Virginia Law

Article 2. State Board of Health.

There shall be a State Board of Health which shall consist of 15 residents of the Commonwealth appointed by the Governor for terms of four years each. Two members of the Board shall be members of the Medical Society of Virginia, one member shall be a member of the Virginia Pharmaceutical Association, one member shall be a member of the State Dental Association, one member shall be a member of the Virginia Nurses' Association, one member shall be a member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, one member shall be a representative of local government, one member shall be a representative of the hospital industry, one member shall be a representative of the nursing home industry, one member shall be a representative of the licensed health carriers responsible under Title 38.2 for a managed care health insurance plan, one member shall be a corporate purchaser of health care, two members shall be consumers, one member shall have public environmental health expertise, and one member shall be a representative of the emergency medical services community recommended by the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board. A vacancy other than by expiration of term shall be filled by the Governor for the unexpired term.

No person shall be eligible to serve more than two full consecutive four-year terms.

Code 1950, § 32-1; 1956, c. 396; 1968, c. 371; 1972, c. 94; 1974, c. 67; 1978, c. 499; 1979, c. 711; 1989, c. 73; 1991, c. 93; 1998, c. 891; 2009, c. 128.

The Board shall meet annually in the City of Richmond and at such other times and places as it determines. It shall elect from its number a chairman who shall perform the usual duties of such officer in addition to the particular duties prescribed by law.

Code 1950, § 32-2; 1979, c. 711.

The Board may adopt bylaws for its operation.

Code 1950, § 32-3; 1979, c. 711.

Six members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any lawful business.

Code 1950, § 32-4; 1974, c. 436; 1979, c. 711; 1989, c. 73.

The Commissioner or, with the approval of the Board, his designee shall act as secretary of the Board and shall not be entitled to any additional compensation for such service.

Code 1950, § 32-5; 1979, c. 711.

Repealed by Acts 1980, c. 728.

A. The Board may formulate a program of environmental health services, laboratory services and preventive, curative and restorative medical care services, including home and clinic health services described in Titles V, XVIII and XIX of the United States Social Security Act and amendments thereto, to be provided by the Department on a regional, district or local basis.

B. The Board shall define the income limitations within which a person shall be deemed to be medically indigent. Persons so deemed to be medically indigent shall receive the medical care services of the Department without charge. The Board may also prescribe the charges to be paid for the medical care services of the Department by persons who are not deemed to be medically indigent and may, in its discretion and within the limitations of available funds, prescribe a scale of such charges based upon ability to pay. Funds received in payment of such charges are hereby appropriated to the Board for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this title.

C. When the Department provides medical care services to a person who has private health insurance that covers the services provided, the Board shall authorize the Department to charge an amount equal to the allowable charge of such insurer for the services provided. If the insurer denies a claim for medical care services provided to such person, the patient portion of the bill shall not be greater than if the person did not have private health insurance.

D. The Board shall review periodically the program and charges adopted pursuant to this section.

Code 1950, § 32-8.1; 1966, c. 529; 1970, c. 439; 1979, c. 711; 2008, cc. 42, 81.

With such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Board of Health shall establish the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services and education grants program. The Board may award grants for (i) the provision of direct patient services including, but not limited to, mental health services, and home and community based health services; and (ii) broad-based community AIDS education efforts including, but not limited to, education of high risk populations, street outreach efforts and improvement of public knowledge, awareness and attitudes about human immunodeficiency virus infection and persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

The State Department of Health shall seek the advice of experts in the delivery of services to persons with AIDS and AIDS education to assist in the administration of the grants program.

1989, c. 613; 2003, c. 453.

Utilizing existing state and local facilities and from such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Board of Health shall provide grants for no more than five regional AIDS resource and consultation centers and four HIV early intervention centers.

Each regional AIDS resource and consultation center shall be designed to address the need for expanded medical care and support services for persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection through education of health care professionals on a broad range of AIDS-related issues, clinical training for health care practitioners and students, medical consultation to community physicians and other health care providers, provision of current technical medical materials such as manuals and protocols for the management of HIV infection and medical literature, facilitation of access to health services, mental health and substance abuse services, support services and case management for HIV-infected persons. The regional AIDS resource and consultation centers shall cooperate with at least one of the medical schools located in the Commonwealth.

Each HIV early intervention center shall supply medical care and support services for persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection in accordance with its agreement with the Commissioner of Health.

The Board shall establish criteria for award of the grants. The criteria for the grants for the regional AIDS resource and consultation centers shall include, but not be limited to: (i) priority targeting of funds for services to high risk populations; (ii) geographical distribution of the centers in order to provide equal access to services throughout the Commonwealth; (iii) pro rata apportionment of funds according to the number of cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the various areas of the Commonwealth; (iv) development of innovative and flexible approaches to provision of services tailored to the specific needs of patients in the region; and (v) extensive community involvement.

