General Assembly>Division of Legislative Services>Publications>Session Summaries>2003>Study Resolutions

CONTENTS | < PREVIOUS | NEXT > | BILL INDEX

Study Resolutions

Passed

P HJ516

Virginia-Maryland-District of Columbia Joint Legislative Commission on Interstate Transportation. Continues the Virginia-Maryland-District of Columbia Joint Legislative Commission on Interstate Transportation for three years. The Commission provides a forum in which Virginia and Maryland legislators and representatives from the District of Columbia can identify opportunities for and barriers to improved transportation links between the two states and the District of Columbia.
Patron - Callahan

P HJ518

State vehicle fleet management. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study management of the Commonwealth's centralized vehicle fleet and use of government-owned motor vehicles by state employees.
Patron - Lingamfelter

P HJ588

Reliable radio communications for emergency public safety personnel. Requests the Virginia Department of Fire Programs to study the feasibility of adopting requirements within the Commonwealth that will ensure that buildings are constructed and equipped in such a way that will permit emergency public safety personnel to utilize effective and reliable radio communications while they are within buildings. The Department of Fire Programs shall complete its work by December 1, 2003, and shall submit an executive summary and report of its written findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2004 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Callahan

P HJ604

Acclimation of the Commonwealth's ethnically diverse population. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the acclimation of the Commonwealth's ethnically diverse populations. The Commission is specifically directed to (i) identify the potential needs for State, regional, and local government services to the immigrant populations in the Commonwealth that are unique or typically exceed those of the total general population; (ii) examine the benefits and the costs of the major immigrant populations to the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth's economy; (iii) review federal government policies and programs that affect the immigrant populations in the Commonwealth and that could have an impact on State or local initiatives; (iv) examine options for local, regional, and State governments to facilitate acclimation of the immigrant populations into the Commonwealth's economy and social fabric while preserving ethnic and cultural identity (including a review of initiatives other states have taken in assisting ethnically diverse populations); and (v) recommend changes in the Commonwealth's laws and regulations, as appropriate, to ensure equal opportunity for all ethnic groups.
Patron - Cox

P HJ631

Court records. Continues the joint subcommittee studying the protection of court records. The joint subcommittee shall review the findings and recommendations of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court concerning information in court records and recommend necessary changes in the statutory law.
Patron - Devolites

P HJ633

Collection of rents and royalties for the use of state-owned bottomlands. Directs the Virginia Delegation to the Chesapeake Bay Commission to study the collection of rents and royalties for the use of state-owned bottomlands. In conducting its study, the Virginia Delegation is to examine (i) the current moratorium on the collection of rents and royalties, (ii) establishment of a regulatory framework for use of state waters and bottomlands, and (iii) proposals by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science regarding shallow water management.
Patron - Bloxom

P HJ646

Disparity assessment of minority-owned businesses. Requests the Department of Minority Business Enterprise, in conjunction with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Employment Commission and the Department of Transportation, to direct the development of a disparity assessment to determine the status of minority-owned business participation in the State's procurement transactions. This bill also requires that the Department must obtain nonstate funds to provide financial support for the disparity assessment. This resolution is identical to SJR 359.
Patron - McDonnell

P HJ648

I-73 Communications Committee. Continues the Committee for two years to receive and disseminate information concerning I-73 construction projects.
Patron - Armstrong

P HJ651

Taxation of telecommunications industry. Continues the Joint Subcommittee to Study the State and Local Taxation of the Entire Telecommunications Industry and Its Customers within the Commonwealth for one year. The joint subcommittee shall complete its work begun in 2002 and present recommendations to the joint subcommittee to study and revise Virginia's State Tax Code or any similar group created during the 2003 session by August 1, 2003, and to submit its written findings and recommendations to the Governor and 2004 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Bryant

