JCHC Legislation
2026
Policy Solutions to the Commonwealth's Fentanyl Crisis
HB795 (Delegate Reaser)/ SB257 (Senator Favola)
Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for (i) at least one other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary and (ii) at least one nonprescription opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal that is available over the counter. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits.
Budget Item #278 N.
Out of this appropriation, $105,115 the first year and $105,115 the second year from the Commonwealth Opioid Abatement and Remediation fund shall be provided to fund the fiscal impact of Chapters 667 and 668, 2026 Acts of Assembly which requires the development of a strategic plan for opioid response.
HB794 (Delegate Reaser)/ SB308 (Senator Pekarsky)
Directs the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth and to provide a report on the status of such strategic plan and its implementation.
HB1063 (Delegate Hodges)/ SB706 (Senator Srinivasan)
Directs the Department of Health to maintain a list of agencies and organizations that submit requests for and receive opioid antagonists through its distribution program and requires the Department to submit a quarterly report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the chair of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on its distribution of opioid antagonists. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1 of each year estimating the costs of the opioid antagonist distribution program for the following fiscal year using a methodology developed by the Department pursuant to parameters set out in the bill.
Budget Item #394 J.
Included in the appropriation for this item is $2,153,600 the first year and $2,153,600 the second year from the general fund to support the pilot programs authorized in Item 398, Chapter 836, 2017 Acts of Assembly. The Department shall establish, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, criteria to select additional grantees. Current grantees of the model addiction recovery program shall receive priority consideration for funding under the jail mental health pilot program. Grantees may not be funded through this pilot for more than two years, and the Department shall ensure grantees develop a plan to sustain program operations beyond the period of state funding.
Budget Item #394 X.
Included in the appropriation for this item is $1,000,000 from the Commonwealth Opioid Abatement and Remediation Fund for deposit in the Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund.
HB454 (Delegate Willett)/ SB690 (Senator Srinivasan)
Removes the requirement that the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, develop a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail.
HB455 (Delegate Willett)/ SB599 (Senator Srinivasan)
Requires the grant procedure to govern funds awarded to local and regional jails for the planning or operation of substance use disorder treatment services and transition services for persons with substance use disorder who are incarcerated in local and regional jails to include requirements that (i) any grant awarded shall be made for up to three years and (ii) an applicant for a grant submit a plan demonstrating how such applicant will become independently financially viable within the time period for which the grant is awarded.
HB209 (Delegate Price)/ SB608 (Senator Pillion)
Directs the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to develop agency guidelines for hiring peer recovery specialists with previous criminal convictions for compensated employment.
HB712 (Delegate Wachsmann)/ SB641 (Senator Pillion)
Directs the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.
Policy Solutions to the Commonwealth's Fentanyl Crisis study report.
Transportation Related Barriers to Care
Budget Item #291 VVVVV
The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall amend existing contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to require the MCOs to adopt performance metrics for Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) brokers consistent with performance metrics implemented for the Fee-for-Service NEMT program and require such MCOs to report annually, by no later than November 1, to the Department regarding the performance of the NEMT brokers on such metrics.