Legislative Update for VA Public Health Assn
Friday March 7, 2025


BillPatronTitleSynopsisUpcoming HearingsStatus
HB 1585 N. Baxter Ennis Weight Loss And Muscle Building Products, Certain; Selling Or Distributing To Minors Prohibited. Sale of certain weight loss and muscle building products to minors prohibited. Prohibits any person from selling or distributing an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building to a person who is younger than 18 years of age and requires that the purchaser demonstrate, by producing a driver's license or similar photo identification issued by a government agency, that he is at least 18 years of age. For mail or Internet sales, the bill requires that the person offering an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building (i) prior to the sale verifies that the purchaser is at least 18 years of age through a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification and (ii) uses a method of mailing, shipping, or delivery that requires the signature of a person at least 18 years of age before the products will be released to the purchaser. The bill also requires that over-the-counter diet pills or dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building will only be displayed for sale behind a store counter that is not accessible to consumers or in a locked case that requires assistance from a store employee for customer access. A violation of the bill's provisions is punishable by a civil penalty in the amount of $500 for a first violation and $2,500 for a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period. H Left in Health and Human Services (2/5)
HB 2189 Nicholas J. Freitas Immunizations; Authority Of The Commissioner Of Health, Religious Tenets Or Practices, Exception. Immunizations; authority of the Commissioner of Health; religious exception. Exempts a person, including a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objects to administration of a vaccine on religious grounds from mandatory immunization requirements issued by the State Health Commissioner during an epidemic. Currently, exemption from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemic is available only to those persons to whose health the administration of a vaccine would be detrimental, as certified in writing by a licensed physician. H Left in Health and Human Services (2/5)
HB 2240 Bonita G. Anthony; Dan I. Helmer; Shelly A. Simonds; Rae Cousins Hunger-free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program; Established, Report. Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education; however, participation in the Program is optional for such institutions. Under the bill, if a public institution of higher education satisfies certain criteria set out in the bill, including creating initiatives on campus to address student food insecurity, it will receive a 'Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry' designation and the Council will award a grant to such institution. Any such institution that receives a grant under the bill is required to utilize the funds to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of the on-campus food pantry established pursuant to the Program. The bill requires the Council to submit a report to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education no later than two years after the establishment of the Program. This bill is identical to SB 1016. H Senate substitute agreed to by House (74-Y 24-N) (2/20)
HB 2294 Mark L. Earley, Jr. Virginia Social Media Regulation Act; Established, Penalties. Virginia Social Media Regulation Act established; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act for the purpose of prohibiting minors in Virginia from possessing an account on any social media platform, defined in the bill, without the express consent of a parent or guardian. The bill requires a social media company to provide a minor's parent or guardian with access to the minor's account and all posts and information on such account. The bill also places prohibitions on the type of data and personal information a social media platform may collect from a minor account holder and prohibits the use of any practice, design, or feature on a social media company's platform that the company knows, or should reasonably know, could cause a minor account holder to have an addiction to the social media platform. Lastly, the bill provides that any violation of the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act shall constitute a prohibited practice and be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. H Left in General Laws (2/5)
HB 2296 Mark L. Earley, Jr.; David Owen Illegal Fentanyl; Reckless Exposure To Certain Persons, Penalty Reckless exposure of illegal fentanyl to certain persons; penalty; arrest and prosecution when experiencing or reporting overdoses. Provides that any person who unlawfully possesses fentanyl, including its isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, and recklessly exposes a law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, jail officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel, as those terms are defined in relevant law, to such fentanyl and causes severe bodily injury or an overdose to such officer, firefighter, or personnel is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill also provides that no individual incarcerated in a local, regional, or state correctional facility shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for such offense if such individual seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for himself or another individual experiencing an overdose or is experiencing an overdose and another individual seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for him. H Left in Courts of Justice (2/4)
HB 2300 Ellen H. Campbell Drinking Water; Maximum Contaminant Levels, Water Treatment Or Filtration Systems. Drinking water; maximum contaminant levels; water treatment or filtration systems; Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Program Fund established. Directs the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to utilize point-of-use or point-of-entry drinking water treatment or filtration systems to remove or significantly reduce concentrations of contaminants of concern that meet or exceed any maximum contaminant level or health advisory for the same contaminant adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also establishes the Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Program Fund to allow the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water to test and treat contaminated drinking water through grants for the use of eligible treatment or filtration systems in private residential wells. H Tabled in Appropriations (12-Y 10-N) (1/31)
HB 2308 M. Keith Hodges Inhaling Drugs Or Other Noxious Chemical Substances, Etc.; Distribution Of Nitrous Oxide. Inhaling drugs or other noxious chemical substances or causing, etc., others to do so; distribution of nitrous oxide to persons under 18 prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of a device that contains nitrous oxide to persons under 18 years of age with exceptions as defined in the bill. Any person who fails to make diligent inquiry as to whether the person trying to obtain such a device is 18 years of age or older or sells, distributes, or attempts to sell or distribute such a device to a person under 18 years of age is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also adds nitrous oxide to the list of noxious chemical substances for which it is unlawful to deliberately smell or inhale with the intent to become intoxicated, inebriated, excited, or stupefied or to dull the brain or nervous system, or to deliberately cause another person to do so. This bill is identical to SB 1361. C Amended by conference committee (2/21)
HB 2309 M. Keith Hodges Local Health Districts And Health Departments; Guidance For Septic And Well Permits. Department of Health; local health districts and local health departments; guidance for onsite sewage system and private well permits. Directs the Department of Health to develop guidance directing local health districts and local health departments to evaluate and recommend solutions to problems with a valid onsite sewage system or private well permit prior to issuing a revocation for such valid onsite sewage system or private well permit. S Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (2/18)
HB 2424 Geary Higgins; Carrie E. Coyner School-connected Overdoses; Policies Relating To Parental Notification And Response, Requirements. School-connected overdoses; policies relating to parental notification and response; requirements. Expands current law relating to school-connected overdose parental notification and response policies by, in addition to requiring the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies, requiring (i) each division superintendent or his designee to notify the parent of each student in the local school division of any suspected school-connected overdose, with school-connected overdose defined as any verified overdose that occurs on school premises during or after regular school hours or during school-sanctioned activities whether on or off school premises, within 24 hours of learning of the suspected overdose and requiring such notification to include as much information as is known about the circumstances surrounding the suspected overdose, to the extent that the disclosure of any such information is not prohibited by any applicable laws, rules, or regulations relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information, and (ii) requiring each local school board to adopt, implement, and maintain policies consistent with the provisions of the bill and the guidelines developed by the Board of Education. H Incorporated by Education (HB2774-Singh) (Voice Vote) (1/29)
HB 2446 Candi Mundon King Postpartum Depression Education Act; Department Of Health To Establish A Public Awareness Campaign. Postpartum Depression Education Act; report. Directs the Department of Health to establish a public awareness campaign, develop and distribute educational materials, and create an online resource hub focused on perinatal and postpartum depression. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the implementation of the bill, with the first annual report due by December 31, 2026. H Senate Amendment agreed to by House (97-Y 0-N) (2/19)
HJ 441 Marty Martinez Elementary/secondary Schools; Va. Com. On Youth To Study Policies To Support Student Mental Health. Study; Virginia Commission on Youth; policies to support student mental health in Virginia's elementary and secondary schools; report. Directs the Virginia Commission on Youth to undertake a study on policies to support student mental health in Virginia's elementary and secondary schools, with a focus on improving funding and other resources, training and professional development, partnerships with health services, curriculum development, research and evaluation, and public awareness campaigns. The Behavioral Health Commission, along with the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, are directed to provide assistance to the Commission during the course of the two-year study. H Tabled in Rules (15-Y 0-N) (1/29)
HJ 452 Nicholas J. Freitas Constitutional Amendment; Right To Food Choice (first Reference). Constitutional amendment (first reference); right to food choice. Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that declares the right of the people to acquire the food of their choice from the source of their choice shall not be infringed. H Left in Privileges and Elections (2/5)
HJ 464 Mark L. Earley, Jr. Cardiovascular Disease Screening Coverage; Health Insurance Reform Commission To Study. Study; cardiovascular disease screening coverage; Health Insurance Reform Commission; report. Directs the Health Insurance Reform Commission to study requiring insurance carriers to provide coverage for certain tests for the early detection of cardiovascular disease in at-risk populations. Such coverage would include coverage for computed tomography scans measuring coronary artery calcification or ultrasonography scans measuring carotid intima-media thickness and plaque for an enrollee who is a male between the ages of 45 and 75 years or a female between the ages of 55 and 75 and who is diabetic or has a risk of developing coronary heart disease based on an intermediate or higher score using the Framingham Heart Study coronary prediction algorithm. H Left in Rules (2/4)
HR 454 Eric R. Zehr Reproductive Freedom; Speaker Of Hod To Order Study Of Loyal Effects & Consequences, Etc. Directing the Speaker of the House of Delegates to order a study of the legal effects and consequences of a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to reproductive freedom. Directs the Speaker of the House of Delegates to order a study of the legal effects and consequences of a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to reproductive freedom, including whether the language of the proposed amendment would constitutionally protect abortion throughout all of pregnancy, create a constitutional right for the parents of a dead child to sell such child's body parts, and legally permit partial birth infanticide, born-alive murder, child pornography, sexual assault, and any other crime after complete extraction or expulsion from the mother so long as the umbilical cord is attached. H Left in Rules (2/4)
