RICHMOND, Va. — We are just days away from 2024, and with a new year comes new laws in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The laws going into effect on January 1 were passed during the 2023 General Assembly session and then signed into law by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. The laws many different areas of residents' lives, from health care and marijuana to adoptions and counseling.
Here is a look at five Virginia laws that will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
1. Medical cannabis program; transition from Board of Pharmacy to Virginia Cannabis Control Authority
In 2021, while under Democratic Governor Ralph Northam Virginia lawmakers voted to legalize marijuana, but not until 2024. Years later, there still appears to be no word on the retail sales of marijuana in Virginia.
House Bill 1598 was Delegate Roxann L. Robinson (R) - House District 27 and transfers the oversight and administration of the Commonwealth's medical cannabis program from the Board of Pharmacy to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA).
Click here for the CCA's regulations on medical marijuana.
2. Health insurance; mandated coverage for hearing aids for minors
Senate Bill 1003 was introduced by Senator Bill DeSteph (R) - Senate District 8 and required health insurers, maintenance organizations and corporations providing health care coverage to cover hearing aids and related services to children 18 or younger if an otolaryngologist recommends it.
The coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months. The bill applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2024.
The legislation passed both the Senate and House unanimously in February and was signed by Youngkin in March.
3. Adoption and foster care; home study reciprocity
House Bill 1744 was introduced by Delegate Betsy B. Carr (D) - House District 69 and standardizes home studies for potential foster or adoptive homes and allows those reports to be shared across foster agencies. Home studies are a review of a hopeful family's lifestyle, living situation and adoption readiness. During the study, a licensed social worker will handle the review. These studies can last two to three months.
Beginning Jan. 1, those studies will be transferable between all localities, local boards, and licensed child-placing agencies within the state at the request of the prospective foster parent or the prospective adoptive parent, subject to any time limitations or other requirements imposed by law or regulation.
4. Licensure of professional counselors; Counseling Compact.
House Bill 1433 was introduced by Delegate Phillip A. Scott (R) - House District 88 and authorizes Virginia to join the Counseling Compact, allowing eligible licensed professional counselors to practice in other states also part of the compact without the need for multiple licenses.
The program is run by the Compact Commission, which is composed of one Delegate from each member state's licensing board or agency.
"The Compact permits eligible licensed professional counselors to practice in Compact member states, provided that they are licensed in at least one member state," the bill reads.
5. Health care provider panels and continuity of care
House Bill 2354 was introduced by Delegate Robert D. Orrock, Sr. (R) - House District 54 and aims to ensure the continuity of health care when there are changes to health insurance.
"[HB 2354] makes various changes to provisions related to the continuity of care for an enrollee after a provider is terminated from a health insurance carrier's provider panel," the bill reads.
Specifically, the law requires health insurance companies that use a "provider panel" — a certain type of contract with hospitals, physicians or other types of health care providers — to establish procedures for notifying enrollees when those providers are terminated.
The notification is required for providers "furnishing health care services to the enrollee or furnished health care services to the enrollee in the six months prior to the notice."
The law also requires notification of "the right of an enrollee upon request to continue to receive health care services as provided in the law following the provider's termination from a carrier's provider panel."
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