Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 738: Hospitals; emergency department physicians.

Hospitals; psychiatric emergency departments. Allows hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments located in the City of Hampton to operate without a physician on duty when certain conditions are met, including having written agreements in place with emergency medical service providers and being immediately adjacent to a non-psychiatric emergency department. The bill requires such psychiatric emergency departments to submit treatment data to the General Assembly on an annual basis by November 1. This bill is identical to HB 1318.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires psychiatric EDs to transfer non-psychiatric patients and maintain certified providers, improving emergency access and safety for all patients.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 580: 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 HB 1304.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands patient communication rights in behavioral health facilities by allowing electronic/paper mail access, protecting patient autonomy within healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 291: Health, State Board of, regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care.

State Board of Health regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care. Directs the State Board of Health to establish standards for designation of care in neonatal services consistent with, but not necessarily identical to, standards published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027, and prohibits enforcement of such regulations until July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to HB 456.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareDirects State Board to establish neonatal care standards per AAP guidelines, improving care quality and patient safety standards for newborns.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 745: Health insurance; definitions, prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals.

Health insurance; prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from prohibiting an in-network provider, as defined in the bill, from referring any enrollee or specimen to any in-network clinical laboratory or in-network pathology service provider under the terms of such insurance unless such referral would constitute a violation of certain laws. This bill is identical to HB 424.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurers from restricting in-network referrals, improving patient access to clinical labs/pathology services without barriers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 641: 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 HB 712.

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

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 122: School boards; student diabetes care & management in schools, division wide plan required.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student diabetes medical care and management. Establishes several provisions relating to student diabetes medical care and management in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including requiring divisionwide plans for the care of students who are diagnosed with diabetes in each school division, effective beginning with the 2028–2029 school year. This bill is identical to HB 1301.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill ensures students with diabetes can manage health needs in schools, enabling full educational participation and access without barriers.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates school staff training for diabetes management and permits student self-care, directly improving access to medical services for students with diabetes in schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 421: Pharmacist; remote verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs.

Remote pharmacist verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs. Authorizes a pharmacist licensed in the Commonwealth to exercise verification, counseling, and supervision duties remotely when a pharmacy technician or other authorized personnel dispenses medication prescribed for the management of opioid use disorder at a federally certified opioid treatment program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes remote pharmacist counseling in opioid treatment programs, improving patient access to addiction healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports 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 · 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