2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26104754D

SENATE BILL NO. 641

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 14, 2026

A BILL to direct the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling.

—————

Patrons—Pillion, Cifers, Craig, French, Hackworth, McDougle, Mulchi, Obenshain, Peake, Reeves, Stanley, Stuart and Sturtevant

—————

Referred to Committee on Education and Health

—————

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Board of Medicine shall amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. Under such regulations, a patient's refusal shall not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.