Eligibility for food stamps and TANF; drug-related felonies. Provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to receive food stamp benefits shall not be denied such assistance solely because he has been convicted of a drug-related felony. Under current law, such individuals may not be denied food stamp benefits based on a felony conviction of possession of a controlled substance in violation of § 18.2-250, provided that such person is complying with, or has already complied with, all obligations imposed by the criminal court, is actively engaged in or has completed a substance abuse treatment program, participates in periodic drug screenings, and meets any other obligations as determined by the Department of Social Services. The bill also provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to receive TANF benefits shall not be denied such assistance solely because he has been convicted of a drug-related felony. This bill incorporates SB 155 and is identical to HB 566.
Taxes on wills and administrations; exemption for victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting. Establishes an exemption from probate tax for a person killed or injured in the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting. The bill provides that if, prior to its enactment, a person eligible for a tax exemption pursuant to the bill paid tax to the Commonwealth or a locality for a will or grant of administration of a victim's estate, either the Commonwealth or the locality, as applicable, shall refund the tax. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 93.
Security freezes on credit reports; fees. Prohibits a credit reporting agency from requiring a consumer to pay a fee to place a security freeze on the consumer's credit report. Currently, a consumer may be required to pay a fee of no more than $5 to place a security freeze on his credit report. Victims of identity theft are currently exempt from the fee.
Collaborative practice agreements; nurse practitioners; physician assistants. Adds nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of health care practitioners who shall not be required to participate in a collaborative agreement with a pharmacist and his designated alternate pharmacists, regardless of whether a professional business entity on behalf of which the person is authorized to act enters into a collaborative agreement with a pharmacist and his designated alternate pharmacists. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Healthcare. This bill is identical to HB 517.
Kinship Guardianship Assistance program; eligibility; fictive kin. Expands eligibility for the Kinship Guardianship Assistance program by allowing payments to be made to fictive kin who receive custody of a child of whom they had been the foster parent. This bill is identical to HB 933.
Child support; reasonable cost of health care coverage. Modifies the definition of "reasonable cost" for purposes of health care coverage in child support arrangements by capping the maximum amount to five percent of the gross income of the parent responsible for providing health care coverage. Under current law, such costs are capped at five percent of the parents' combined gross income.
Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees; registration. Amends eligibility criteria for registration as a pharmacy technician to include a requirement that the individual has (i) successfully completed or was enrolled in a Board of Pharmacy-approved pharmacy technician training program or (ii) passed a national certification examination required by the Board of Pharmacy but did not complete a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program. The bill also directs the Board to establish requirements for the issuance of a registration as a pharmacy technician to a person who (a) has previously practiced as a pharmacy technician in another U.S. jurisdiction and (b) has passed a national certification examination required by the Board. The bill defines "pharmacy technician trainee" and sets out requirements for registration as a pharmacy technician trainee. The bill also directs the Board to convene a workgroup composed of stakeholders deemed appropriate by the Board to develop recommendations related to the addition of duties that a pharmacy technician registered by the Board may perform. This bill is identical to HB 1304.
Mutual assessment property and casualty insurers;notice by electronic delivery. Authorizes a mutual assessmentproperty and casualty insurer to provide notice of assessment byelectronic delivery. Under current law, such notice may only be providedpersonally or by mail.
Banks; trust subsidiaries. Establishes amechanism by which a subsidiary bank of a Virginia bank holding companythat holds trust powers may be substituted in every fiduciary capacityfor a trust subsidiary under common ownership with that bank. Suchmechanism follows the existing procedures by which (i) a subsidiarybank may be substituted as fiduciary for another bank under commonownership and (ii) a trust subsidiary may be substituted as fiduciaryfor an owning or affiliated bank. In each case, the determinationas to whether the application for substitution will be granted is made by the circuit court of the jurisdiction in which the main officeof the petitioning bank or trust subsidiary is located.
Refunds of local taxes; authority of treasurer. Increases from $2,500 to $5,000 the maximum amount at which the governing body of a locality may authorize its treasurer to approve and issue a refund of taxes paid as a result of an erroneous tax assessment. This bill incorporates HB 773.
Pharmacy benefits managers; licensure and regulation. Provides that no person is authorized to provide pharmacy benefits management services or otherwise act as a pharmacy benefits manager without first obtaining a license from the State Corporation Commission. The measure prohibits a carrier on its own or through its contracted pharmacy benefits manager or representative of a pharmacy benefits manager from (i) causing or knowingly permitting the use of any advertisement, promotion, solicitation, representation, proposal, or offer that is untrue; (ii) charging a pharmacist or pharmacy a fee related to the adjudication of a claim other than a reasonable fee for an initial claim submission; (iii) reimbursing a pharmacy or pharmacist an amount less than the amount that the pharmacy benefits manager reimburses a pharmacy benefits manager affiliate for providing the same pharmacist services, calculated on a per-unit basis using the same generic product identifier or generic code number and reflecting all drug manufacturer's rebates, direct and indirect administrative fees, and costs and any remuneration; or (iv) penalizing or retaliating against a pharmacist or pharmacy for exercising rights provided by this measure. The measure also prohibits a carrier from (a) imposing provider accreditation standards or certification requirements inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to requirements of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy or other state or federal entity; (b) including any mail order pharmacy or pharmacy benefits manager affiliate in calculating or determining network adequacy; or (c) conducting spread pricing in the Commonwealth. The measure also imposes recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 1, 2020. This bill incorporates HB 1292, HB 1459, HB 1479, and HB 1659 and is identical to SB 251.
Management of the menhaden fishery. Requires the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to adopt regulations necessary to manage Atlantic menhaden, including those necessary to comply with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The bill repeals several Code sections relating to quotas, allocation of allowable landings, and administrative procedures that will be included in a regulatory framework for managing the fishery. The bill directs the Commissioner of Marine Resources to establish a Menhaden Management Advisory Committee to provide guidance to the Commission. This bill incorporates HB 79 and is identical to SB 791. The bill contains an emergency clause.