1989, c. 613; 1993, c. 664; 1994, c. 610.

The Board shall formulate a program of patient and community health education services to be provided by the Department on a regional, district, or local basis. The program shall include services addressing health promotion and disease prevention and shall encourage the coordination of local and private sector health education services. This program shall include information on the causes, prevention, early detection, and treatment of osteoporosis.

1991, c. 195; 1995, c. 78.

Repealed by Acts 2007, c. 4, cl. 1.

Repealed by Acts 2016, c. 495, cl. 2.

A. There is hereby created the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund (the Fund) as a special nonreverting fund to be administered by the Board of Health to support women and families who are facing unplanned pregnancy.

B. The Board of Health shall have authority to solicit and accept gifts, donations, and bequests and to apply for grants on behalf of the Fund from any source and to deposit all moneys received in the Fund. The Council shall submit to the Governor an annual report of all gifts, donations, grants and bequests accepted; the names of the donors; and the respective amounts contributed by each donor.

C. The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys received from any source pursuant to subsection B shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of carrying out the activities enumerated below:

1. Purchasing or upgrading ultrasound equipment;

2. Creating a separate program for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking screening against pregnant women and new mothers;

3. Conducting a public campaign to increase public awareness;

4. Providing support services for students of institutions of higher education;

5. Providing funds to allow early childhood education programs to work with pregnant or parenting teens to complete high school and provide job training education; or

6. Providing for teenage or first-time mothers education on the health needs of their infants through free home visits by registered nurses.

D. The Board of Health shall establish an application process and related procedures for community health centers, migrant health centers, homeless health centers, and public-housing centers seeking grants from the Fund. A grant may be made only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Board of Health and the application is in such a form, is made in such a manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the Board determines to be necessary to carry out its functions.

2007, cc. 780, 822.

The Board, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and other relevant entities, shall establish guidelines for the cleanup of residential property and other buildings formerly used as sites to manufacture methamphetamine to certify that the methamphetamine level at such property is at or below the post cleanup target.

2012, c. 778; 2013, c. 557; 2014, c. 513.

The Board may make, adopt, promulgate and enforce such regulations and provide for reasonable variances and exemptions therefrom as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this title and other laws of the Commonwealth administered by it, the Commissioner or the Department.

Code 1950, § 32-6; 1972, c. 504; 1979, c. 711.

The Board shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) to effectuate the provisions of Chapter 5.1 (§ 32.1-162.16 et seq.) of this title for human research, as defined in § 32.1-162.16, to be conducted or authorized by the Department or any facilities or other entities operated, funded, or licensed by the Department. The regulations shall require the human research committee to submit to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Commissioner or his designee at least annually a report on the human research projects reviewed and approved by the committee and shall require the committee to report any significant deviations from the proposals as approved.

1992, c. 603.

The Board may make separate orders and regulations to meet any emergency, not provided for by general regulations, for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases and other dangers to the public life and health.

Code 1950, § 32-12; 1979, c. 711.

The Board of Health may direct the Department to inform it regarding health care policy and financing concerns through such studies as the Board may deem necessary and appropriate to be conducted. The Board may make recommendations concerning health care policy to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

1989, c. 73; 2002, c. 83.

The Board shall submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly. Such report shall contain information on the Commonwealth's vital records and health statistics and an analysis and summary of health care issues affecting the citizens of Virginia, including but not limited to, health status indicators, the effectiveness of delivery of health care, progress toward meeting standards and goals, the financial and geographic accessibility of health care, and the distribution of health care resources, with particular attention to health care access for those Virginia citizens in rural areas, inner cities, and with greatest economic need. Such report shall also contain statistics and analysis regarding the health status and conditions of minority populations in the Commonwealth by age, gender, and locality.

Code 1950, §§ 32-20, 32-30; 1979, c. 711; 1984, c. 734; 1989, c. 73; 1999, c. 579; 2004, c. 650.

The Board may, at each regular session of the General Assembly, suggest any legislative action deemed necessary for the better protection of life and public health.

Code 1950, § 32-21; 1979, c. 711.

A. As used in this section, "certified community health worker" means a community health worker who has met the requirements of subsection B.

B. No person shall use or assume the title "certified community health worker" unless he is a community health worker who (i) has received training and education as a community health worker from an entity approved by a body approved by the Board and (ii) is certified as a certified community health worker by a body approved by the Board.

C. No entity shall hold itself out as providing training and education for certified community health workers required by subsection B unless its curriculum and training program has been approved by a body approved by the Board.

D. The Board shall adopt regulations setting forth requirements for (i) use of the title "certified community health worker" and (ii) education and training programs necessary to meet the requirements for certification as a certified community health worker.

2020, c. 363.