Electronic death reg. system; requiring certain applicants for licensure to complete training.
Summary
Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; licensure renewal; electronic death registration system; death certificates. Requires the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to amend their applications for licensure and licensure renewal to require doctors of medicine and osteopathic medicine, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants to indicate if they expect their scope of practice to include signing death certificates and, if so, to indicate that they have completed the online tutorial for the Electronic Death Registration System on the Department of Health website. This bill is identical to SB 194.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 6, 2026
Signed Mar 31, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
Health Professions Subcommittee Substitute
→
Chaptered
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized into law (Chapter 42) after passing the House. The substantive policy requirements remain identical to the previous draft, mandating that medical and nursing license applicants complete an online tutorial on the Electronic Death Registration System if their practice involves signing death certificates.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability are unchanged; it still applies to doctors, osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses in Virginia.
TECHNICAL
Removed draft metadata including session year, bill number, and committee attribution.
Added chapter number, act title, and official approval date.
Corrected a typo changing 'Registry' to 'Registration' in the description of the online tutorial.
Adjusted the statutory citation for the Administrative Process Act to include a non-breaking space.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 20, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026
How they voted
39–0
Passed
Total votes 39
Feb 20, 2026
D
Democratic20
100% Yea
R
Republican19
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
32
Key actions
10
Committee
6
Mar 31, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter 42 (effective 7/1/2026)
executive
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB156ER)
lower
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 10, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Jan 16, 2026
Committee
Assigned sub: Health Professions
lower
Jan 6, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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