Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Programand Fund; established. Requires the Commissioner of Agricultureand Consumer Services (the Commissioner) to establish the VirginiaAgriculture Food Assistance Program (VAFA Program) for Virginia farmersand food producers to donate, sell, or otherwise provide agricultureproducts to charitable food assistance organizations. The bill also creates the Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Fund to disbursemoneys to such charitable food assistance organizations to reimbursefarmers or food producers for any costs associated with harvesting,processing, packaging, or transporting agriculture products donatedto such charitable food assistance organizations. The bill authorizesthe Commissioner to adopt guidelines and regulations to carry outthe VAFA Program.
Del. Dan Helmer
Sponsored bills
Telemedicine. Clarifies that nothing shallpreclude coverage of telehealth services by an insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policiesproviding hospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverageon an expense-incurred basis; a corporation providing individualor group accident and sickness subscription contracts; or a healthmaintenance organization providing a health care plan for healthcare services. The bill requires the Board of Medical AssistanceServices to amend the state plan for medical assistance to providefor payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring servicesprovided via telemedicine for certain high-risk patients, and providesfor the establishment of a practitioner-patient relationship viatelemedicine for the prescribing of Schedule II through VI controlledsubstances.
Department of Veterans Services; Military Spouse Liaison; position created. Establishes the position of Military Spouse Liaison (the Liaison) in the Department of Veterans Services to conduct outreach and advocate on behalf of military spouses in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Liaison to report by December 1 of each year through the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, the Governor, and the General Assembly on the work of the Liaison and any legislative recommendations. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Special identification cards; application byguardian. Authorizes the parent of any person under the ageof 18 or the legal guardian of any person to apply for a specialidentification card on behalf of such person. Current law authorizes the parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of 15 toapply for a special identification card on behalf of such person.
Local Food and Farming Infrastructure Grant Program. Establishes the Local Food and Farming Infrastructure Grant Program and authorizes the Governor to award grants to political subdivisions from the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund as part of the Program. Such grants, in amounts up to $25,000, shall be awarded on a competitive basis to support infrastructure development projects that support local food production and sustainable farming. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to develop guidelines for the Program that favor projects that establish or maintain farmers markets; businesses or organizations that manage the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of food products primarily from local and regional producers; and primarily locally owned processing facilities.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; food stamp program; eligibility; postsecondary education. Adds participation in educational activities that lead to a post-secondary credential from an accredited institution of higher education or other postsecondary school licensed or certified by the Board of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to the list of activities to which a participant in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work may be enrolled and directs the Board of Social Services to amend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits program) to (i) establish broad-based categorical eligibility, (ii) set the gross income eligibility standard at 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, (iii) not impose an asset limit for eligibility, and (iv) increase opportunities for self-sufficiency through postsecondary education by allowing SNAP benefits program participants to satisfy applicable employment and training requirements through enrollment in an accredited public institution of higher education or other postsecondary school licensed or certified by the Board of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
State Board of Health; hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires each hospital with an emergency department that is currently regulated by the State Board of Health (the Board) to establish a protocol for treatment and discharge of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency, which shall include provisions for (i) appropriate screening and assessment of individuals experiencing substance use-related emergencies and (ii) recommendations for follow-up care, which may include dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal, issuance of a prescription for naloxone, and information about accessing naloxone at a community pharmacy or organization that dispenses naloxone or other opioid antagonist to persons without a prescription. Such protocols may also include referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services or providers of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses. The bill also directs the Department of Health, together with the Department of Health Professions, to convene a work group to develop recommendations for best practices for the treatment and discharging of patients in emergency departments experiencing opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, which shall include recommendations for best practices related to (a) performing substance use assessments and screenings for patients experiencing opioid-related overdose and other high-risk patients; (b) prescribing and dispensing naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal; (c) connecting patients treated for opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, and their families with community substance abuse resources, including existing harm reduction programs and other treatment providers; and (d) identifying barriers to and developing solutions to increase the availability and dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal at hospitals and community pharmacies and by other community organizations. The bill also provides that hospitals in the Commonwealth may enter into agreements with the Department of Health for the provision to uninsured patients of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal.
Racial and ethnic impact statements for criminaljustice legislation. Provides that the Chair of the House Committeefor Courts of Justice or the Chair of the Senate Committee on theJudiciary may request the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission(JLARC) to review and prepare a racial and ethnic impact statementfor a proposed criminal justice bill to outline its potential impacton racial and ethnic disparities within the Commonwealth. The billrequires JLARC to provide copies of the impact statement to therequesting chair and the patron of the proposed bill. No more thanthree racial and ethnic impact statements may be requested by the Chair of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and no more thantwo racial and ethnic impact statements may be requested by theChair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for completion duringa single regular session of the General Assembly.
Practice as a physician assistant. Eliminatesthe requirement that a physician assistant enter into a practiceagreement with a single patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist and provides that a patient care team physicianor patient care team podiatrist shall not be liable for the actionsor inactions of a physician assistant for whom the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist provides collaborationand consultation. The bill also makes clear that a student physicianassistant shall not be required to be licensed to engage in actsthat otherwise constitute practice as a physician assistant, providedthat the student physician assistant is enrolled in an accreditedphysician assistant education program.
Community services boards; contracts with privateproviders. Clarifies that community services boards may enter into contracts with private providers for delivery of mental health, developmental, and substance abuse services.