VirginiaHB10402026 Regular SessionHouse

VCU Health System Authority; changes relating to board of directors and chief executive officer.

Sponsored By: Betsy B. Carr (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the boards of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (v) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (vi) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to SB 431.

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

New board term limits and leadership

Board terms are four years. Members may serve no more than two full terms in a row, and must wait one year to be reappointed. Midterm vacancies are filled only for the time left. The board elects a chair and vice‑chair every two years from members with at least two years of service. The University president, University or Authority employees, University board of visitors members, and legislators cannot be chair. Appointments remain subject to General Assembly confirmation. These term changes apply only to people appointed on or after July 1, 2026.

Shared process to hire and manage CEO

Both boards must jointly hire, remove, and set pay for the CEO at a joint meeting. Each board votes separately, and a majority of members present on each board must agree. If they do not agree, each board names a three‑member committee to decide together; their agreement binds both boards. Anyone who sits on both boards cannot serve on either committee. If the committees do not agree within 30 days, the University president decides and reports to both boards. The Senior Vice‑President for Health Sciences cannot be CEO and must work with the CEO. The CEO must work full time, hold no other job, and run the Authority’s operations. The CEO in office on June 30, 2026 stays until a successor is appointed.

Smaller, more independent VCU Health board

The board shrinks from 21 to 16 members. There are 13 appointed and 3 ex officio members. The Governor names 5, the House Speaker 4, the Senate Rules Committee 3, and the rector 1 (who must be on the University board of visitors). More than half of the board must have no other ties to VCU or the Authority. Three seats are for University physician‑faculty who keep MCV hospital privileges, and appointing officials must consider faculty lists with at least two names for each open physician seat. Physician‑faculty already serving on June 30, 2026 may finish their current term.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Betsy B. Carr

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 246 • No: 6

Senate vote 3/3/2026

Passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/2/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/2/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/27/2026

Reported from Rules

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/19/2026

Rereferred from Education and Health to Rules

Yes: 13 • No: 0

House vote 2/12/2026

Read third time and passed House

Yes: 91 • No: 5 • Other: 2

House vote 2/6/2026

Reported from Appropriations

Yes: 22 • No: 0

House vote 2/4/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting

Yes: 7 • No: 0 • Other: 1

House vote 1/28/2026

Reported from Education and referred to Appropriations

Yes: 20 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0444)

    4/8/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 444 (effective 7/1/2026)

    4/8/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/14/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

    3/14/2026House
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1040)

    3/10/2026House
  6. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1040ER)

    3/10/2026House
  7. Enrolled

    3/10/2026House
  8. Signed by President

    3/10/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/10/2026House
  10. Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/3/2026Senate
  11. Read third time

    3/3/2026Senate
  12. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    3/2/2026Senate
  13. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/2/2026Senate
  14. Rules suspended

    3/2/2026Senate
  15. Reported from Rules (14-Y 0-N)

    2/27/2026Senate
  16. Rereferred from Education and Health to Rules (13-Y 0-N)

    2/19/2026Senate
  17. Referred to Committee on Education and Health

    2/13/2026Senate
  18. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/13/2026Senate
  19. Read third time and passed House (91-Y 5-N 2-A)

    2/12/2026House
  20. Read second time and engrossed

    2/11/2026House
  21. Read first time

    2/10/2026House
  22. Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    2/6/2026House
  23. Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)

    2/4/2026House
  24. Reported from Education and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 1-N)

    1/28/2026House
  25. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1040)

    1/28/2026House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation