Legislative Update for VA Assn of Addiction Professionals
Friday March 7, 2025


BillPatronTitleSynopsisUpcoming HearingsStatus
HB 1637 Patrick A. Hope Opioid Antagonists; Dispensing And Administration By Person Acting On Behalf Of An Organization. Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization. Permits persons acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone or other opioid antagonists to dispense other opioid antagonists. The bill also allows persons to whom other opioid antagonists are dispensed to possess and administer such opioid antagonists. Under current law, persons acting on behalf of such organizations may only dispense naloxone. This bill is identical to SB 1035. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (2/18)
HB 1649 C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. Board Of Medicine; Continuing Education; Unconscious Bias And Cultural Competency. 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. This bill is identical to SB 740. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (2/18)
HB 1675 C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. Board Of Medicine; Continuing Education; Unconscious Bias And Cultural Competency. 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. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. S Passed Senate (23-Y 16-N) (2/18)
HB 1765 Marty Martinez Health Insurance; Coverage For Non-opioid Prescription Drugs. Health insurance; coverage for non-opioid prescription drugs. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing any cost-sharing, prior authorization, step therapy, or other limitation on coverage of a covered non-opioid drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment or management of pain that is more restrictive or less favorable to the enrollee relative to a covered opioid drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment or management of pain. H Left in Labor and Commerce (2/5)
HB 1877 Anne Ferrell Tata; Sam Rasoul; Katrina Callsen Barrier Crimes; Peer Recovery Specialists; Screening Requirements. Barrier crimes; peer recovery specialists; screening requirements. Modifies the barrier crimes screening assessment requirements for peer recovery specialists applying for employment with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, an employer licensed by the Department, or a community services board to require that such specialists have completed all prison or jail terms, been free of parole or probation for at least five years, have no pending charges in any locality, and not be under probation or parole supervision in order to be eligible for a screening assessment. Under current law, an applicant must also have paid all fines, restitution, and court costs for any prior convictions. S Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (2/18)
HB 1893 Holly M. Seibold State Plan For Medical Assistance Services; Recovery Residences; Work Group; Report. State plan for medical assistance services; recovery residences; work group; report. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of care provided at certain recovery residences for individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The bill also directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to (i) convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to (a) establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness and impact of recovery residences on long-term recovery outcomes and (b) study the economic impact of recovery residences on the Commonwealth and (ii) in consultation with such work group, promulgate regulations to ensure recovery residences are operating in compliance with American Society of Addiction Medicine standards. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025. H Left in Appropriations (2/4)
HB 1902 Rodney T. Willett Board Of Health; Department Of Health Professions; Prescription Monitoring Program; Overdose Information. Board of Health; Department of Health Professions; Prescription Monitoring Program; overdose information. Directs the Board of Health to report patient level data on patients who overdose on opioids to the Department of Health Professions for use in the Prescription Monitoring Program. The bill requires practitioners to obtain such data when prescribing opioids. S Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (2/18)
HB 1903 Rodney T. Willett Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; Virginia Nursing Workforce Center Established; Reporting And Monitoring Of Health Care Workforce Programs; Residency Slots; Work Group; Report. Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; Virginia Nursing Workforce Center established; reporting and monitoring of health care workforce programs; residency slots; work group; report. Establishes the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center under the auspices of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (the Authority) for the purpose of working toward ensuring a quality nursing workforce for all Virginians. The bill also changes the name of the Virginia Health Care Career and Technical Training and Education Fund to the Virginia Health Workforce Innovation Fund and directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend its regulations to increase supplemental payments for qualifying residency slots from $100,000 to $160,000. The bill directs the Authority to convene work groups for the purpose of developing a long-term vision for the health workforce and to develop a plan to increase capacity for reporting and monitoring of health care workforce programs. H Left in Appropriations (2/4)
