Medical assistance services; managed care organization contracts with pharmacy benefits managers; spread pricing. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to require a managed care organization with which the Department enters into an agreement for the delivery of medical assistance services to include in any agreement between the managed care organization and a pharmacy benefits manager provisions prohibiting the pharmacy benefits manager or a representative of the pharmacy benefits manager from conducting spread pricing with regard to the managed care organization's managed care plans. The bill defines "spread pricing" as the model of prescription drug pricing in which the pharmacy benefits manager charges a managed care plan a contracted price for prescription drugs, and the contracted price for the prescription drugs differs from the amount the pharmacy benefits manager directly or indirectly pays the pharmacist or pharmacy for pharmacist services. The bill applies to agreements entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2020. This bill is identical to SB 568.
Sponsored bills
Custodial interrogations; recording. Provides that any law-enforcement officer shall, if practicable, make an audiovisual recording of the entirety of any custodial interrogation of a person conducted in a place of detention. The bill provides that if an audiovisual recording is unable to be made, the law-enforcement officer shall make an audio recording of the entirety of the custodial interrogation. The bill provides that the failure of a law-enforcement officer to make such a recording shall not affect the admissibility of the statements made during the custodial interrogation, but the court or jury may consider such failure in determining the weight given to such evidence. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.
Roy P. Byrd, Jr., Memorial Bridge. Designates the U.S. Route 29 Business bridge over U.S. Route 29 in Pittsylvania County the "Roy P. Byrd, Jr., Memorial Bridge."
Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority; industrial hemp marketing plan; report. Directs the Board ofDirectors and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Economic DevelopmentPartnership Authority to develop a marketing plan for industrialhemp. The bill requires the Authority to report to the Chairmen ofthe House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resourcesand the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and NaturalResources by November 30, 2020, on its marketing plan and its progresstoward meeting the goals and objectives stated in the marketing plan.
Industrial hemp; federal regulations; adoption in Virginia. Directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conform the regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to any federal regulation adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, immediately upon publication in the Federal Register, that materially expands opportunities for growing, producing, or dealing in industrial hemp in the Commonwealth. The bill exempts such regulatory amendments by the Board from the Administrative Process Act. The bill contains an emergency clause.
GO Virginia grants; matching funds. Allows a locality to use funds awarded from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for a GO Virginia grant award. No other state funds are authorized to be used as a source of matching funds. The provisions of the bill sunset on July 1, 2021.
Vocational rehabilitation and employment services for former law-enforcement officers with a disability. Requires the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to make available to law-enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth information regarding vocational rehabilitation programs and employment services available to assist former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service with preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining suitable employment, including information on the types of programs available and the process by which former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service can access such programs and services, and provides that every law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth shall provide to every law-enforcement officer who separates from the agency due to a disability resulting from his service information regarding vocational rehabilitation programs and employment services available to assist former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service with preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining suitable employment, including information on the types of programs available and the process by which such law-enforcement officers may access such programs and services.
Virginia Defense Force; maximum age for recruitment. Permits the Adjutant General of Virginia to recruit members to the Virginia Defense Force who are between the ages of 65 and 75. Under current law, the Adjutant General is only permitted to retain existing members of the Virginia Defense Force once they have attained the age of 65.
A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Declares the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership a political subdivision of the Commonwealth and requires its staff to be treated as state employees for purposes of participation in the Virginia Retirement System, health insurance, and all other employee benefits offered by the Commonwealth to its classified employees.
Personal property tax; farm machinery; classificationof forest harvesting and silvicultural activity equipment. Providesthat for the purposes of local personal property tax exemptions,"farm machinery" includes any machinery designed solely for theplanting, production, or harvesting of any agricultural product, asdefined in § 3.2-6400. The bill removes forest harvesting and silviculturalactivity equipment from the list of property that may be classifiedseparately and taxed at a lower rate than general personal property.Forest harvesting and silvicultural activity equipment that is notexempted from property taxes is also added to the list of propertyseparately classified for valuation purposes, but not for rate purposes.The bill contains a nonseverability clause.