Department of Medical Assistance Services; managed care organization contracts; notice to providers. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to include in all of its managed care organization contracts provisions requiring that the managed care organization notify all known providers of any new enrollee who was previously enrolled in a fee-for-service plan or another managed care plan under the state plan for medical assistance services that such enrollee has changed health plans.
Alcoholic beverage control; definitions; designer and vintage spirit bottles. Defines, for the purposes of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, "designer spirit bottle" and "vintage spirit bottle."
Department of Medical Assistance Services; consultation with federally recognized tribes. Establishes a Tribal Medicaid Advisory Group to work collaboratively on (i) plan amendments, waiver requests, and policies affecting tribal health programs at least 60 days prior to submitting them for public notice and comment and (ii) a tribal health program billing manual. The advisory group is required to meet in person on at least a quarterly basis. The bill also requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to (a) recognize the eligibility of any tribal health program to participate as a provider in the state plan, (b) consult with any tribal health program participating in the state plan at least 60 days prior to taking any adverse action, including suspension of payments or investigation regarding the participation of any tribal health program in the state plan, and (c) engage in ongoing consultation with federally recognized tribes and tribal health programs to address the needs of the state and tribal governments. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programs for local farm or food products. Directs all state agencies to implement a purchase program for local farm or food products, defined in the bill, in order to reach a goal by 2035 of 20 percent of all the food and food products purchased by state agencies being local farm or food products. The bill also provides that for any public body partially or wholly funded by the Commonwealth, in which the total contract cost for food or food products is in excess of $25,000 per year, such public body shall implement a purchase program for local farm or food products in order to reach a goal by 2035 of 10 percent of all the food and food products purchased by such public bodies being local farm or food products. In order to meet such goals, state agencies and public bodies are authorized to give a preference to an otherwise qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use of local farm or food products over the lowest responsible bidder so long as the cost included in the bid for the local farm or food products is not more than 10 percent greater than the cost included in the other bids.
Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition; advisory panel. Defines under the provisions relating to small renewable energy projects the term "agrivoltaics" to mean the intentional co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land that (i) is designed to prioritize and sustain agricultural productivity while integrating renewable energy; (ii) allows the ongoing production and sale of agricultural products throughout the solar array's life; (iii) is a part of an existing farm business; and (iv) ensures flexibility for farmers to adapt to market conditions and support operational needs. The bill also directs the Virginia Cooperative Extension, in consultation with the Department of Energy, to convene a stakeholder advisory panel to develop recommendations to (i) establish criteria to determine qualifying agrivoltaic projects that are eligible for grant funding through the Virginia Power Innovation Fund and Program, (ii) identify how to monitor and sustain the integrity of agrivoltaic projects, and (iii) consider permitting or provide other incentives that may be effective in promoting agrivoltaic projects in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the stakeholder advisory panel to submit a report on its recommendations to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Forestry and Natural and Historic Resources by November 1, 2026.
Medical assistance services; volunteer emergency medical services agencies; supplemental payment for ground emergency medical services vehicle transportation. Directs the State Board of Health to include a provision in the state plan for medical assistance services to implement a supplemental payment program for qualified volunteer emergency medical services agencies to cover the difference between the agency's costs for ground emergency medical services vehicle transport services and the reimbursement amount received from the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; board of directors; plan of operation; filing of claims; awards and coverage for expenses or services. Makes numerous changes to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund. The bill alters the composition of the Program's board of directors to include three relatives of current or former beneficiaries, allows for the electronic submission of claims, and expands discovery of parties to a claim. The bill further requires the Program's board of directors to establish a blanket surety bonding program for all employees with access to the Fund and requires the board to meet at least once monthly. Finally, the bill increases from $100,000 to $500,000 the amount that may be awarded to families whose infant has sustained a birth-related neurological injury.
Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing. Requires the Department of General Services to determine whether, following an offer of surplus property to the chief administrative officer of the locality within which the surplus property is located, as well as to any economic development entity for such locality, such surplus property is suitable for the development of affordable housing, as defined by the bill. If the Department so determines, the bill provides that such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to eligible organizations, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of developing affordable housing, provided that the terms of the disposition include a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years. The bill also requires the chief administrative officer of each locality to prepare and maintain an inventory of all real property within its jurisdiction to which the locality holds fee simple title and that the locality has determined to be feasible for the development of affordable and middle-income housing. If the governing body of a locality chooses to dispose of such a property, such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to public or private entities, for the purpose of developing affordable and middle-income housing, through purchase, lease, exchange, or donation in return for a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-100, 46.2-221.4, 46.2-370, 46.2-411, 46.2-416, 46.2-417, 46.2-607, 46.2-609, 46.2-611 through 46.2-613.1, 46.2-615, 46.2-646, 46.2-646.2, 46.2-647, 46.2-649.1:1, 46.2-663 through 46.2-680, 46.2-688, 46.2-692, 46.2-709, 46.2-711, 46.2-712, 46.2-714, 46.2-716, 46.2-718, 46.2-725, 46.2-727, 46.2-730, 46.2-730.1, 46.2-749.5, 46.2-908.3, 46.2-1000, 46.2-1548, and 58.1-3505 of the Code of Virginia, relating to registration decals; discontinued.
Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Requests the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Virginia Consumer Protection Act; mold remediation. Requires landlords subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to utilize mold inspectors and remediators certified by a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body for mold remediation that comply with (i) the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation, as revised, or (ii) any other equivalent ANSI-accredited mold remediation standard, when conducting or offering to conduct mold remediation in the Commonwealth. The bill additionally prohibits selling or offering for sale services as a professional mold inspector without meeting the same requirements of a mold inspector under the Act. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish and publish a resource to educate the public on laws, policies, and information about the mold inspection and mold remediation industry in the Commonwealth.
Nursing facilities; related party rent disclosures; incentive payment reduction; penalty. Requires any nursing facility enrolled as a Medicaid provider that makes rent or lease payments to publicly disclose information related to the rent or lease payments, including whether payments are made to a related party, the nature of the related party, and the related party rent expense, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to determine whether related party rent expenses exceed a fair rental value benchmark and if so, deduct a portion of any incentive payment owed to the nursing facility. A knowingly false attestation or disclosure is punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor.