P HJ653

Development of an Internet II Advanced Performance Standard Initiative. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to determine what public resources, including but not limited to public-private partnerships, other public and private resources, taxation policies, and direct financial assistance may be used to further the development of an Internet II, advanced, high-speed telecommunications backbone network with the capability of transmitting a minimum of one gigabyte per second (OC-24) utilizing the IPv6 Internet Protocol to all workstations within the Commonwealth; and monitor, cooperate, and coordinate with other agencies of the Commonwealth and committees of the General Assembly to ensure a sound, progressive statewide program is in place and being actively pursued. The Internet II project is a collaborative effort among a number of universities, federal R&D agencies, and private sector firms to develop a next generation Internet for research and education, including both enhanced network services as well as the multimedia applications that will be enabled by those services. As part of its ongoing mandate, the Joint Commission on Technology and Science currently works with other state agencies to monitor broadband deployment.
Patron - Rust

P SJ312

Suicide prevention across the life span. Requests the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, in cooperation with the Secretaries of Education and Public Safety, to formulate a comprehensive Suicide Prevention Across the Life Span Plan for the Commonwealth. This resolution is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Behavioral Health Care (SJR 108).
Patron - Martin

P SJ324

Reporting dates for certain legislative studies. Amends and reenacts House Joint Resolution 125 (2000), which established the Hampton Roads Third Crossing Bridge-Tunnel Commission, to set out the total membership of the Commission appropriately in order to properly amend and reenact Senate Joint Resolution 38 (2001), which increased the membership of the Commission. Senate Joint Resolution 38 (2001) is also amended to add a reporting date. The resolution also amends and reenacts House Joint Resolution 684 (2001), which established the U.S. Route 460 Communications Committee, to provide a reporting date for the Committee. This resolution also includes technical amendments to conform SJR 38 (2001) and HJR 684 (2001) to the new legislative guidelines adopted by the Joint Rules Committee, which require specificity regarding composition of membership, increasing the membership, number of meetings, compensation, funding, staff support, adoption of recommendations, the executive summary, and report.
Patron - Trumbo

P SJ347

Commission on the Revision of Virginia's State Tax Code and the Streamlined Sales Tax Project Agreement. Establishes the Commission on the Revision of Virginia's State Tax Code and the Streamlined Sales Tax Project Agreement. In conducting the study, the Commission shall (i) examine the allocation of state and local government services and responsibilities; (ii) conduct a comprehensive review of the revenue impact of all tax preferences, including subtractions, deductions, credits, and exemptions; (iii) evaluate the tax rates for all major state taxes to determine their sufficiency and appropriateness in the modern economy; and (iv) consider the appropriateness of adopting the policies in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project Agreement and identify and evaluate changes that may be needed in Virginia's sales and use tax laws to facilitate Virginia's compliance with the agreement should the General Assembly decide to adopt such policies. The Commission must complete its meetings by November 30, 2003, and submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Hanger

P SJ349

Best practices of high-performing schools. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to collect data and information regarding best practices at high-performing public schools in the Commonwealth. In collecting such data and information, JLARC is to identify and examine (i) those schools that have performed successfully in meeting the Standards of Accreditation and those who have achieved marked improvement in student and school performance; (ii) specific demographic and other factors that may influence academic success; (iii) practices and demographic information of the best- and poorest-performing school divisions; (iv) successful practices in those high-performing school divisions with marked fiscal or other challenges; and (v) such related issues as it deems appropriate.
Patron - Hanger

P SJ354

Railroad freight and passenger transportation in Virginia. Requests the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to study the Virginia Rail Transportation Development Authority. In conducting its study, the Department shall (i) analyze the feasibility of various options to finance improvements to railroad freight and passenger transportation in Virginia, including strategies that may be considered by the Virginia Rail Transportation Development Authority, pursuant to SB 1279 (2003); (ii) conduct a literature search of national best practices relative to creating rail authorities and other relevant issues; (iii) examine how the Virginia Rail Transportation Development Authority can finance and facilitate financing of the acquisition, construction, repair, improvement, and extension of rail facilities, including rolling stock and infrastructure that the Authority determines to be in the public interest; and (iv) recommend the appropriate structure, powers and duties of the Authority, and revenue and sources of revenue needed to perform its responsibilities. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation must complete its meetings by November 30, 2003, and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document.
Patron - Edwards

P SJ355

Local delinquent tax sale process. Directs the Commission on Growth and Economic Development to study the local delinquent tax sale process to examine ways in which the existing state statutes may be unnecessarily complicated, time-consuming, or costly to localities. The Commission shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2004 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Edwards

