Legislative Update
Human Services
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 148 - O'Bannon - Certificate of public need; Commissioner of Health to issue additional beds for nursing homes. | (H) Committee on Appropriations | (H) Left in Appropriations | 02/16/10 |
| notes: Requires the Commissioner of Health to accept and review and authorizes the Commissioner of Health to issue certificates of public need for the addition of up to 10 Medicaid-eligible beds for nursing homes that are operated not for profit, are located in Planning District 15 but accept patients from areas of the Commonwealth outside of the planning district, and provide care for patients regardless of ability to pay. | |||
| HB 169 - Pogge - Intellectual disability services system; restructuring. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions | (H) Stricken from docket by Health, Welfare and Institutions | 01/26/10 |
| notes: Expands system restructuring planning requirements applicable to the closure or conversion of a state mental health hospital to apply to the closure, conversion, or downsizing of any state mental health hospital or training center, and defines "downsizing" to include the reduction of capacity of any state mental health hospital or training facility by 10 or more beds in any single 12-month period. | |||
| HB 174 - Cox, M.K. - Veterans Services; eliminates requirement that Wounded Warrior Program cover only combat injuries. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0058) | 03/09/10 |
| notes: Eliminates the requirement that the Wounded Warrior Program cover only injuries sustained by military service personnel in combat areas. The bill contains a technical amendment. | |||
| HB 226 - Watts - TANF; eligibility of assistance when convicted of drug-related felonies. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions | (H) Continued to 2011 in Health, Welfare and Institutions | 01/21/10 |
| notes: Provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to receive TANF assistance shall not be denied assistance solely because he has been convicted of a felony offense of possession of a controlled substance provided he complies with all obligations imposed by the court, has completed substance abuse treatment, and participates in drug screenings. | |||
| HB 847 - Morefield - Social services, local board of; removes membership limit for certain counties. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/16/10 |
| notes: Removes the three-person limit on the number of members serving on a local board of social services in a county operating under the county board form of government. | |||
| HB 867 - Cline - Community services boards; removes provision allowing employment of certain persons. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Education and Health | (S) Pursuant to Senate Rule 20(L) | 02/18/10 |
| notes: Eliminates provision authorizing employment of a person convicted of assault and battery of a family member at an adult substance abuse or adult mental health treatment program operated by a community services board. | |||
| HB 925 - Bell, Robert B. - VIEW; screening and assessment for use of illegal substances. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions | (H) Continued to 2011 in Health, Welfare and Institutions | 01/28/10 |
| notes: Substance abuse screening and assessment of public assistance applicants and recipients. Requires local departments of social services to screen each VIEW program participant to determine whether probable cause exists to believe the participant is engaged in the use of illegal drugs. This bill provides that, when a screening indicates reasonable cause to believe a participant is using illegal drugs, the Department shall require a formal substance abuse assessment of the participant, which may include drug testing. Any person who fails or refuses to participate in a screening or assessment without good cause or who tests positive for the use of illegal drugs shall be ineligible to receive TANF payments for a period of one year. | |||
| HB 945 - Landes - Disability services boards; eliminates requirement that localities establishes. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (S) Defeated by Senate (14-Y 26-N) | 03/08/10 |
| notes: Eliminates the requirement that localities establish local disability services boards and makes establishment of local disability services boards optional for localities. The bill amends the list of activities that a local disability services board may perform and abolishes the Disability Services Council and the Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund, but provides that localities may establish a local fund for the purposes previously served by the Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund. | |||
| HB 1123 - Keam - Second Chance Act; Secretary of Public Safety, et al. to study and make recommendations. | (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety | (H) Continued to 2011 in Militia, Police and Public Safety | 02/09/10 |
| notes: Second Chance Act. Directs the Secretaries of Public Safety and Health and Human Resources to study and make recommendations related to implementation of the Second Chance Act. | |||
| HB 1188 - Phillips - Social services, local board of; counties that have county board form of government to appoint. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0436) | 04/11/10 |
| notes: Local board of social services; county board form of government. Allows counties that have adopted the county board form of government to appoint five rather than three members to the local board of social services. | |||
| SB 59 - Martin - VIEW; screening and assessment for use of illegal substances. | (S) Committee on Finance | (S) Left in Finance | 02/09/10 |
| notes: Requires local departments of social services to screen each VIEW program participant to determine whether probable cause exists to believe the participant is engaged in the use of illegal drugs. This bill provides that, when a screening indicates reasonable cause to believe a participant is using illegal drugs, the Department shall require a formal substance abuse assessment of the participant, which may include drug testing. Any person who fails or refuses to participate in a screening or assessment without good cause or who tests positive for the use of illegal drugs shall be ineligible to receive TANF payments for a period of one year. | |||
| SB 277 - Quayle - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); allows applicants to retain pre-existing support. | (H) Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions (S) Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0250) | 04/08/10 |
| notes: Allows TANF applicants to retain pre-existing support they may have received on their own behalf or on behalf of any other family member. | |||