HB 2117 Karen Keys-Gamarra Experiencing Or Reporting An Overdose Or Act Of Sexual Violence; Arrest And Prosecution. Arrest and prosecution when experiencing or reporting an overdose or act of sexual violence. Provides that no individual shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for the unlawful purchase, possession, or consumption of alcohol or marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, intoxication in public, or possession of controlled paraphernalia if the individual, in good faith, seeks or obtains assistance for himself or another individual from emergency medical services personnel, a health care provider, or a law-enforcement officer, as those terms are defined in relevant law, and seeks to report an act of sexual violence committed against himself or another individual, so long as (i) such individual identifies himself to the law-enforcement officer who responds to the report of the act of sexual violence and (ii) the evidence for the prosecution of such an offense was obtained as a result of the individual seeking or obtaining medical attention, rendering care or assistance, or reporting to law enforcement. However, such immunity shall not apply to an individual who is alleged to have committed the act of sexual violence or if the emergency medical attention was sought or obtained during the execution of a search warrant or during the conduct of a lawful search or a lawful arrest. The bill also provides that no individual immune to arrest or prosecution when experiencing or reporting an overdose or act of sexual violence shall have his bail, probation, furlough, supervised release, suspended sentence,or parole revoked for complying with the provisions of applicable law. H Senate Amendment agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N) (2/20)
HB 2168 C. Todd Gilbert Felony Homicide; Certain Drug Offenses, Penalty. Felony homicide; certain drug offenses; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. H Left in Courts of Justice (2/4)
HB 2176 Nadarius E. Clark Marijuana-related Offenses; Modification Of Sentence, Sunset. Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which persons convicted of certain felony offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated or on community supervision on July 1, 2025, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The provisions of this bill sunset on July 1, 2028. This bill was incorporated into HB 2555. H Left in Courts of Justice (2/4)
HB 2289 Carrie E. Coyner Zoning; Recovery Residences. Zoning; recovery residences. Provides that zoning ordinances for all purposes shall consider a certified recovery residence in which no more than eight individuals with substance use disorder reside, either with or without one or more resident or nonresident staff persons, as residential occupancy by a single family and that no conditions more restrictive than those imposed on residences occupied by persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption shall be imposed on such certified recovery residence. The bill provides that no clinical treatment shall take place in such recovery residence and that the recovery residence shall submit the individual name and contact information for the person responsible for the residence to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. H Left in Counties, Cities and Towns (2/4)
HB 2317 Will Davis Marijuana, Etc.; Possession, Smoking By Person Younger Than 21 Years Of Age Prohibited. Possession of marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Provides that no person younger than 21 years of age shall consume or possess, or attempt to consume or possess, any marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, or hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in relevant law, and a violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with certain exceptions. The bill also allows any such person charged with his first offense of underaged possession of retail tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to have the proceedings deferred, to be placed on probation by the court, and to have the charges dismissed by the court without an adjudication of guilty upon such person's successful completion of probation. H Left in Courts of Justice (2/4)
HB 2319 H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.; Michael J. Webert; Mark D. Sickles Drug And Controlled Paraphernalia; Creates Exception For Drug Checking Products. Drug paraphernalia; controlled paraphernalia; drug checking products; exception. Creates an exception for drug checking products used to determine the presence or concentration of a contaminant that can cause physical harm or death from the definitions of drug paraphernalia and controlled paraphernalia. Under current law, the exception applies only to narcotic testing products used to determine whether a controlled substance contains fentanyl or a fentanyl analog. S Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (2/18)
HB 2366 Carrie E. Coyner Public Safety & Homeland Security & Hhr, Secretaries Of; Combat Sale Of Illicit Cannabis Products. Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Secretary of Health and Human Resources; combat the sale of illicit cannabis products; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to analyze the current efforts in the Commonwealth to combat the sale of illicit cannabis products and develop recommendations to enhance such enforcement efforts with a focus on protecting consumers and children from harmful, untested, and unregulated products. The bill requires the work group to complete its work and submit a report regarding its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, on General Laws, and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations, on General Laws and Technology, on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2025. H Left in Rules (2/4)