P SJ356

Lead poisoning prevention. Continues the Joint Subcommittee Studying Lead Poisoning Prevention to (i) cooperate with the executive agencies in the implementation of an expanded data sharing initiative upon the passage of a legislative proposal to so expand the activity; (ii) seek ways to assist state agencies in the delivery of lead poisoning prevention services in as cost-effective or cost neutral a way as may be possible; (iii) support and contribute, in any way feasible and appropriate, to the Department of Health's efforts to maintain federal support for the Lead-Safe Virginia program; (iv) support the implementation of the Department of Housing and Community Development's new federal grant in any way necessary and appropriate for a legislative group; and (v) continue to strive for ways to educate and encourage parents, particularly those individuals living in housing with lead risks, in the prevention of lead poisoning of their children. The Joint Subcommittee must complete its meetings by November 30, 2003, and submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations to the 2004 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Lambert

P SJ357

Housing related-issues. Directs the Virginia Housing Study Commission to study (i) the report of the Housing Needs Assessment Project conducted by the Virginia Housing Development Authority and the Department of Housing and Community Development to address issues raised in such report; (ii) the development of a statewide housing policy; (iii) the mechanisms by which commercial and residential real estate transactions address the amelioration of mold and mildew; (iv) the mechanisms by which housing that promotes the concept of visitability can be incorporated into programs that utilize public funding to foster the production of single family housing; and (v) the need to establish a comprehensive elevator safety program to protect the safety of, and prevent serious injury to, the public using elevators and employees performing services to elevators in the Commonwealth.
Patron - Mims

P SJ359

Disparity assessment of minority-owned business participation in state's procurement transactions. Requests the Department of Minority Business Enterprise, in conjunction with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Employment Commission and the Department of Transportation, to direct the development of a disparity assessment to determine the status of minority-owned business participation in the State's procurement transactions. This resolution is identical to HJR 646.
Patron - Stolle

P SJ381

Desalinization. Requests the Virginia Water Resources Research Center at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to study desalinization as part of a strategy to meet Virginia's drinking water needs. The study will examine the costs and benefits of this technology and whether it would be cost-effective for those localities located near the ocean or a brackish water source to develop this technology.
Patron - Hawkins

Failed

F HJ517

Telecommuting. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study barriers and impediments to telecommuting in the public and private sectors of the Commonwealth.
Patron - Lingamfelter

F HJ520

Establishment of Battle of Great Bridge State Park. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study the feasibility of establishing a Battle of Great Bridge State Park. In conducting the study, the Department should determine the historical and cultural significance of the battlefield area, identify available funding sources for its preservation, evaluate the costs of establishing a state park at the location, and examine similar landmarks and parks to determine the most appropriate means for preserving the Battle of Great Bridge area.
Patron - Cosgrove

F HJ521

Sheriffs' staffing standards. Creates a joint subcommittee to study staffing standards for sheriffs' departments.
Patron - Cosgrove

F HJ562

Standards of Quality (SOQ) funding. Creates a 10-member joint subcommittee to study the allocation of funding for the Standards of Quality in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall examine, among other things, current statutory, constitutional, and budget provisions governing the calculation of SOQ costs and funding; the recommendations of the 2002 JLARC review of elementary and secondary school funding; local revenues supporting public education and the current allocation formula; school funding formulas and equalization plans in other states; the work of recent and ongoing study committees relevant to school funding concerns; and such other issues as it deems appropriate.
Patron - Petersen

F HJ564

Youth Commission. Directs the Commission on Youth to study the foster care payment rates in the Commonwealth.
Patron - Darner

F HJ565

Housing for students with handicaps. Requests the State Council for Higher Education (SCHEV), in conjunction with the Department of Education and the Board for the Rights of Virginians with Disabilities, to study the need for housing at state facilities for higher education that is not only handicapped-accessible but also provides accommodations for personal attendants to enable students with handicaps to attend college as part of the college community.
Patron - Darner

F HJ566

School safety plan. Directs the Commission on Youth to study the efficacy and appropriateness of establishing a statewide school safety plan in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the Commission shall consider, among other things, (i) other states' comprehensive safety plans that incorporate prevention, intervention, crisis response, and post-crisis recovery; and (ii) the operation and coordination of current school safety initiatives in the Commonwealth.
Patron - Darner

