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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health

Lewis (Chair), Saslaw, Barker, Dunnavant, Suetterlein

Clerk: Michael Jackson
Staff: Julia Carlton, Anna Moir
Date of Meeting: February 16, 2021
Time and Place: 4 PM/Senate Chamber/Register to speak @ GA Website
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

H.B. 1831

Patron: Head

Home care organizations; personal care services; supervision; regulations. Directs the Board of Health to include in regulations governing home care organizations a provision for supervision of home care attendants providing personal care services by a licensed nurse through use of interactive audio or video technology.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-162.12 of the Code of Virginia, relating to home care organizations; personal care services; supervision; regulations.

21100823D

H.B. 1950

Patron: Ayala

Department of Health and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; plan for the establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team; report. Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the Department of Health to convene a work group to develop a plan for the establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team and to report such plan to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2021.

A BILL to require the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to convene a work group to develop a plan for the establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team; report.

21103383D

H.B. 1963

Patron: Bagby

Cooperative local health budget; report. Provides that funding for local health departments shall consist of such state funds as may be allocated for the operation of the local health department together with local matching funds and estimated self-generated local service revenues, the total amount of which shall constitute the cooperative local health budget available to a local department of health, and that the amount of local matching funds for which a county or city is responsible shall be based on the county's or city's revenue generation capacity factor, as defined in the bill; in no case, however, shall the amount of local matching funds required be greater than 45 percent or less than 18 percent of the total amount of the cooperative local health budget for the local health department that serves the county or city, after deducting estimated self-generated local service revenues. The bill directs the Department of Health to biennially review the local matching fund amount for each county and city, determine whether such amount should be revised as a result of changes to the county's or city's revenue generation capacity, and report the results of such review and any recommendations for changes to a county's or city's local matching fund amount to the Governor and the General Assembly.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 1 of Title 32.1 a section numbered 32.1-34.3, relating to cooperative local health budget; report.

21102417D

H.B. 1976

Patron: Willett

Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; mission; membership. Adds to the mission of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (i) developing strategies to increase diversity in the health workforce by examining demographic data on race and ethnicity in training programs and health professional licensure, (ii) identifying ways to leverage technology to increase access to health workforce training and health care delivery, and (iii) developing a centralized health care careers roadmap in partnership with the Department of Health Professions that includes information on both licensed and unlicensed professions and that is disseminated to the Commonwealth's health care workforce stakeholders to raise awareness about available career pathways. The bill increases from three to five the number of members representing health professionals or employers or representatives of health professionals on the Board of Directors of the Authority and removes the requirement that the chairman and vice-chairman of the Board of Directors be legislative members. The bill adds the Chief Workforce Development Advisor to the list of officials and entities to whom the Board of Directors reports biennially on the activities and recommendations of the Authority.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-122.7 and 32.1-122.7:1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; mission; membership.

21102182D

H.B. 1987

Patron: Adams, D.M.

Telemedicine. Requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance to provide for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine for certain high-risk patients, makes clear that nothing shall preclude health insurance carriers from providing coverage for services delivered through real-time audio-only telephone that are not telemedicine, and clarifies rules around prescribing of Schedule II through VI drugs via telemedicine, including establishing a practitioner-patient relationship via telemedicine.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-325, 38.2-3418.16, and 54.1-3303 of the Code of Virginia, relating to telemedicine.

21103569D

H.B. 2007

Patron: Sickles

Prescription drug price transparency. Directs the Department of Health to enter into a contract or an agreement with a nonprofit data services organization to collect, compile, and make available on its website information about prescription drug pricing and requires every health carrier, pharmacy benefits manager, and drug manufacturer to report information about prescription drug prices to the nonprofit data services organization with which the Department of Health has entered into a contract for such purpose. The bill provides that in any case in which the Department determines that the data reported by health carriers, pharmacy benefit managers, and drug manufacturers is insufficient, the Department may require wholesale distributors to report certain data about prescription drug costs. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-3705.6 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 1 of Title 32.1 a section numbered 32.1-23.3, by adding a section numbered 38.2-3407.15:6, by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 38.2 a section numbered 38.2-3407.22, by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 34 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-3436.1, and by adding in Article 4 of Chapter 34 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-3442.02, relating to prescription drug price transparency.

21103917D

H.B. 2061

Patron: Willett

Virginia Immunization Information System; health care entities; required participation. Requires any health care provider in the Commonwealth that administers immunizations to participate in the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) and report patient immunization history and information to VIIS. Under current law, participation in VIIS is optional for authorized health care entities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-46.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Immunization Information System; health care entities; required participation.

21102411D

H.B. 2124

Patron: Lopez

Department of Medical Assistance Services; testing for, treatment of, and vaccination against COVID-19; emergency services. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to, during a public health emergency related to COVID-19 declared by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, deem testing for, treatment of, and vaccination against COVID-19 to be emergency services for which payment may be made pursuant to federal law for certain aliens not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. A BILL to require the Department of Medical Assistance Services to deem testing for, treatment of, and vaccination against COVID-19 to be emergency services.

21102611D

H.B. 2154

Patron: Adams, L.R.

Hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities; regulations; patient access to intelligent personal assistant. Directs the Board of Health to amend regulations governing hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities to require each hospital, nursing home, and certified nursing facility to establish and implement policies to ensure the permissible access to and use of an intelligent personal assistant provided by the patient while receiving inpatient services. "Intelligent personal assistant" is defined in the bill as a combination of an electronic device and a specialized software application designed to assist users with basic tasks using a combination of natural language processing and artificial intelligence, including such combinations known as "digital assistants" or "virtual assistants."

 A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-127 of the Code of Virginia, relating to hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities; regulations; patient access to intelligent personal assistant.

21103464D

H.B. 2162

Patron: Tran

Medical care facilities; persons with disabilities; designated support persons. Requires every medical care facility, as defined in the bill, to allow a person with a disability who requires assistance as a result of such disability to be accompanied by a designated support person who will provide support and assistance necessary due to the specifics of the person’s disability to the person with a disability during an admission to such medical care facility. The bill (i) defines "person with a disability" and "designated support person"; (ii) provides that a designated support person shall not be subject to restrictions on visitation adopted by the medical care facility but may be required to comply with reasonable requirements of the medical care facility adopted to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability, the designated support person, and staff and other patients of and visitors to the medical care facility; and (iii) authorizes a medical care facility to restrict a designated support person's access to specified areas and movement on the premises of the medical care facility when such restrictions are determined by the medical care facility to be reasonably necessary to protect the health and safety of the person with a disability, the designated support person, and staff and other patients of and visitors to the medical care facility. The bill requires every medical care facility to adopt protocols to inform patients of their right to be accompanied by a designated support person, and to develop and make available to persons with disabilities written information regarding the right of a person with a disability to be accompanied by a designated support person and policies related thereto. The bill contains an emergency clause and directs the Board of Health to adopt emergency regulations within 280 days of the bill's enactment.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 32.1 a section numbered 32.1-137.08, relating to medical care facilities; persons with disabilities; designated support persons.

21103593D

EMERGENCY

H.B. 2300

Patron: Delaney

State Board of Health; hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires each hospital with an emergency department that is currently regulated by the State Board of Health (the Board) to establish a protocol for treatment and discharge of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency, which shall include provisions for (i) appropriate screening and assessment of individuals experiencing substance use-related emergencies and (ii) recommendations for follow-up care, which may include dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal, issuance of a prescription for naloxone, and information about accessing naloxone at a community pharmacy or organization that dispenses naloxone or other opioid antagonist to persons without a prescription. Such protocols may also include referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services or providers of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses. The bill also directs the Department of Health, together with the Department of Health Professions, to convene a work group to develop recommendations for best practices for the treatment and discharging of patients in emergency departments experiencing opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, which shall include recommendations for best practices related to (a) performing substance use assessments and screenings for patients experiencing opioid-related overdose and other high-risk patients; (b) prescribing and dispensing naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal; (c) connecting patients treated for opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, and their families with community substance abuse resources, including existing harm reduction programs and other treatment providers; and (d) identifying barriers to and developing solutions to increase the availability and dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal at hospitals and community pharmacies and by other community organizations. The bill also provides that hospitals in the Commonwealth may enter into agreements with the Department of Health for the provision to uninsured patients of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-127 of the Code of Virginia, relating to State Board of Health; hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services.

21103718D