---
type: "Bill"
title: "Comprehensive harm reduction programs; public health emergency, repeals sunset provision."
description: "Comprehensive harm reduction programs; public health emergency; repeal sunset. Repeals the sunset on the program established in 2017 that allows the Commissioner of Health to establish and operate local or regional comprehensive harm reduction programs during a declared public health emergency that include a provision for the distribution of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes and the disposal of used hypodermic needles and syringes. This bill is identical to SB 864."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 378"
citation: "Virginia HB 378 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Sam Rasoul"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 23
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-02"
last_action: "2020-03-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/360636cc-37d0-4cee-90ff-5ccd389e514b"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB378"
source_hash: "e1ff1b3e828fc6cf58273c4f1a71335b1367f2ade3fad8b8186e936ac0e257a5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 378 (2020) — Comprehensive harm reduction programs; public health emergency, repeals sunset provision.

Comprehensive harm reduction programs; public health emergency; repeal sunset. Repeals the sunset on the program established in 2017 that allows the Commissioner of Health to establish and operate local or regional comprehensive harm reduction programs during a declared public health emergency that include a provision for the distribution of sterile hypodermic needles and syringes and the disposal of used hypodermic needles and syringes. This bill is identical to SB 864.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0212)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0212)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB378ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB378ER)
3. **Impact statement from DPB (HB378)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB378)

## Votes

- Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N) — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (95-Y 3-N) — **94–3** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Sam Rasoul — primary (person)
- Dave A. LaRock — cosponsor (person)
- Kaye Kory — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-02** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102454D `introduction`
- **2020-01-02** Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-21** Impact statement from DPB (HB378)
- **2020-01-21** Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-23** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-24** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-01-27** Read third time and passed House (95-Y 3-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-01-27** VOTE: Passage (95-Y 3-N)
- **2020-01-28** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-01-28** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-13** Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-13** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-19** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-20** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-21** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-21** Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-26** Enrolled
- **2020-02-26** Impact statement from DPB (HB378ER)
- **2020-02-27** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-27** Signed by President
- **2020-03-05** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 5, 2020
- **2020-03-05** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 12, 2020
- **2020-03-10** Approved by Governor-Chapter 212 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/360636cc-37d0-4cee-90ff-5ccd389e514b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).