Sen. Chris Head

Adult protective services; central registry.Creates a central registry of founded complaints of adult abuse,neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department of SocialServices. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements forlocal departments of social services related to complaints of adultabuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retention and disclosurerequirements for the Department and local departments; (iii) noticerequirements related to findings by local departments and centralregistry entries; and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findingsof a local department related to founded reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

Health insurance; credentialing; health care providers.Requires health insurers and other carriers that credential certain healthprofessionals in their provider networks to establish reasonable protocols andprocedures for reimbursing such a professional who has submitted a completedcredentialing application to a carrier, within 15 days of being credentialed bythe carrier, for services provided to covered persons during the period inwhich the applicant's completed credentialing application is pending. The billmakes this requirement applicable to a person, corporation, facility, orinstitution licensed by the Commonwealth to provide health care or professionalservices as a physician or hospital, dentist, pharmacist, registered nurse orlicensed practical nurse or person who holds a multistate privilege to practicesuch nursing under the Nurse Licensure Compact, nurse practitioner,optometrist, podiatrist, physician assistant, chiropractor, physical therapist,physical therapy assistant, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker,professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed dentalhygienist, health maintenance organization, or emergency medical care attendantor technician who provides services on a fee basis. Such a requirement existsin current law for participating physicians and participating mental healthprofessionals but without a time limit for reimbursement. The bill applies the15-day limit to such participating physicians and participating mental healthprofessionals.

Virginia National Guard; state active duty for emergency response; pay and allowances for members. Provides that whenever called to state active duty in response to certain emergencies, members of the National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force receive pay and allowance equal to their rank and years of service, as determined by the Department of Military Affairs. The bill also authorizes the Adjutant General to increase state active duty pay on an annual basis by a rate not to exceed the most recent percentage increase in basic pay for members of the Armed Forces. Current law provides that (i) officers of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as prescribed for members of like rank in the United States Armed Forces, (ii) members of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as if they were on a day of Annual Training, and (iii) members of the Virginia Defense Force called to state active duty receive the same pay and allowances as persons of like grade in the National Guard for a day of Annual Training, capped at 25 years of service. The provisions of the bills are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Specialty dockets; veterans docket. Providesthat any veterans docket authorized and established as a local specialtydocket in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginiashall be deemed a "Veterans Treatment Court Program," as that termis used under federal law or by any other entity, for the purposesof applying for, qualifying for, or receiving any federal grants,other federal money, or money from any other entity designated toassist or fund such state programs. The bill contains an emergencyclause.

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.

Pharmacy benefits managers; licensure and regulation. Provides that no person is authorized to provide pharmacy benefits management services or otherwise act as a pharmacy benefits manager without first obtaining a license from the State Corporation Commission. The measure prohibits a carrier on its own or through its contracted pharmacy benefits manager or representative of a pharmacy benefits manager from (i) causing or knowingly permitting the use of any advertisement, promotion, solicitation, representation, proposal, or offer that is untrue; (ii) charging a pharmacist or pharmacy a fee related to the adjudication of a claim other than a reasonable fee for an initial claim submission; (iii) reimbursing a pharmacy or pharmacist an amount less than the amount that the pharmacy benefits manager reimburses a pharmacy benefits manager affiliate for providing the same pharmacist services, calculated on a per-unit basis using the same generic product identifier or generic code number and reflecting all drug manufacturer's rebates, direct and indirect administrative fees, and costs and any remuneration; or (iv) penalizing or retaliating against a pharmacist or pharmacy for exercising rights provided by this measure. The measure also prohibits a carrier from (a) imposing provider accreditation standards or certification requirements inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to requirements of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy or other state or federal entity; (b) including any mail order pharmacy or pharmacy benefits manager affiliate in calculating or determining network adequacy; or (c) conducting spread pricing in the Commonwealth. The measure also imposes recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 1, 2020. This bill incorporates HB 1292, HB 1459, HB 1479, and HB 1659 and is identical to SB 251.

Commending Shirley Morrow Marshall.

Celebrating the life of Robert Allen Garland.

Commending the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

Commemorating the life and legacy of Boaz Fleming.