Sen. John Edwards

Immunity of persons; statements regarding mattersof public concern or made at a public hearing; special plea to dismiss;stay of discovery. Provides that a person claiming immunity from certain claims for making statements at a public hearing or regarding matters of public concern may file a special plea to dismissthe underlying claim. The bill further provides that, upon the filingof such a plea, discovery related to such underlying claim shall be stayed pending the entry of an order adjudicating the plea. The billchanges from discretionary to mandatory the award of attorney feesto any person who has a suit dismissed against him due to the immunity.

Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder. Requires health insurers, corporations providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder under insurance policies, subscription contracts, or health care plans issued in the individual market or small group markets. The existing requirement that such coverage be provided for policies, contracts, or plans issued in the large group market is not affected. The provision applies with respect to insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended on or after January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to HB 1503.

Securities Act; crowdfunding exemption.Repeals the sunset provision on the existing measure that authorizesthe State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to adopt an exemption for limited offerings of securities by small and startup companies,known as equity crowdfunding, from the registration provisions ofthe Securities Act. These crowdfunding provisions, which were enactedin 2015, are currently scheduled to expire on July 1, 2020. The measurealso broadens the existing exemption to apply to offerings conductedin accordance with Rule 147A adopted by the U.S. Securities ExchangeCommission (SEC). Because Rule 147A does not require the issuer ofthe securities to be incorporated or organized in the same state where the offering occurs, the measure creates a carve-out for offeringsunder Rule 147A from the existing requirement that the issuer beformed, organized, or existing under the laws of the Commonwealth. Additionally, the measure provides that the crowdfunding exemptionis available for both equity securities and debt offerings, includingsubordinated debt. Current Commission regulations prohibit the useof the exemption for debt offerings.

Advance directives; physician assistants; capacity determinations. Adds physician assistants to the list of healthcare practitioners permitted to determine that a person who has executedan advance directive granting an agent the authority to consent tothe person's admission to a facility, as defined in § 37.2-100,for mental health treatment is incapable of making an informed decisionregarding such admission.

Health insurance; formula and enteral nutrition products. Requires health insurers, health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for medicines to classify medically necessary formula and enteral nutrition products as medicine and to include coverage for medically necessary formula and enteral nutrition products for covered individuals requiring treatment for an inherited metabolic disorder. Such coverage is required to be provided on the same terms and subject to the same conditions imposed on other medicines covered under the policy, contract, or plan. The measure provides that the required coverage includes any medical equipment, supplies, and services that are required to administer the covered formula or enteral nutrition products. These requirements apply only to formula and enteral nutrition products that are furnished pursuant to the prescription or order of a physician or other health care professional qualified to make such prescription or order for the management of an inherited metabolic disorder and are used under medical supervision. This bill incorporates SB 654 and is identical to HB 840.

Collaborative practice agreements; nurse practitioners; physician assistants. Adds nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of health care practitioners who shall not be required to participate in a collaborative agreement with a pharmacist and his designated alternate pharmacists, regardless of whether a professional business entity on behalf of which the person is authorized to act enters into a collaborative agreement with a pharmacist and his designated alternate pharmacists. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Healthcare. This bill is identical to HB 517.

Study; barrier crimes and criminal history records checks; report. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the Commonwealth's requirements related to barrier crimes and criminal history records checks. The resolution directs the joint subcommittee to, in conducting its study, develop recommendations related to (i) whether statutory provisions related to criminal history records checks, barrier crimes, and barrier crime exceptions should be reorganized and consolidated into a central location in the Code of Virginia; (ii) whether certain crimes should be removed from the list of barrier crimes; (iii) whether barrier crime exceptions and waiver processes should be broadened; (iv) whether the required amount of time that must lapse after conviction of certain barrier crimes should be shortened; and (v) other changes that could be made to criminal history records check and barrier crimes requirements that would improve the organization, effectiveness, and fairness of such provisions.

Celebrating the life of William Levon Stewart.

Celebrating the life of Henry J. Abraham.

Commending Bob Brown.