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2010 General Assembly Session Archives

December 20, 2010

State Budget. Governor McDonnell has presented his amendments to the current fiscal year 2010-12 state budget, including his priorities and recommendations. Within Health & Human Resources there are important recommendations relating to state health reform implementation. Unfortunately, recommendations did not include correcting the 4 percent cuts to provider payments scheduled for fiscal year 2012.  The following are highlights of the Governor’s Biennial budget Amendments (note highlights that have an effect on VCU):

• $54 million for Job Creation and Economic Development proposals including initiatives to grow Virginia’s innovation economy, revitalize economically distressed communities, expand small business and tourism and train workers for Virginia businesses. 

• $150 million to jumpstart the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank.  Money will be coupled with $250 million from the VDOT audit to put $400 million into the Bank at start, with funding to rise to $1 billion by end of Administration. This is part of the Governor’s plan to inject $4 billion into transportation over the next three years. Other components include the issuance of $1.1 billion in federal GARVEE Bonds which do not add to state debt capacity and the issuance of up to $1.8 billion in already approved transportation bonds.

• $50 million for Higher Education geared toward increasing college access and affordability and meeting the goal of awarding 100,000 degrees over the next fifteen years in the Commonwealth.

• $191 million in Cuts, Savings and Reappropriations recommended by the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, providing more state funding for core functions of government focused on job creation and economic development.

• Reform of Virginia’s Retirement System (VRS) requiring all state employees to contribute 5 percent to their retirement plans.  The reforms will put over $300 million in additional funds into the VRS system in fiscal year 2012 alone and will add $4.2 billion over the next 10 years. The employee contributions will be matched with a 3 percent pay raise.

March 19, 2010. The General Assembly adjourned on Sunday, March 14th.   The House and the Senate will return for the Reconvened Session on April 21st.
 
A summary of significant legislation considered by the 2010 General Assembly can be seen on the Virginia Division of Legislative Services site while the education/administration bills and health bills of interest can be viewed on the Office of Government Relations and Health Policy website. 

State Budget.  We will discuss the outcome for a number of University and Health System priorities in next week’s update. 

To view more information regarding the impact on the University of the final budget conference report, please visit a side-by-side produced by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration here.  To view a matrix outlining the different provisions in the final budget for the Health System, please visit here. 

March 12, 2010. The General Assembly was originally scheduled to adjourn tomorrow, Saturday, March 13th.   With the conferees still in budget negotiations, the adjournment may be delayed.  As of now, the House and the Senate will return for Reconvened Session on April 21st.
 
State Budget.  The General Assembly is in the final hours of the 2010 session.  They have a number of matters yet to be resolved, including the budget bill.  We anticipate they will work through the weekend to adopt a compromise.  We will provide more detailed information once it becomes available.

2135 bills and 802 resolutions were introduced.   We tracked 201 higher education and administration bills and 240 health related bills, totaling 441 bills.   

Below are some of the bills of interest that have passed the Senate and House:

Education and Administration Bills

• HB 1066 (Athey):  Uniform certificate for general studies

• HB 1189 (Putney):  Modifies retirement benefits, especially for new employees

• HB 1238/SB 608 (Torian/Edwards):  Concerning crisis and emergency management requirements for higher education

• HB 1389/SB 736 (Peace/Newman):  College laboratory schools

• SB 209 (Barker):  Grants a minimum of 24 undergraduate credit hours for successfully completing the International Baccalaureate diploma program

Health Bills

• HB 11 (R. Marshall):  Peer utilization reviews on healthcare claims

• HB 1301/SB 731 (Nutter/Reynolds):  Creates the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority

• SB 275 (Whipple):  Clarifies authorities for advanced medical directives

• SB 283/SB 311/SB 417 (Quayle/Martin/Vogel):  Prohibits a federal mandate for individuals to have health insurance

• SB 423 (Herring):  Limits liability for healthcare providers who volunteer in free clinics or federally qualified health centers

• SB 549 (Barker):  Creates the Virginia Network of Geospatial Health Research Authority