SB 743 Barbara A. Favola Reproductive Health Care Services; Prohibitions On Extradition For Certain Crimes. Reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves the receipt or provision of or assistance with reproductive health care services, as defined in the bill, within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that such limit on extradition shall not apply when the person who is accused of an alleged offense in the demanding state was physically present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged offense and thereafter fled from such state. H Left in Courts of Justice (2/18)
SB 799 Barbara A. Favola School Health Services Committee; Extends Sunset Date. School Health Services Committee; sunset. Extends from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2028, the sunset date for the School Health Services Committee. H Passed House (98-Y 0-N) (2/20)
SB 833 Mamie E. Locke Hampton, City Of; Operation Of The District Health Department. Operation of the City of Hampton local health department. Requires the City of Hampton to enter into a contract with the Department of Health for the local administration of local health services. Currently, the local department of health is operated as a joint venture between the state and local governments. H Left in Health and Human Services (2/18)
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 843 Barbara A. Favola Remote Patient Monitoring Patients With Chronic Conditions, Report. Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote patient monitoring for patients with chronic conditions; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to develop a plan and estimate costs for expanding eligibility criteria under Medicaid for remote patient monitoring for individuals with chronic conditions and to report such plan and cost estimate to the Joint Commission on Health Care by October 1, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/5)
SB 1003 Danica A. Roem School Breakfasts; Availability At No Cost To Students. School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill. S Left in Finance and Appropriations (2/5)
SB 1016 Mamie E. Locke; Stella G. Pekarsky; Danica A. Roem Hunger-free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program; Established, Report. Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education; however, participation in the Program is optional for such institutions. Under the bill, if a public institution of higher education satisfies certain criteria set out in the bill, including creating initiatives on campus to address student food insecurity, it will receive a 'Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry' designation and the Council will award a grant to such institution. Any such institution that receives a grant under the bill is required to utilize the funds to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of the on-campus food pantry established pursuant to the Program. The bill requires the Council to submit a report to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education no later than two years after the establishment of the Program. This bill is identical to HB 2240. C Amended by conference committee (2/21)
SB 1060 Adam P. Ebbin Retail Tobacco And Hemp Products; Smoking By A Person Younger Than 21 Years Of Age, Prohibitions. Possession, etc., of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age; liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products license; prohibitions; enforcement. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that any such product purchased or possessed by a person younger than 21 years of age (i) shall be deemed contraband, (ii) may be seized by a law-enforcement officer, and (iii) any such product, the lawful possession of which is not established, seized by such officer shall be forfeited and disposed of according to the process described in relevant law. The bill also provides that seizure shall be the sole penalty for a violation of such prohibition and that the provisions of the bill shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute. If a person does not receive a license from the Department of Taxation to sell, deal, transport, or ship liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products to retailers in the commonwealth, such person is subject to a penalty of $400, in addition to any other applicable taxes or fees. The bill clarifies that the Department of Taxation is not required to conduct unannounced investigations of retail tobacco dealers at least once every 24 months. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Taxation to convene a work group consisting of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Office of the Attorney General, the Virginia State Police, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services to develop an enforcement program related to the sale of retail tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to individuals younger than 21 years of age. The work group?s findings and recommendations are to be reported to the Chairs of the House Committees on General Laws and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Rehabilitation and Social Services and Finance and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 1946. C Amended by conference committee (2/20)
SB 1090 Russet Perry Drinking Water; Maximum Contaminant Levels, Water Treatment Or Filtration Systems. Drinking water; maximum contaminant levels; water treatment or filtration systems; Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Program Fund established. Directs the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to utilize point-of-use or point-of-entry drinking water treatment or filtration systems to remove or significantly reduce concentrations of contaminants of concern that meet or exceed any maximum contaminant level or health advisory for the same contaminant adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also establishes the Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Program Fund to allow the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water to test and treat contaminated drinking water through grants for the use of eligible treatment or filtration systems in private residential wells. S Left in Finance and Appropriations (2/5)
SB 1103 Ghazala F. Hashmi Employment Health And Safety Standards; Heat Illness Prevention. Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations establishing reasonable standards designed to protect employees from heat illness and establish a list of high-hazard industries, as defined in the bill. The bill authorizes a person aggrieved by a violation of its provisions or the regulations promulgated thereunder to seek to obtain injunctive relief, to recover statutory damages of $1000, or both, in an action commenced within one year of the cause of action. The bill requires the Safety and Health Codes Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop a list of high-hazard industries by January 1, 2026, and to develop and adopt regulations requiring employers in high-hazard industries to implement standards for heat illness prevention by May 1, 2026. S Left in Finance and Appropriations (2/5)
SB 1110 Angelia Williams Graves Weapons; Possession Prohibited In A Hospital That Provides Mental Health Or Developmental Services. Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 1977. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (2/20)
SB 1120 L. Louise Lucas Women's Health, Commission On; Established, Report. Commission on Women's Health established; report. Establishes the Commission on Women's Health as a permanent, independently staffed commission in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on issues related to women's and maternal health. The Commission consists of 15 members, 10 of whom are legislative members and five of whom are nonlegislative citizen members with significant experience or expertise in women's or maternal health policy. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)
SB 1123 Jennifer B. Boysko; Saddam Azlan Salim Extreme Weather Relief Act; Established. Extreme Weather Relief Act established. Establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Program, administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, for the purpose of holding parties responsible for covered greenhouse gas emissions between the covered period of January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2024, for the parties' share of the Commonwealth's costs due to climate change. The bill defines responsible parties as fossil fuel extractors or crude oil refiners causing emissions of one billion metric tons or more of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. Under the bill, responsible parties are strictly liable for cost recovery payments to the Commonwealth. The bill requires the State Treasurer to conduct an assessment of the costs to the Commonwealth and its residents of the emissions of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. The bill establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Fund into which the cost recovery payments from responsible entities are deposited and used to pay for extreme weather relief projects, as defined in the bill. S Passed by indefinitely in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with letter (11-Y 2-N 1-A) (1/28)
SB 1133 Jennifer B. Boysko Restaurants And Catering Operations; Notice Of Food Containing Pork Products. Restaurants and catering operations; notice of food containing pork products. Requires all restaurants and catering operations in the Commonwealth to place a conspicuous notice next to or underneath food items that contain pork products on menus. This bill also requires restaurants and catering operations to post a copy of the menu in a conspicuous location such that it is accessible to all employees involved in the preparation or service of food. H Left in Health and Human Services (2/18)
SB 1134 Jennifer B. Boysko Firearms; Storage In Residence Where Minor Or Person Prohibited From Possessing Is Present, Penalty. Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. The bill provides that a violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill exempts (i) any person in lawful possession of a firearm who carries such firearm on or about his person and (ii) the storage of antique firearms and provides that the lawful authorization of a minor to access a firearm is not a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill also requires firearm dealers to post a notice stating such firearm storage requirements and the penalty for improperly storing such firearms. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (2/20)
SB 1172 David R. Suetterlein Rs & Ut; Food For Human Consumption And Essential Personal Hygiene Products, Delayed Effective Date. Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is currently applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026. S Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N) (1/23)
SB 1325 Danica A. Roem Covid-19 Pandemic; Dem To Convene Work Group To Study The Commonwealth's Response, Report. Department of Emergency Management; work groups related to the Commonwealth's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; report. Directs the Department of Emergency Management to convene work groups to (i) study the reliance of the Commonwealth and its localities on federal grants for core emergency management functions, (ii) study and develop a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to take effect during a disaster for which a state of emergency has been declared, and (iii) study and develop solutions to address breaks in technology continuity among communities across the Commonwealth during emergencies. The bill directs each work group to complete its work and report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth. This bill was incorporated into SB 1326. S Incorporated by Rules (SB1326-Perry) (10-Y 0-N) (1/24)
SB 1326 Danica A. Roem; Russet Perry Core Emergency Management Functions; Dem To Study Reliance On Federal Grants. Department of Emergency Management; work groups related to the Commonwealth's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; report. Directs the Department of Emergency Management to convene work groups to (i) study the reliance of the Commonwealth and its localities on federal grants for core emergency management functions, (ii) study and develop a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to take effect during a disaster for which a state of emergency has been declared, and (iii) study and develop solutions to address breaks in technology continuity among communities across the Commonwealth during emergencies. The bill directs each work group to complete its work and report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth. This bill incorporates SB 1325. H Tabled in Rules (18-Y 0-N) (2/17)