F HJ571

Faculty tenure practices. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study tenure practices at the Commonwealth's colleges and universities. In conducting the study, the Commission shall consider, among other things, the effect of tenure practices on college and university faculty productivity and on the quality of instruction and programming for undergraduates, any tenure studies conducted by the State Council of Higher Education, the ongoing implementation of post-tenure review in Virginia, tenure practices in other states' colleges and universities, the recommendations of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education, and related issues as the Commission deems appropriate.
Patron - Hargrove

F HJ572

Effects of school vouchers and tuition tax incentives on school enrollment. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the effects of school vouchers and tuition tax credits and deductions on school enrollment. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) consider the issues associated with school vouchers and tuition tax credits and deductions; (ii) review other states' voucher or tax credit or deduction programs and relevant court decisions; and (iii) contract, with such private funds as may be contributed for this purpose, with a public entity for the performance of a survey of parents and students and other persons, as necessary, across the Commonwealth to determine the potential effects on school enrollments of vouchers or tuition tax credits or deductions. The joint subcommittee must provide appropriate opportunities for public participation in the study to the extent practicable, taking care to ensure the broadest participation possible. The joint subcommittee must submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly, indicating whether it intends to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document.
Patron - Marshall, R.G.

F HJ573

Medical, ethical, and scientific issues relating to stem cell research conducted in the Commonwealth. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study stem cell research in Virginia. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall examine the medical, ethical and scientific policy implications of prohibiting the creation of embryos in vitro for any purpose other than bringing them to birth, and criminalizing the transfer of compensation, in cash or in-kind, to induce any person to donate sperm or eggs for any purpose other than procreation. The joint subcommittee shall also examine the efficacy of research using adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells. The chairman must submit an executive summary of the joint subcommittee's findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document. The executive summary and the report shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
Patron - Marshall, R.G.

F HJ576

Absentee voting eligibility criteria. Requests the State Board of Elections to study absentee voting eligibility criteria. The Board shall examine absentee ballot eligibility requirements in other states and determine the rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of certain groups and circumstances not currently covered by Virginia law, including, but not limited to, persons who are 65 years of age or older. The Board shall evaluate the current criteria and determine if any changes to the criteria are needed to better serve the needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Patron - Orrock

F HJ584

Public-private funding of studies. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, with the assistance of the Attorney General, to study the appropriateness and feasibility of creating public-private partnerships for funding studies that benefit the Commonwealth. The Commission shall examine (i) public-private study partnerships in other states; (ii) the feasibility and appropriateness of implementing any such partnerships in the Commonwealth on a pilot project basis; and (iii) constitutional, financial, and policy issues regarding the creation of hybrid public-private studies. The Commission shall develop criteria for determining what studies should receive public-private funding and a process and criteria for soliciting, accepting and distributing private funds.
Patron - Purkey

F HJ586

Accounting reporting standards. Establishes a 10-member joint subcommittee to study how the Commonwealth's financial accounting reporting standards relate to comparable standards implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Patron - Purkey

F HJ587

In-state tuition for certain immigrant students. Creates a 10-member joint subcommittee to study the feasibility of permitting certain immigrant students who have not yet attained legal permanent resident status to receive in-state tuition to attend Virginia public institutions of higher education. The joint subcommittee is to consider current federal immigration law and regulation, judicial precedent, current in-state tuition practices addressing immigrant and nonresident students in the Commonwealth and other states, fiscal and policy implications of extending in-state tuition to such students, and such other matters as it deems appropriate. Modeled after a resolution adopted by the Hawaii legislature in April 2002, the resolution also directs the joint subcommittee to specifically examine the feasibility of permitting alien students to pay resident tuition fees if the student (i) has obtained a diploma from a Virginia public or private high school following three years enrollment, or obtained a general education diploma in Virginia; and (ii) files an affidavit with the enrolling institution stating that an application to legalize the student's resident status has been filed or will be filed when eligible to do so. In addition, the joint subcommittee shall identify practices at Virginia public and private institutions of higher education addressing the admission of and financial assistance to undocumented immigrant students; and estimate the number of undocumented immigrant students in Virginia public secondary schools and how many of these students might wish to pursue higher education in the Commonwealth.
Patron - Darner

F HJ593

School bus safety. Requests the Department of Education to study school bus safety in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the Department shall consider (i) current state and federal school bus safety requirements; (ii) the work and recommendations of other transportation safety agencies and organizations, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; (iii) school bus safety initiatives in other states; (iv) fiscal and policy issues concerning the installation of various safety features in public school buses; and (v) such other matters as it deems appropriate.
Patron - Jones, D.C.

F HJ599

Hunting with dogs. Requests the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to study hunting with dogs, including the training of dogs with live wild animals, with particular attention paid to the bear hound training season.
Patron - Abbitt

F HJ600

Hunting and fishing license exemptions; report. Requests the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to study the various exemptions from hunting and fishing license requirements to determine the potential financial impact that these exemptions have on Department revenue. The Department shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2003, and the Director shall submit an executive summary and a document of its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Abbitt

F HJ601

Tennessee's Growth Policy Law. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study Tennessee's Growth Policy Law in order to determine whether such an approach to planning in Virginia is feasible or desirable.
Patron - Marshall, R.G.

F HJ602

Rehabilitation Building Code. Requests the Department of Housing and Community Development to study the feasibility and appropriateness of adopting a rehabilitation building code in the Commonwealth.
Patron - Woodrum

F HJ603

Prostitution. Directs the Commission to study issues relative to prostitution and the operation of bawdy places.
Patron - Drake

F HJ605

Midwifery. Requests the Board of Health Professions to recommend to the General Assembly a regulatory system to establish the appropriate degree of regulation for direct-entry midwives. The report shall be submitted to the 2004 General Assembly.
Patron - Hamilton

F HJ606

Statewide high school to community college articulation agreement in the Commonwealth. Directs the Advisory Council on Career and Technical Education to study the efficacy of developing and implementing a statewide high school to community college articulation agreement in the Commonwealth.The Advisory Council is requested to examine (i) the appropriate parties for developing a draft statewide articulation agreement in Virginia; (ii) the extent of existing concurrent enrollment initiatives in the Commonwealth; (iii) existing articulation agreements and their operation; (iv) ways to encourage local flexibility and response to emerging or new business and industry needs; (v) issues concerning superceding local articulation agreements, particularly relating to local school boards and their vested constitutional authority to "supervise" their schools; (vi) ways to simplify the transition between public high schools and community colleges and make this process more uniform; and (vii) criteria and responsibility for award of college credit for high school courses and for recommending courses or a matrix of courses for inclusion in any statewide articulation agreement. The Advisory Council is required to submit an executive summary and report on these directives by January 1, 2004, in accordance with the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
Patron - Joannou

F HJ632

Comprehensive plan for school health services. Requests the Department of Education, Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Center for School Safety to study current data collection efforts and to design a plan to provide comprehensive information on the provision of medical and mental health services in public schools.
Patron - Devolites

F HJ636

Issues relating to dentists' participation in Virginia Medicaid and the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) Plan. Requests the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a task force to study issues relating to dentists' participation in Virginia Medicaid and FAMIS. Low-income children in Virginia are frequently unable to obtain dental care and frequently suffer from severe emotional and physical pain from poor oral health. The Department is required to include representatives of the Virginia Dental Association and the Old Dominion Dental Association and to report in 2004 on its findings and recommendations.
Patron - Van Yahres

F HJ638

Virginia compliance with federal education records laws. Directs the Commission on Youth to study the Commonwealth's compliance with federal laws addressing education records, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Commission is to (i) evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of adopting the FERPA as Virginia's student records provisions versus maintaining Virginia's current statutory scheme with steps to reconcile it with federal law and regulations; (ii) evaluate Virginia's compliance with the education records provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and (iii) recommend appropriate and feasible changes to the Code of Virginia to resolve conflicts with federal law. The Commission may establish an advisory group to provide oversight and direction in the process.
Patron - Tata