• SB 675 (Wampler):  Mandated health benefits for telemedicine

• HB 1263/SB 622 (Ware/Wampler):  Reimbursement for dental plans

Below are some of the bills of interest that failed to pass the General Assembly: 

Education and Administration Bills

• HB 32 (Marshall):  Would allow faculty at Virginia’s colleges and institutions to possess a handgun if they have a concealed weapons permit

• HB 171 (Pogge):  Would restrict companies/organizations from adopting policies that prohibit locking guns in cars in their parking lots

• HB 324 (Plum):  Would increase the average final compensation retirement multiplier from 1.7% to 1.8% (resulting in a higher income for retirees)

• HB 511 (Brink):  Would require that both VRS and ORP participants pay for part of their retirement

• HB 732 (Albo):  Would assess a surcharge on in-state students after completing 8 semesters

• HB 899 (Comstock):  Would mandate increasing the number of enrolled Virginia domiciles to a minimum of 80%

• HB 990 (Nutter):  Would require the Department of General Services to establish a fee schedule for procurement contracts within eVA

• HB 1011 (Athey):  Would allow community colleges the authority to grant baccalaureate degrees in specific high needs areas (such as nursing, education and applied technology)

• HB 1015/HB 1144 (Hugo/Scott):  Would mandate telecommuting and alternative work schedule guidelines and goals 

• HB 1016/SB 534 (Hugo/McDougle):  Would shift higher education oversight and responsibilities from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to the Secretary of Education

• HB 1026 (Albo):  Would mandate increasing the number of enrolled Virginia domiciles to a minimum of 75%

• HB 1070 (Athey):  Would allow concealed permit holders to bring guns into emergency shelters

• SB 327 (Stuart):  Would add an additional 50 foot encumbrance on an easement and prohibit individuals and entities from placing personal property on the easement

• SB 700 (Stosch):  Would implement a mandatory management-to-staff ratio of one manager for every eleven full-time employees for state agencies

• SB 720 (Norment):  Would authorize the Tier 3 institutions (VCU, UVA, VT and WM) to charge either a fixed or variable tuition amount based on ability to pay

Health Bills

• HB 35 (Marshall):  Would require data reporting from physicians treating patients experiencing complications

• HB 87 (Marshall): Would establish a system for determining medical injury liability

• HB 1136 (Morgan):  Would expand the ability of prescribers to authorize use of medicinal marijuana

• HB 1167/HB 1170 (Phillips/Phillips):  Would require additional regulations and responsibilities for prescribers of Schedule II, III and IV substances. 

• HB 1326/SB 367(Merricks/Puckett):  Would direct the Workers’ Compensation Commission to appoint a task force to address provider payment issues

• SB 263 (Whipple):  Would remove certain supervision provisions of physicians

March 5, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th.  The last day for committees to meet and take action on legislation for the General Assembly session is Monday, March 8th. 

State Budget.  The budget conferees assigned to the Committee of Conference continue to meet to discuss compromises to the House and Senate budgets and, should they remain on schedule, are expected to have their work completed by Tuesday. 

This week President Rao, Don Gehring and Mark Smith met with nine of twelve budget conferees regarding VCU's budget needs (Delegates Lacey Putney, Kirk Cox, Chris Jones and Steven Landes and Senators Charles Colgan, Richard Saslaw, Edd Houck, Janet Howell and Walter Stosch). 

We should have a better understanding of the final budget late next week. 

Out of approximately 2,700 bills and resolutions that were introduced, only 500 remain to be acted upon. We are tracking 200 education and administration bills and 235 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Telemedicine.  SB 675 (requires health insurance coverage for healthcare services provided through telemedicine) passed the House unanimously on Tuesday (with one abstention).  VCU worked with UVA, MSV and other stakeholders to get this bill passed.     

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus.  As expected, Senator Marsh, Chairman of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, announced a special subcommittee on Monday to work on nearly 20 gun and concealed weapon bills.  The subcommittee met on Thursday and voted to not recommend HB 171 (restricts companies/organizations from adopting policies that prohibit locking guns in cars in their parking lots) or HB 1070 (would allow concealed permit holders to bring guns into emergency shelters) to the full committee.  

