republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2022/hb-884.md

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

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	Group health benefit plans; sponsoring associations, formation of benefits consortium, definitions.	Group health benefit plans; bona fide associations; formation of benefits consortium. Provides that certain trusts constitute a benefits consortium and are authorized to sell health benefit plans to members of a sponsoring association that (i) has been formed and maintained in good faith for purposes other than obtaining or providing health benefits; (ii) does not condition membership in the sponsoring association on any factor relating to the health status of an individual, including an employee of a member of the sponsoring association or a dependent of such an employee; (iii) makes any health benefit plan available to all members regardless of any factor relating to the health status of such members or individuals eligible for coverage through a member; (iv) does not make any health benefit plan available to any person who is not a member of the association; (v) makes available health plans or health benefit plans that meet requirements provided for in the bill; (vi) operates as a nonprofit entity under § 501(c)(5) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code; and (vii) has been in active existence for at least five years. The bill replaces references to "bona fide association," as used in provisions applicable to health care plans in the small employer market, with the term "sponsoring association."The bill requires any health benefit plan issued by a self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) that covers one or more employees of one or more small employers to (a) provide essential health benefits and cost-sharing requirements; (b) offer a minimum level of coverage designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan; (c) not limit or exclude coverage for an individual by imposing a preexisting condition exclusion on that individual; (d) be prohibited from establishing discriminatory rules based on health status related to eligibility or premium or contribution requirements as imposed on health carriers; (e) meet the renewability standards set forth for health insurance issuers; (f) establish base rates formed on an actuarially sound, modified community rating methodology that considers the pooling of all participant claims; and (g) utilize each employer member's specific risk profile to determine premiums by actuarially adjusting above or below established base rates, and utilize either pooling or reinsurance of individual large claimants to reduce the adverse impact on any specific employer member's premiums.The bill prohibits a self-funded MEWA from issuing health benefit plans in the Commonwealth until it has obtained a license pursuant to regulations promulgated by the State Corporation Commission. The bill authorizes the Commission to adopt regulations applicable to self-funded MEWAs, including regulations addressing financial condition, solvency requirements, and the exclusion of self-funded MEWAs from the Virginia Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association. This bill is identical to SB 195.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2022	HB 884	Virginia HB 884 (2022)	bill		enacted	Kathy J. Byron	5	34	6	2022-01-12	2022-04-11	openstates	ocd-bill/167b4c1e-7695-49c4-8c58-ad893a3af445	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+HB884	4b925f11ec2e12ece8767047938676389498b09a19b3d1d74759e702064351de	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 884 (2022) — Group health benefit plans; sponsoring associations, formation of benefits consortium, definitions.

