Public secondary schools; naloxone procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans and policies for each secondary school relating to opioid overdose prevention and reversal, including: (i) the procurement, storage, and maintenance of at least two unexpired doses of naloxone at each such secondary school; (ii) the possession and administration of naloxone by school board employees; (iii) the requirement that each faculty and staff member employed at each secondary school complete training and certification in the administration of naloxone; (iv) the development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program to be completed by each secondary school student by grade 10; and (v) the provision of disciplinary immunity for a student who, on school grounds and during regular school hours, has been found in possession of naloxone or has administered naloxone in the event of a life-threatening opioid overdose, provided that such student has completed the opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program and is 16 years of age or older.The bill contains provisions requiring each local school board and each secondary school to implement the applicable provisions of the bill. The bill also modifies the individuals who are authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonists to include any school board employee who has completed training and is certified in the administration of naloxone by an organization authorized by DBHDS to provide such training and certification and to include any student enrolled at a public secondary school who has completed and received certification through the opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program and is 16 years of age or older. Current law limits such authorization to school nurses or school board employees contracted by a school board to provide school health services.Finally, the bill directs the Department of Health and the Department of Education to collaborate to develop guidelines and policies for the implementation of the provisions of the bill and for the Department of Education to submit such guidelines to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by January 1, 2025. The bill requires such guidelines and policies to be implemented by each school board by the beginning of the 2025–2026 school year.
Public secondary schools; naloxone procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal instruction; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans and policies for each secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 relating to opioid overdose prevention and reversal, including: (i) the procurement, storage, and maintenance of at least two unexpired doses of naloxone at each such secondary school; (ii) the possession and administration of naloxone by school board employees authorized to and trained and certified in the administration of naloxone and the employment of at least one such school board employee at each such secondary school; and (iii) the development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction to be completed by each student as a part of the high school graduation requirements.The bill also requires each local school board to place at least two doses of naloxone in every public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 in the local school division and to provide replacement doses as necessary. The bill requires each such secondary school to, pursuant to the policies developed by the Department of Health and the Department of Education, (a) ensure that at least one faculty or staff member is authorized to and trained and certified in the administration of naloxone and (b) provide an opioid overdose prevention and reversal program of instruction to be completed by each student as a high school graduation requirement. In addition, the bill modifies the school board employees who are authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonists to include any school board employee who has completed training and is certified in the administration of naloxone by an organization authorized by DBHDS to provide such training and certification. Current law limits such authorization to school nurses or school board employees contracted by a school board to provide school health services.Finally, the bill directs the Department of Health and the Department of Education to collaborate to develop guidelines and policies for the implementation of the provisions of the bill and for the Department of Education to submit such guidelines to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by January 1, 2025. The bill requires such guidelines and policies to be implemented by each school board by the beginning of the 2026–2027 school year.
Department of Behavioral Health and DevelopmentalServices; licensed professionals; licensed behavior analysts; definition.Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Servicesto amend in its regulations the definition of "licensed professional"to include licensed behavior analysts.
Pilot program for captured coal mine methane;renewable energy portfolio standard. Directs the State CorporationCommission to establish a pilot program for American Electric Power(Phase I Utility) and Dominion Energy (Phase II Utility) to submitproposals to deploy electricity generation from captured coal minemethane. Under the bill, reasonable and prudent costs incurred underthe captured coal mine methane project shall be recovered throughutility base rates. Additionally, the bill provides that electricitygenerated using captured coal mine methane with a non-combustionelectric generator under the captured coal mine methane project shallbe considered an eligible resource for purposes of the renewableenergy portfolio standard program.