• Admissions and Residency Criteria.  SB 209 was unanimously passed by the House last Friday.  The bill clarifies admissions policies for institutions to grant a minimum of 24 undergraduate credit hours to entering freshmen students who have successfully completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program. 

• College Partnership Laboratory Schools.  The Governor’s legislation concerning the establishment of College Partnership Laboratory Schools (SB 736), which is included in the charter bill package of legislation, was heard in the Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday.  The committee voted to report the legislation.

• Faculty and Staff.  HB 1189 (modifies benefits for state employees hired after July 1, 2010) passed the Senate last week with a substitute.  The Senate substitute was unanimously rejected by the House on Monday, with the Senate later requesting a conference committee.  Committee conferees include Senators Roscoe Reynolds, John Watkins and Mary Margaret Whipple; and Delegates Johnny Joannou, Chris Jones and Lacey Putney.

• Geospatial Health Research.  SB 549, which originally created the Virginia Network for Geospatial Health Research Authority, was stripped down in the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and reported with a substitute.  The legislation now requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources and Technology to evaluate opportunities for developing a network for geospatial health research with institutions of higher education and to report their findings no later than December 1, 2010. 

February 26, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th. 

State Budget.  On Thursday, the House and Senate passed their respective budget bills and, next week by custom, the Senate will reject the House budget and the House will reject the Senate budget.  A Committee of Conference has been created to resolve the differences in the budget proposals between now and the scheduled March 13th adjournment.  Serving as budget conferees are Senators Charles Colgan, Edward Houck, Janet Howell, Richard Saslaw, Walter Stosch and William Wampler, with Tommy Norment acting as a special advisor.  Delegates include Lacey Putney, Kirk Cox, Johnny Joannou, Beverly Sherwood, and VCU legislative alumni Chris Jones and Steven Landes.

Out of approximately 2,700 bills and resolutions that were introduced, only 1000 remain after Crossover Day. We are tracking 200 education and administration bills and 235 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Telemedicine.  SB 675 (requires health insurance coverage for healthcare services provided through telemedicine) was heard by the House Commerce and Labor committee on Tuesday.  The legislation passed the committee 21 – 0, with one member abstaining.  VCU worked with UVA, MSV and other stakeholders to get this bill passed.     

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus.  HB 1238, concerning crisis and emergency management requirements for higher education, was reported from the Senate Education and Health committee and unanimously passed the Senate on Monday.  A similar bill (SB 608) was heard in the House Education Higher Education subcommittee this week.  A substitute version of the bill that made it identical to HB 1238 was reported unanimously from the full House Education committee on Tuesday.  No action occurred this week on the firearms related bills of interest (HB 171 and HB 1070), but it is expected that Senator Marsh, chairman of the Senate Courts of Justice committee, will announce a special subcommittee on Monday to work on nearly 20 gun and concealed weapon bills. Among the bills will be HB 171, which restricts companies/organizations from adopting policies that prohibit locking guns in cars in their parking lots, and HB 1070, which would allow concealed permit holders to bring guns into emergency shelters.

• Admissions and Residency Criteria.  HB 1066, requiring the development of a uniform certificate of general studies program, was approved by the Senate Education and Health subcommittee on Higher Education.  SB 209 was reported unanimously from the House Education committee on Wednesday.  The bill clarifies admissions policies for institutions to grant a minimum of 24 undergraduate credit hours to entering freshmen students who have successfully completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program. 

• College Partnership Laboratory Schools.  The Governor’s legislation concerning the establishment College Partnership Laboratory Schools (SB 736) was presented in the Senate Education and Health committee on Thursday and will be voted on by the committee next Thursday.

• Faculty and Staff.  HB 1189, legislation modifying benefits for state employees hired after July 1, 2010, was amended on the Senate floor on Wednesday and passed unanimously. 

February 19, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th. 

