Release of balloons; prohibition.Reduces the number of balloons per hour that a person may releasewithout penalty from 49 to one.
Higher education; in-state tuition. Provides that ifthe Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), aspublished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor,from January 1 through December 31 of the year immediately preceding theaffected academic year, is less than or equal to zero, no governing board of abaccalaureate public institution of higher education shall increase thein-state tuition rate charged to undergraduate students for such academic year.The bill provides that if the CPI-U is greater than zero, (i) the governingboard of a baccalaureate public institution of higher education at which thein-state tuition rate charged to undergraduate students does not meet or exceedthe average undergraduate tuition rate across all baccalaureate publicinstitutions of higher education may increase the in-state tuition rate in anamount not to exceed the product of the CPI-U and the average undergraduatetuition rate across all baccalaureate public institutions of higher educationand (ii) the governing board of a baccalaureate public institution of highereducation at which the in-state tuition rate charged to undergraduate studentsmeets or exceeds the average undergraduate tuition rate across allbaccalaureate public institutions of higher education may increase the in-statetuition rate at a percentage not to exceed the CPI-U. The bill also providesthat the foregoing provisions shall apply to the Virginia Community CollegeSystem if the tuition charged to any Virginia student at a comprehensivecommunity college meets or exceeds the lowest in-state tuition rate charged toundergraduate students at a baccalaureate public institution of highereducation.
Aircraft; registration; definition. Requires an aircraft be registered in the Commonwealth if it is based in the Commonwealth for more than 90 days during a calendar year. Current law requires registration if the aircraft is based in the Commonwealth for more than 60 days during a 12-month period. The bill creates an exception to registration for aircraft that are in the Commonwealth solely for major repairs or maintenance. The bill also adds a definition of "unmanned aircraft," and specifies that owners of unmanned aircraft are not required to register such aircraft. This bill incorporates SB 865.
Elections; date of June primary election. Changes the date of the primary election held in June from the second Tuesday in June to the third Tuesday in June. The bill also changes candidate filing deadlines to reflect the change of date. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2021 Session of the General Assembly.
Health insurance; mandated coverage for hearing aids for minors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children 18 years of age or younger when an otolaryngologist recommends such hearing aids and related services. The coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months. The measure applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2021.
Health insurance; payment to out-of-network providers. Provides that when an enrollee receives emergency services from an out-of-network health care provider or receives out-of-network surgical or ancillary services at an in-network facility, the enrollee is not required to pay the out-of-network provider any amount other than the applicable cost-sharing requirement and such cost-sharing requirement cannot exceed the cost-sharing requirement that would apply if the services were provided in-network. The measure also provides that the health carrier's required payment to the out-of-network provider of the services is a commercially reasonable amount based on payments for the same or similar services provided in a similar geographic area. If such provider disputes the amount to be paid by the health carrier, the measure requires the provider and the health carrier to make a good faith effort to reach a resolution on the amount of the reimbursement. If the health carrier and the provider do not agree to a commercially reasonable payment and either party wants to take further action to resolve the dispute, then the measure requires the dispute will be resolved by arbitration. The measure establishes a framework for arbitration of such disputes which includes (i) a timeline for the proceedings, (ii) a method for choosing an arbitrator, (iii) required and optional factors for the arbitrator to consider, (iv) non-disclosure agreements, (v) reporting requirements, and (vi) an appeals process for appeals on certain procedural grounds. The measure requires the State Corporation Commission to contract with Virginia Health Information (VHI) to establish a data set and business protocols to provide health carriers, providers, and arbitrators with data to assist in determining commercially reasonable payments and resolving disputes. The measure requires the Commission, in consultation health carriers, providers, and consumers, to develop standard language for a notice of consumer rights regarding balance billing. The measure authorizes the Commission, the Board of Medicine, and the Commissioner of Health to levy fines and take action against a health carrier, health care practitioner, or medical care facility, respectively, for a pattern of violations of the prohibition against balance billing. Additionally, the measure prohibits a carrier or provider from initiating arbitration with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice. The measure provides that such provisions do not apply to an entity that provides or administers self-insured or self-funded plans; however, such entities may elect to be subject to such provisions. The measure authorizes the Commission to adopt rules and regulations governing the arbitration process. The measure has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates SB 522 and is identical to HB 1251.
Department of Health; work group; nursing home workforce. Directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to review and make recommendations on increasing the availability of the clinical workforce for nursing homes in the Commonwealth. The work group shall include stakeholder groups as appropriate. The bill directs the Department to collaborate with the Department of Health Professions, the Governor's Chief Workforce Development Advisor, and other state agencies as appropriate. The bill directs the Department to report all recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions on or before November 15, 2020.
Assisted living facilities; individualized service plans. Requires the Board of Social Services to amend its regulations governing assisted living facility individualized service plans to require (i) that individualized service plans be reviewed and updated (a) at least once every 12 months or (b) sooner if modifications to the plan are needed due to a significant change in the resident's condition and (ii) that any deviation from the individualized service plan be documented in writing or electronically, include a description of the circumstances warranting deviation and the date such deviation will occur, certify that notice of such deviation was provided to the resident or his legal representative, be included in the resident's file, and in the case of deviations that are made due to a significant change in the resident's condition, be signed by an authorized representative of the assisted living facility and the resident or his legal representative.
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; early detection and diagnosis; risk reduction and care planning. Provides that the Department of Health, in consultation with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, shall have the lead responsibility for taking actions to address and reduce the risks and impairments associated with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias within the Commonwealth.
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice programs, and hospice facilities; possession and administration of cannabidiol or THC-A oil. Allows nursing home, assisted living facility, hospice program, and hospice facility employees and staff members who are authorized to possess, distribute, or administer medications to residents to store, dispense, or administer cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil to a resident who has been issued a valid written certification for such medication.