F HJ643

Potential cost savings and benefits vis-a-vis the new disaggregated data and reporting requirements of No Child Left Behind and the use of independent educational performance assessment services. Requests the Board of Education to assess the potential cost-savings and benefits vis-a-vis the new disaggregated data and reporting requirements of the federal law, No Child Left Behind, and the use of independent educational performance assessment services. This resolution notes that the Joint Subcommittee to Study the use of Independent Educational Performance Assessment Services (HJR 91 of 2002) has examined the efficacy of independent educational performance assessment services and is convinced that economies of scale can be accomplished by the development of comprehensive data systems and that objective evaluation of comprehensive academic data can be used to compare previous years' performance in each school and each school division. The resolution notes the limited resources in Virginia and the need to seek the most cost-effective and efficacious way of providing the data required by No Child Left Behind. Comprehensive data could identify the gravest gaps in student achievement, the most effective programs, characteristics of competent teachers, what professional development needs are most important, and where funds could be well-spent to improve public education in Virginia. The Board of Education is requested, in the conduct of this study, to review potential funding sources for the engagement of independent educational performance assessment services, including, but not limited to, No Child Left Behind moneys and other federal or foundation grant funding.
Patron - Byron

F HJ650

Computer physician order entry systems as a means of reducing medication errors. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study computer physician order entry systems as a means of reducing medication errors. This resolution notes that more than one million serious medication errors are believed to occur annually in hospitals across the country and that many of these errors result in adverse drug reactions, with 20 percent being life-threatening. The many reasons for medication errors are acknowledged, particularly illegible handwriting, decimal point errors resulting in overdoses, unknown drug interactions, drug allergies, and confusion of drugs because of similar names. Computer physician order entry systems are said to reduce these medication errors by integrating the patient's test results and medication history, detecting possible drug interactions, warning of allergies and overdosing, assisting the physician with information about new drugs, and providing drug-specific information. In conducting this study, the Joint Commission on Health Care is requested to examine (i) the benefits of computer physician order entry systems in hospitals; (ii) any legal impediments to implementation of such systems in Virginia; (iii) the cost benefits of purchasing and implementing computer physician order entry systems in hospitals vis-a-vis the initial substantial investment; (iv) and any professional issues relating to implementation of computer physician order entry systems in hospitals, including physicians' computer skills and any cultural avoidance of such systems.
Patron - Brink

F HJ654

Higher education operations. Creates a 10-member joint subcommittee to study administration and operations of Virginia's public institutions of higher education. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall examine, among other things, (i) the establishment and implementation of guidelines for funding higher education in Virginia, (ii) development of measures to ensure Virginia's public institutions of higher education are cost-competitive regionally and nationally, (iii) development of a system of institutional performance agreements that address major funding, quality, and accountability issues on an institution-specific basis, (iv) establishment of a long-term plan to meet the capital construction requirements of higher education, and (v) review of the appropriateness of centralized controls and requirements for advance approval that the Commonwealth imposes upon Virginia's public institutions of higher education.
Patron - Rust

F HJ657

Streamlined Sales Tax Project agreement. Creates a joint subcommittee consisting of four members (two delegates, one senator, and the State Tax Commissioner or his designee) to examine, compare, and determine the impact of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project agreement on Virginia's sales and use tax laws. The joint subcommittee shall complete its work no later than November 30, 2003. The direct costs of the study shall not exceed $3,000.
Patron - Watts

F SJ303

Increasing membership of HJR 159 joint subcommittee. Increases the membership of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Operations, Practices, Duties, and Funding of the Commonwealth's Agencies, Boards, Commissions, Councils, and Other Governmental Entities pursuant to HJR 159 (2002) by adding one member of the Senate and one member of the House of Delegates. The increase in membership is needed to retain the services of a former member of the House of Delegates and the joint subcommittee who was recently elected to the Senate. The resolution also incorporates standard provisions of the legislative drafting guidelines adopted by the Joint Rules Committee.
Patron - O'Brien

F SJ304

Kinship care study. Requests the Department of Social Services to study the formulation of a formal kinship care program in the Commonwealth. The Department of Social Services shall determine the extent to which children in foster care are placed with relatives, the costs and sources of funds for kinship care, the current and future policy of the Commonwealth regarding kinship care, the characteristics of kinship caregivers and their households, conditions under which children enter kinship care, services provided to kinship caregivers and to birth parents, birth parents' access to their children in kinship care, and permanency plans for children in kinship care.
Patron - Miller, Y.B.

