This bill extends legal immunity protections to advanced practice registered nurses, granting them the same liability protections as physicians under Virginia's mental health law. The key provision states that neither physicians nor licensed advanced practice registered nurses can be held liable in court for their participation in mental health proceedings unless actual fraud or gross, willful, or wanton negligence is proven. It also clarifies that neither group can be sued for damages resulting from a patient exercising rights protected by the mental health law, such as discharge decisions, even if those actions contradict written medical orders. This change directly affects mental health facilities and healthcare providers by aligning the legal protections for nurses with those for physicians in this specific context.
Requires a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, as defined, to provide a consumer with certain information regarding the company’s policies and procedures regarding use of genetic data.
HB 7634 amends the state's Mental Health Law to grant advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) the same legal protection from lawsuits as physicians and surgeons when providing mental health services. Specifically, it ensures APRNs licensed in the state cannot be held liable in court for their professional actions under this law - except in cases of actual fraud or gross negligence - similar to existing protections for doctors. This directly affects APRNs working in mental healthcare settings, clarifying their legal standing during proceedings like patient discharges or treatment decisions. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill clarifies the rules for when registered nurses and nurse practitioners can administer deep sedation and general anesthesia during elective, non-emergency procedures. It explicitly prohibits these providers from giving certain strong anesthesia medications for scheduled procedures unless there is an immediate emergency where delaying care would endanger a patient's life or safety. The law maintains that nurses can still provide lighter levels of sedation and ensures that students in anesthesia training programs can participate under supervision. Additionally, the bill requires the state Department of Health to create specific regulations by 2027 and report on how the new rules impact patient access, hospital operations, and safety incidents by 2028.
This bill creates a pilot program and task force focused on using food as medicine, managed by the executive office of health and human services. The program would explore how dietary interventions can support health outcomes, though specific details like funding levels and participant criteria are not yet defined in the abstract. The measure is currently in the early stages of review and has been held for further study by the Senate committee. It does not yet establish any permanent regulations or mandate specific actions for healthcare providers or the public.
Ensures that more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care they need and want, by incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports program.
Requires the department of elementary and secondary education and DOH to adopt policies, rules and regulations for the administration of seizure rescue medications for children who have been medically identified as having epilepsy/seizure disorder.
HB 7740 clarifies the rules for when registered nurses and nurse practitioners can administer deep sedation or general anesthesia, specifically limiting these actions to emergency situations where delaying care would endanger a patient's health. The bill explicitly prohibits these providers from using general anesthetics for elective, scheduled procedures unless an urgent need arises, while still allowing them to perform minimal or moderate sedation as usual. To enforce these limits, the law requires that any nurse or nurse practitioner who is not a certified registered nurse anesthetist must not initiate, adjust, or maintain general anesthetic medications outside of critical care scenarios. Additionally, the bill mandates that hospitals report specific serious incidents, such as unplanned transitions to deep sedation that result in severe patient outcomes, to the Department of Health within 24 hours.
HB 8171 establishes a food-as-medicine pilot program to test whether providing medically tailored food assistance improves health outcomes for individuals with specific conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Administered by the state's executive office of health and human services, the program will include a task force to design and oversee the initiative. It directly affects participants in state health programs who may receive food support as part of their treatment plan, rather than traditional medical care. The bill creates a temporary, evidence-based approach to evaluate this model before potential expansion.
Directs middle and high schools which issue student identification cards to include on those cards on or before September 8, 2026, contact crisis telephone numbers for suicide prevention and substance use disorder prevention.
