Legislative Update
Top 20 Bills, 2008 Legislative Session
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 12 - Oder - Payday Loan Act; requires SCC to contract with one or more parties to develop, etc. database. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0849) | 04/23/08 |
| notes: Establishes a maximum annual interest rate for payday loans of 36 percent. References in the Payday Loan Act to the fee that may be charged on such loans are revised to refer to the interest that may be charged. | |||
| HB 85 - Landes - Prescription Medication Donation Program; established. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0429) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Eliminates existing section governing return of prescription medications. Establishes a program for the donation and redistribution of prescription medications. Authorizes pharmacies to accept prescription medications, other than controlled substances, that meet certain requirements and allows pharmacies to dispense medications to clinics providing health care to the indigent or free of charge. | |||
| HB 251 - O'Bannon - Adult Fatality Review Team; created, report. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Finance | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539) | 03/17/08 |
| notes: Establishes the Adult Fatality Review Team to review suspicious deaths of any incapacitated adult aged 18 or older and any adult aged 60 or older (i) who was the subject of an adult protective services investigation, (ii) whose death was due to abuse or neglect or acts that suggest abuse or neglect, or (iii) whose death came under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner pursuant to § 32.1-283. The bill sets forth duties, membership, confidentiality, reporting, and other requirements for the team. The bill also exempts any information acquired during a review from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. | |||
| HB 806 - Englin - Infectious diseases; residential or day program, etc. licensed by State to report cases. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0367) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Requires any residential facility or group home licensed by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services or the Department of Social Services to report cases of diseases required to be reported by the Board of Health | |||
| HB 1311 - Byron - Credit reports; authorizes consumer to freeze access thereto. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0496) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Authorizes any consumer to freeze access to his credit report. If a consumer has placed a freeze on his credit report, a consumer reporting agency is prohibited from releasing the credit report, or any information in it, without the consumer's express authorization. The measure provides a means by which a consumer can release his report, permanently, temporarily, or to a specific third party. Certain disclosures are exempt from the freeze. A fee of up to $10 may be charged for establishing or lifting a freeze, except identity theft victims are not required to pay a fee except for a temporary lifting of the freeze within 15 minutes of receipt of certain electronic requests. A person who willfully fails to comply with the requirements is liable to a consumer for actual damages of between $100 and $1,000, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees. A person who negligently fails to comply with the requirements is liable to a consumer for actual damages and reasonable attorney fees. | |||
| SB 51 - Whipple - Health insurance; extension of coverage funded by localities. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Local Government | (H) Failed to report (defeated) in Commerce and Labor (8-Y 14-N) | 02/26/08 |
| notes: Provides that the governing body of any locality that self-funds a health insurance program for its officers and employees may extend coverage under such program to any other class of persons as may be mutually agreed upon by the locality and the policyholder. | |||
| SB 69 - Howell - Absentee voting; qualified voters may vote absentee without providing reason. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Left in Privileges and Elections | 03/10/08 |
| notes: Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot for those persons who vote absentee by mail. This bill is identical to SB 8 and HB 309. This bill incorporates SB 8 and SB 646 | |||
| SB 344 - Blevins - Stroke Triage Plan; Board of Health to develop and maintain as component of EMS Plan. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Finance | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0567) | 03/17/08 |
| notes: Requires the Board of Health to develop and maintain as a component of the Emergency Medical Services Plan a statewide pre-hospital and interhospital Stroke Triage Plan designed to promote rapid access for stroke patients to appropriate, organized stroke care. The Plan shall include formal regional stroke triage plans, which shall be reviewed triennially. | |||
| SB 463 - Whipple - Infectious diseases; residential or day program, etc. licensed by State to report cases. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0412) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Adds persons in charge of residential facilities licensed by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services or the Department of Social Services to the list of nonphysicians who must report infectious diseases. Also requires that reports be made to both the local health director and the Commissioner of Health, rather than just one of the two. | |||
| SB 701 - Lucas - Long-term care services; adds representatives of housing, etc. to coordination committees. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0419) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Adds to the membership of the local long-term care coordination committee organizations providing housing and transportation services, and other appropriate organizations providing long-term care services. | |||
| SJ 102 - Stosch - Family caregivers; Joint Commission on Health Care to study support services therefor. | (H) Committee on Rules (S) Committee on Rules | (S) Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ102ER) | 03/12/08 |
| notes: Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study support services for family caregivers of the frail elderly and disabled and community-based caregiver support organizations. | |||
