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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health Professions

Barker (Chair), Saslaw, Newman, Edwards, Lewis, Dunnavant, Suetterlein, Pillion

Clerk: Michael Jackson
Staff: Julia Carlton, Anna Moir
Date of Meeting: February 12, 2021
Time and Place: 8:30 AM/Senate Chamber/Register to speak @ GA Website
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

H.B. 1747

Patron: Adams, D.M.

Clinical nurse specialist; licensure; practice. Changes from the requirement of registration as clinical nurse specialists to the licensure of nurse practitioners as clinical nurse specialists by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing and provides that a nurse practitioner licensed as a clinical nurse specialist shall practice pursuant to a practice agreement between the clinical nurse specialist and a licensed physician and in a manner consistent with the standards of care for the profession and applicable law and regulations. For the transition of registration to licensure, the bill requires the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to jointly issue a license to practice as a nurse practitioner in the category of a clinical nurse specialist to an applicant who is an advance practice registered nurse who has completed an advanced graduate-level education program in the specialty category of clinical nurse specialist and who is registered by the Board of Nursing as a clinical nurse specialist on July 1, 2021.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-2900, 54.1-2901, 54.1-2957, 54.1-2957.01, and 54.1-3000 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal § 54.1-3018.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to clinical nurse specialist; licensure by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing.

21100541D

H.B. 1894

Patron: Kory

Certain employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice; naloxone or other opioid antagonist. Authorizes employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice designated as probation and parole officers or as juvenile correctional officers to possess and administer naloxone or other opioid antagonist for overdose reversal pursuant to an oral or written order or standing protocol issued by the prescriber within the course of his professional practice.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-3408 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice; naloxone or other opioid antagonist.

21101928D

H.B. 1988

Patron: Adams, D.M.

Board of Pharmacy; pharmaceutical processors; processing and dispensing cannabis oil; report. Effects numerous changes to the processing and dispensing of cannabis oil by pharmaceutical processors in the Commonwealth. The bill allows written certifications for use of cannabis oil to include an electronic practitioner signature. The bill also eliminates the requirement that a pharmacist have oversight of the cultivation and processing areas of a pharmaceutical processor, instead requiring pharmaceutical processors to designate a person to oversee cultivation and production areas; removes the requirement that a cannabis dispensing facility undergo quarterly inspections, instead requiring that inspections occur no more than once annually; and allows pharmaceutical processors to remediate cannabis oil that fails any quality testing standard. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors to maintain evidence of criminal background checks for all employees and delivery agents of the pharmaceutical processor. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of the bill and regulations creating reasonable restrictions on advertising and promotion by pharmaceutical processors by July 1, 2021, and directs the Board of Pharmacy to solicit input from stakeholders and appropriate agencies of the Commonwealth in order to develop recommendations for legislative action to permit the acceptance of cannabis products by hospices and hospice facilities in the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1, 2021.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-3408.3, 54.1-3442.5, 54.1-3442.6, and 54.1-3442.7 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Board of Pharmacy; pharmaceutical processors; processing and dispensing cannabis oil.

21103668D

H.B. 2039

Patron: Rasoul

Practice as a physician assistant. Allows a physician assistant to enter into a practice agreement with more than one patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist and provides that a patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist shall not be liable for the actions or inactions of a physician assistant for whom the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist provides collaboration and consultation. The bill also makes clear that a student physician assistant shall not be required to be licensed in order to engage in acts that otherwise constitute practice as a physician assistant, provided that the student physician assistant is enrolled in an accredited physician assistant education program.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-2902, 54.1-2950.1, 54.1-2951.1, 54.1-2951.2, 54.1-2952, 54.1-2952.1, 54.1-2953, and 54.1-2972 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 54.1-2951.4, relating to practice as a physician assistant.

21102733D

H.B. 2079

Patron: Rasoul

Pharmacists; initiation of treatment; certain drugs and devices. Expands provisions governing the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs and devices by pharmacists to allow the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs, devices, and controlled paraphernalia to persons 18 years of age or older, in accordance with protocols developed by the Board of Pharmacy in collaboration with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, and of (i) vaccines included on the Immunization Schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (ii) tuberculin purified protein derivative for tuberculosis testing; (iii) controlled substances for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus, including controlled substances prescribed for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis pursuant to guidelines and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (iv) drugs, devices, controlled paraphernalia, and other supplies and equipment available over-the-counter, covered by the patient's health carrier when the patient's out-of-pocket cost is lower than the out-of-pocket cost to purchase an over-the-counter equivalent of the same drug, device, controlled paraphernalia, or other supplies or equipment. The bill requires any pharmacist who administers a vaccination pursuant to clause (i) to report such administration to the Virginia Immunization Information System. The bill also (a) requires the Board of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health, to establish protocols for the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs, devices, and controlled paraphernalia by pharmacists in accordance with the provisions of the bill by November 1, 2021; (b) requires the Board of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine, to adopt regulations within 280 days of the bill's enactment to implement the provisions of the bill; and (c) requires the Board of Pharmacy to convene a work group composed of equal number of representatives of the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine and other stakeholders to provide recommendations regarding the developing of protocols for the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of certain drugs and devices by pharmacists to persons 18 years of age or older. A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-3300 and 54.1-3303.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to pharmacists; initiation of treatment; certain drugs and devices.

21102543D

H.B. 2116

Patron: Mugler

Certain declared states of emergency; essential workers; funeral service licensees; emergency. Provides that in any case in which the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health has made an emergency order or regulation for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health or a communicable , contagious, or infectious disease or other danger to the public life and health or the Governor has declared a state of emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat, funeral service licensees and persons employed by a funeral service establishment or by a public medical examination facility shall be considered essential workers and shall be included in any group afforded priority with regard to (i) access to personal protective equipment and (ii) administration of any vaccination against such communicable disease of public health threat during such emergency. The bill contains an emergency clause.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 32.1-42.2 and 44-146.17:1.1, relating to declaration of emergency; essential workers; access to personal protective equipment and immunization; emergency.

21103537D

EMERGENCY

H.B. 2220

Patron: Hayes

Surgical technologist; certification; use of title. Provides that that no person shall hold himself out to be a surgical technologist or use or assume the title of "surgical technologist" or "certified surgical technologist" unless such person is certified by the Board of Medicine; currently, a person must be registered with the Board of Medicine to use the title "registered surgical technologist." The bill also (i) adds a requirement that an applicant whose certification is based on his holding a current credential as a certified surgical technologist from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting also demonstrate that he has successfully completed an accredited surgical technologist training program and (ii) provides that the Board of Medicine may certify a person who has practiced as a surgical technologist at any time in the six months prior to July 1, 2021, provided that he registers with the Board of Medicine by December 31, 2021.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-2956.12 of the Code of Virginia, relating to surgical technologist; certification; use of title.

21102622D