State Budget.  Governor McDonnell held a press conference on Wednesday to outline his plan for cutting $2.1 billion from the state budget.  These cuts include:

• $925 million from compensation and benefits to state employees, including up to five unpaid furlough days off each year in the biennium.  The Governor stated that he recommends reversing a proposal in the introduced biennium budget requiring existing state employees pay a portion of the cost of their Virginia Retirement System (VRS) retirement and reducing the scheduled FY 2011 health insurance premium increase. He also proposed that state employees receive a one-time 3% bonus in December 2011.

• $300 million in cuts to Health and Human Resources programs, including $27.8 million in Medicaid provider reimbursement reductions and freezing indigent care funding to the VCU Health System at the FY 2010 level.  The recommendations also include freezing enrollment in the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) program.

• The Governor’s proposal does not include many further cuts to higher education funding due to institutions taking an almost 26% reduction in general fund support by FY 2012 (based on prior reductions approved in 2009 and proposed in 2010).  However, his proposal does reduce funding for the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program and eliminates the Eminent Scholars program.

Additional information regarding the Governor’s proposed budget cuts, including a cost savings breakdown, can be seen here.

On Sunday, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees will announce their respective budget recommendations to the Governor’s introduced budget. 

We will release a special budget update on Monday with a side-by-side of the budget recommendations of the Governor, Senate and House of Delegates.

Currently 2127 bills have been introduced as well as 462 resolutions.  We are tracking 191 education and administration bills and 233 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Health Insurance Coverage.  Several of the mandated health benefits bills were voted on by the Senate this week.  SB 675 (requires health insurance coverage for healthcare services provided through telemedicine) passed unanimously out of the Senate.  SB 464 (requires health insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder) passed the Senate on a 27 to 13 vote.    

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus.  Two of the firearms related bills of interest crossed over this week.  A substitute version of HB 171 (regulates and provides civil immunity for the possession of firearms stored in locked motor vehicles) passed the House on a 72 to 27 vote while HB 1070 (allows firearms to be carried into emergency shelters) passed on a 74 to 24 vote.

• College Partnership Laboratory Schools.  The Governor’s legislation concerning the establishment College Partnership Laboratory Schools (HB 1389 and SB 736) will be heard in the House Education committee and Senate Education and Health committee next week.

• Faculty and Staff.  Legislation modifying benefits for state employees hired after July 1, 2010 passed the House on an 80 to 19 vote.  HB 1189 eliminates the state’s 5% payment of employees’ pension contributions, reduces cost-of-living adjustments and increases the average final compensation calculation from the highest 36 months of salary to the highest 60 months of salary.  This bill was sent to a special subcommittee of Senate Finance for further review. 

• Workers’ Compensation.  Only one of the bills concerning healthcare provider reimbursement under the Workers’ Compensation Commission passed the house of origin and advanced to the other body this week.  A substitute version of HB 1326 was reported to the House but was amended on the House floor before it unanimously passed.  HB 1326 directs the Workers’ Compensation Commission to appoint a task force to address the issues of surgical assistants, bundling of payments for separate procedures and prompt pay for providers.  The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee chose to continue the identical SB 367 to 2011.

February 12, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th. 

State Budget.  Between now and February 16th, House and Senate standing committees will be conducting their final meetings in preparation for crossover.  House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees will be working on the budget with a deadline of Sunday, February 21st to approve their respective budget amendments to the Governor’s introduced budget. 

Secretary of Finance Ric Brown met with Senate Finance Committee members and staff this week to discuss potential budget cuts under consideration by the McDonnell administration, including an additional $700 million from education, $300 million from health and human services and $700 million from employee compensation (which incorporates furlough time).

Currently 2127 bills have been introduced as well as 462 resolutions.  We are tracking 191 education and administration bills and 233 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus.  HB 32, the bill that would allow faculty at Virginia’s colleges and institutions to possess a handgun if they have a concealed weapons permit, was tabled in a House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee Monday on a 3 to 2 vote.  As previously mentioned, the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) and the institutions worked closely with the patron of HB 1238 to clarify the language of the bill.  The House Education committee reported a substitute bill on Monday which incorporated the preferred language.

