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SB308 • 2026

Drug overdose and drug overdose deaths; VDH to develop plan for opioid overdose response.

An Act to direct the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth; report.

Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about the actions people at risk for opioid overdose should take.

Plan to Reduce Opioid Overdoses

This law tells the Department of Health to make a plan to lower opioid overdose deaths in Virginia.

What This Bill Does

  • The Department of Health must create a strategic plan for reducing opioid overdoses and deaths.
  • They need to evaluate existing efforts to prevent, intervene in, and treat opioid overdoses.
  • They have to work with other state leaders and groups to make the plan.
  • Each year starting November 1, 2026, they will give reports about their progress to important people in Virginia.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Health
  • People who are at risk for opioid overdose

Terms To Know

Opioid Overdose
When someone takes too much medicine that comes from opium, like prescription painkillers or heroin.
Strategic Plan
A detailed plan with goals and steps to reach those goals over a long time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact details of how the Department of Health will make their plan.
  • It is unclear what specific actions people at risk for opioid overdose should take based on this law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 668 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 668 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0668)

  4. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  5. 2026-03-14 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-10 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB308ER)

  10. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB308)

  11. 2026-03-04 Senate

    House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-02 House

    Read third time

  13. 2026-03-02 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  14. 2026-03-02 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  15. 2026-03-02 House

    Passed House with substitute Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-03-02 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  17. 2026-03-02 House

    Passed House with substitute Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-02-27 House

    Read second time

  19. 2026-02-25 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  20. 2026-02-23 Health & Human Resources

    Assigned HAPP sub: Health & Human Resources

  21. 2026-02-20 Health and Human Services

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB308)

  22. 2026-02-19 Health and Human Services

    Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (20-Y 0-N)

  23. 2026-02-19 Health and Human Services

    Reconsidered by Health and Human Services

  24. 2026-02-19 Health and Human Services

    Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N)

  25. 2026-02-19 Health and Human Services

    Committee substitute printed 26108255D-H1

  26. 2026-02-17 House

    Placed on Calendar

  27. 2026-02-17 Health and Human Services

    Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

  28. 2026-02-17 House

    Read first time

  29. 2026-02-13 Finance and Appropriations

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB308)

  30. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  31. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Read second time

  32. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)

  33. 2026-02-10 Education and Health

    Education and Health Substitute rejected

  34. 2026-02-10 Finance and Appropriations

    Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to

  35. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  36. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Rules suspended

  37. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  38. 2026-02-09 Finance and Appropriations

    Committee substitute printed 26107252D-S2

  39. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  40. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  41. 2026-02-05 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

  42. 2026-01-30 Education and Health

    Committee substitute printed 26106366D-S1

  43. 2026-01-29 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N 1-A)

  44. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  45. 2026-01-28 Health

    Senate subcommittee offered

  46. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB308)

  47. 2026-01-27 Health

    Assigned Education sub: Health

  48. 2026-01-27 Health

    Senate subcommittee offered

  49. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104744D

  50. 2026-01-13 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

Department of Health; reduction of opioid overdose and opioid overdose deaths; report.
Directs the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth and to provide a report on the status of such strategic plan and its implementation to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Commission on Health Care by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 794.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to direct the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That the Department of Health (the Department) shall develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth. In developing such strategic plan, the Department shall (i) conduct an evaluation and needs assessment of existing opioid overdose prevention, intervention, and treatment efforts in the Commonwealth and (ii) collaborate with the Secretaries of Education, Health and Human Resources, and Public Safety and Homeland Security; representatives of state agencies; and other appropriate stakeholders. The Department shall provide a report on the status of the strategic plan and implementation thereof to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services, the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Commission on Health Care by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.