All Roll Calls
Yes: 259 • No: 1
Sponsored By: Mark D. Obenshain (Republican)
Became Law
Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; required liability insurance coverage. Provides that the regulations of the Board of Health shall require purchasers of licensed nursing homes or certified nursing facilities with claims-made policies of liability insurance coverage to purchase an extended reporting endorsement of two years after the date of sale or to purchase liability insurance coverage with dates that begin two years prior to the date the existing owner's policies end.
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16 provisions identified: 14 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Hospitals that deliver babies must have a plan for admitting or transferring pregnant women in labor. Hospitals must set policies for stillbirth care, including counseling. The state sets clear levels of neonatal care so parents know what services and staffing a hospital has. If a mother is identified as substance-abusing after birth, the hospital must create a written discharge plan, make referrals, involve family when possible, and notify the local community services board when allowed by federal law.
The state sets minimum rules for building upkeep, staffing, training, equipment, infection control, disaster plans, and security in hospitals and nursing homes. The Board’s rules must substantially match major federal Medicare and Medicaid safety standards.
Hospitals with emergency rooms must have a licensed physician in the ER at all times. When the ER orders a urine drug screen to diagnose a patient, it must include fentanyl testing. ERs must keep a security plan and place an off-duty police officer or trained security in the ER when their risk check shows it is needed, unless the state grants a waiver. ERs must use a discharge plan for substance-use emergencies that includes screening, referrals, and naloxone provided or prescribed. Hospitals may also partner with the Health Department to provide naloxone to uninsured patients.
Hospitals must use smoke evacuation for planned surgeries that make surgical smoke. In emergencies, staff may take verbal treatment orders, but the originator must sign within 72 hours or an authorized clinician must co-sign. Psychiatric units must, on request, have the on-call psychiatrist speak directly with the referring doctor and, when toxicology is in question, with a poison control specialist. Hospitals that can give life-sustaining treatment must have a review policy with a second opinion, committee review, a written explanation in the chart, and notice of rights; if a patient or agent hires a lawyer and wants to join the review, they must notify the CEO in writing within 14 days. Hospitals must also follow organ donation protocols and keep agreements with the organ procurement organization, a tissue bank, and an eye bank.
Hospitals must let adult patients choose who may visit, with limits only for care needs or crowding. During a declared contagious-disease emergency, hospitals and nursing homes must allow clergy visits following CDC, CMS, and public health orders. In a COVID-19 emergency, nursing homes must follow a visitation plan and offer at least one visit every 10 days, unless the patient or representative waives it.
Before arranging non-emergency air transport, hospitals must give written or electronic notice that you may choose ground transport and may owe the bill if the air provider is out of network or not covered. For elective surgeries likely to need outpatient physical therapy, hospitals must tell you ahead of time and have you pick a therapy provider before discharge. On admission, hospitals must give you a written notice of your rights and responsibilities.
Authorized nursing home staff may store, dispense, and give cannabis oil to a resident who has a valid written certification under state law. The rule only applies when that certification is in place.
Licensed hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities may operate adult day centers if they obtain any extra license needed. This gives caregivers and older adults more options where facilities choose to offer the service.
Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities must train staff who are mandated reporters on how to report adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation and the consequences for not reporting. This helps protect residents and supports proper reporting.
Hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities must set written rules for staff access to a patient’s smart assistant while inpatient and protect health data under HIPAA. If a hospital gives a minor online access to records, it must also give the parent or guardian access, unless the law bars sharing or required consent is missing.
Nursing homes must tell applicants their admissions rules and any preferences before placement. If the family council asks, the home must send up to six joint notices a year to a resident’s chosen contact, post them, and allow family members to attend council meetings.
Before admitting someone who is expected to stay over three days, or who ends up staying that long, nursing homes must check if the person is required to register as a sex offender. Homes must also offer residents a yearly flu shot and a pneumococcal shot, unless it is medically unsafe or the resident refuses.
Hospitals must set up a system to report, track, and analyze workplace violence. They must record every incident employees report, keep the records at least two years, and include required details. Hospitals must report data quarterly to clinical leaders and send an annual, de-identified report to the state. They must also have a policy that bans retaliation against employees who report or seek help.