• Tuition and Financial Aid.  Legislation was heard in the House Appropriations Higher Education subcommittee on Monday that would assess a surcharge on in-state students who take more than 8 semesters to graduate.  HB 732 was incorporated into another bill on the subcommittee docket (HB 1026).

• Admissions and Residency Criteria.  Several of the admissions bills concerning the in-state/out-of-state population mix were also heard in the House Appropriations Higher Education subcommittee meeting.  HB 899, which would mandate increasing the number of enrolled Virginia domiciles to a minimum of 80%, was incorporated into a similar bill with a threshold of 75% (HB 1026).  HB 1026 was subsequently tabled by the subcommittee with a letter to Governor McDonnell asking if it could be studied as part of his Higher Education Blue Ribbon Commission.  HB 1066, requiring the development of a uniform certificate of general studies program, was reported by the subcommittee with amendments.  The amendment language requires that the Virginia Community College System, public institutions of higher education and SCHEV work together to develop the certificate criteria.  SB 209 came before the Senate Education and Health committee on Thursday, with the committee recommending that a substitute version of the bill be reported.  The bill clarifies admissions policies for institutions to grant a minimum of 24 undergraduate credit hours to entering freshmen students who have successfully completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

• Faculty and Staff.  On Monday, a House Science and Technology subcommittee heard two bills of interest concerning telecommuting and alternative work schedule mandates and guidelines.  The subcommittee members chose to table HB 1015 while HB 1144, which increases the target goal to 40% for employee participation in telecommuting and alternative work schedules, was continued to the 2011 session.  Several bills concerning the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) were heard in the House Appropriations Compensation and Retirement subcommittee on Thursday.  The subcommittee recommended that no action be taken on HB 511, which required that both VRS and ORP participants pay for part of their retirement.  Legislation impacting state employees hired after July 1, 2010 was reported with amendments by the subcommittee.  HB 1189 eliminates the state’s 5% payment of employees’ pension contributions, reduces cost-of-living adjustments and increases the average final compensation calculation from the highest 36 months of salary to the highest 60 months of salary. 

• Procurement and Facilities.  Several bills concerning procurement guidelines and the construction and administration of facilities were introduced this session.  SB 327 would add an additional 50 foot encumbrance on an easement and prohibit individuals and entities from placing personal property on the easement.  The bill was passed by indefinitely by the Senate Courts of Justice committee on Monday.  On Thursday, the House General Laws committee tabled HB 990.  The bill required the Department of General Services to establish a fee schedule for procurement contracts within eVA.

• Court Filing Fees.  The Senate Courts of Justice committee advanced legislation on Monday that increases court fees for filing civil actions in Virginia’s district and circuit courts.  SB 329 raises the court fees from $27 to $75 in a district court civil action, posing a potential negative fiscal impact to the VCU Health System collections process.

• Paraprofessional Training.  HB 581 requires those individuals seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license with an endorsement in special education and working with students with autism spectrum disorders to obtain a certificate of completion in coursework in autism spectrum disorders.  The House Education committee reported a substitute version of HB 581 and the bill was referred to the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday, where it was tabled in the Elementary and Secondary subcommittee.

• Workers’ Compensation.  The first of two bills concerning healthcare provider reimbursement under the Workers’ Compensation Commission was heard in committee this week, with the House Commerce and Labor committee reporting a substitute version of HB 1326.  HB 1326 now directs the Workers’ Compensation Commission to appoint a task force to address the issues of surgical assistants, bundling of payments for separate procedures and prompt pay for providers.  On the Senate side, SB 367 is on the Senate Commerce and Labor committee docket for Monday and will be amended to look identical to the House version. 

February 5, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th.  Due to severe weather conditions in other parts of the state today, the House cancelled the floor session, while the Senate held a pro forma session.  All legislative committee meetings were cancelled. 

State Budget.  Senior members of the Senate Finance Committee met on Tuesday to discuss further education and healthcare cuts to close a $2 billion budget deficit (approximately $4 billion deficit if revenues included in the introduced budget are not included).  According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, information obtained in confidential working papers for the committee discuss the possibility of nearly $480 million in cuts for health and human services and $150 million from higher education.

Between now and February 16th, House and Senate standing committees will be conducting their final meetings in preparation for what is known as “Crossover Day.” Crossover is the deadline established by the House and Senate that requires legislative bills to be advanced from their house of origin to the other body.

Currently 2118 bills have been introduced as well as 425 resolutions.  We are tracking 188 education and administration bills and 233 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Health Insurance Coverage (HB 10, HB 12, HB 31, HB 34, HB 258, HB 265, HB 303, HB 315, HB 317, HB 345, HB 440, HB 576, HB 693, HB 722, HB 726, HB 1054, HB 1094, HB 1095, HB 1130, HB 1182, HB 1367, HJ 35, HJ 99, SB 283, SB 311, SB 417, SB 464, SB 642, SB 649, SB 697).  The first of three nearly identical Republican proposals concerning making it illegal to require an individual to purchase healthcare narrowly passed the Senate.  SB 283, introduced by Senator Quayle, was approved 23 to 17, with 5 Democrats crossing party lines to vote for the measure.  A mandated health benefits coverage bill, HB 303, which would provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in individuals from the date of diagnosis until 10 years of age, was heard in a Commerce and Labor subcommittee Tuesday evening.  The bill failed to report on a 4 to 4 vote.  A second bill related to health insurance mandates for autism, SB 649, also failed to report in the Senate Commerce and Labor full committee this week.  There are several bills concerning autism as it related to health insurance coverage, educational services and the role of the Commonwealth in delivering these services.

• Medical Malpractice (HB 11, HB 35, HB 87, HB 306, HB 662, SB 423).  Several of the bills dealing with medical complications and compensation for medical incidents were heard this week.  The House Courts of Justice committee tabled HB 87 on Monday.   The bill established a system for determining physician and hospital liability for medical complications.  On Thursday, HB 35 (required data reporting from physicians treating patients experiencing complications) came before a Health, Welfare and Institutions, which voted to table the bill.  

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus (HB 32, HB 152, HB 171, HB 885, HB 903, HB 1070, HB 1238, HB 1271, SB 207, SB 408, SB 608).  HB 1238, concerning crisis and emergency management requirements for higher education, was reheard in the House Education Higher Ed subcommittee on Tuesday and reported from the subcommittee with amendments.  Several of the firearm bills potentially impacting VCU were heard in subcommittee on Thursday, with HB 1070 (allows firearms to be carried into emergency shelters) and an amended version of HB 171 (regulates and provides civil immunity for the possession of firearms stored in locked motor vehicles) both being favorably reported out of subcommittee.  Due to the cancellation of Friday’s meetings, HB 32 will be heard in a rescheduled subcommittee meeting on Monday.  The bill would allow faculty at Virginia’s colleges and institutions to possess a handgun if they have a concealed weapons permit. 

• Admissions and Residency Criteria (HB 274, HB 300, HB 899, HB 1006, HB 1007, HB 1011, HB 1026, HB 1229, HB 1239, SB 209, SB 312, SB 544).  Several bills of interest concerning admissions and residency issues were heard in the House Education Higher Education subcommittee this week.  HB 1011, which would allow community colleges the authority to grant baccalaureate degrees in specific high needs areas (such as nursing, education and applied technology), was tabled.  Likewise, HB 1066, which requires SCHEV and the Virginia Community College System to develop a uniform certificate of general studies, was reported out of the subcommittee with amendments.

• Tuition and Financial Aid (HB 732, SB 720).  SB 720, which would authorize the Tier 3 institutions (VCU, UVA, VT and WM) to charge either a fixed or variable tuition amount based on ability to pay, was carried over until the 2011 session by the Senate Education Higher Education subcommittee on Thursday. 

• Faculty and Staff (HB 324, HB 455, HB 511, HB 610, HB 611, HB 716, HB 892,  HB 1015, HB 1116, HB 1144, HB 1189, SB 66, SB 141, SB 232, SB 242, SB 403, SB 700).  Several of the bills concerning state employees were heard in the House Appropriations Compensation and Retirement subcommittee in the past week.  The subcommittee recommended that no action be taken on HB 324 and HB 610.  The first bill would have increased the average final compensation retirement multiplier from 1.7% to 1.8% (resulting in a higher income for retirees) while the second bill created a new defined contribution retirement plan for all employees beginning after July 1, 2010.  Bills of particular interest remaining in the subcommittee include HB 511, which requires that both VRS and ORP participants pay for part of their retirement; and HB 1189, which modifies for new employees all of the defined benefit retirement plans administered by VRS.  The Senate Finance committee reported SB 232 (a bill which changes both the early and normal retirement ages for individuals in the VRS system) with a substitute on Thursday. 

• Nurse Practitioners (SB 263).  Senator Whipple introduced SB 263, a bill that removed certain supervision provisions of physicians.  After much debate in subcommittee, the bill stays on the docket because no member made a motion to report.  No further action in 2010 is expected. 

To view a list of upcoming committee and subcommittee meetings where legislation will be heard, please go to the Legislative Information System meeting site.

January 29, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th. 

Currently 2115 bills have been introduced as well as 374 resolutions.  We are tracking 186 education and administration bills and 230 health bills.  Some highlights include:

• Health Insurance Coverage (HB 10, HB 12, HB 31, HB 34, HB 258, HB 265, HB 303, HB 315, HB 317, HB 345, HB 440, HB 576, HB 693, HB 722, HB 726, HB 1054, HB 1094, HB 1095, HB 1130, HB 1182, HJ 35, HJ 99, SB 283, SB 311, SB 417, SB 464, SB 697).  The mandated health insurance benefits bills (HB 34, HB 1094, HB 1182, SB 464) were assigned to the respective House or Senate Commerce and Labor committee and have not been heard at this time.  There are several Medicaid bills in the mix this session – HB 345 would require the state to withdraw from the Medicaid program upon passage of federal healthcare reform while SB 697 would expand Medicaid coverage with a goal of achieving statewide coverage by July 1, 2012.  HB 345 is in the House Appropriations Health and Human Resources subcommittee and may be heard next week; and SB 697, which is currently in the Health Care subcommittee of Senate Education and Health, was on the docket for Tuesday but carried over to next week.

• Campus Security/Guns on Campus (HB 32, HB 152, HB 171, HB 885, HB 903, HB 1070, HB 1238, HB 1271, SB 207, SB 408, SB 608).  HB 1238 and SB 608 mandate that institutions conduct an annual live emergency drill in accordance with the protocols established by the institution's crisis and emergency management plan.  As mentioned last week, SB 608 was reported unanimously from the Senate Education and Health committee while the companion piece in the House (HB 1238) will be heard in the House Education Higher Ed subcommittee next Tuesday.  The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and higher education legislative liaisons are working with the patron to clarify the bill language.  No movement occurred this week on firearm legislation potentially impacting VCU (HB 32, HB 171, HB 1070, HB 1271).

• Admissions and Residency Criteria (HB 274, HB 300, HB 732, HB 899, HB 1006, HB 1007, HB 1026, HB 1229, HB 1239, SB 209, SB 312, SB 544).  Only one of the in-state/out-of-state population mix bills was heard this week. HB 732, which would increase the admission rate of in-state students to at least 75%, passed out of the House Education committee and was referred to the House Appropriations Higher Education subcommittee, which meets next Monday.  The other population mix admissions bills (HB 899, HB 1007) have also been assigned to the House Appropriations Higher Education subcommittee. 

• Administration of Government (HB 485, HB 510, HB 609, HB 1016, SB 431, SB 534, SJ 32).  The two bills dealing with the reorganization of government and shifting higher education responsibilities from SCHEV to the Secretary of Education were both heard this week.  The House Education Higher Education subcommittee recommended that HB 1016 be continued to 2011 while the Senate Education and Health Higher Education subcommittee voted to pass by indefinitely SB  534 after much debate.

• Faculty and Staff (HB 324, HB 455, HB 511, HB 610, HB 611, HB 716, HB 1015, HB 1116, HB 1144, HB 1189, SB 66, SB 242, SB 403, SB 700).  SB 700, which was introduced last Friday, would implement a mandatory management-to-staff ratio of one manager for every eleven full-time employees for state agencies.  The bill was heard in the Senate General Laws and Technology committee on Thursday and continued to 2011.  Several bills concerning state employees involve changes to the Virginia Retirement System have been introduced.  HB 324 increases the average final compensation retirement multiplier from 1.7% to 1.8%, resulting in a higher income for retirees.  HB 511 modifies retirement plans by having state employees pay a portion of their retirement contributions and makes several changes for new state and local employees.  In addition, there are a few bills outlining telecommuting and alternative work schedule goals and mandates for state employees (HB 1015, HB 1144).  Both bills have been assigned to the House Science and Technology committee.

• Prescription Authority.  Also of interest to VCU are several bills concerning scope of prescription authority.  These bills range from the schedule classification of pharmaceuticals (HB 716) to the identification and reporting requirements when prescribing certain drugs (HB 964, HB 1166).  Scope of prescription bills introduced include HB 1136, which expands the ability of prescribers to authorize use of medicinal marijuana; HB 1167 and HB 1170, concerning the prescription of Schedule II, III, and IV substances. 

To view a list of upcoming committee and subcommittee meetings where legislation will be heard, please go to the Legislative Information System meeting site.

January 22, 2010. The General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on March 13th. 

State Budget
Under the current economic climate, the General Assembly must address the state revenue shortfall by cutting an additional $4.2 billion dollars from the budget before the end of the session.  The House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees will be working on the budget over the next few weeks, with a deadline of Sunday, February 21st to approve their respective budget amendments and report their budget recommendations to the Governor’s introduced budget.

Key Legislation
Currently 1978 bills have been introduced as well as 315 resolutions.  We are tracking 167 education and administration bills and 207 health bills.  Some highlights include:

Also of interest to VCU is HJR 138, which encourages the preservation of several Shockoe Bottom area historic sites, including the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail and the slave burial ground located at 15th & Broad Streets in Shockoe Bottom.

To view a list of upcoming committee and subcommittee meetings where legislation will be heard, please go to the Legislative Information System meeting site.

January 15, 2010. The 2010 General Assembly session began on Wednesday.  To date, approximately 2000 bills and resolutions have been introduced.  To view legislation of interest to the University and Health System, please visit the Education and Administration and Health tracking lists maintained by the Office of Government Relations and Health Policy.

January 8, 2010. Governor Kaine unveiled his 2010 caboose budget and 2010-2012 biennial budget that he will submit for consideration by the 2010 General Assembly.  To view the highlights of his budget and the impact on VCU and VCU Health System, please visit the website of VCU’s Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration for a summary.

The 2010 General Assembly session begins on January 13th and is expected to adjourn on March 13th.  Tracking lists of legislation pertaining to higher education and administration or healthcare can be found on the Office of Government Relations and Health Policy website. 

December 18, 2009. To view the highlights of his budget and the effect on VCU and VCU Health System, please visit the website of VCU’s Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration.  The summary should be posted shortly.

Tracking lists of legislation pertaining to higher education and administration or healthcare can be found on the Office of Government Relations and Health Policy website. 

December 4, 2009. On December 18th, Governor Kaine will be presenting his budget recommendations for the 2010-2012 biennium to the General Assembly.  The 2010 State Legislative Priorities for VCU and the VCU Health System can be seen here.

The 2010 General Assembly session will begin on Wednesday, January 13th and is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, March 13th. 

If you have questions, contact Mark Rubin (merubin@vcu.edu) or Mark Smith (mesmith@vcu.edu). Our office phone number is: 804-828-1235.

Virginia Commonwealth University | Government Relations
Date Last Modified: November 2012
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