HB 2435 Michael J. Webert Model Policy For Law-enforcement Officer Investigating Overdose; Notification To Prescriber. Model policy for law-enforcement officer investigating overdose; investigation; notification to prescriber. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a model policy for best practices for law-enforcement officers responding to or investigating an overdose to notify the prescriber of any controlled substance found to be in the possession of or ingested by the victim that such prescription was involved in an overdose. S Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) (2/20)
HB 2555 Nadarius E. Clark; Rozia A. Henson, Jr. Marijuana-related Offenses; Modification Of Sentence, Sunset. Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which persons convicted of certain felony offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated or on community supervision on July 1, 2025, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The provisions of this bill sunset on July 1, 2028. This bill incorporates HB 2176. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)
SB 746 Bill DeSteph; Ryan T. McDougle Felony Homicide; Certain Drug Offenses, Penalty. Involuntary manslaughter; certain drug offenses. Provides that any person who knowingly, intentionally, and feloniously manufactures, sells, or distributes a controlled substance knowing that such controlled substance contains a detectable amount of fentanyl, including its derivatives, isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, and unintentionally causes the death of another person, is guilty of involuntary manslaughter if (i) such death results from use of the controlled substance and (ii) such controlled substance is the proximate cause of the death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the manufacturing, sale, or distribution of such controlled substance occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed such controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, is not guilty of involuntary manslaughter but is guilty of a Class 6 felony. This bill is identical to HB 2657. C Amended by conference committee (2/21)
SB 790 Christopher T. Head Opioid Antagonists; Dispensing And Administration By Person Acting On Behalf Of An Organization. Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization. Permits persons acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone or other opioid antagonists to dispense other opioid antagonists. The bill also allows persons to whom other opioid antagonists are dispensed to possess and administer such opioid antagonists. Under current law, persons acting on behalf of such organizations may only dispense naloxone. S Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1035-Pekarsky) (15-Y 0-N) (1/23)
SB 802 Ryan T. McDougle Illegal Drugs; Venue For Certain Distribution Offenses. Illegal drugs; venue for certain distribution offenses. Provides that a prosecution for an offense related to distribution of a Schedule I or II drug, where an overdose death occurred from such distribution, may be had in any county or city in which (i) any act in furtherance of the crime was committed or (ii) the deceased person was located. S Left in Courts of Justice (2/5)
SB 838 Rodney T. Willett; Schuyler T. VanValkenburg Recovery Residences; Certification Required Penalty, Report. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; recovery residences; certification required; penalty; work group. Changes the existing civil penalty for a violation of law related to the operation of recovery residences to a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to issue provisional certification to certain recovery residences. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to (i) make recommendations related to oversight and transparency for recovery residences and (ii) develop credentialing guidelines for recovery residences. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2025. S House Amendments agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N) (2/20)
SB 841 Barbara A. Favola Opioid Treatment Programs; Dispensing, Medications From Mobile Units. Board of Pharmacy; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; opioid treatment programs; mobile units; report. Directs the Board of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to develop and implement a process by which opioid treatment programs can apply for and receive the necessary permissions and waivers to dispense opioid use disorder treatment medications from mobile units. The bill directs the Board to report to the Joint Commission on Health Care by November 1, 2025, on the status of and any barriers to the development and implementation of such process. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. H Left in Appropriations (2/18)
SB 842 Barbara A. Favola Mobile Health Clinics; Dhcd To Include Broadband Access Services For Clinics. Department of Housing and Community Development; broadband access services for mobile health clinics. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to, as part of its broader initiative to support the development and implementation of programs that support telehealth, include broadband access services for mobile health clinics as a priority for broadband nondeployment programs using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program funding to the extent approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)
