Summary: Virginia Virtual School established. Establishes the Board of the Virginia Virtual School (the Board) as a policy agency in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of governing the full-time virtual school programs offered to students enrolled in the Virginia Virtual School (the School). The Secretary of Education is responsible for such agency. The 14-member Board is given operational control of the School and assigned powers and duties. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the bill requires the School to be open to any school-age person in the Commonwealth and to provide an educational program meeting the Standards of Quality for grades kindergarten through 12, with a maximum enrollment of 5,000 students statewide. The bill requires the average state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding for each enrolled student to be transferred to the School. This bill is identical to SB 1240. 

Summary: Student vision screenings. Requires (i) the principal of each public elementary school to cause the vision of students in kindergarten and grade two or grade three to be screened unless certain exceptions apply and (ii) the principal of each public middle school and high school to cause the vision of students in grade seven and grade 10 to be screened unless certain exceptions apply and permits any such screening to be conducted by a qualified nonprofit vision health organization that uses a digital photoscreening method pursuant to a comprehensive vision program or other methods that comply with Department of Education requirements. The bill defines "qualified nonprofit vision health organization" and "comprehensive vision program." Under current law, the frequency of such vision screenings is determined by the Board of Education pursuant to regulations. Current law is silent on the method and provider of such vision screenings.

Summary: Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established. Permits the parent of a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school student who meets certain criteria to apply to the school division in which the student resides for a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Account that consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the resident school division in which the student resides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding to which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent to use the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private, sectarian or nonsectarian elementary or secondary school or preschool that is located in the Commonwealth and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expenses made from such accounts. The bill contains a reenactment clause.

Summary: School boards; pupil/teacher ratios; public report. Requires each school board to annually report to the public the actual pupil/teacher ratios in middle school and high school by school for the current school year.

Summary: Public schools; dyslexia advisor. Requires one reading specialist employed by each local school board that employs a reading specialist to have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and to have an understanding of the definition of dyslexia and a working knowledge of several topics relating to dyslexia. This bill is identical to SB 1516.

Summary: Community services boards and behavioral health authorities; services to be provided. Provides that, effective July 1, 2019, the core of services provided by community services boards and behavioral health authorities shall include (i) same-day access to mental health screening services and (ii) outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services for physical health indicators and health risks and follow-up services for individuals identified as being in need of assistance with overcoming barriers to accessing primary health services. The bill provides that, effective July 1, 2021, the core of services provided by community services boards and behavioral health authorities additionally shall include (a) crisis services for individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, (b) outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, (c) psychiatric rehabilitation services, (d) peer support and family support services, (e) mental health services for members of the armed forces located 50 miles or more from a military treatment facility and veterans located 40 miles or more from a Veterans Health Administration medical facility, (f) care coordination services, and (g) case management services. The bill also requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to report annually regarding progress in the implementation of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 1005.

Summary: Registration of peer recovery specialists and qualified mental health professionals. Authorizes the registration of peer recovery specialists and qualified mental health professionals by the Board of Counseling. The bill defines "qualified mental health professional" as a person who by education and experience is professionally qualified and registered by the Board of Counseling to provide collaborative mental health services for adults or children. The bill requires that a qualified mental health professional provide such services as an employee or independent contractor of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or a provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The bill defines "registered peer recovery specialist" as a person who by education and experience is professionally qualified and registered by the Board of Counseling to provide collaborative services to assist individuals in achieving sustained recovery from the effects of addiction or mental illness, or both. The bill requires that a registered peer recovery specialist provide such services as an employee or independent contractor of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a practitioner licensed by or holding a permit issued from the Department of Health Professions, or a facility licensed by the Department of Health. The bill adds qualified mental health professionals and registered peer recovery specialists to the list of mental health providers that are required to take actions to protect third parties under certain circumstances and notify clients of their right to report to the Department of Health Professions any unethical, fraudulent, or unprofessional conduct. The bill directs the Board of Counseling and the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill within 280 days of its enactment. This bill is identical to SB 1020.

Summary: Emergency Department Care Coordination Program established. Establishes the Emergency Department Care Coordination Program in the Department of Health to provide a single, statewide technology solution that connects all hospital emergency departments in the Commonwealth to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration between physicians, other health care providers, and other clinical and care management personnel for patients receiving services in hospital emergency departments, for the purpose of improving the quality of patient care services. The bill does not become effective unless and until the Commonwealth receives federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act funds to implement its provisions. This bill is identical to SB 1561.

