Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 1147: Medicine and Nursing, Boards of; continuing education, bias reduction training.

Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; continuing education; bias reduction training. Directs the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to require certain licensees to complete continuing learning activities on bias reduction in health care as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure and authorizes the Board of Nursing to require certain continuing learning activities or courses in a specific subject area. Under current law, the Board of Medicine has such authority. This bill is identical to SB 22.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates bias reduction training for healthcare licensees, improving patient care quality and addressing discrimination in health services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 8, 2026

SB 596: Contraception; definitions, establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement.

Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to HB 6.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes legal right to contraceptives, protecting access to a core healthcare service and patient rights per bill's enforcement provisions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 425: Pregnant and postpartum patients; reimbursement for remote monitoring services through pregnancy.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote monitoring services through pregnancy and postpartum for high-risk pregnant patients; reimbursement. Expands provision for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine to include high-risk pregnant persons through 12 months postpartum. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to assess expanding similar provision of payment for patients with advanced maternal age and submit a report of its findings to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands telemedicine coverage for all pregnant/postpartum patients, increasing access beyond current high-risk-only policy, directly advancing healthcare access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 815: Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; administration of nursing scholarships.

Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; administration of nursing scholarships. Grants the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority the authority to administer scholarships related to nursing and to promulgate regulations exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act as may be necessary to carry out the administration of nursing scholarship and loan programs. Under current law, the Board of Health is the administrative authority for such scholarships and the Commissioner of Health serves as the fiscal agent for the Board in the administration of some scholarship funds. The bill directs the Authority to establish an annual reporting schedule requiring submission of health workforce data, requires the Authority to establish and provide oversight and strategic guidance to the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center, and grants the Authority the authority to evaluate health workforce programs administered or supported by the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center to establish an advisory board to provide it with strategic oversight and guidance. This bill is identical to SB 405.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdministers nursing scholarships, enhancing higher education access for nursing students, directly supporting educational access in higher education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds nursing scholarships to develop healthcare workforce, directly supporting medical professional training and access to care per healthcare indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 8, 2026

SB 535: Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; required liability insurance coverage.

Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; required liability insurance coverage. Provides that the regulations of the Board of Health shall require purchasers of licensed nursing homes or certified nursing facilities with claims-made policies of liability insurance coverage to purchase an extended reporting endorsement of two years after the date of sale or to purchase liability insurance coverage with dates that begin two years prior to the date the existing owner's policies end.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires extended liability insurance for nursing homes, protecting residents by ensuring coverage for claims made after policy termination and strengthening facility accountability in healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 1313: Workers' compensation; law-enforcement officers and firefighters, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Workers' compensation. Provides that, for the purposes of workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter, an incident or exposure without any accompanying physical injury occurring in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2027, is a qualifying event, as defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands workers' compensation coverage for mental health conditions (PTSD, anxiety, depression) in first responders, strengthening access to healthcare for job-related mental health exacerbations.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' compensation benefits for law-enforcement/firefighters with work-exacerbated mental health conditions, strengthening protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 257: Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health.

Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health. Encourages localities to utilize relevant and available data and research related to social determinants of health to consider how the locality's adopted comprehensive plan will impact the locality's overall public health and access to health care services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEncourages data-driven planning to improve public health and health care access, aligning with supportive indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 433: Newborn screening; evaluation of disorders for inclusion, process for considering other disorders.

Newborn screening; process for evaluation of disorders for inclusion. Directs the Department of Health to establish a process for considering the addition of disorders to the Commonwealth's newborn screening program that are not included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, which process shall include criteria and a timeline for consideration of disorders and a timeline for initiation of rulemaking.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareDirects evaluation of disorders for newborn screening inclusion, expanding public health program coverage to include treatable conditions.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 1529: Tax Commissioner; information sharing, eligibility for medical assistance.

Tax Commissioner; information sharing; eligibility for medical assistance. Authorizes the Tax Commissioner to provide to the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange information voluntarily provided by taxpayers for the purposes of identifying persons who meet the income eligibility requirements for medical assistance and would like to newly enroll in medical assistance. The bill authorizes the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to divulge to the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Social Services, upon entering into a written agreement, such information to facilitate such enrollments and applications, as applicable. The bill contains technical amendments and is effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables tax-to-health agency information sharing to identify and enroll eligible individuals in medical assistance, expanding access to coverage.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 1504: Service member community members; medical care facilities, health care equity.

Service member community members; medical care facilities; health care equity. Permits medical care facilities to screen each patient for information on their eligibility as a service member community member, as defined by the bill. The bill permits medical care facilities to identify service member community members as a vulnerable population and comply with the most recent health care equity standards published by The Joint Commission.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePermits screening for service member community members as vulnerable population, applying health care equity standards to improve access and protections.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransPermits medical facilities to identify service members as vulnerable for health care equity, advancing veteran healthcare access under Joint Commission standards.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare