Virginia HB 1285: Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; adds to powers and duties.

Bill Text

2024SESSION
INTRODUCED
24101474D
1 HOUSEBILLNO.1285
2 OfferedJanuary10,2024
3 PrefiledJanuary10,2024
4 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-122.7, 32.1-122.7:1, and 32.1-122.7:2 of the Code of Virginia,
5 relating to the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; purpose; Board of Directors;
6 powers and duties.
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Patron––Willett
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9 ReferredtoCommitteeonHealthandHumanServices
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11 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
12 1. That §§ 32.1-122.7, 32.1-122.7:1, and 32.1-122.7:2 of the Code of Virginia are amended and
13 reenacted as follows:
14 §32.1-122.7. Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; purpose.
15 A. There is hereby created as a public body corporate and as a political subdivision of the
16 Commonwealth the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (the Authority), with such public
17 and corporate powers as are set forth in § 32.1-122.7:2. The Authority is hereby constituted as a public
18 instrumentality, exercising public and essential governmental functions with the power and purpose to
19 provide for the health, welfare, convenience, knowledge, benefit, and prosperity of the residents of the
20 Commonwealth and such other persons who might be served by the Authority. The Authority is
21 established to move the Commonwealth forward in achieving its vision of ensuring a quality health
22 workforce for all Virginians.
23 B. The mission of the Authority is to facilitate the development of a statewide health professions
24 pipeline that identifies, educates, recruits, and retains a diverse, appropriately geographically distributed,
25 and culturally competent quality workforce. The mission of the Authority is accomplished by: (i)
26 providing the statewide infrastructure required for health workforce needs assessment and planning that
27 maintains engagement by health professions training programs in decision making and program
28 implementation; (ii) serving as the advisory board and setting priorities for the Virginia Area Health
29 Education Centers Program; (iii) coordinating with and serving as a resource to relevant state, regional,
30 and local entities, including the Department of Health Professions Workforce Data Center, the Joint
31 Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Joint Commission on Health Care, the Behavioral Health
32 Commission, the Southwest Virginia Health Authority, or any similar regional health authority that may
33 be developed; (iv) informing state and local policy development as it pertains to health care delivery,
34 training, and education; (v) identifying and promoting evidence-based strategies for health workforce
35 pipeline development and interdisciplinary health care service models, particularly those affecting rural
36 and other underserved areas; (vi) supporting communities in their health workforce recruitment and
37 retention efforts and developing partnerships and promoting models of participatory engagement with
38 business and community-based and social organizations to foster integration of health care training and
39 education; (vii) setting priorities for and managing primary care graduate medical education programs
40 overseen by the Commonwealth; (viii) advocating for programs that will result in reducing the debt load
41 of newly trained health professionals; (viii) (ix) setting priorities for and managing the Commonwealth's
42 Health Workforce Innovation Fund; (x) identifying high priority target areas within each region of the
43 Commonwealth and working toward health workforce development initiatives that improve health
44 measurably in those areas; (ix) (xi) fostering or creating innovative health workforce development
45 models that provide both health and economic benefits to the regions they serve; (x) (xii) developing
46 strategies to increase diversity in the health workforce by examining demographic data on race and
47 ethnicity in training programs and health professional licensure; (xi) (xiii) identifying ways to leverage
48 technology to increase access to health workforce training and health care delivery; and (xii) (xiv)
49 developing a centralized health care careers roadmap in partnership with the Department of Health
50 Professions that includes information on both licensed and unlicensed professions and that is
51 disseminated to the Commonwealth's health care workforce stakeholders to raise awareness about
52 available career pathways.
53 C. The Commonwealth will make an effort to match funding from the U.S. Health Resources and
54 Services Administration's Area Health Education Centers Program grants.
55 §32.1-122.7:1. Board of Directors of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority.
56 The Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (the Authority) shall be governed by a Board
57 of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have a total membership of 15 19 members that shall consist
58 of three legislative members, nine nonlegislative citizen mem