SB 1335 David W. Marsden Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Loan And Grant Program, Eligible Recipients. Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; loan and grant program; eligible recipients; federally recognized tribes; Virginia recognized tribes. Expands the type of eligible recipients for loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund to include federally recognized tribes and Virginia recognized tribes. Under current law, only localities are eligible to receive loans or grants from the Fund. This bill is identical to HB 2077. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/3)
SB 1347 Emily M. Jordan Maternal Health Coordinator Program; Created, Report. Maternal Health Coordinator Program; purpose. Creates the Maternal Health Coordinator Program to serve preconception, pregnant, postpartum, and interconception women and their families within clinical, community, virtual, and home settings. Under the bill, the Department shall appoint a maternal health coordinator in each of the 35 health districts to conduct (i) case finding and outreach, (ii) assessment of risk factors, (iii) case management, (iv) home visitation, (v) childbirth and parenting education, and (vi) father engagement activities. The bill directs the Department to also appoint a regional coordinator in each of the five health regions of the Commonwealth to provide consultation and assistance to the district maternal health coordinators and collect data on the Program for each local health district and compile a report to be submitted to the Department no later than December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. S Left in Finance and Appropriations (2/5)
SB 1361 Todd E. Pillion Inhaling Drugs Or Other Noxious Chemical Substances, Etc.; Distribution Of Nitrous Oxide. Inhaling drugs or other noxious chemical substances or causing, etc., others to do so; distribution of nitrous oxide to persons under 18 prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of a device that contains nitrous oxide to persons under 18 years of age with exceptions as defined in the bill. Any person who fails to make diligent inquiry as to whether the person trying to obtain such a device is 18 years of age or older or sells, distributes, or attempts to sell or distribute such a device to a person under 18 years of age is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also adds nitrous oxide to the list of noxious chemical substances for which it is unlawful to deliberately smell or inhale with the intent to become intoxicated, inebriated, excited, or stupefied or to dull the brain or nervous system, or to deliberately cause another person to do so. This bill is identical to HB 2308. C Amended by conference committee (2/21)
SB 1395 Tara A. Durant; Mark J. Peake Illegal Sale Of Cannabis; Retail Tobacco & Hemp Products, Possession By Person Under 21yrs. Of Age. Possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law. A violation of such prohibition is punishable by seizure and forfeiture of such retail tobacco product or hemp product for a first violation. The bill imposes a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for a second violation and a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a third or subsequent violation. The bill also provides that a court may, as an alternative to the civil penalty, and upon motion of the defendant, prescribe the performance of up to 20 hours of community service for a second violation and up to 40 hours of community service for a third or subsequent violation, but if the defendant fails or refuses to complete the community service as prescribed, the court may impose the civil penalty. Additionally, upon such violation, the judge may enter an order suspending the motor vehicle and driver's license of such person pursuant relevant law. S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1395) (2/24)
SB 1415 Danica A. Roem Virginia Public Procurement Act; Purchase Of Testing Kits During A Disaster, Etc. Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase of testing kits during a disaster caused by a communicable disease of public health threat; exemption. Clarifies that the current exemption from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act for the purchase of personal protective equipment by the Governor for private, nongovernmental entities during a disaster caused by a communicable disease of public health threat for which a state of emergency has been declared includes communicable disease testing kits and associated safety equipment and supplies. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth. G Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (3/5)
SB 1447 Stella G. Pekarsky Health Insurance; Coverage For At-home Blood Pressure Monitors, Report. Health insurance; coverage for at-home blood pressure monitors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for at-home blood pressure monitors to individuals who (i) have a diagnosis of hypertension, (ii) are at risk of developing hypertension, or (iii) have been recommended for at-home blood pressure monitoring by a licensed health care provider. The coverage provided under the bill shall not be subject to any copayment or fees for an at-home blood pressure monitor. The bill directs the Bureau of Insurance, in consultation with the Department of Health, to establish guidelines for implementing the coverage required by the bill, to monitor compliance of such requirements by health care providers, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2026. S Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor with letter (15-Y 0-N) (1/24)
SB 1457 Jennifer D. Carroll Foy Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program; Pregnancy Mobile Application, Report. Department of Health; Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program; pregnancy mobile application; report. Directs the Department of Health to contract with a mobile application developer to create a membership-based mobile application to deliver education, resources, and support to prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals who are eligible for Medicaid. The bill also creates the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program to offer remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. The Department shall select a managed care organization and technology vendor to administer the Pilot Program to no less than 300 eligible participants. The bill requires the Department to submit requests for proposals within 180 days of the bill's effective date. S Incorporated by Education and Health (SB1393-Williams Graves) (15-Y 0-N) (1/30)