Summary: Department of Health; frequency of inspections. Provides that in cases in which inspections of emergency medical services agencies and vehicles, hospitals, hospices, home care organizations, restaurants, summer camps, campgrounds, and hotels are required, no licensee shall receive additional inspections until every other licensee in that category has been inspected, unless the additional inspection is (i) necessary to follow up on a preoperational inspection or one or more violations, (ii) required by a uniformly applied risk-based schedule established by the Department of Health, (iii) necessary to investigate a complaint, or (iv) otherwise deemed necessary to protect the public health and safety.

Summary: Department of Medical Assistance Services; fraud prevention; prepayment analytics. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to establish a program to mitigate, through the use of prepayment analytics, the risk of improper payments to providers of services that are paid through the Department's fee-for-service delivery system who commit fraud, abuse, or errors.

Summary: Governing boards of public institutions of higher education; duties. Requires the board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education, except Virginia Military Institute, Norfolk State University, and Virginia State University, to adopt policies prohibiting the annual enrollment of full-time equivalent undergraduate non-Virginia students from exceeding 30 percent of the total annual enrollment of full-time equivalent undergraduate students unless the board, after covering the cost to educate each full-time equivalent undergraduate non-Virginia student that exceeds such 30 percent cap with tuition revenue from such students, uses any remaining tuition revenue from such students to lower in equal amounts the rate of tuition and fees charged to each undergraduate Virginia student. The bill declares that the governing board of each public institution of higher education has a duty to the Commonwealth and its citizens.

Summary: State Board for Community Colleges; reduced rate tuition and mandatory fee charges; certain students who are active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Permits the State Board for Community Colleges to charge reduced rate tuition and mandatory fees to any student who is (i) an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed outside of the Commonwealth; (ii) enrolled in a degree program at a comprehensive community college, provided that any such comprehensive community college that offers online degree programs is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity; and (iii) enrolled in training that leads to a Military Occupational Specialty in the Army or Marine Corps, an Air Force Specialty Code, or a Navy Enlisted Classification.

Summary: Comprehensive community colleges; tuition grants. Provides that certain Virginia students who were in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or considered a special needs adoption and are enrolled in a noncredit workforce credential training program in a comprehensive community college may qualify for a grant for the payment of tuition and fees. This bill is identical to SB 1032.

Summary: Online Virginia Network Authority established. Establishes the Online Virginia Network Authority (the Authority) as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the purpose of establishing the Online Virginia Network to coordinate the online delivery of courses that facilitate the completion of degrees at George Mason University and Old Dominion University. The bill requires the Authority to be governed by a 15-member board that consists of four members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, three members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of George Mason University, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of Old Dominion University, the President of George Mason University, the President of Old Dominion University, and the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill sets forth several duties of the Authority and grants the Authority operational flexibility in the areas of procurement and information technology, provided that the Authority adopts and complies with certain policies.

Summary: Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program; eligibility;renewal; amount of grants. Changes the student eligibility criteriafor Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program grants by removing therequirement that the recipient be a dependent and by requiring therecipient to be enrolled full time. The bill places the followingcondition of renewal of Program grants: (i) no recipient shall receivea subsequent grant until he has satisfied the requirements to advanceto the next class level; (ii) no recipient shall receive more thanone year of support per class level for a maximum total of two yearsof support at an associate-degree-granting public institution of highereducation or more than one year of support per class level for a maximumtotal of four years of support at a baccalaureate public institutionof higher education; and (iii) no recipient shall receive more thana combined lifetime total of four years of support. The bill permitspublic institutions of higher education to use Program funds to providelarger awards to students in a higher class level or to students whoenroll in 15 or more credit hours per semester. The provisions ofthe bill become effective beginning with the first-time entering freshmanclass of the fall 2018 academic year.

Summary: Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program; grants. Makes several changes to the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, including adding requirements that (i) each student eligible for the Program receive a grant from the institution's appropriations for undergraduate student financial assistance before Commonwealth Award grants are awarded to students with equivalent remaining need, (ii) each eligible student receive a Program grant in an amount greater than Commonwealth Award grants awarded to students with equivalent remaining need, (iii) each eligible student receive a Program grant in an amount greater than the grant of each eligible student with equivalent remaining need in the next-lowest class level, and (iv) each Program grant be determined by a proportionate award schedule adopted by each institution and vary according to each student's remaining need and the total of tuition, fees, and other necessary charges, including books. This bill is identical to SB 1527.