Group health benefit plans; bona fide associations; formation of benefits consortium. Provides that certain trusts constitute a benefits consortium and are authorized to sell health benefit plans to members of a sponsoring association that (i) has been formed and maintained in good faith for purposes other than obtaining or providing health benefits; (ii) does not condition membership in the sponsoring association on any factor relating to the health status of an individual, including an employee of a member of the sponsoring association or a dependent of such an employee; (iii) makes any health benefit plan available to all members regardless of any factor relating to the health status of such members or individuals eligible for coverage through a member; (iv) does not make any health benefit plan available to any person who is not a member of the association; (v) makes available health plans or health benefit plans that meet requirements provided for in the bill; (vi) operates as a nonprofit entity under § 501(c)(5) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code; and (vii) has been in active existence for at least five years. The bill replaces references to "bona fide association," as used in provisions applicable to health care plans in the small employer market, with the term "sponsoring association."The bill requires any health benefit plan issued by a self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) that covers one or more employees of one or more small employers to (a) provide essential health benefits and cost-sharing requirements; (b) offer a minimum level of coverage designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan; (c) not limit or exclude coverage for an individual by imposing a preexisting condition exclusion on that individual; (d) be prohibited from establishing discriminatory rules based on health status related to eligibility or premium or contribution requirements as imposed on health carriers; (e) meet the renewability standards set forth for health insurance issuers; (f) establish base rates formed on an actuarially sound, modified community rating methodology that considers the pooling of all participant claims; and (g) utilize each employer member's specific risk profile to determine premiums by actuarially adjusting above or below established base rates, and utilize either pooling or reinsurance of individual large claimants to reduce the adverse impact on any specific employer member's premiums.The bill prohibits a self-funded MEWA from issuing health benefit plans in the Commonwealth until it has obtained a license pursuant to regulations promulgated by the State Corporation Commission. The bill authorizes the Commission to adopt regulations applicable to self-funded MEWAs, including regulations addressing financial condition, solvency requirements, and the exclusion of self-funded MEWAs from the Virginia Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association. This bill is identical to SB 195.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0404 (committee substitute) — source
2. Committee substitute printed 22105399D-H1 (committee substitute) — source
3. Committee substitute printed 22106785D-S1 (committee substitute) — source
4. HB884ER (committee substitute) — source
5. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22102747D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Commerce and Energy with substitute (14-Y 8-N) — 14–8 (pass) · lower
• VOTE: Passage (58-Y 39-N) — 57–39 (pass) · lower
• Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Adoption (64-Y 33-N) — 63–33 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Kathy J. Byron — primary (person)
• A.C. Cordoza — cosponsor (person)
• Amanda E. Batten — cosponsor (person)
• Anne Ferrell Tata — cosponsor (person)
• Bill D. Wiley — cosponsor (person)
• C. Todd Gilbert — cosponsor (person)
• Carrie E. Coyner — cosponsor (person)
• Chris S. Runion — cosponsor (person)
• Christopher T. Head — cosponsor (person)
• Daniel W. Marshall, III — cosponsor (person)
• Dave A. LaRock — cosponsor (person)
• Emily M. Brewer — cosponsor (person)
• Glenn R. Davis — cosponsor (person)
• H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• Israel D. O'Quinn — cosponsor (person)
• James A. "Jay" Leftwich — cosponsor (person)
• James W. Morefield — cosponsor (person)
• Jason S. Ballard — cosponsor (person)
• Jeffrey L. Campbell — cosponsor (person)
• Joseph P. McNamara — cosponsor (person)
• Kim A. Taylor — cosponsor (person)
• M. Keith Hodges — cosponsor (person)
• Marie E. March — cosponsor (person)
• Michael J. Webert — cosponsor (person)
• Mike A. Cherry — cosponsor (person)
• Nicholas J. Freitas — cosponsor (person)
• Phillip A. Scott — cosponsor (person)
• R. Lee Ware — cosponsor (person)
• Robert B. Bell — cosponsor (person)
• Robert D. Orrock, Sr. — cosponsor (person)
• Ronnie R. Campbell — cosponsor (person)
• Roxann L. Robinson — cosponsor (person)
• Scott A. Wyatt — cosponsor (person)
• Tara A. Durant — cosponsor (person)
• Terry G. Kilgore — cosponsor (person)
• Terry L. Austin — cosponsor (person)
• Thomas C. Wright, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• Tony O. Wilt — cosponsor (person)
• Wendell S. Walker — cosponsor (person)
• William C. Wampler III — cosponsor (person)
• Wren M. Williams — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2022-01-12 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22102747D introduction
• 2022-01-12 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Energy referral-committee
• 2022-01-27 Impact statement from SCC (HB884)
• 2022-01-27 House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2022-01-27 Reported from Commerce and Energy with substitute (14-Y 8-N) committee-passage
• 2022-01-27 Committee substitute printed 22105399D-H1 substitution
• 2022-01-31 Read first time reading-1
• 2022-02-01 Read second time reading-2
• 2022-02-01 Committee substitute agreed to 22105399D-H1
• 2022-02-01 Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB884H1
• 2022-02-02 Read third time and passed House (58-Y 39-N) passage, reading-3
• 2022-02-02 VOTE: Passage (58-Y 39-N)
• 2022-02-03 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2022-02-03 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor referral-committee
• 2022-02-07 Impact statement from SCC (HB884H1)
• 2022-02-21 Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2022-02-21 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2022-02-21 Committee substitute printed 22106785D-S1 substitution
• 2022-02-23 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2022-02-24 Read third time reading-3
• 2022-02-24 Reading of substitute waived
• 2022-02-24 Committee substitute agreed to 22106785D-S1
• 2022-02-24 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB884S1
• 2022-02-24 Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N) passage
• 2022-02-28 Impact statement from SCC (HB884S1)
• 2022-02-28 Senate substitute agreed to by House 22106785D-S1 (64-Y 33-N)
• 2022-02-28 VOTE: Adoption (64-Y 33-N)
• 2022-03-02 Enrolled
• 2022-03-02 Signed by Speaker
• 2022-03-03 Signed by President
• 2022-03-03 Impact statement from SCC (HB884ER)
• 2022-03-11 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2022
• 2022-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2022
• 2022-04-11 Approved by Governor-Chapter 404 (effective 7/1/22) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/167b4c1e-7695-49c4-8c58-ad893a3af445. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).