Division of Legislative Services > Legislative Record > 2006

Regulatory Alert

A Convenient Guide to Regulatory Activity in the Commonwealth

July, 2006

The Regulatory Alert is intended to assist General Assembly members as they keep up with the myriad regulations being proposed by agencies in the Commonwealth. The goal of this project is to provide a timely, simple, and accurate summary of the rules that are being proposed by agencies, boards, and commissions. Highlighting regulations when they are published as "proposed regulations" gives General Assembly members notice that the critical public participation phase of the rulemaking process is well underway. It is during the public participation process that the questions of an Assembly member or constituent may be most effectively communicated to the agency and examined by the individuals crafting the regulatory proposal.

The Regulatory Alert is not intended to be a substitute for the comprehensive information on agency rulemaking activity that is currently published biweekly in the Virginia Register of Regulations or the notification services offered by the Regulatory Town Hall website maintained by the Department of Planning and Budget. It is hoped that the Legislative Record will assist all members as they monitor the development, modification and repeal of administrative rules in the Commonwealth.

Access the Virginia Register of Regulations online at http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/register/issfiles.htm or contact epalen@leg.state.va.us or the Code Commission staff at (804) 786-3591 for further information.

Proposed Regulations Open to Public Comment:

TITLE 12. HEALTH

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

12 VAC 30-50. Amount, Duration, and Scope of Medical and Remedial Care Services (amending 12 VAC 30-50-490).

12 VAC 30-120. Waivered Services (amending 12 VAC 30-120-700 through 12 VAC 30-120-750, 12 VAC 30-120-752, 12 VAC 30-120-753, 12 VAC 30-120-754, 12 VAC 30-120-756, 12 VAC 30-120-758, 12 VAC 30-120-760, 12 VAC 30-120-762, 12 VAC 30-120-764, 12 VAC 30-120-766, 12 VAC 30-120-770, 12 VAC 30-120-772, 12 VAC 30-120-774, 12 VAC 30-120-776; repealing 12 VAC 30-120-768, 12 VAC 30-120-780, 12 VAC 30-120-790).

Written public comment may be submitted to the Department of Medical Assistance Services until September 22, 2006.

The proposed amendments (i) allow recipients to receive both day support and supported employment services at the same time; (ii) no longer require that the primary unpaid caregiver live in the home of the recipient for respite care reimbursement purposes; (iii) no longer require that consumer-directed employees receive annual CPR training and flu shots; (iv) modify the rules by which the new waiver slots are allocated; (v) require that personal care, respite care, and companion service aides be able to read and write in English to the extent necessary to accomplish the tasks associated; (vi) no longer require that service facilitators under consumer-directed model have consultation with a registered nurse; (vii) prohibit Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) providers from direct marketing to recipients; and (viii) clarify a number of requirements.

For additional information contact Teja Stokes, Department of Medical Assistance Services,
Richmond, VA, (804) 786-0427, FAX (804) 786-1680, or e-mail teja.stokes@dmas.virginia.gov.

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

12 VAC 30-90. Methods and Standards for Establishing Payment Rates for Long-Term Care (amending 12 VAC 30-90-264).

Written public comment may be submitted to the Department of Medical Assistance Services until September 22, 2006.

Under existing regulations, DMAS reimburses reasonable costs without limit for covered nursing facility specialized care ancillary services, except kinetic therapy devices. In response to both the escalating costs and the need for greater consistency in charges submitted for these services, the proposed amendments place a ceiling on ancillary services reimbursement to no more than 150% of average specialized care ancillary costs. The ceiling will be adjusted annually for inflation.

For more information contact Diane Hankins, Department of Medical Assistance Services, Richmond, VA, (804) 786-5379, FAX (804) 786-1680, or e-mail diane.hankins@dmas.virginia.gov.

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

12 VAC 30-120. Waivered Services (adding 12 VAC 30-120-1500 through 12 VAC 30-120-1550).

Written public comment may be submitted to the Department of Medical Assistance Services until September 22, 2006.

The proposed regulatory action establishes a new program, the Day Support Waiver for Individuals with Mental Retardation (Day Support Waiver) to provide day support and prevocational services for individuals who are waiting to receive services under the Mental Retardation Waiver (MR Waiver). The proposed regulatory action contains definitions of MR Day Support Waiver terms; contains general coverage and requirements; outlines individual eligibility requirements; defines general requirements for home and community-based participating providers; defines participation standards for home and community-based waiver services participating providers; and further defines the covered services and outlines requirements for providers of these services.

