2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25100134D

SENATE BILL NO. 740

Offered January 8, 2025

Prefiled September 25, 2024

A BILL to direct the Board of Medicine to require certain licensees to complete training on unconscious bias and cultural competency as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure.

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Patron—Locke

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Referred to Committee on Education and Health

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Board of Medicine (the Board) shall, pursuant to its authority under § 54.1-2928.3 of the Code of Virginia, require that persons licensed by the Board complete continuing learning activities on the topics of unconscious bias and cultural competency. The Board shall promulgate regulations requiring that the continuing education requirements for renewal of an active license shall include completion of unconscious bias and cultural competency training. The Board shall designate organizations that identify and facilitate an evidence-based curriculum to comply with this legislation. Such unconscious bias and cultural competency training shall be required for every license renewal period for licensees of the Board.

§ 2. That the first unconscious bias and cultural competency training required pursuant to § 1 of this act shall be comprehensive and cover how unconscious racial bias affects care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Subsequent unconscious bias and cultural competency training shall provide relevant practice-related content as determined by the Board. The Board shall update the training as it identifies additional needs.

§ 3. That the Board shall report the number of licensees who have successfully completed such training to the Department of Health and the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative to be included in their annual reports. The Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative shall, for licensees who provide fertility care, prenatal care, birth care, and postpartum care, evaluate the impact of such training, develop a method for assessment of its effectiveness, and make recommendations for training improvements.