Constitutional amendment (second reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, as defined in the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment specifies that, notwithstanding the other provisions of the amendment, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, as defined in the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment specifies that, notwithstanding the other provisions of the amendment, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.
School boards; mental health awareness training; full-time school bus drivers. Permits any school board to require each school bus driver employed on a full-time basis in the local school division to complete mental health awareness training at least once. The bill requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to consider condensing and abbreviating the existing mental health first aid training program into a two-hour module that any school board may utilize in order to train full-time school bus drivers.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid estate recoveries. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to limit the operation of its estate recovery program to the recovery of only federally required costs. The bill directs the Department to make information on estate recovery available on its website in multiple languages. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought. Specifies that the Administrative Process Act applies to case decisions regarding the grant or denial, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service, of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. The bill also removes provisions limiting review of case decisions to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency.
Advanced practice registered nurses; authorization to practice without a practice agreement; service in military or employment with Department of Veterans Affairs. Permits advanced practice registered nurses who practiced autonomously for at least three years as part of either military service or employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs to practice without a practice agreement.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid benefit for nutrition services programs; sunset. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to, conditional on the receipt of all necessary approvals and the securing of federal financial participation, implement a provision for payment of medical assistance for nutrition services programs which may include case management, nutrition counseling and instruction, home-delivered meals and pantry stocking, nutrition prescriptions, and grocery provisions. The bill directs the Department to prioritize the purchase and distribution of locally grown food wherever feasible. The implementation of nutrition services programs pursuant to the bill is conditional on the Department obtaining all necessary approvals and federal financial participation. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027, if such approval and federal financial participation is not obtained.
State pharmacy benefits manager; contractual provisions; report. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services' contract with the state pharmacy benefits manager to (i) require that that ingredient-cost reimbursement is based on the national average drug acquisition cost, or if unavailable, the wholesale acquisition cost minus a discount set by the Department, plus a professional dispensing fee, determined by the Department; (ii) require real-time or near real-time transparency in drug costs, rebates collected and paid, dispensing fees paid, administrative fees, and all other charges, fees, costs, and holdbacks, claim denials appeals, and network participation; (iii) prohibit the state pharmacy benefits manager from steering Medicaid recipients to affiliated pharmacies through differential cost-sharing, restrictive network design, or the mandatory use of a mail order pharmacy provider; (iv) require the state pharmacy benefits manager to (a) meet network adequacy standards established by the Department; (b) allow any willing pharmacy to participate in the pharmacy network; (c) verify that all contracted pharmacies are actively accepting Medicaid recipients; (d) submit annual reports containing certain information; (e) disclose to the Department pricing and maximum acquisition cost methodologies; and (f) allow invoice-based or national average drug acquisition cost-based appeals and require an adjustment of rates network-wide when an appeal is upheld; and (v) include enforcement mechanisms and monetary penalties for noncompliance. Additionally, the bill requires Department to annually calculate the savings generated by the use of the state pharmacy benefits manager and to annually increase its dispensing fee by the amount of such savings. The bill requires the Department to annually (1) publish and make available on its website its annual and total savings achieved, the annual and total amount applied to dispensing fees increases, and the updated dispensing fees and (2) report to the General Assembly on the state pharmacy benefits manager's compliance, national average drug acquisition cost compliance, pharmacy reimbursement trends, network adequacy compliance, and dispensing fee sufficiency.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to HB 781.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to SB 449.
