republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/sb-732.md

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type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; created.	Virginia Health Benefit Exchange. Creates the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange, which will be established and operated by a new division within the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The Exchange shall facilitate the purchase and sale of qualified health plans and qualified dental plans to qualified individuals and qualified employers. The Exchange shall make qualified plans available to qualified individuals and qualified employers by July 1, 2023, unless the SCC postpones this date. The measure authorizes the SCC to review and approve accident and sickness insurance premium rates applicable to health benefit plans in the individual and small group markets and health benefit plans providing health insurance coverage in the individual market through certain non-employer group plans. The Exchange will be funded by an assessment on health insurers, which is limited to three percent of total monthly premiums, except the SCC may, after a public hearing, adjust the rate as necessary to ensure the Exchange is fully funded. A health plan will not be required to cover any state-mandated health benefit if federal law does not require it to be covered as part of the essential benefits package. The essential health benefits are items and services included in the benchmark health insurance plan, which is the largest plan in the largest product in the Commonwealth's small group market as supplemented in order to provide coverage for the items and services within the statutory essential health benefits categories. The SCC may contract with other eligible entities and enter into memoranda of understanding with other agencies of the Commonwealth to carry out any of the functions of the Exchange, including agreements with other states or federal agencies to perform joint administrative functions. Such contracts are not subject to the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.). The measure repeals a provision enacted in 2013 that prohibits an agent, employee, officer, or agency of the Commonwealth from taking any action to establish a health benefit exchange.The measure requires the Department of Taxation to include on the appropriate individual tax return forms a checkoff box or similar mechanism for indicating whether the individual, or spouse in the case of a married taxpayer filing jointly, or any dependent of the individual (i) is an uninsured individual at the time the return is filed and (ii) voluntarily consents to the Department of Taxation providing the individual's tax information to the Department of Medical Assistance Services for purposes of affirming that the individual, the individual's spouse, or any dependent of the individual meets the income eligibility for medical assistance. Finally, the measure requires the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group that includes representatives from the SCC, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Taxation and a consumer advocate to develop systems, policies, and practices to leverage state income tax returns to facilitate the enrollment of eligible individuals in insurance affordability programs through the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange established in this measure. The Secretary shall report the work group's recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by September 15, 2020. This measure incorporates SB 226 and SB 598 and is identical to HB 1428.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	SB 732	Virginia SB 732 (2020)	bill		enacted	Jennifer L. McClellan	6	52	8	2020-01-07	2020-04-09	openstates	ocd-bill/838e25b2-0e73-425c-8580-4ce7a57a8ffb	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB732	e20fda49af6271b4be209b55e147d2fc8f96a747075aaf54be0fd9cade130502	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 732 (2020) — Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; created.

Virginia Health Benefit Exchange. Creates the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange, which will be established and operated by a new division within the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The Exchange shall facilitate the purchase and sale of qualified health plans and qualified dental plans to qualified individuals and qualified employers. The Exchange shall make qualified plans available to qualified individuals and qualified employers by July 1, 2023, unless the SCC postpones this date. The measure authorizes the SCC to review and approve accident and sickness insurance premium rates applicable to health benefit plans in the individual and small group markets and health benefit plans providing health insurance coverage in the individual market through certain non-employer group plans. The Exchange will be funded by an assessment on health insurers, which is limited to three percent of total monthly premiums, except the SCC may, after a public hearing, adjust the rate as necessary to ensure the Exchange is fully funded. A health plan will not be required to cover any state-mandated health benefit if federal law does not require it to be covered as part of the essential benefits package. The essential health benefits are items and services included in the benchmark health insurance plan, which is the largest plan in the largest product in the Commonwealth's small group market as supplemented in order to provide coverage for the items and services within the statutory essential health benefits categories. The SCC may contract with other eligible entities and enter into memoranda of understanding with other agencies of the Commonwealth to carry out any of the functions of the Exchange, including agreements with other states or federal agencies to perform joint administrative functions. Such contracts are not subject to the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.). The measure repeals a provision enacted in 2013 that prohibits an agent, employee, officer, or agency of the Commonwealth from taking any action to establish a health benefit exchange.The measure requires the Department of Taxation to include on the appropriate individual tax return forms a checkoff box or similar mechanism for indicating whether the individual, or spouse in the case of a married taxpayer filing jointly, or any dependent of the individual (i) is an uninsured individual at the time the return is filed and (ii) voluntarily consents to the Department of Taxation providing the individual's tax information to the Department of Medical Assistance Services for purposes of affirming that the individual, the individual's spouse, or any dependent of the individual meets the income eligibility for medical assistance. Finally, the measure requires the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group that includes representatives from the SCC, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Taxation and a consumer advocate to develop systems, policies, and practices to leverage state income tax returns to facilitate the enrollment of eligible individuals in insurance affordability programs through the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange established in this measure. The Secretary shall report the work group's recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by September 15, 2020. This measure incorporates SB 226 and SB 598 and is identical to HB 1428.

