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2012 SESSION

12101611D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 51
Offered January 11, 2012
Prefiled January 10, 2012
Requesting the Department of Health Professions to study options for accepting military training and experience as satisfying requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider. Report.
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Patrons-- Stolle, Anderson, Bell, Richard P., Brink, Cole, Cosgrove, Iaquinto, Ingram, Keam, Purkey, Putney and Villanueva
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Commonwealth, like the rest of the United States, is currently facing shortages in health care services and the health care work force; and

WHEREAS, veterans of the United States armed forces and the Virginia National Guard often gain valuable training and experience in health care services and the healing arts during their military training and experience; and

WHEREAS, such training and experience often parallels training and experience requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider, but is not always recognized by the Commonwealth as satisfying educational and experiential requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, recognizing training and experience gained by veterans during the course of their military service and accepting evidence of such training and experience as satisfaction of educational and experiential requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider can lead to an increase in the availability of qualified health care providers while also providing employment for veterans; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Health Professions be requested to study options for accepting military training and experience as satisfying requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider. In conducting its study, the Department of Health Professions shall review existing state laws governing licensure, certification, or registration of health care providers regulated by the various health regulatory boards, compare these requirements to similar Military Occupational Specialties in health care, and develop recommendations for statutory and regulatory changes to allow the Department of Health Professions to accept evidence of military training and experience as satisfying educational and experiential requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider. The Department of Health Professions shall also develop recommendations related to options for increasing awareness among veterans and citizens of the Commonwealth for submitting evidence of military training and experience to satisfy educational and experiential requirements for licensure, certification, or registration as a health care provider.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department of Health Professions for this study, upon request.

The Department of Health Professions shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2012, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2013 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.