Sen. Bill DeSteph

Requires insurers, corporations, or health maintenance organizations to cover medically necessary remote patient monitoring services as part of their coverage of telemedicine services to the full extent that these services are available. The bill defines remote patient monitoring services as the delivery of home health services using telecommunications technology to enhance the delivery of home health care, including monitoring of clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and other condition-specific data; medication adherence monitoring; and interactive video conferencing with or without digital image upload. The bill requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistance for medically necessary health care services provided through telemedicine services. This bill is identical to

Allows the Office of the Attorney General to represent a member of the General Assembly in any civil matter alleging that such member in his official capacity violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.). This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

Provides that in order to meet the requirement that an animal be given adequate space, a tether must be at least three times the length of the animal or 10 feet in length, whichever is greater, and not cause injury or pain, weigh more than one-tenth of the animal's body weight, or have weights or heavy objects attached to it. Current law requires that the tether be at least three times the length of the animal. The bill exempts agricultural animals from provisions of the law related to tethering. The bill defines "adequate shelter" to mean the provision of shelter that, during hot weather, is shaded and does not readily conduct heat and, during cold weather, has a windbreak at its entrance and provides sufficient bedding material.

Provides that a magistrate may not issue an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor offense where the accused is a law-enforcement officer and the alleged offense arises out of the performance of his public duties upon the basis of a complaint by a person other than a law-enforcement officer or an animal control officer without prior authorization by the attorney for the Commonwealth or by a law-enforcement agency. The bill provides for the appointment of an attorney for the Commonwealth from outside the jurisdiction if a conflict of interest exists for the attorney for the Commonwealth having jurisdiction.

Provides that only the names and homes of record designation of those Virginians "Killed in Action" (i) as a result of military operations against terrorism, (ii) as a result of a terrorist act, or (iii) in any armed conflict after December 6, 1941, can be placed on the Shrine of Memory on the grounds of the Virginia War Memorial. The names and homes of record designation of all Virginians "Missing in Action" as a result of the Vietnam War and all other Virginians who served honorably but do not meet the criteria for placement on the Shrine of Memory, are required to be honored elsewhere at the Virginia War Memorial. The bill also provides that the Board of Veterans Services will advise the Department of Veterans Services on policies related to the War Memorial. This advisory authority currently rests with the Virginia War Memorial Board. This bill is identical to

Requires educational programs for the governing boards of public institutions of higher education to include presentations relating to (i) board members' primary duty to the citizens of the Commonwealth and (ii) student debt trends.