F SJ315

Mental health needs and treatment of young minority adults in the Commonwealth. Directs the Joint Commission on Behavioral Health Care, or its successor in interest, to study the mental health needs and treatment of young minority adults in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the Joint Commission on Behavioral Health Care shall (i) estimate the number of mentally disabled young adults in the Commonwealth by gender, race and ethnic group; (ii) identify the most prevalent mental disorders and their etiology among such groups; (iii) determine, to the extent possible, the number of racial and ethnic minority persons who receive mental health treatment each year and the facilities providing such care; (iv) determine whether mental health care providers are trained to provide culturally competent mental health treatment; (v) assess the need for culturally competent mental health treatment in Virginia; (vi) review federal and state laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of health care, mental health treatment, and medical records and identify the conditions and the extent to which medical records information may be disclosed to parents and family members to assist them in obtaining health, social services, and mental health treatment for mentally disabled young adults; (vii) recommend ways and alternatives, within the law, to provide parents and family members of mentally disabled young adults the ability to obtain needed health, social services, and mental health treatment for such persons without involuntary commitment; and (viii) consider such other related matters as the Commission determines necessary to address the objectives of this resolution. The Joint Commission on Behavioral Health Care, or its successor in interest, must complete its meetings by November 30, 2003, and submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly, indicating whether the Commission intends to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document.
Patron - Marsh

F SJ317

Access to and costs of oral health care. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study access to and the costs of oral health care. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) ascertain the state of oral health in Virginia; (ii) identify and evaluate oral health care needs by demographic characteristics in the Commonwealth; (iii) determine the number of persons without adequate or any dental insurance; (iv) determine the number of dental visits each year by age, gender, services rendered, and costs of services; and (v) recommend strategies to promote and increase good oral health in the Commonwealth, including, but not limited to, issues relating to access to oral care by poor, low-income, and minority persons, and ways to provide affordable oral health care for all persons. The joint subcommittee shall submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly, indicating whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a document.
Patron - Marsh

F SJ329

Treatment of nursing home residents in hospital emergency rooms. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study treatment of nursing home residents in hospital emergency rooms. This resolution notes that Virginia has significant law relating to abuse and neglect of the elderly and the disabled; however, Adult Protective Services does not have legal tools comparable to those of Child Protective Services because adults are presumed, under most circumstances, to be capable of protecting themselves. Nursing home residents are, however, among the most vulnerable and fragile of adults and are the least able to protect their rights and to file complaints. Noting that statistics on the number and kinds of treatment that nursing home residents receive in hospital emergency rooms could identify problems that need to be resolved before crises occur, the resolution directs the Joint Commission to examine available reports in the Department of Health and to request the cooperation of the Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association and the Virginia Health Care Association in collecting the most recent available data on injuries and illnesses among nursing home patients and emergency room visits. The Joint Commission must report its findings and recommendations by the first day of the 2004 Session.
Patron - Byrne

F SJ348

Revision of state tax code. Continues the Joint Subcommittee to Study and Revise Virginia's State Tax Code established by House Joint Resolution No. 685 (2001), Senate Joint Resolution 387 (2001), and House Joint Resolution No. 60 (2002).
Patron - Hanger

F SJ352

Alternative water sources. Directs the State Water Commission to study alternative technologies to develop additional water supplies and determine whether incentives could be provided to those localities that implement alternative water source plans.
Patron - Norment

F SJ426

Hearing aids for small children. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study the costs and benefits of requiring insurers to cover hearing aids for children under age five In conducting its study, the Commission shall examine (i) the cost of providing hearing aids to children under age five, including the effect on health insurance premiums, (ii) the effects on the speech, language, and emotional development of children who have not had hearing aids before age five, (iii) the costs of providing special services to children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, (iv) the additional costs of education of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and (v) any other matter the Commission deems relevant.
Patron - Ticer

CONTENTS | < PREVIOUS | NEXT > | BILL INDEX

General Assembly>Division of Legislative Services>Publications>Session Summaries>2003>Study Resolutions

E-mail Webmaster