For additional information contact Teja Stokes, Department of Medical Assistance Services,
Richmond, VA, (804) 786-0427, FAX (804) 786-1680, or e-mail teja.stokes@dmas.virginia.gov.


TITLE 18. PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING

BOARD OF MEDICINE

18 VAC 85-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatry, and Chiropractic (amending 18 VAC 85-20-290).

A public hearing will be held August 11, 2006, at 8:15 a.m., Department of Health Professions, Richmond, VA. Written public comments may be submitted to the Department of Health Professions until September 22, 2006.

The proposed amendments clarify ambiguous provisions and specify more clearly the timing of a malpractice report, the reported data the board may release, and the definition of a malpractice paid claim.

For additional information contact William L. Harp, M.D., Department of Health Professions, Richmond, VA, (804) 662-9908, FAX (804) 662-9943, or e-mail william.harp@dhp.virginia.gov.

BOARD OF MEDICINE

18 VAC 85-130. Regulations Governing the Practice of Licensed Midwives (adding 18 VAC 85-130-10 through 18 VAC 85-130-170).

A public hearing will be held August 11, 2006, at 8:15 a.m., Department of Health Professions, Richmond, VA. Written public comments may be submitted to the Department of Health Professions until September 22, 2006.

The proposed regulation establishes the qualifications for the licensure of midwives, the requirements for disclosure to a client seeking midwifery care, and the standards for ethical practice, which are taken from the standards of the North American Registry of Midwives and the standards set for all professions licensed by the board.

For additional information contact William L. Harp, M.D., Department of Health Professions, Richmond, VA, (804) 662-9908, FAX (804) 662-9943, or e-mail william.harp@dhp.virginia.gov.

BOARD OF LONG-TERM CARE ADMINISTRATORS

18 VAC 95-30. Regulations Governing the Practice of Assisted Living Facility Administrators (adding 18 VAC 95-30-10 through 18 VAC 95-30-210).

A public hearing will be held September 12, 2006, at 9 a.m., Department of Health Professions, Richmond, VA. Written public comments may be submitted to the Department of Health Professions until September 22, 2006.

The proposed regulations for the licensure of assisted living facility administrators include requirements for initial licensure to include a minimum of 30 hours of college-level courses, training in assisted living care, and passage of both a national credentialing examination and a state jurisprudence examination. Persons who have been serving as an administrator of an assisted living facility for two of the three years immediately preceding the effective date of these regulations will be able to apply for licensure with documentation of their service and passage of the state jurisprudence examination. The regulations include provisions for licensure by endorsement of persons who have held a license, certification or registration in another state and set out requirements for an administrator-in-training program, including registration of persons who serve as preceptors, the number of training hours required, the program content, and approved facilities for training.

For further information contact Sandra Reen, Department of Health Professions, Alcoa Bldg., Richmond, VA, (804) 662-7457, FAX (804) 662-9943, or e-mail sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.


TITLE 20. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The State Corporation Commission is exempt from the Administrative Process Act in accordance with § 2.2-4002 A 2 of the Code of Virginia, which exempts courts, any agency of the Supreme Court, and any agency that by the
Constitution is expressly granted any of the powers of a court of record.

20 VAC 5-315. Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering (amending 20 VAC 5-315-10 and 20 VAC 5-315-20).

A public hearing will be held if requested. Written comment on the proposed amendments as well as requests for a hearing may be filed with the State Corporation Commission on or before August 21, 2006.

The proposed amendments revise and expand the definition of "eligible customer-generator" to conform the regulation with § 56-594 of the Code of Virginia as amended by Chapter 470 of the 2006 Acts of Assembly. The amendment of the definition of "eligible customer-generator" provides that it include not only a customer who owns and operates an electrical generating facility, but also one who contracts with other persons to own, operate, or both, the electrical generating facility. The proposed amendments also (i) expand the types of permissible fuels for the electrical generating facility to include energy from waste, wave motion, tides, and geothermal power and (ii) provide that the generator be located on the customer’s premises and be connected to the customer’s wiring on the customer’s side of its interconnection with the distributor.

For additional information contact Kara Hart, State Corporation Commission, Richmond, VA, (804)
371-9671, FAX (804) 371-9240, or e-mail kara.hart@scc.virginia.gov.

 

Division of Legislative Services > Legislative Record > 2006 

Privacy Statement | Legislative Services | General Assembly