SB 822 requires school nurses in public schools to complete training on sickle cell disease. This directly affects school nurses and aims to better support students with sickle cell disease or those at risk. The key provision mandates this training to help nurses recognize symptoms and manage care during health crises. The bill's abstract focuses solely on implementing this training requirement for school health staff.
Department of Social Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Department of Health; prenatal and postnatal substance use; work group; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department of Health to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's response to parental prenatal and postnatal substance use, the services available to address such substance use, and the effects of such substance use on newborns and children. The bill requires the work group to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on Health and Human Services by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 652.
Income tax; credit for certain health care providers. Provides, for taxable years 2026 through 2030, a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for eligible health care providers, defined in the bill, who provide health care in an underserved community during the taxable year. The bill defines "underserved community" as an area within the Commonwealth identified by the Board of Health as medically underserved. The amount of the credit shall equal $5,000 if the eligible health care provider provided at least 1,600 hours of health care in an underserved community during the taxable year or $2,500 if the eligible health care provider provided at least 800 hours of health care in an underserved community during the taxable year. The bill provides that such providers shall only be allowed to claim such credit for two taxable years. The aggregate amount of credits allowable under the provisions of the bill shall not exceed $5 million per taxable year.
Virginia Health Care Protection Act established; prohibition on extradition for certain crimes; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Health Care Protection Act. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in the Commonwealth or employed by the Commonwealth or any of its localities or political subdivisions may investigate, arrest, or detain any person, seek the issuance of a warrant, or otherwise assist in or provide support for any investigation involving protected health care activity, as defined in the bill, not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill creates a private right of action for any person who is aggrieved by such unlawful investigation to obtain an injunction or other equitable relief against such law-enforcement officer.The bill creates a private right of action for any person who sustains any injury, damages, or other harm resulting from another person who, under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth, engages or attempts to engage in abusive litigation, as defined in the bill.The bill also provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves protected health care activity within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth.The bill provides that any subpoena under the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act or any summons for a witness for another state in a criminal case shall include an attestation, made under penalty of perjury, stating whether the subpoena or summons seeks documents, information, or testimony related to protected health care activity.
Drug manufacturers; 340B Drug Pricing Program; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program within the Commonwealth, with emphasis on governance, transparency, and the availability of pharmacy services in rural and underserved areas. The bill requires the work group to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services by November 1, 2026.
Licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners; licensure by endorsement; licensure without examination. Directs the Board of Counseling to establish a pathway to licensure by endorsement as a licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner for applicants who have held certification as a certified substance abuse counselor for at least 10 years without a history of disciplinary action, have completed at least five years of documented supervised experience, hold at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of counseling, and hold a Master Addiction Counselor credential issued by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. The bill provides that such pathway to licensure by endorsement does not require examination.
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 SB 738.
Palliative Care Information and Education Program; Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council established. Directs the Board of Health to include in its regulations a requirement that every hospital, nursing home, and certified nursing facility licensed by the Board (i) establish a system for identifying patients or residents who may benefit from palliative care and (ii) provide information about and facilitate access to appropriate palliative care services for patients or residents experiencing illness, injuries, or conditions that substantially affect quality of life for more than a short period of time. The bill also directs the Department of Health to establish a palliative care consumer and professional information and education program to maximize the effectiveness of palliative care initiatives in the Commonwealth by (a) ensuring that comprehensive and accurate information and education about palliative care is available to the public, health care providers, and health care facilities and (b) implementing such other initiatives related to education about palliative care and the delivery of palliative care services as may be necessary to educate health care professionals and the public about palliative care. The bill further establishes the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council to advise the Department on matters related to the establishment, operation, maintenance, and outcomes evaluations of such initiatives. The bill directs the Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council to study the possibility of establishing a Medicaid benefit for palliative care and the need for a licensure scheme for palliative care providers. The bill further directs the Board of Health to develop a statewide advanced care planning campaign to increase public awareness of available palliative care options.
Health insurance; essential health benefits benchmark plan. Requires the Bureau of Insurance to select a new essential health benefits benchmark plan for the 2028 plan year, or the soonest plan year thereafter as permitted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that includes, in addition to the essential health benefits package included in the existing benchmark plan, coverage for (i) doula care services; (ii) the treatment of iatrogenic infertility; (iii) fertility treatment and diagnosis, including a maximum of three cycles per lifetime of assisted reproductive technology; (iv) hearing aids for individuals of all ages; (v) pasteurized donor human breast milk; (vi) the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome; and (vii) the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. Such mandate for coverage does not apply to the individual or small group markets. The bill has a delayed effective date pursuant to approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of certain coverage as outlined in the bill. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission.
Menstrual supplies ingredient labeling; restriction of substances; civil penalty. Requires that each package or box containing menstrual supplies, as defined in the bill, contain a label of all ingredients that are included within such products when sold within the Commonwealth. Such label shall be displayed by the manufacturer in a manner that is visible and easy to understand for the consumer. The bill requires any manufacturer to make changes to the label reflecting any changes of ingredients within 18 months of any such changes. The bill also requires the manufacturer to post the required label information on its website. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
