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2019 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health

Cosgrove (Chairman), Black, Barker, Lewis, Suetterlein

Clerk: Patty Lung
Staff: Thomas Stevens
Date of Meeting: January 22, 2019
Time and Place: 4:00 pm - Subcommittee Room 2, 5th Fl. Pocahontas Bldg.

S.B. 1226

Patron: Chase

Community paramedics. Requires the State Board of Health to adopt regulations governing the practice of community paramedics. The bill requires an applicant for licensure as a community paramedic to submit evidence that the applicant (i) is currently certified as an emergency medical services provider and has been certified for at least three years, (ii) has successfully completed a community paramedic training program that is approved by the Board or accredited by a Board-approved national accreditation organization and that includes clinical experience provided under the supervision of a physician or EMS agency, and (iii) has obtained Community Paramedic Certification from the International Board of Specialty Certification. The bill requires a community paramedic to practice in accordance with protocols and supervisory standards established by an operational medical director and to provide services only as directed by a patient care plan developed by the patient's physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant and approved by the community paramedic's supervising operational medical director.

The bill exempts a community paramedic providing services in accordance with the provisions of the bill from licensure as a home health organization. The bill requires the State Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a  provision for the payment of medical assistance for home health services provided by a certified community paramedic exempt from licensure as a home health organization.

S.B. 1247

Patron: Reeves

Funeral services; sale of caskets. Provides that no person other than a licensed funeral establishment or funeral service licensee shall offer for sale or sell a casket unless such offer or sale is made at-need. The bill provides that the requirement that a funeral service licensee accept a casket provided by a third party applies only in cases in which funeral arrangements are made at-need. When funeral arrangements are made preneed, a funeral service licensee is not required to accept caskets provided by third parties. The bill also clarifies the definition of "next of kin" as it relates to other relatives of blood relationship.

S.B. 1280

Patron: Barker

Community health workers; certification. Requires the Department of Health to approve one or more entities to certify community health workers in the Commonwealth and prohibits a person from using or assuming the title of certified community health worker unless he is certified by an entity approved by the Department.

S.B. 1478

Patron: Deeds

Disposition of the remains of a decedent; right to control. Establishes a priority order for the right to control the disposition of the remains of a decedent; the location, manner, and condition of disposition; and the arrangements for funeral goods and services to be provided, as well as circumstances that would forfeit this right. The bill establishes procedures for resolving disagreements among those who have the right to control and provides liability protections for licensed funeral establishments, funeral service licensees, registered crematories, or registered crematory operators that rely in good faith upon the instructions of an individual claiming the right of disposition.

S.B. 1643

Patron: Boysko

Birth certificates; change of sex.

S.B. 1760

Patron: DeSteph

Diagnostic X-ray machines; operation. Provides that no person who has been trained and certified in the operation of a diagnostic X-ray machine by the manufacturer of such machine is required to obtain any other training, certification, or licensure or be under the supervision of a person who has obtained training, certification, or licensure to operate such a diagnostic X-ray machine, provided that (i) such diagnostic X-ray machine (a) is registered and certified by the Department of Health, (b) is being operated to conduct a body composition scan, and (c) is not operated to determine bone density or in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient and (ii) the subject of the body composition scan is notified of the risks associated with exposure to radiation emitted by the diagnostic X-ray machine.