SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2011 SESSION

  • print version
Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health Licensing

Quayle (Chairman), Lucas, Martin, Barker, Northam

Clerk: Patty Lung, Jocelyn Lance
Staff: J.Eades, N.Cheuk
Date of Meeting: January 27, 2011
Time and Place: Thursday, 1/2 hr. after adjournment, 3 E Conf. Rm, G.A.B.

S.B. 818 Certificate of public need; exempts construction of an outpatient radiation therapy facility, etc.

Patron: McEachin

Certificate of public need; exemption.  Exempts the construction of an outpatient radiation therapy facility, and the upgrade of the facility's equipment, from the certificate of public need requirements.

S.B. 1097 Continuing education for prescriber; completion of certain coursework for renewal, etc., of license.

Patron: Hanger

Continuing education for prescribers; substance abuse, addiction, and related pain management and prescribing practices.  Requires the Board of Dentistry, Board of Medicine, and Board of Optometry to require continuing education on the topics of substance abuse, addiction, and related pain management and prescribing practices for practitioners licensed by such Board who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

Impact Statements

S.B. 1146 Dentists; sedation and anesthesia permits.

Patron: Quayle

Dentists; sedation and anesthesia permits.  Requires any dentist who uses sedation or anesthesia in a dental office to obtain either a conscious/moderate sedation permit or a deep sedation/general anesthesia permit issued by the Board of Dentistry. Also requires the Board of Dentistry to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this act to be effective within 280 days of its enactment.

Impact Statements

S.B. 1151 Surgical assistants; required to be licensed by Board of Medicine, Advisory Board created.

Patron: Quayle

Health professions; licensure of surgical assistants.  Requires surgical assistants to be licensed by the Board of Medicine and creates an Advisory Board on Surgical Assistants to assist with such licensure and regulation. A surgical assistant is an individual other than a licensed physician assistant, podiatrist assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, dental hygienist, or registered nurse who, under the direct supervision of a qualified surgeon, directly performs significant surgical tasks including manipulating tissues or organs, manipulating or inserting subcutaneous sutures, placing hemostatic agents, injecting local anesthetic, harvesting veins, and implanting devices.

S.B. 1219 Medical services at hospitals; charges by physician & surgeon who are not members of provider panel.

Patron: Barker

Charges by nonparticipating physicians at participating hospitals. Requires a hospital that is a participating provider under a health insurance policy, contract, or plan to notify enrollees who are admitted for hospitalization of any physicians or surgeons who provide medical services at the hospital in the regular course of their practice and who are not members of a provider panel under the contract, policy, or plan. Such nonparticipating physicians and surgeons are required to inform enrollees admitted for hospitalization that they do not participate in a provider panel under the policy, contract, or plan and that the enrollee may be liable for the portion of his charges that exceeds the amount paid by the carrier for his services. Such providers are prohibited from billing an enrollee for any amount by which their charges for covered services exceed the amount paid by the carrier for the services unless the enrollee consented in writing, prior to receiving such services, to the use of his services.

S.B. 1317 Prescription requirements; treatment of sexually transmitted disease.

Patron: McEachin

Prescription requirements; treatment of sexually transmitted disease.  Allows a practitioner to prescribe antibiotic therapy to the sexual partner of a patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease without the physical examination normally required.

S.B. 1374 Social work; unlawful for person not licensed by Board of Social Work to use title social worker.

Patron: Lucas

Social work; title protection. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person not licensed by the Board of Social Work to use the title "Social Worker" in writing or in advertising in connection with his practice unless he simultaneously uses the clarifying initials signifying a degree in social work. The bill provides exceptions for federally required and defined social workers in nursing homes and hospices and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2013.

Impact Statements

S.B. 1419 Continuing education for prescriber; completion of certain coursework for renewal, etc., of license.

Patron: Reynolds

Continuing education for prescribers; substance abuse, addiction, and related pain management and prescribing practices.  Requires the Board of Dentistry, Board of Medicine, and Board of Optometry to require continuing education on the topics of substance abuse, addiction, and related pain management and prescribing practices for licensed practitioners who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances. The bill also requires the relevant Boards to seek to provide free online courses to fulfill this requirement.

S.B. 1434 Certificate of public need; addition of nursing facility beds in Planning District 11.

Patron: Smith

Certificate of public need; nursing home beds in Planning District 11.  Allows the Commissioner of Health to issue a certificate of need for a new 90-bed nursing home in Planning District 11, provided that (i) any such nursing home facility application also proposes the replacement and relocation of all nursing home beds of an existing nursing home located in Planning District 11, licensed as of December 31, 2010, of no more than 45 licensed beds, all of which shall be relocated to the new 90-bed nursing home; (ii) Virginia Health Information has reported that the fiscal year 2009 occupancy rate of the nursing home to be replaced was at least 85 percent; and (iii) such new 90-bed nursing home is be located in the city or county that is adjacent to the city or county of the nursing home that shall be replaced and relocated. This bill contains an emergency clause.

EMERGENCY

S.B. 1451 Behavioral health services; posting of certain information to be available on its website.

Patron: Deeds

Licensure of behavioral health services; posting of information.  Provides that the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall make certain information about behavioral health services providers licensed by the Department, including reports of reviews or inspections of services and facilities, available on its website and requires service providers to make such information available to the public on a website maintained by the provider and in any waiting room or public area of the provider.