Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant

Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) and each public institution of higher education to develop a passport credit program that will be offered at each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education. Under the program, each passport credit course shall satisfy a lower division general education requirement at any public institution of higher education. The bill requires the Council to develop such program by July 1, 2020, and each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education to offer such program by the 2020-2021 academic year.

Requires the Board of Education to include evaluating the economic value of postsecondary studies, including the net cost of attendance, potential student loan debt, and potential earnings, in the Board's objectives for economics education and financial literacy. The bill requires the Board to amend such objectives by July 1, 2018.

Establishes the Emergency Department Care Coordination Program in the Department of Health to provide a single, statewide technology solution that connects all hospital emergency departments in the Commonwealth to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration between physicians, other health care providers, and other clinical and care management personnel for patients receiving services in hospital emergency departments, for the purpose of improving the quality of patient care services. The bill does not become effective unless and until the Commonwealth receives federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act funds to implement its provisions. This bill is identical to

Requires a prescription for any controlled substance containing an opiate to be issued as an electronic prescription and prohibits a pharmacist from dispensing a controlled substance that contains an opiate unless the prescription is issued as an electronic prescription, beginning July 1, 2020. The bill defines electronic prescription as a written prescription that is generated on an electronic application in accordance with federal regulations and is transmitted to a pharmacy as an electronic data file. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group of interested stakeholders to review actions necessary for the implementation of the bill's provisions, to evaluate hardships on prescribers and the inability of prescribers to comply with the deadline for electronic prescribing, and to make recommendations for any extension or exemption processes relative to compliance or disruptions due to natural or manmade disasters or technology gaps, failures, or interruptions of services. The work group shall report on the work group's progress to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2017, and a final report to such Chairmen by November 1, 2018.

Authorizes the Board of Pharmacy (Board) to designate, deschedule, or reschedule as a controlled substance any substance 30 days after publication in the Federal Register of a final or interim final order or rule designating such substance as a controlled substance or descheduling or rescheduling such substance. Under current law, the Board may act 120 days from such publication date. The bill also provides that a person is immune from prosecution for prescribing, administering, dispensing, or possessing pursuant to a valid prescription a substance approved as a prescription drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on or after July 1, 2017, in accordance with a final or interim final order or rule despite the fact that such substance has not been scheduled by the Board. The immunity provided by the bill remains in effect until the earlier of (i) nine months from the date of the publication of the interim final order or rule or, if published within nine months of the interim final order or rule, the final order or rule or (ii) the substance is scheduled by the Board or by law. This bill is identical to

Increases the minimum visual acuity an applicant must possess for issuance of a driver's license or learner's permit from a field of 100 degrees of horizontal vision in one or both eyes to a field of 110 degrees of horizontal vision in one or both eyes. This bill is identical to

Requires a prescriber registered with the Prescription Monitoring Program (the Program) to request information about a patient from the Program upon initiating a new course of treatment that includes the prescribing of opioids anticipated, at the onset of treatment, to last more than seven consecutive days and exempts the prescriber from this requirement if the opioid is prescribed as part of treatment for a surgical or invasive procedure and such prescription is for no more than 14 consecutive days. Current law requires a registered prescriber to request information about a patient from the Program upon initiating a new course of treatment that includes the prescribing of opioids anticipated, at the onset of treatment, to last more than 14 consecutive days and exempts the prescriber from this requirement if the opioid is prescribed as part of a course of treatment for a surgical or invasive procedure and such prescription is not refillable. The bill extends the sunset for this requirement from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2022.

Allows a person who is authorized by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to train individuals on the administration of naloxone for use in opioid overdose reversal and who is acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone for overdose reversal and that has obtained a controlled substances registration from the Board of Pharmacy pursuant to § 54.1-3423 to dispense naloxone to a person who has completed a training program on the administration of naloxone for opioid overdose reversal, provided that such dispensing is (i) pursuant to a standing order issued by a prescriber, (ii) in accordance with protocols developed by the Board of Pharmacy in consultation with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, and (iii) without charge or compensation. The bill also provides that dispensing may occur at a site other than that of the controlled substance registration, provided that the entity possessing the controlled substance registration maintains records in accordance with regulations of the Board of Pharmacy. The bill further provides that a person who dispenses naloxone shall not be liable for civil damages of ordinary negligence for acts or omissions resulting from the rendering of such treatment if he acts in good faith and that a person to whom naloxone has been dispensed pursuant to the provisions of the bill may possess naloxone and may administer naloxone to a person who is believed to be experiencing or about to experience a life-threatening opioid overdose. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to