Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 379: Psilocybin; Board of Pharmacy to reschedule upon federal scheduling changes.

Board of Pharmacy; regulation of psilocybin. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to reschedule psilocybin consistent with federal scheduling upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of a formulation of psilocybin designed to be administered by a health care professional in a health care setting. This bill is identical to HB 1347.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables FDA-approved psilocybin use in healthcare settings for mental health treatment, advancing access to novel therapeutic options under medical supervision.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 513: Suicide fatality review teams, local and regional; established, membership, penalty.

Local and regional suicide fatality review teams; penalty. Permits localities or combinations of localities to establish a local or regional suicide fatality review team. The bill provides exemptions from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for information and records obtained or created regarding a review of a fatality by such team.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAdds VA representation to overdose review teams focusing on veteran suicides, enhancing mental health service analysis and prevention efforts.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransAdds veterans/military suicides to overdose review teams' purposes and mandates VA department representation, directly addressing veteran mental health through systemic review processes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 712: Office-based buprenorphine treatment; Board of Medicine to amend regulations.

Board of Medicine; office-based buprenorphine treatment; counseling. Directs the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to SB 641.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates counseling referrals for buprenorphine treatment, improving access to comprehensive opioid use disorder care without restricting treatment access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1304: Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to SB 580.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patient communication rights in behavioral health facilities, advancing patient access and rights within healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1452: Medicaid; expedited review process for service authorization requests, report.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; expedited review process for Medicaid service authorization requests; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to (i) implement expedited review of Medicaid service authorization requests consistent with applicable federal law and (ii) annually transmit the prior authorization report required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes expedited Medicaid review for life-sustaining treatments to prevent health risks, improving patient access and protecting health rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1489: Hospitals; reports of threats or acts of violence against health care providers.

Hospitals; reports of threats or acts of violence against health care providers; expansion of reporting requirements. Expands the reporting requirements for incidents of workplace violence in hospitals with an emergency department by requiring additional descriptors of incidents, requiring hospitals to report collected data to additional parties, and directing the Department of Health to publish a report containing an annual summary of such data. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027, and directs the Department of Health to publish its first report by December 31, 2027.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands hospital reporting requirements for violence against healthcare providers, strengthening safety protocols and protecting healthcare workers within the healthcare system.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workplace violence reporting requirements for hospitals, directly enhancing healthcare worker safety protections under Labor & Employment topic.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1522: Nursing homes and assisted living facilities; licensure, automated external defibrillators.

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities; licensure; automated external defibrillators. Requires nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have and maintain an automated external defibrillator and have staff trained to use such automated external defibrillator.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires nursing homes to maintain AEDs and train staff, improving emergency cardiac care access and patient safety in healthcare facilities.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 140: Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training.

Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored to firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in current law. The bill provides the option for each fire department to use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel. This bill is identical to HB 325.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health awareness training for fire personnel, strengthening mental health support services per bill's requirement for department-developed curricula.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 172: Health insurance claims; electronic information or attachments accepted, delayed effective date.

Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments. Provides that, in the following contexts, information may be submitted by a provider to a health insurance carrier through electronic attachment, as defined in the bill: (i) information related to services rendered as required by the carrier in its provider contract; (ii) information related to any defect or impropriety that prevents the carrier from deeming a health insurance claim a clean claim, as defined in existing law; and (iii) information required to establish medical necessity, benefit coverage, or prior authorization of services, or to conduct reconsideration activities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 676.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates electronic claim processing for insurers, improving efficiency and access to healthcare services by reducing administrative barriers.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 626: Health insurance; reporting requirements.

Health insurance; reporting requirements. Amends various reporting requirements related to health insurance, including by requiring the State Corporation Commission to maintain and publicly post an inventory of mandated benefits and providers, requiring health carriers to report annually on provider terminations and reinstatements, and consolidating reports related to balance billing and arbitration. The bill repeals reporting requirements related to the Comparable Health Care Service Incentive Program and Virginia Health Savings Account Plan.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires transparency in mandated benefits and provider terminations, improving accountability and access to health insurance services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare