HB 2161 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

VCU Health System Authority; changes relating to board of directors and chief executive officer.

Summary
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the board of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) adding demonstrated experience or expertise in finance or commercial real estate as options for satisfying the required qualifications for certain appointed members and requiring each enumerated area of demonstrated experience or expertise to be represented amongst such appointed members at any given time; (v) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (vi) prohibiting rather than permitting, as under current law, the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences of the University from serving as chief executive officer of the Authority but requiring the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences to regularly communicate and collaborate with such chief executive officer to support the mutual interests and success of the University and the Authority; (vii) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (viii) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to SB 1259.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Vetoed
May 2025
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Vetoed May 2, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Governor Substitute Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 7, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was amended to reduce the size of the governing board and adjust the number of members appointed by various entities. It also added a requirement that a majority of board members have no outside ties to the university or authority, clarified the role of the chief executive officer, and modified the process for selecting that officer when the two governing boards disagree.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed by reducing the total number of board members and altering the composition of the board to include fewer members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Committee on Rules.
REQUIREMENT

Reduced the total board membership from 21 to 16 and decreased the number of appointed members from 19 to 13, while increasing the number of ex officio members.

Added a new requirement that a majority of the 16 board members must have no direct affiliation with the University or the Authority outside of their service on the board.

Added a restriction preventing the individual who serves on both the University's board of visitors and the Authority's board from serving on the committees formed to resolve disagreements over the chief executive officer's selection.

Modified the tie-breaking process for selecting the chief executive officer; if committees cannot agree, the University President decides, but if the committees still cannot agree on the appointment itself, the entire selection process must be repeated.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the title of the chief executive officer from 'Vice-President for Health Sciences' to 'Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences' and clarified that this individual cannot serve as the board chairman.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date provision to allow current physician-faculty board members to finish their terms, while retaining the provision for the current chief executive officer to stay in place until a successor is appointed.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 18, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025

How they voted

400
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 18, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
39
Key actions
12
Committee
9
Amendments
2
May 2, 2025
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed by for the day (47-Y 46-N)
lower
Mar 24, 2025
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive
Mar 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2161ER)
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 17, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Higher Education
upper
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House (99-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 3, 2025
Introduced
Engrossed by House as amended
lower
Feb 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Appropriations Amendment agreed to
lower
Jan 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 22, 2025
Committee
Assigned Approps sub: Higher Education
lower
Jan 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Education and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 20, 2025
Committee
Subcommittee recommends reporting and referred to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
Assigned Educ sub: Higher Education
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors