2024 Virginia Legislative Summary

 2024 Virginia Legislative Summary

Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care. Lawmakers make many decisions that impact the lives of Virginians impacted by cancer and their leadership is vital to defeating this disease.

In 2024 the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will work with the Virginia Legislature and General Assembly on legislative and regulatory efforts that provide affordable, adequate access to health insurance including Medicaid, ensure adequate funding for lifesaving cancer screening and prevention programs, and enact prevention policies to protect kids from tobacco products and help support those who are trying to quit. 

Ensuring Access to Quality Care

• Patient Medical Debt: ACS CAN will back a  bill that prohibits collecting or attempting to collect a medical debt from reporting such collection or attempts to collect to a consumer reporting agency. 
• Out-of-Pocket Bill: Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing payments for prescription drugs under certain plans: This bill would require that health insurance carriers in the individual and small-group markets give patients an option to select a capped co-pay-only health insurance plan. This plan choice would ensure that co-pays for any covered medication within that plan would not exceed $100 per prescription per month in Silver/Gold/Platinum plans or $150 per prescription per month in Bronze plans.

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

• Breast and Cervical Cancer: ACS CAN will advocate to increase funding by $1,000,000 for Every Woman’s Lives, the state breast and cervical cancer screening treatment program for low-income uninsured and underinsured women administered by the Virginia
• Tobacco Retail Licensing: After 4 years of work, our TRL bill should pass. The bill provides that the punishment of a retail dealer that sells, gives, or furnishes a tobacco product to a person younger than 21 years of age or to a person who does not demonstrate that such person is at least 21 years of age is (i) a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first offense within a 36-month period, (ii) a civil penalty of $5,000 for a second offense within a 36-month period such retail dealer shall become subject to specific age-verification requirements, (iii) a civil penalty of $10,000 and a 30-day suspension of such retail dealer's distributor's license for a third offense within a 36-month period, and (iv) revocation of such license and such retail dealer shall be ineligible to hold a license for a period of three years following the most recent violation for a fourth offense within a 36-month period. The bill requires the Department of Taxation, in collaboration with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and local law enforcement, to conduct a compliance check every 24 months on any retail dealer selling retail tobacco products and to use a person younger than 21 years of age.

Cancer Research Funding

Funding for Cancer Research: Virginia is one of the few states that directly funds cancer research from the budget. ASC CAN advocates for a broad spectrum of cancer research funding. This year’s cancer appropriations were as follows:

• ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation: appropriation of $700,289 to facilitate the provision of pediatric cancer support services by pediatric cancer treatment centers in Virginia.
• UVA Cancer Center: appropriation of $22,500,000 for the support of cancer research.
• VCU Massey Cancer Center: appropriation of $22,500,000 for the support of cancer research.
• Old Dominion University- appropriation, of $1,500,000 to expand research efforts at the Center for Bioelectrics, which uses electrical stimuli in the biomedical area to eliminate cancer cells and tumors without damaging healthy surrounding tissue.

For more information, contact: Brian Donohue, Virginia Government Relations Director ACS CAN

Email: [email protected]       Phone (202) 617-4502 

ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, please visit www.fightcancer.org.