Each nursing home must keep at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance per incident (non-eroding). It must also carry professional liability at least equal to the recovery limit set in state law per patient incident. When ownership changes and the policies are claims-made, the buyer must buy a two-year reporting “tail” or two years of retroactive coverage. The state may revoke a license if coverage lapses, and proof is required at renewal.
Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities must register with the State Police for sex offender alerts. They receive notice when someone on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry registers, re-registers, or verifies in the same or a neighboring ZIP code. This gives facilities timely local safety information to help protect residents.
The Board can license hospitals and nursing homes by specialty and by bed count. License and inspection fees must be fair, may change no more than once a year, and only when program expenses plus state funding are more than 10% above or below costs; hospitals and nursing homes are analyzed separately. During an official bed-shortage emergency or certain emergency orders, facilities may add temporary beds or locations without a new license for the emergency period plus 30 days.
Mark D. Obenshain
Republican • Senate
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
All Roll Calls
Yes: 259 • No: 1
Senate vote • 3/3/2026
House amendment agreed to by Senate
Yes: 40 • No: 0
House vote • 2/27/2026
Passed House with amendment
Yes: 95 • No: 0
House vote • 2/24/2026
Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s)
Yes: 21 • No: 1
House vote • 2/19/2026
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s)
Yes: 10 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/10/2026
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/9/2026
Education and Health Amendments agreed to
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/6/2026
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/6/2026
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)
Yes: 39 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/5/2026
Reported from Education and Health with amendments
Yes: 14 • No: 0
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0505)
Approved by Governor-Chapter 505 (effective 7/1/2026)
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB535)
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB535ER)
Enrolled
Signed by President
Signed by Speaker
House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Passed House with amendment (95-Y 0-N 0-A)
Engrossed by House as amended
committee amendment agreed to
Read third time
Read second time
Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (21-Y 1-N)
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
House subcommittee offered
Assigned sub: Health Professions
Read first time
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
Placed on Calendar
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB535)
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Education and Health Amendments agreed to
Chaptered
4/8/2026
Enrolled
3/9/2026
Amendment
2/27/2026
Amendment
2/24/2026
Amendment
2/19/2026
Engrossed
2/9/2026
Amendment
2/6/2026
Amendment
1/30/2026
Introduced
1/13/2026
SB767 — Motor vehicles; glass repair and replacement, emissions inspections, penalties, repeals.
Motor vehicle glass repair and replacement; emissions inspection; penalties. Establishes various notice requirements for motor vehicle glass repair shops, defined in the bill, and provides that a violation of such requirements is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill permits a motor vehicle to qualify for an emissions inspection waiver if such vehicle has failed an inspection and the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system is in a not-ready condition to be tested when presented for reinspection. This bill is identical to HB 312.
SB803 — Virginia Fair Housing Law; regulations defining terms related to unlawful conduct.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful conduct. Directs the Fair Housing Board to promulgate regulations defining "quid pro quo harassment," "hostile environment harassment," and other terms related to unlawful conduct under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. The bill directs the Fair Housing Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
SB731 — Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections.
Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own employees; and (iii) if such county or city subsequently elects to provide its own system of public transportation, adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining and ensure all employees of such private company are offered employment with such subsequent public transportation system without loss of compensation or benefits. The bill clarifies that the bill only applies to actions occurring on or after the effective date and excludes any action taken, contract signed, liability incurred, or right accrued prior to July 1, 2026, from the requirements. Finally, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to convene a work group to develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the bill and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 547.
SB620 — Va. ABC Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers, etc.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers; purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; penalties; report. Transitions and provides a more comprehensive structure for the current licensing and enforcement responsibilities related to liquid nicotine and retail tobacco products from the Department of Taxation to a permitting system administered by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill requires the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage and Control Authority to conduct an unannounced buyer operation at least once every 24 months to verify that a permittee, defined in the bill, is not selling retail tobacco products to persons under 21 years of age. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 308.
SB666 — Residential land development and construction; fee transparency, local housing development.
Department of Housing and Community Development; housing development database. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to collect from each locality and make available to the public, localities, state agencies, and other state and regional public entities in a centralized, machine-readable, screen reader compatible database various data for each new and existing housing development in each locality in the Commonwealth, including data related to the number of housing development plans submitted and approved by the locality and the average approval timeline for housing development plans.
SB599 — Va. Opioid Use Red. & Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Trtmt. and Transition Fund; grant procedure.
Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund; grant procedures. 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. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 455.