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2023 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

Chair: Barbara A. Favola

Clerk: Gillian Conway, Basit Khan
Staff: David May
Date of Meeting: February 17, 2023
Time and Place: 8:00 a.m. Senate Room A

H.B. 1458

Patron: Ballard

Conditional release of geriatric prisoners. Expands the list of offenses that prohibit a person from petitioning the Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisoner.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 53.1-40.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to conditional release of geriatric prisoners.

23101644D

H.B. 1730

Patron: Bennett-Parker

Alcoholic beverage control; grounds for suspension or revocation of license; exception. Provides that with respect to the employment of any person who has been convicted of a felony, except for certain felony convictions outlined in the bill, or any crime involving moral turpitude, a licensee may (i) immediately employ such person if the offense occurred more than two years preceding the date of employment and the person has completed the term of any probation, if applicable, and has been released from the same and (ii) apply to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for approval of such employment if the offense occurred within two years preceding the date of employment or the person has not yet completed the term of or been released from the term of any probation.

 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 4.1-225, 4.1-325, 4.1-325.2, and 4.1-509.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; grounds for suspension or revocation of license; exception.

23106020D

H.B. 1744

Patron: Carr

Adoption and foster care; home study reciprocity. Provides that home studies conducted by a local board of social services or licensed child-placing agency for the purpose of placing a child in a foster home or with an adoptive family shall, on and after January 1, 2024, be transferable between all localities, local boards, and licensed child-placing agencies within the Commonwealth at the request of the prospective foster parent, subject to any time limitations or other requirements imposed by law or regulation. The bill requires all home studies to be conducted in accordance with the Mutual Family Assessment home study template and any addenda thereto developed by the Department of Social Services. The bill allows the Board to promulgate regulations that establish market rates for such home studies.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 63.2-900, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 63.2-904, 63.2-1231, and 63.2-1734 of the Code of Virginia, relating to adoption and foster care; home study reciprocity.

23105093D

H.B. 1768

Patron: Head

Child-protective services; investigations; interview by child advocacy center. Requires that if a local multidisciplinary team has determined that in an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect an interview of the child by a child advocacy center is needed and an interview with a child advocacy center within the jurisdiction cannot be completed within 14 days, the local department of social services may facilitate the interview with a recognized child advocacy center located in another jurisdiction.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 63.2-1505 of the Code of Virginia, relating to child protective services; investigations; interview by child advocacy center; time limits.

23106095D

H.B. 1846

Patron: Head

Medical marijuana program; product, registration, dispensing, and recordkeeping requirements; advertising. Amends and adds numerous provisions regarding the Commonwealth's medical marijuana program, including provisions related to recordkeeping, product registration, expiration dates, allowable deviations, dispensing, packaging, labeling, and advertising. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors and cannabis dispensing facilities to collect and provide to the Board of Pharmacy by July 1, 2024, data regarding implementation of the bill. The bill also requires the Board of Pharmacy to make certain amendments to its regulations.

 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 and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 54.1-3442.7:1, 54.1-3442.7:2, and 54.1-3442.7:3, relating to medical marijuana program; product, registration, dispensing, and recordkeeping requirements; advertising.

23106205D

H.B. 1881

Patron: Freitas

Industrial hemp; monopolies; registration and renewal fees. Imposes limits on the powers of the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by prohibiting the Commissioner from granting, suspending, or revoking any registration for growing, dealing in, or processing of industrial hemp or hemp products in a manner that allows for the creation of a monopoly or otherwise lessens competition in the industrial hemp or hemp product industries in the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that all citizens of the Commonwealth shall have equal access to apply to the Commissioner for any such registration and prohibits the Commissioner from setting the fee for such any such registration or renewal thereof in excess of $250.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.2-4115 of the Code of Virginia, relating to industrial hemp; monopolies; registration and renewal fees.

23104920D

H.B. 1976

Patron: Bell

Involuntary admission; temporary detention; release of detained individual. Allows the director of a facility where a person is awaiting transport to the facility of temporary detention pursuant to a temporary detention order to request a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, in consultation with the treating physician and the community services board, to perform a new assessment to determine if such person no longer meets commitment criteria, or request the community services board, in consultation with the treating physician, to conduct an evaluation to determine if such person no longer meets commitment criteria. The community services board, after its evaluation, may release the person prior to a commitment hearing if the person no longer meets the commitment criteria.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 37.2-813 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 37.2-809.2, relating to involuntary admission; temporary detention; release of detained individual.

23105810D

H.B. 2018

Patron: Adams, L.R.

Children's Services Act; information sharing; confidentiality exception. Allows family assessment and planning teams (FAPT) and community policy and management teams (CPMT) to share information with local law enforcement or threat assessment teams established by local school boards if a FAPT or CPMT obtains information from which the team determines that a child poses a threat of violence or physical harm to himself or others. Under current law, all information about specific children and families obtained by FAPT and CPMT members must be kept confidential.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-5210 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Children's Services Act; information sharing; confidentiality exception.

