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2024 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health

Chair: Ghazala F. Hashmi

Clerk: Hobie Lehman
Staff: Julia Bergamini, Hannah Yates
Date of Meeting: February 15, 2024
Time and Place: 8:30 AM / Senate Room A, 3rd floor, General Assembly Building
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

H.B. 48

Patron: Helmer

Public institutions of higher education; admissions applications; legacy admissions and admissions based on donor status prohibited. Prohibits any public institution of higher education from providing any manner of preferential treatment in the admissions decision to any student applicant on the basis of such student's legacy status, defined in the bill, or such student's familial relationship to any donor to such institution.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-407.2, relating to public institutions of higher education; admissions applications; legacy admissions and admissions based on donor status prohibited.

24104163D

H.B. 150

Patron: Helmer

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; applications. Prohibits the Board of Social Services from requiring persons applying to participate or renewing their participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to appear in person. The bill also codifies the Department of Health's authority to implement a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program), which is currently authorized by regulation, and prohibits the Department of Health from requiring persons applying to participate or renewing their participation in the WIC Program to appear in person.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-79 and 63.2-801 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 32.1-23.7, relating to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; applications.

24105707D

H.B. 188

Patron: Hope

Advance Health Care Planning Registry; amendment of regulations. Amends the list of documents that may be submitted to the Advance Health Care Directive Registry to include any other document that supports advance health care planning. The bill also changes the name of the Advance Health Care Directive Registry to the Advance Health Care Planning Registry.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-2994 and 54.1-2995 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Advance Health Care Planning Registry; amendment of regulations.

24102629D

H.B. 225

Patron: Sickles

Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. The Compact increases public access to dental services by permitting eligible licensed dentists and dental hygienists to practice in Compact participating states, provided that they are licensed in at least one participating state. The Compact has been passed in three states and takes effect when it is enacted by a seventh participating state or upon the effective date of the bill, whichever is later.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 27 of Title 54.1 an article numbered 5, consisting of a section numbered 54.1-2729.02, relating to the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact.

24101016D

H.B. 291

Patron: Cherry

Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening; screening exemption; emergency. Modifies existing provisions regarding the required long-term services and supports screening under the state plan for medical assistance services by creating greater flexibility for how screening are completed under certain circumstances. Under the bill, any individual receiving inpatient services in an acute care hospital discharged to a nursing facility for skilled care only is not required to be screened prior to discharge from the hospital unless the individual requests the screening. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-330 of the Code of Virginia, relating to long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening; screening exemption; emergency.

24100614D

EMERGENCY

H.B. 314

Patron: Hope

State hospitals; discharge planning; report. Provides that (i) when an individual is to be discharged from Central State Hospital, Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute, or Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute in 30 days or less after admission, the appropriate community services board shall implement the discharge plan developed by the state facility and (ii) when an individual is to be discharged from any other state facility in 30 days or less after admission, or from a state hospital more than 30 days after admission, the appropriate community services board or behavioral health authority shall be responsible for the individual's discharge planning. Under current law, community services boards and behavioral health authorities provide discharge planning for all individuals discharged from state hospitals, regardless of the duration of their stay. The bill requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to make certain annual reports by August 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly and to provide the General Assembly with a one-time evaluation of the impacts of the changes to discharge planning implemented by the bill by November 1, 2025. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 37.2-505 and 37.2-837 of the Code of Virginia, relating to state hospitals; discharge planning.

24106488D

H.B. 353

Patron: Hope

Hospitals; emergency departments; licensed physicians. Requires any hospital with an emergency department to have at least one licensed physician on duty and physically present at all times. Current law requires such hospitals to have a licensed physician on call, though not necessarily physically present on the premises, at all times. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-127, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to hospitals; emergency departments; licensed physicians.

24100997D

H.B. 355

Patron: Cole

School boards; employment verification of school employees. Requires each school board to provide written verification of employment within 10 working days of receipt of any request for employment verification from a former employee of the school board.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-296.5, relating to school boards; teachers; terms of employment; employment verification; requirement.

24105884D

H.B. 366

Patron: Reid

Institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makes several changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under the Program subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General, (ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academic performance and good standing, and (iv) providing that upon acceptance, grant funds shall be disbursed to the applicable institution of higher education for credit against the recipient's student account.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-610 of the Code of Virginia, relating to institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program.

24104415D

H.B. 462

Patron: Runion

Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund; career and technical education programs and joint or regional schools eligible. Clarifies that joint or regional schools such as academic year Governor's schools are eligible to participate in the Public School Construction Grants Program (the Program) and that school divisions may used grants received pursuant to the Program for construction, additions, infrastructure, site acquisition, and renovations for buildings and facilities used for career and technical education programs provided at a regional comprehensive school.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-175.1 and 22.1-175.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund; career and technical education programs eligible.

24106569D

H.B. 498

Patron: Cohen

School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of firearms in the household. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household, risks associated with improperly stored firearms, statistics relating to firearm-related accidents, injuries, and death among youth, and other tips and strategies. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-79.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to school board policies; parental notification; safe storage of firearms in the household.

24104999D

H.B. 509

Patron: Cohen

Public institutions of higher education; policies; individuals with disabilities; documentation or evidence. Requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that makes certain documentation or evidence enumerated in the bill that is submitted by an enrolled or admitted student sufficient to establish that the student is an individual with a disability. The bill requires each such policy to include a transparent and explicit process by which the institution determines eligibility for accommodations for an individual with a disability and requires each such institution to disseminate information about such process to students, including all new students to the parents of students as appropriate, and to faculty in accessible formats and make such information available in a conspicuous and publicly accessible manner, including on the institution's website.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-401.3, relating to public institutions of higher education; policies; individuals with disabilities.

24105855D

H.B. 550

Patron: Walker

Adult adoptee access to original birth certificate. Grants any adoptee 18 years of age or older access to his original birth certificate.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-261 and 63.2-1246 of the Code of Virginia, relating to adult adoptee access to original birth certificate.

24101022D

H.B. 647

Patron: Coyner

Public education; student literacy measures. Clarifies several provisions of the Virginia Literacy Act (the Act), enacted during the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly and effective with the 2024-2025 school year, including (i) clarifying that the term "evidence-based literacy instruction" does not include practices that instruct students to gain meaning from print through the use of (a) three-cueing, which includes semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues; (b) meaning, structure, and visual cues; or (c) visual memory for word recognition; (ii) removing the option to use a literacy screener approved by the Department of Education for certain purposes enumerated in the Act; (iii) requiring the Department to develop a list of core literacy curricula for students in kindergarten through grade five and supplemental instruction practices and programs and intervention programs for students in kindergarten through grade eight that consist of evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research; and (iv) requiring each divisionwide literacy plan to address how the local school board will align (a) core reading and literacy curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade five and (b) screening, supplemental instruction, and interventions for students in kindergarten through grade eight with evidence-based literacy instruction practices aligned with science-based reading research.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-1, 22.1-253.13:1, and 22.1-253.13:6, as they shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to public education; student literacy measures.

24100696D

H.B. 649

Patron: Coyner

Vital records; birth certificates; adoption; members of the military. Directs the State Registrar to expedite issuance of a new birth certificate upon receipt of certain documentation for a person born in the Commonwealth if at least one adoptive parent is an active duty or retired member of the military or military reserves. The bill directs the court decreeing the adoption to deliver such records to the State Registrar no later than five business days from such decree.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-261 of the Code of Virginia, relating to vital records; birth certificates; adoption; members of the military.

24105583D

H.B. 729

Patron: Sickles

Long-term services and support screening; PACE programs; emergency. Allows qualified staff of programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) to conduct the required long-term services and supports screening in accordance with requirements established by the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Under the bill, when a screening team determines that it is unable to complete a long-term services and supports screening within 30 days, or an individual requests enrollment in a PACE program, the screening team shall decide which entity can most expeditiously conduct the screening. Under the bill, qualified staff of a PACE program shall conduct the screening if the screening team determines that it is most expeditious option. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and contains an emergency clause.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-330 of the Code of Virginia, relating to long-term services and support screening; PACE programs; emergency.

24105703D

EMERGENCY

H.B. 739

Patron: Sewell

Early childhood care and education; exemption from licensure for certain child day programs. Exempts from licensure by the Superintendent of Public Instruction any child day program that (i) serves only dependent children of military personnel and (ii) (a) is located on a military base or federal property or (b) is certified as a family child care provider by a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and provides that any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or its agent, including an installation commander of a military base on which a child day program is located, may assume responsibility for approving or determining which children may be served by the program that is so exempted from licensure. This bill incorporated HB 146.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-289.030 of the Code of Virginia, relating to early childhood care and education; exemption from licensure for certain child day programs.

24106106D

H.B. 1044

Patron: Rasoul

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; membership. Requires the membership of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to include at least one nonlegislative citizen member who has served as a chief executive officer of an accredited nonprofit private institution of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, or professional education and not to provide religious training or theological education. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-200 of the Code of Virginia, relating to State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; membership.