Nursing homes; application requirements. Requiresall applicants for a nursing home license to complete and submitan application on a form approved by the Department of Health. Underthe bill, the applicant is required to provide certain informationin the application form, including information on (i) ownership interestsin nursing homes, (ii) pending litigation, (iii) real property relatedto the nursing home, (iv) secured notes, (v) the financial historyof persons mentioned in the application, and (v) contact informationfor certain persons. The bill requires the Department of Health to publish written notice of all applications for nursing home licensureon its website, including a copy of the application form completedby the applicant and information about the public input and comment process. Under the bill, all applications for nursing home licensureare subject to a 30-day public comment period. The bill allows individuals to request a public hearing on an applicant's suitability for nursinghome licensure. The bill sets forth the factors that the Departmentof Health is required to consider in determining whether to approveor deny an application to operate a nursing home.
Department of Professional and OccupationalRegulation; Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; hair styling license.Adds hair styling as a profession that is regulated by the Boardfor Barbers and Cosmetology. The bill defines "hair styling" as arranging,dressing, curling, waving, cutting, shaping, singeing, shaving, bleaching,coloring, relaxing, or straightening, or performing similar workupon, human hair, or a wig or hairpiece, by any means, includinghands or mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances.
Stillbirth Support Grant Program. Establishesthe Stillbirth Support Grant Program for the purpose of providinggrants to individuals who delivered a stillborn child, as definedby the bill, to assist with out-of-pocket costs associated with suchdelivery. Under the bill, an application for such a grant must besubmitted within the same calendar year as such delivery of a stillborn child occurs.
State Air Pollution Control Board, State WaterControl Board, and Virginia Waste Management Board consolidated;Board of Environmental Resources established. Consolidates theState Air Pollution Control Board, State Water Control Board, andVirginia Waste Management Board and transfers the duties of suchboards into a new Board of Environmental Resources. The bill establishesmembership, term, meeting, and recording requirements for the Boardand also establishes the position, powers, and duties of the ExecutiveDirector of the Board.
Hospital price transparency; private right of action; patient payment disputes; noncompliance; prohibition of debt collection. Allows patients, if a hospital is not in compliance with hospital price transparency laws on the date that an elective procedure, test, or service is provided to a patient by the hospital, and the noncompliance is related to such elective procedure, test, or service, to bring an action, individually or jointly, against the hospital to recover payment of the price of the elective procedure, test, or service. Under the bill, if a hospital is found not in compliance with hospital price transparency laws under such circumstances, the hospital is liable for the price of the elective procedure, test, or service provided; an additional equal amount as liquidated damages; interest accruing from the date the elective procedure, test, or service was provided; and reasonable attorney fees and costs. If a hospital is found not in compliance with hospital price transparency laws under such circumstances, the hospital is liable for an amount equal to triple the amount of the price of the elective procedure, test, or service and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Prohibition on certain local government appointments. Prohibits a local governing body from appointing a spouse, child,stepchild, parent, stepparent, or grandparent of a governing bodymember as a member of any local government board, committee, or commissionor as a member of a board of directors of a not-for-profit organizationthat receives funding from the locality.
Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing paymentsfor prescription drugs under certain plans. Requires each carrierthat offers a health plan in either the individual or small groupmarket to ensure that at least 50 percent of all health plans offeredby the carrier, or at least one health plan if the carrier offersfewer than two health plans, in each rating area and in each of thebronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of coverage in the individualand small group market conform with the following: (i) a plan thatoffers a silver, gold, or platinum level of coverage limits a person'scost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the planto an amount that does not exceed $100 per 30-day supply of the prescriptiondrug and (ii) a plan that offers a bronze level of coverage limitsa person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered underthe plan to an amount that does not exceed $150 per 30-day supplyof the prescription drug. The bill provides that such limits applyat any point in the benefit design, including before and after any applicable deductible is reached. The bill requires that any plansoffered to meet its requirements are (a) clearly and appropriatelynamed to aid the consumer or plan sponsor in the plan selection processand (b) marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by thehealth insurance carrier. The provisions of the bill apply with respectto health plans entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on orafter January 1, 2025.
Advertisement of legal notices; website.Allows a locality to advertise legal notices on the locality's websiteinstead of, or in addition to, publishing such notices in a newspaperhaving general circulation in the locality.
