Public institutions of higher education; financial assistance; Medical Education Service Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Medical Education Service Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of providing grants to any person enrolled in or admitted to an eligible institution, as defined in the bill, that shall be awarded in whole or in part upon satisfactory completion of a service agreement entered into by a recipient to engage in clinical practice in a designated service area, as defined in the bill, for the requisite period and in accordance with the requirements set forth by the bill. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council), in partnership with the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (the Authority), to administer the Program. The bill also (i) establishes requirements for the administration of the Program, including (a) requirements for eligibility to apply to and receive a grant under the Program and the prioritization of Program applications and (b) terms and conditions governing the awarding of grants under the Program; (ii) directs the Council and the Authority to establish policies and procedures for the administration of the Program relating to monitoring and enforcing compliance of recipients with Program requirements and terms and conditions; and (iii) directs the program administrator to annually collect data on the activities of the Program for the preceding fiscal year and submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Education, Health and Human Services, and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations a report on such data by January 1 of each year in which funds are made available for the Program.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Social Services; administration of medical assistance and social services programs; technology modernization; report. Directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to contract with a third-party vendor to study and create a plan for the modernization of the technological systems used to administer federal benefit programs in the Commonwealth. The bill requires DSS and DMAS to develop and submit a legislative report that includes a plan to modernize the current technological systems to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by December 1, 2026, and to use the recommendations and plan outlined in such legislative report to move forward with the procurement process.
Newborn screening requirements; Gaucher disease. Directs the Department of Health to amend regulations to include Gaucher disease under the Commonwealth's newborn screening panel.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services; employer of record. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery and designate another individual to perform all or a portion of the duties of the EOR on the individual's behalf when the individual receiving services is unable to perform such duties or direct his own care. The bill specifies that when an individual (i) has not yet reached the age of majority, (ii) is ineligible to use his existing employer identification number (EIN) to facilitate the taxation of benefits, or (iii) is otherwise determined to be ineligible by DMAS by administrative rule, the EIN shall be assigned to the individual receiving services and shall not be transferred to another individual. Under the bill, DMAS has the authority to limit such amendments to specify that an individual receiving services may make such designation no more than twice per calendar year.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; enhanced oversight of services facilitators. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to enhance oversight of Medicaid services facilitation for consumer directed services, including incorporation of such services into the statewide Fiscal Employer Agent contract and development of a contract monitoring and oversight plan.
Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund established. Creates the Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund to award grants to localities for costs incurred in providing certain cancer detection tests to firefighters. The bill provides that in any year that the amount of funds in the Firefighters Cancer Screening Fund reduces to zero and the Fund does not receive a separate appropriation, the Grant Program and Fund shall expire.
Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought. Specifies that the Administrative Process Act applies to case decisions regarding the grant or denial, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service, of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. The bill also removes provisions limiting review of case decisions to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency.
Fees for vehicles designed and used for transportation of passengers; funds returned to a locality; permitted uses. Expands the permitted use of funds returned to a locality from certain vehicle fees to include the purchase or maintenance of necessary equipment, supplies, facilities, and vehicles permitted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and other operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical services in such locality by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies. Under current law, such funds may be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for use in the locality for emergency medical services provided by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies.
Virginia Health Care Fund; additional funding and uses; emergency. Expands allowable funding sources of the Virginia Health Care Fund to include appropriated state general fund moneys and moneys from public and private sources. The bill allows moneys from the Fund to be used for financial assistance to organizations and service providers that provide health care services, or expand the provision of health care services, to populations protected by the Virginia Human Rights Act. The bill contains an emergency clause.