Version chain

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

1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0917) (committee substitute) — source
2. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB732ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. Engrossed by House - floor substitute SB732H3 (committee substitute) — source
4. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB732S2 (committee substitute) — source
5. Impact statement from SCC (SB732H1) (committee substitute) — source
6. Impact statement from SCC (SB732H2) (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (12-Y 3-N) — 12–3 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (12-Y 9-N) — 12–9 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 8-N) — 14–8 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N 1-A) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• House substitute agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N) — 23–17 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Read third time and passed Senate (29-Y 10-N) — 29–10 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (56-Y 44-N) — 55–44 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Jennifer L. McClellan — primary (person)
• Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• John S. Edwards — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2020-01-07 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20105262D introduction
• 2020-01-07 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor referral-committee
• 2020-01-15 Assigned C&L sub: Health Insurance referral-committee
• 2020-01-16 Impact statement from SCC (SB732)
• 2020-01-27 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (12-Y 3-N) committee-passage
• 2020-01-27 Incorporates SB226 (Edwards)
• 2020-01-27 Incorporates SB598 (Hanger)
• 2020-01-27 Committee substitute printed 20106587D-S1 substitution
• 2020-01-27 Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations referral-committee
• 2020-02-04 Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2020-02-04 Committee substitute printed 20107470D-S2 substitution
• 2020-02-05 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-06 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-02-06 Passed by temporarily
• 2020-02-06 Committee substitute rejected 20106587D-S1
• 2020-02-06 Reading of substitute waived
• 2020-02-06 Committee substitute agreed to 20107470D-S2
• 2020-02-06 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB732S2
• 2020-02-07 Read third time and passed Senate (29-Y 10-N) passage, reading-3
• 2020-02-10 Impact statement from DPB (SB732S2)
• 2020-02-13 Impact statement from SCC (SB732S1)
• 2020-02-13 Impact statement from SCC (SB732S2)
• 2020-02-18 Placed on Calendar
• 2020-02-18 Read first time reading-1
• 2020-02-18 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce referral-committee
• 2020-02-18 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (12-Y 9-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-18 Committee substitute printed 20108554D-H1 substitution
• 2020-02-18 Referred to Committee on Appropriations referral-committee
• 2020-02-21 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 8-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-21 Committee substitute printed 20108786D-H2 substitution
• 2020-02-25 Read second time reading-2
• 2020-02-26 Floor substitute printed 20109134D-H3 (Sickles)
• 2020-02-26 Impact statement from SCC (SB732H1)
• 2020-02-26 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2020-02-26 Read third time reading-3
• 2020-02-26 Committee on Labor and Commerce substitute rejected 20108554D-H1
• 2020-02-26 Committee on Appropriations substitute rejected 20108786D-H2
• 2020-02-26 Substitute by Delegate Sickles agreed to 20109134D-H3
• 2020-02-26 Engrossed by House - floor substitute SB732H3
• 2020-02-26 Passed House with substitute (56-Y 44-N) passage
• 2020-02-26 VOTE: Passage (56-Y 44-N)
• 2020-02-26 House substitute agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N)
• 2020-02-26 Title replaced 20109134D-H3
• 2020-03-04 Enrolled
• 2020-03-05 Impact statement from SCC (SB732H2)
• 2020-03-05 Impact statement from SCC (SB732H3)
• 2020-03-05 Signed by President
• 2020-03-06 Signed by Speaker
• 2020-03-08 Impact statement from SCC (SB732ER)
• 2020-03-12 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 12, 2020
• 2020-03-12 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
• 2020-04-09 Approved by Governor-Chapter 917 (effective 7/1/20) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/838e25b2-0e73-425c-8580-4ce7a57a8ffb. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).