Virginia Bills

Requires a locality, as part of the local legislative approval process or as a condition of approval of a site plan, to require an owner, lessee, or developer of real property to enter into a written agreement to decommission solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices upon certain terms and conditions, including right of entry by the locality and financial assurance. This bill incorporates

Authorizes a person who applies for a hearing in front of the Virginia Gas and Oil Board to provide required notice of such application to certain gas or oil owners, coal owners, mineral owners, or gas storage field operators by commercial delivery service. Current law provides for delivery only by certified mail. The bill changes the blanket bond amounts that the Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy may require for an application for permits for gas or oil operations and authorizes additional bonds for any well proposed to be drilled in the Tidewater region.

Directs local departments of social services to notify the appropriate community services board as soon as it is known that a child in the foster care system has a developmental disability so that the community services board may screen the child for placement on the statewide developmental disability waiver waiting list.

Prohibits health care providers licensed by the Board of Medicine from requesting or requiring a patient who is a recipient of medical assistance services pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance to pay out-of-pocket costs associated with the provision of service involving (i) the prescription of an opioid for the management of pain or (ii) the prescription of buprenorphine-containing products, methadone, or other opioid replacements approved for the treatment of opioid addiction by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medication-assisted treatment of opioid addiction. The bill requires providers who do not accept payment from the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) who provide such services to patients participating in the Commonwealth's program of medical assistance services to provide written notice to such patient that (a) the Commonwealth's program of medical assistance services covers such health care services and DMAS will pay for such health care services if such health care services meet DMAS's medical necessity criteria and (b) the provider does not participate in the Commonwealth's program of medical assistance and will not accept payment from DMAS for such health care services. Such notice and the patient's acknowledgement of such notice shall be documented in the patient's medical record. This bill is identical to

Requires that if inspection, survey, or investigation data is used in an advertisement regarding nursing homes, the advertisement also include the following information: (i) the date on which the survey, inspection, or investigation was conducted; (ii) a statement that the facility is required to submit a plan of correction in response to any and all statements of deficiencies; (iii) if a finding or deficiency cited in a statement of deficiencies has been corrected, a statement that the finding or deficiency has been corrected and the date on which the finding or deficiency was corrected; and (iv) a statement that the advertisement publication is not authorized or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of the Inspector General, or any other governmental agency. The bill provides that failure to include this required information constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also requires that such information be in the same font, color, and size as the other text in the advertisement. This bill is identical to

Specifies that for the operator of an emergency medical services vehicle to qualify for a toll pass that allows free use of certain toll bridges, toll roads, and other toll facilities in the Commonwealth while in the performance of his official duties, the vehicle must (i) hold a valid emergency medical services vehicle permit issued by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and (ii) be equipped, maintained, or operated to provide emergency medical care or transportation of patients who are sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. Current law requires that an emergency medical services vehicle be owned by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth or a nonprofit association or corporation to qualify for such a toll pass.

Requires the biennial renewal, for individuals and business entities, of licenses by insurance agents, consultants, public adjusters, surplus lines brokers, and viatical settlement brokers by a producer's year and month of birth. The measure also requires fingerprinting for the purpose of conducting state and federal criminal background checks on new resident applicants. The measure establishes fees for processing license renewal applications, requires proof of compliance with continuing education requirements, addresses reinstatement of licenses, and provides for waivers of certain requirements. The measure requires licensed persons to report changes in their name or address. The measure provides that the registration fee for settlement agents will be prescribed by the Commission and that the Commission will retain the authority to enforce these provisions against any person who is under investigation for or charged with a violation. The measure also revises the timeline for completion of insurance continuing education courses to require completion biennially, based on an insurance agent's year and month of birth. The measure modifies the membership of the insurance continuing education board and the criteria for selection by the State Corporation Commission of the same. The measure also includes clarifications and removes obsolete requirements. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. The bill incorporates

Establishes as an independent advisory board in state government an 11-member Consortium Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board, consisting of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University or his designee, the Vice President for Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University or his designee, the President of the University of Virginia or his designee, the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at the University of Virginia or his designee, one representative of Eastern Virginia Medical School, one representative of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, and five other nonlegislative citizen members, to study the requirements for designation as a consortium Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute and make recommendations to Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia relating to the process for establishing a joint National Cancer Institute-designated consortium Comprehensive Cancer Center, including recommendations relating to a joint leadership structure, research integration, and programmatic integration. The provisions of the bill sunset on July 1, 2022.

Removes the requirement that the officer of election audibly repeat the address of a voter offering to vote. The bill does not change the requirement for the officer of election to audibly repeat the voter's full name.