24100438D

H.B. 1076

Patron: Rasoul

Board of Education; through-year growth assessment system; alternatives during 2024-2025 school year. Requires the Board of Education to permit school boards to administer, during the 2024-2025 school year, locally developed or adopted assessments as alternatives to the through-year growth assessment system established by the Board, provided that any such alternative assessment is aligned to the Standards of Learning.

A BILL to permit certain student assessment flexibility for the 2024-2025 school year.

24104438D

H.B. 1130

Patron: Hayes

Board of Medicine; continuing education; unconscious bias and cultural competency. Directs the Board of Medicine to require unconscious bias and cultural competency training as part of the continuing education requirements for renewal of licensure. The bill specifies requirements for the training and requires the Board of Medicine to report on the training to the Department of Health and the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative.

A BILL to direct the Board of Medicine to require certain licensees to complete training on unconscious bias and cultural competency as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure.

24106251D

H.B. 1165

Patron: Sickles

Rights of persons with disabilities; definitions. Adds definitions related to the rights of persons with disabilities to relevant law. The bill defines "path of travel," "place of public accommodation,"" "public entity," "private entity," and "readily achievable." The bill requires places of public accommodation to ensure that barriers to accessibility are removed when the removal is readily achievable.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 51.5-40.1 and 51.5-44 of the Code of Virginia, relating to rights of persons with disabilities; definitions.

24103115D

H.B. 1317

Patron: Cole

Public schools; transfer and management of scholastic records; disclosure of information in court notices; transfer of disciplinary records; requirements. Requires the superintendent of any school division to, upon receiving notification of the disposition in a delinquency case concerning a student who is not enrolled in such school division, forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division where such student is enrolled or where such student intends to enroll, as evidenced by the receipt of a request from the other school division for such student's scholastic records. Current law only permits the superintendent of any such school division to forward such notification to the superintendent of the school division in which the student is currently enrolled. The bill also requires a copy of the complete student disciplinary records of any student transferring from one school division to another to be transferred to the school division to which such student is transferring, upon request from such school division.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 16.1-305.1 and 22.1-289 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public schools; transfer and management of scholastic records; disclosure of information in court notices; transfer of disciplinary records; requirements.

24104683D

H.B. 1333

Patron: Wachsmann

Drug Control Act; Schedule I; Schedule II; Schedule IV; Schedule V. Adds certain chemicals to Schedules I, II, IV, and V of the Drug Control Act. The Board of Pharmacy has added these substances in an expedited regulatory process. A substance added via this process is removed from the schedule after 18 months unless a general law is enacted adding the substance to the schedule.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-3446, 54.1-3448, 54.1-3452, and 54.1-3454 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Drug Control Act; Schedule I; Schedule II; Schedule IV; Schedule V.

24106671D

H.B. 1336

Patron: Sickles

Crisis stabilization services; facilities licensed by Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; nursing homes; dispensing and administration of drugs; emergency. Permits facilities licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services that provide crisis stabilization services to maintain a stock of Schedules II through VI controlled substances necessary for immediate treatment of patients admitted to such facility. Under current law, maintenance of a stock of Schedule VI controlled substances is allowed under certain conditions, but a stock of Schedules II through V controlled substances may be maintained only if authorized by federal law and Board of Pharmacy regulations. The bill also allows automated drug dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems to be used by state facilities established pursuant to Title 37.2 (Behavioral Health and Developmental Services), facilities that provide crisis stabilization services, nursing homes, and other facilities authorized by the Board of Pharmacy that meet certain conditions. The bill contains an emergency clause, directs the Board of Pharmacy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill, and incorporates HB 1038.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-3401, 54.1-3423, and 54.1-3434.02 of the Code of Virginia, relating to crisis stabilization services; facilities licensed by Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; nursing homes; dispensing and administration of drugs; emergency.

24106670D

EMERGENCY

H.B. 1504

Patron: Seibold

Board of Education; guidelines on school-connected overdose policies; response and parental notification. Requires the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies to aid local school boards in the implementation of such policies. The bill requires such guidelines to include (i) a model action plan for each school board to follow in responding to any school-connected overdose, including communicating and coordinating with the Department of Education and the applicable law-enforcement liaison or the local law-enforcement agency that employs such school division's school resources officers and (ii) criteria for issuing parental notification to ensure sensitivity to the privacy interests of affected individuals and compliance with any applicable law, rules, or regulations relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-272.1:1, relating to Board of Education; guidelines on school-connected overdose policies; response and parental notification.

24107067D