SB 1035 Stella G. Pekarsky; Christopher T. Head Opioid Antagonists; Dispensing And Administration By Person Acting On Behalf Of An Organization. Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization. Permits persons acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone or other opioid antagonists to dispense other opioid antagonists. The bill also allows persons to whom other opioid antagonists are dispensed to possess and administer such opioid antagonists. Under current law, persons acting on behalf of such organizations may only dispense naloxone. This bill incorporates SB 790 and is identical to HB 1637. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)
SB 1054 Adam P. Ebbin Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; Draft Regulations Governing Cannabis, Report. Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; draft regulations governing cannabis; report. Directs the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to draft regulations governing the indoor cultivation, processing, manufacturing, testing, packaging, labeling, distribution, sale, and delivery of marijuana to adults age 21 or older in the Commonwealth, which shall (i) include appropriate application and license fees; (ii) include transaction limits; and (iii) model, to the greatest extent practicable, the regulations promulgated by the Authority governing the Medical Cannabis Program. The bill requires the Authority to report such draft regulations to the General Assembly by November 15, 2025, and indicate the date by which it would be able to implement and enforce such regulations, issue licenses, provide adequate enforcement, and implement a transitional sales program for pharmaceutical processors. The bill specifies that any regulations drafted by the Authority pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall not become effective until such regulations are approved by an act of the General Assembly. S Passed by indefinitely in Rehabilitation and Social Services (15-Y 0-N) (1/31)
SB 1235 Bill DeSteph Fentanyl, Heroin, Etc.; Manufacturing, Selling, Giving, Distributing, Etc., Penalties. Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide. The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances. S Incorporated by Courts of Justice (SB746-McDougle) (14-Y 0-N) (1/27)
SB 1257 Lamont Bagby Student & Campus Safety; Opioid Antagonist Administration Training For Resident Assistants Required. Public institutions of higher education; student and campus safety; training in opioid antagonist administration for resident assistants required. Requires each resident assistant in a student housing facility at a public institution of higher education to complete, prior to the commencement of his duties, training in the administration of an opioid antagonist to any student, faculty, or staff member who is believed to be experiencing or about to experience a life-threatening opioid overdose. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt policies and procedures relating to the administration of an opioid antagonist by each resident assistant, including policies and procedures (i) requiring each resident assistant to complete such training pursuant to the provisions of the bill and (ii) arranging for the provision of such opioid antagonist administration training. S House Amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) (2/20)
SB 1258 Tara A. Durant Fentanyl; Possession In Presence Of Minor Prohibited, Enhanced Penalty. Possession of fentanyl in presence of minor prohibited; enhanced penalty. Makes it a Class 3 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to knowingly possess any substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, including its derivatives, isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, in the presence of a minor younger than 15 years of age, unless such substance was obtained directly from, or pursuant to, a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by the Drug Control Act. S Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice (8-Y 6-N) (1/27)
SB 1278 Bill DeSteph Fentanyl And Heroin Enforcement, Task Force On; Bimonthly Meetings. Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement; quarterly meetings. Requires the Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement to meet quarterly beginning in July 2025 until the 2025 annual report is provided to the Governor and the General Assembly. C Amended by conference committee (2/22)
SB 1363 Todd E. Pillion Health Professions, Board Of; Transfer Of Powers And Duties. Elimination of Board of Health Professions; transfer of powers and duties. Eliminates the Board of Health Professions and transfers certain powers and duties from the Board to the Department of Health Professions. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/5)
SB 1438 Tara A. Durant Health Regulatory Boards; Regulations, Licensure By Endorsement. Department of Health Professions; health regulatory boards; regulations; licensure by endorsement. Directs each health regulatory board regulated by the Department of Health Professions to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway for qualified applicants as practitioners of the particular profession or professions regulated by such board. The bill specifies that the Board of Medicine shall be the first health regulatory board to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway. This bill is identical to HB 1861. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)