republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-291.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening and screening exemption."
description: "Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening; screening exemption; emergency. Modifies existing provisions regarding the required long-term services and supports screening under the state plan for medical assistance services by creating greater flexibility for how screenings are completed under certain circumstances. Under the bill, any individual receiving inpatient services in an acute care hospital discharged to a nursing facility for skilled care only is not required to be screened prior to discharge from the hospital unless the individual requests the screening. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 24 and contains an emergency clause."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 291"
citation: "Virginia HB 291 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mike A. Cherry"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 29
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2024-01-05"
last_action: "2024-03-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e492910d-8c34-437a-9b22-653a37cd5737"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB291"
source_hash: "39a9fb47aab3799496d7f2dcd02da6c27e4b4cf493b43de24dbb160df442d2d7"
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 291 (2024) — Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening and screening exemption.

Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening; screening exemption; emergency. Modifies existing provisions regarding the required long-term services and supports screening under the state plan for medical assistance services by creating greater flexibility for how screenings are completed under certain circumstances. Under the bill, any individual receiving inpatient services in an acute care hospital discharged to a nursing facility for skilled care only is not required to be screened prior to discharge from the hospital unless the individual requests the screening. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 24 and contains an emergency clause.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0024)
2. **HB291ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB291ER)
3. **Prefiled and ordered printed with emergency clause; offered 01/10/24 24100614D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB291)
4. **Printed as engrossed 24100614D-E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB291E)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Health and Human Services (18-Y 4-N) — **18–4** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Passage Emergency (98-Y 0-N) — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N) — **13–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Mike A. Cherry — primary (person)
- David Owen — cosponsor (person)
- Mark L. Earley, Jr. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-05** Prefiled and ordered printed with emergency clause; offered 01/10/24 24100614D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-01-05** Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-12** Impact statement from DPB (HB291)
- **2024-01-18** Reported from Health and Human Services (18-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-01-22** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2024-01-23** House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2024-01-23** Passed by for the day
- **2024-01-24** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-01-24** Amendment by Delegate Cherry agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2024-01-24** Engrossed by House as amended HB291E
- **2024-01-24** Printed as engrossed 24100614D-E
- **2024-01-25** Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-01-25** Impact statement from DPB (HB291E)
- **2024-01-25** VOTE: Passage Emergency (98-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2024-01-26** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2024-01-26** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-15** Reported from Education and Health (13-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-16** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2024-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-19** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-21** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-02-21** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB291ER) `passage`
- **2024-02-21** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2024-02-22** Impact statement from DPB (HB291ER)
- **2024-02-24** Signed by President `passage`
- **2024-03-01** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 1, 2024 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-01** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 8, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-08** Approved by Governor-Chapter 24 (effective 3/8/24) `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-08** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0024)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e492910d-8c34-437a-9b22-653a37cd5737`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).