Facilitate the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine; emergency. Facilitates the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill requires the Department of Health (the Department) to establish a program to enable eligible health care providers to volunteer to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents of the Commonwealth during a state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the Governor. The bill defines "eligible health care provider" and provides that the program shall include (i) a process by which an eligible health care provider may register to participate in the program and (ii) the training requirements for participating eligible health care providers related to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, including training on the intramuscular injection of the COVID-19 vaccine and contraindications and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill specifies requirements that the Department shall ensure that each site at which COVID-19 vaccinations are administered by eligible health care providers satisfies. The bill also requires the Department to establish a process by which entities, including medical care facilities, hospitals, hospital systems, corporations, businesses, pharmacies, public and private institutions of higher education, localities, and any other professional or community entity operating in the Commonwealth, may volunteer their facilities as sites at which the COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to residents of the Commonwealth. The bill permits a public institution of higher education or a private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to volunteer to provide assistance to the Department and local health departments for data processing, analytics, and program development related to the COVID-19 vaccine through the use of its employees, students, technology, and facilities. The bill also permits localities with fire departments, emergency medical services departments, and volunteer rescue squads to establish and staff vaccine administration clinics. The bill provides civil and criminal immunity to individuals and professional entities acting pursuant to the bill and contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 1445.
Sponsored bills
Commending Marty L. Miller.
Commending the Virginia State Police.
Summons for unlawful detainer; notice; adverse employment actions prohibited. Requires any summons for unlawful detainer to include a notice to the tenant that it is unlawful for his employer to discharge him from employment or take any adverse personnel action against him for appearing at an initial or subsequent hearing on such summons, provided that he has given reasonable notice of such hearing to his employer.
Charitable gaming; operators; licensing requirement; definition of "instant bingo," "pull tabs," or "seal cards." Permitsan operator, defined in the bill, to manage, operate, or conductcharitable gaming on behalf of a qualified organization or otherwise assist a qualified organization with the management, operation, orconduct of charitable gaming, provided that such operator obtainsa license from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesand complies with all charitable gaming laws and regulations thatwould otherwise be applicable to such qualified organization relatedto the management, conduct, or operation of charitable gaming. Thebill also amends the definition of "instant bingo," "pull tabs,"or "seal cards" to provide that the preprinted or predetermined appearanceof concealed letters, numbers, or symbols contained on the individually prepackaged cards must simply be exposed after purchase to determinewins and losses. Current law specifies that the preprinted or predeterminedappearance of concealed letters, numbers, or symbols contained onthe individually prepackaged cards must be exposed by the player to determine wins and losses.
Study; joint subcommittee; oversight of Medicaid managed care organizations and provider networks in the Commonwealth; report. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study oversight of Medicaid managed care organizations and provider networks in the Commonwealth, including (i) the current process by which the Department of Medical Assistance Services enters into contracts with managed care organizations for the delivery of services to Medicaid enrollees and the requirements of such contracts; (ii) the process by which managed care organizations enter into and terminate contracts with providers in the Commonwealth, including any procedural requirements that must be met before a provider agreement is terminated and any opportunity for communication and correction by the provider; (iii) managed care organizations' provider networks, including demographic information about enrolled providers and recent changes in managed care organizations' provider networks, including demographic information about providers that have been added to or removed from provider networks in recent years; and (iv) whether changes should be made to contracts between the Department of Medical Assistance Services and managed care organizations to ensure providers are able to meet agreements set forth in provider agreements while ensuring the safety and well-being of Medicaid enrollees, and to develop recommendations for improving the process by which providers of Medicaid services are recruited, enrolled in, participate in, and are terminated from provider networks to ensure access to a diverse array of services and providers for all Medicaid enrollees in the Commonwealth. The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2021, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
State parks; Disabled Veteran's Passport.Expands the Disabled Veteran's Passport program to all U.S. veteranswith a service-connected disability. Currently, a veteran must be100 percent disabled to be eligible for the program, which providesfree entry into state parks and a 50 percent discount on campingand swimming fees, picnic shelter rentals, and other equipment rentalsprovided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitiveand sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposesof the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, "occupational disease"includes injuries from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustainedphysical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions,posture stress, contact stresses, vibration, or noise. The bill providesthat such injuries are covered under the Act. Such coverage doesnot require that the injuries occurred over a particular period,provided that such a period can be reasonably identified and documentedand further provided that the employment is shown to have primarily caused the injury, considering all causes.
Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2022-23 school year through the 2026-27 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable BernardS. Cohen.