Bill Text: VA HB806 | 2024 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Nursing staff at state psychiatric hospitals; employee destinations, payment policies, etc.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-04-02 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0304) [HB806 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2024-HB806-Comm_Sub.html

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24108164D
HOUSE BILL NO. 806 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee on Education and Health on February 22, 2024) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Rasoul) A BILL to direct the Department of Human Resource Management to amend its policies relating to employee designations, pay, and benefits for nursing staff at state psychiatric hospitals.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. §1. The Department of Human Resource Management (the Department) shall amend its policies to authorize the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and state psychiatric hospitals to have the option to designate as full-time employees nursing staff and psychiatric technicians who work at least 36 hours per week in order to allow state hospitals to utilize 12-hour shifts for such staff. The Department's policies shall not require reductions in pay or other benefits for such employees based solely on the fact that the employee works 36 hours per week. The Department shall also examine whether this change in policy should be extended to comparable direct care positions at other executive branch agencies to help improve recruitment and retention of critical nursing and other direct care positions experiencing high turnover or vacancy rates.

2. That the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall become effective on January 1, 2025.

3. That the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall collaborate with the Department of Human Resource Management to examine considerations, including implementation considerations, related to allowing state hospitals to utilize 12-hour shifts for nursing staff and psychiatric technicians.