Health professions subcommittee advances study of physician assistants, newborn on-call changes and eight other bills

The Virginia House Health Professions Subcommittee on Tuesday advanced a slate of health-related bills to the full committee, approving study directives, licensing changes and regulatory cleanups intended to address workforce shortages and rural access to care.

The most consequential items included House Bill 2489, a study on expanding physician assistants’ scope; House Bill 1904, a substitute that lets certified nurse midwives, licensed certified midwives and pediatric nurse practitioners appear on 24-hour newborn screening call rosters in hospitals when physicians cannot be onsite within 30 minutes; and House Bill 2040, which creates a licensure pathway for speech-language pathology assistants. Other measures cleared the subcommittee to streamline pharmacy technician training, finalize advanced medication aid rules and update optometry code. Most measures passed unanimously or by voice vote. House Bill 2079 (on certified anesthesiologist assistants) was taken “by for the day.”

Why it matters: Subcommittee members and stakeholders said the bills are aimed primarily at easing workforce shortages, reducing regulatory friction and keeping services open in rural maternity care deserts. Supporters told the panel that modest regulatory changes and a formal study will help policymakers weigh patient safety against access risks.

What the subcommittee did (selected items)

House Bill 2489 — Physician assistant scope study: Delegate Henson introduced the bill directing the Department of Health Professions to study whether to expand physician assistants’ autonomy and to compare Virginia’s rules to other states. Clark Barner of the Medical Society of Virginia said, “We are very supportive of this legislation” and credited the Virginia Association of Physician Assistants for working collaboratively. The subcommittee reported HB 2489 to the full committee (vote recorded in-session as 7–0).

House Bill 2468 — Advanced medication aids (cleanup): Delegate Henson described the bill as a “cleanup bill regarding advanced medication aids.” The measure updates cross-references, clarifies registration with the Board of Nursing and confirms the training and regulatory enactment language required to implement the 2024 career-path legislation. Scott Johnson of the Virginia Healthcare Association urged a green vote, saying it helps with workforce. The subcommittee reported HB 2468 to the full committee (8–0).

House Bill 1897 — Social work and mental-health workforce substitute: Delegate Willett offered a substitute that would allow master’s social workers to engage in clinical services under board regulation, permit licensed baccalaureate social workers to serve as qualified mental health professional trainees without additional registration, and direct DMAS and DBHDS to treat services as equivalent for reimbursement purposes. Alexander McAuley of the National Association of Social Workers said the bill “will bring about a modest increase in the number of behavioral health providers.” The subcommittee reported the measure with the substitute (8–0).

House Bill 1898 — Optometry regulatory cleanup: The bill removes an obsolete TPA formulary committee reference from code to reflect current prescription practices for doctors of optometry. Bo Keeney of the Virginia Optometric Association supported the cleanup. The subcommittee reported HB 1898 (8–0).

House Bill 1904 — Newborn on-call roster substitute (rural hospitals): Delegate Willett presented a substitute that allows certified nurse midwives, licensed certified midwives and pediatric nurse practitioners who hold pediatric privileges and neonatal resuscitation certification to be on a hospital’s 24-hour duty roster for newborn screening when a physician cannot be onsite within 30 minutes. Catherine Haynes, health equity manager at the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, said, “This is not a midwife bill or a physician bill. This is a mom and baby bill.” Several clinicians and community members described closed or diverted rural maternity services and urged the change. The subcommittee reported HB 1904 with the substitute (8–0).

House Bill 2307 — Pharmacy technician training: Delegate Hodges said the bill expands acceptable training programs to those recognized by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or the National Healthcare Association. Howard Estes of the Virginia Pharmacy Association and Travis Smiley of the Virginia Food Industry Association both supported the measure, which the subcommittee reported (8–0).

House Bill 2040 — Speech-language pathology assistants (SLPA) licensure: The substitute clarifies supervision requirements, permits prerequisite courses from approved providers and delays the effective date for currently practicing unlicensed SLPAs until July 1, 2027. Eileen Crow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association noted that licensing SLPAs can protect consumers and address workforce shortages. The subcommittee reported HB 2040 with the substitute (7–0).

House Bill 1646 — Chiropractors and recommendations for supplements: Delegate Hayes described HB 1646 as moving permissive authority to recommend vitamins, minerals and food supplements from regulation into the code for chiropractors, to avoid creating a “gray area” after regulatory cleanup. Bo Keeney on behalf of the Virginia Chiropractic Association described it as a cleanup; the subcommittee reported the bill (7–0).

House Bill 1861 — Licensure by endorsement across professions: Delegate Hayes presented a section-one bill directing health regulatory boards and DHP to adopt regulations establishing licensure-by-endorsement pathways for multiple professions (examples listed in the substitute). Jim Jenkins, a healthcare workforce advisor and registered nurse, supported the bill as a way to bring more out‑of‑state practitioners into Virginia. The subcommittee reported HB 1861 (roll call recorded in-session).

House Bill 2079 — Certified anesthesiologist assistant: A group of certified registered nurse anesthetists identified themselves in opposition and the subcommittee voted to take HB 2079 “by for the day”; the measure will return to a later subcommittee meeting for further consideration.

Discussion vs. decisions: The record shows substantive discussion on workforce, rural access to maternity care and supervision requirements for allied health professions. Several bills were described as regulatory cleanups or enactment‑clause clarifications; others create new licensure paths or direct studies or agency rulemaking. Most final actions were formal “report” votes to move bills to the full committee; HB 2079 was deferred.

What’s next: Reported bills will appear before the full House committee for additional consideration. HB 2079 will be re‑scheduled for further subcommittee discussion.

Quotes (selected)

“We are very supportive of this legislation,” Clark Barner, Medical Society of Virginia, on HB 2489.

“This is not a midwife bill or a physician bill. This is a mom and baby bill,” Catherine Haynes, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, on HB 1904.

“We support the measure,” Howard Estes, Virginia Pharmacy Association, on HB 2307.

“We are here in opposition to a house bill about certified anesthesiologist assistance,” Bridgette Wolf, a certified registered nurse anesthetist who identified the opposition group.

Ending: The subcommittee moved a broad set of workforce and regulatory-change bills forward with bipartisan, largely unanimous support; members and stakeholders signaled that additional technical refinements and implementation details will be handled in agency rulemaking or follow‑up committee work.