23101405D

H.B. 2025

Patron: Roem

Department of Social Services; school boards; SNAP benefits program parent information sheet; free or reduced price meals application. Requires the Department of Social Services to develop, annually update, and provide to each school board in advance of the start of each school year an information sheet on the SNAP benefits program that sets forth the application process and such other information as the Department deems necessary or appropriate in order to properly inform the parents of students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools of such program and encourage application by those who are eligible. The bill requires each school board to ensure that such information sheet is sent home with each student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the local school division at the beginning of each school year or, in the case of any student who enrolls after the beginning of the school year, as soon as practicable after enrollment. The bill also requires each school board to ensure that a fillable free or reduced price meals application is sent home with each such student at the beginning of each school year or, in the case of any student who enrolls after the beginning of the school year, as soon as practicable after enrollment.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-79 and 63.2-801 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Social Services; school boards; SNAP benefits program parent information sheet; free or reduced price meals application.

23102018D

H.B. 2029

Patron: Roem

Public Guardian and Conservator Advisory Board member terms; local or regional public guardian and conservator programs; staff to client ratio. Extends to four years the terms of all members of the Public Guardian and Conservator Advisory Board currently appointed by the Governor to three-year terms. The bill also eliminates the requirement that each local or regional public guardian and conservator program develop a plan, in consultation with the local circuit court and sheriffs, where appropriate, to provide advance notice to the court when the program falls below or exceeds the ideal range of staff to client ratios in order to assure continuity of services.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 51.5-149.1 and 51.5-151 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Public Guardian and Conservator Advisory Board member terms; local or regional public guardian and conservator programs; staff to client ratio.

23103796D

H.B. 2157

Patron: Fariss

Interjurisdictional compacts; criminal history record checks. Provides that when an interjurisdictional compact requires criminal history record checks as a condition of participation, the applicable health regulatory board shall require each applicant to submit to fingerprinting and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded along with his fingerprints through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 54.1-2409.1:1, relating to interjurisdictional compacts; criminal history record checks.

23101246D

H.B. 2169

Patron: Williams

Parole Board; decision requirements; annual reports. Requires the Parole Board (the Board), prior to making any decision to grant discretionary parole to an inmate, to discuss and debate such decision at a meeting at which all Board members are present. The bill requires, in cases in which the Board grants discretionary parole to an inmate, each Board member to identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast. The bill requires that parole review hearings include a live interview of the prisoner, which may be conducted in person or by videoconference or telephone, and, absent imminent death or other extraordinary circumstances, prohibits the Board from granting parole to any prisoner who has not received a live interview within the prior calendar year. The bill provides that final discharges may be issued by the Board only upon approval by a majority of Board members and requires the Board to publish an annual report regarding such final discharges, with items specified in the bill. The bill also allows the victim of the crime for which the prisoner is incarcerated to present testimony to the Board by virtual means.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 53.1-136, 53.1-154, and 53.1-155 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Parole Board; decision requirements; annual reports.

23101466D

H.B. 2344

Patron: Head

Adult protective services; referrals to local law enforcement. Removes the requirement that the adult protective services hotline immediately refer certain reports of alleged adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the appropriate local law-enforcement agency and removes the duty of local law-enforcement agencies to provide the adult protective services hotline with a preferred point of contact for such referrals. The bill retains the requirement for the local department of social services to immediately refer such reports to the appropriate local law-enforcement agency and the duty of local law-enforcement agencies to provide local departments of social services with a preferred point of contact for such referrals.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 63.2-1605 of the Code of Virginia, relating to adult protective services; referrals to local law enforcement.

23100951D

H.B. 2368

Patron: Adams, D.M.


Medical marijuana program; product requirements; certifications; reporting. Requires cannabis product and botanical cannabis labels to be complete, accurate, easily discernable, and uniform among different products and brands and that each label, which shall be included on the product and on the pharmaceutical processor's website, include (i) the product name, (ii) all active and inactive ingredients, (iii) the total percentage and milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the product and the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving, (iv) the amount of product that constitutes a single serving and the amount recommended for use by the practitioner or dispensing pharmacist, (v) information regarding the product's purpose and detailed usage directions, and (vi) child and safety warnings in a conspicuous font. The bill also requires that a pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility shall maintain an adequate supply of cannabis products that (a) contain cannabidiol as their primary cannabinoid and (b) have low levels of or no tetrahydrocannabinol. The bill provides that a patient's registered agent is not be required to register with the Board of Pharmacy when such registered agent is listed on the patient's written certification pursuant to the patient's request and in the discretion of the practitioner based on medical need. The bill also requires that in the case of cannabis products the Prescription Monitoring Program shall include only the information specified in law, which is amended by the bill.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-2521, 54.1-3408.3, and 54.1-3442.6 of the Code of Virginia, relating to medical marijuana program; product requirements; certifications; reporting.

23104177D

H.B. 2412

Patron: Campbell, E.H.

Geriatric prisoners; conditional release; review hearings. Directs the Parole Board to review annually all petitions for geriatric conditional release. The bill provides that the Parole Board may, however, defer subsequent hearings for up to three years if an initial hearing was held and the petition for conditional release was denied. The bill also requires that, in situations in which a person who is otherwise eligible for parole under current law also files a petition for geriatric conditional release, the Parole Board conduct the reviews for such parole and conditional release at a single hearing.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 53.1-40.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to geriatric prisoners; conditional release; review hearings.

23102386D