SB239 • 2026

State Health Services Plan Task Force; designated areas of state in need of additional project.

An Act to direct the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with identifiable need for certain projects and expedited review criteria for those projects and to direct the Board of Health to update regulations implementing expedited application and review.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Head
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

State Health Services Plan Task Force; designated areas of state in need of additional project.

Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force.

What This Bill Does

Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force.
Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care.
The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects.
This bill is identical to HB 1337.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 780 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0780)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0780)
2026-03-10 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
2026-03-10 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-02-26 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-02-26 Senate
Signed by President
2026-02-26 Senate
Enrolled
2026-02-26 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB239ER)
2026-02-26 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB239)
2026-02-24 House
Read third time
2026-02-24 House
Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-23 House
Read second time
2026-02-19 Health and Human Services
Reported from Health and Human Services (21-Y 0-N)
2026-02-13 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-13 Health and Human Services
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
2026-02-13 House
Read first time
2026-02-10 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-09 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-09 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-09 Education and Health
Education and Health Substitute agreed to
2026-02-09 Senate
Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-09 Education and Health
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB239)
2026-02-06 Education and Health
Committee substitute printed 26107192D-S1
2026-02-06 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-06 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-06 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-06 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-05 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-05 Health
Senate subcommittee offered
2026-01-27 Health
Assigned Education sub: Health
2026-01-21 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB239)
2026-01-12 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101885D
2026-01-12 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force.
Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to HB 1337.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with identifiable need for certain projects and expedited review criteria for those projects and to direct the Board of Health to update regulations implementing expedited application and review.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That the State Health Commissioner (the Commissioner) shall direct the State Health Services Plan Task Force (the Task Force) to develop recommendations on options for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account the unique geographic, socioeconomic, cultural, transportation, and other barriers to access to health care. The Task Force shall also develop recommendations on specific criteria for determining when expedited review should apply to projects located in such areas. The Commissioner shall report such recommendations to the Chair and members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1, 2026.
§ 2. That the Board of Health shall promulgate updated regulations to implement the expedited application and review process for any certificate for projects reviewable pursuant to subdivision A 5 of §
32.1-102.2
, including criteria and considerations that the State Health Commissioner shall apply when making a determination to approve or disapprove such expedited application, by January 1, 2027.