such protocols may also include referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services or providers of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses. The bill also directs the Department of Health Professions, together with the Department of Health, to convene a work group to develop recommendations for best practices for the treatment and discharging of patients in emergency departments experiencing opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, which shall include recommendations for best practices related to (a) performing substance use assessments and screenings for patients experiencing opioid-related overdose and other high-risk patients; (b) prescribing and dispensing naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal; (c) connecting patients treated for opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, and their families with community substance abuse resources, including existing harm reduction programs and other treatment providers; and (d) identifying barriers to and developing solutions to increase the availability and dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal at hospitals and community pharmacies and by other community organizations. The bill also provides that hospitals in the Commonwealth may enter into agreements with the Department of Health for the provision to uninsured patients of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal.
• HB 2314 Special education; Bd. of Education to amend certain regulation. Requires the Board of Education to amend a certain regulation relating to special education to remove the word “component” following the word “evaluation,” thereby ensuring compliance with the relevant federal regulation and clarifying that the parent of a child with a disability has the right to an independent educational evaluation at public expense if the parent disagrees with an evaluation obtained by the local educational agency.

Commissions & Boards

Joint Commission on Health Care

Source: Website

The JCHC was established as a standing commission of the Virginia General Assembly in 1992. JCHC seeks through its research, recommendations, and legislative actions to “ensure that the Commonwealth as provider, financier, and regulator adopts the most cost-effective and efficacious means of delivery of health care services so that the greatest number of Virginians receive quality health care.” JCHC’s statutory purpose and authority are denoted in Code of Virginia §§ 30-168 through 170.

State Executive Council for Children’s Services

Source: Webpage

To oversee the administration of Office of Children’s Services and make such decisions as may be necessary to carry out its purposes.

Commonwealth Council on Aging

Source: Webpage

To promote an effective, coordinated approach to meeting the needs of older Virginians.

Child Support Guidelines Review Panel

Source: Webpage

Review Child Support Guidelines established pursuant to § 20-108.2 H. The Panel shall determine the adequacy of the guideline for the determination of appropriate awards for the support of children by considering current research and data on the cost of and expenditures necessary for rearing children, and any other resources it deems relevant to such review.

Virginia Disability Commission

Source: Webpage

The purpose of the Commission is to identify and recommend legislative priorities and policies for adoption or examination by the General Assembly in order to provide ongoing support in developing and reviewing services and funding related to Virginians with physical and sensory disabilities.

Commonwealth Council on Aging

Source: Webpage

To promote an effective, coordinated approach to meeting the needs of older Virginians.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission

Source: Website

The 15 appointed members of the Commission serve in an advisory capacity to the Governor and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources (HHR), and assist people with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders, as well as their caregivers. Commission meetings are held quarterly and members also serve on workgroups. In 2011 the Commission released Virginia’s first Dementia State Plan, which was updated in 2015 and will be revised every four years to remain receptive to the needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers. The Commission also sponsors a website that is accessible to Virginia citizens who wish to learn more about the Commonwealth’s commitment to those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. This website contains information that can assist both family members and community service providers. It lists a series of free educational “webinars” on topics that impact persons dealing with the disease. The website is www.alzpossible.org.

Autism Advisory Council

Source: Webpage

To promote coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the delivery of services to Virginians with autism spectrum disorders and to increase public awareness of such services and resources.

Block Grants

Source: Webpage

To ensure the continued receipt of federal funds pursuant to the Preventive Health and Human Services Block Grant, the Community Services Block Grant, or any other federal block grant program requiring legislative public hearings.
Report Date: The Subcommittee shall be continued for so long as federal law requires legislative hearings as a condition of any application for or receipt of any federal block grant moneys.

Commonwealth Health Research Board

Source: Website

Provide financial support, in the form of grants, donations, or other assistance, for research efforts that have the potential of maximizing human health benefits for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

Joint Subcommittee for Health and Human Resources Oversight

Source: Webpage

The Joint Subcommittee shall monitor, evaluate and respond to federal legislation that repeals, amends or replaces the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Title XXI of the Social Security Act) or any proposals to block grant or change the method by which these programs are funded. The joint subcommittee shall recommend actions to be taken by the General Assembly to address the impact of any such federal legislation that would affect the state budget and health care coverage now available to Virginians. Furthermore, the subcommittee shall evaluate federal changes for opportunities to improve Virginia’s Medicaid and other health insurance programs. The Joint Subcommittee shall provide ongoing oversight of initiatives and operations of the Health and Human Resources agencies.The joint subcommittee shall examine progress made in implementing changes to: (i) Medicaid managed care programs, including managed long-term supports and services (the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus program) and changes to the Medallion program; (ii) Medicaid waiver programs including the Medicaid waivers serving individuals with developmental disabilities; (iii) the Medicaid Enterprise System; (iv) improve eligibility, enrollment and renewal processes in the Medicaid and CHIP programs; (v) the organizational structure and realignment of staff and resources of the Department of Medical Assistance Services resulting from the change from a fee-for-service to a managed care delivery system; (vi) improve the cost effective delivery of services through the Comprehensive Services Act; and (vii) initiatives and programmatic changes across the Health and Human Resources agencies to ensure efficient and effective use of resources across the Secretariat.

Health Insurance Reform Commission

Source: Webpage

The Health Insurance Reform Commission was established by House Bill 2138 of the 2013 Session. The Commission’s powers and duties include monitoring the implementation of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Act); assessing proposed mandated health insurance benefits and providers; and developing recommendations to increase access to health insurance coverage are reasonable, and encourage a robust market for health insurance products in the Commonwealth.

Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority,

Source: Website

To provide for the health, welfare, convenience, knowledge, benefit, and prosperity of the residents of the Commonwealth and such other persons who might be served by the Authority. The Authority is being established to move the Commonwealth forward in achieving its vision of ensuring a quality health workforce for all Virginians.

Henrietta Lacks Commission

Source: Webpage

The Henrietta Lacks Commission (the Commission) is established as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Commission is to sustain the legacy of the life-changing contribution of Henrietta Lacks to medical science by advancing cancer research and treatment through the creation of a biomedical research and data center.

Advisory Council on Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PANS) Associated with Streptococcal Infections and Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANDAS)

Source: Webpage

There is hereby created in the executive branch of state government the Advisory Council on Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (the Advisory Council), for the purpose of advising the Commissioner of Health on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education relating to pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome

Task Force on Services for Survivors of Sexual Assault

Source: Webpage

Develops model treatment and transfer plans for use by transfer hospitals, treatment hospitals, and pediatric health care facilities and works with hospitals and pediatric health care facilities to facilitate the development of treatment and transfer plans; develops model written transfer agreements for use by treatment hospitals, transfer hospitals, and pediatric health care facilities and works with treatment hospitals, transfer hospitals, and pediatric health care facilities to facilitate the development of transfer agreements; develops model written agreements for use by treatment hospitals and approved pediatric health care facilities required to enter into agreements with rape crisis centers; works with treatment hospitals and approved pediatric health care facilities to develop plans to employ or contract with sexual assault forensic examiners to ensure the provision of treatment services to survivors of sexual assault by sexual assault forensic examiners, including plans for implementation of on-call systems to ensure availability of sexual assault forensic examiners; and works with treatment hospitals and approved pediatric health care facilities to identify and recommend processes to ensure compliance with law related to the creation, storage, and retention of photographic and other documentation and evidence.

Southwest Virginia Health Authority