HOUSE BILL NO. 66

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Health and Human Services

on ________________)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Feggans)

A BILL to direct the Department of Social Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services to contract with a third-party vendor to study and create a plan for the modernization of the technological systems used to administer federal benefit programs in the Commonwealth; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. The Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) shall enter a contract with a third-party vendor to study and create a plan for the modernization of the technological systems used to administer federal medical assistance and other benefit assistance programs in the Commonwealth that are currently utilizing the Virginia Case Management System. Such third-party vendor shall solicit feedback from advocacy groups, local departments of social services, and other state agencies impacted by potential technological systems changes, including the Department of Education, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Department of Taxation, the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Veterans Services, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The third-party vendor shall review, analyze, and make recommendations for technological systems modernization, including (i) system, resource, and staff capacity, (ii) funding sources, (iii) technical requirements for both hardware and software, and (iv) a timeline for implementation. Such recommendations shall ensure that any modernization of technological systems meets the governing U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, Centers for Medicare and Medical Services, and Administration on Children, Youth, and Families Advanced Planning Document requirements and procurement standards. The plan for the modernization of technological systems shall meet all applicable federal requirements regarding eligibility determinations, certifications, data reporting, and other requirements for federal medical assistance and other benefit assistance programs. The third-party vendor shall make recommendations regarding the establishment of uniform statewide data entry standards for local departments of social services that standardize the methods for collecting and entering the data necessary to administer federal medical assistance and other benefit assistance programs. Based upon the findings of the third-party vendor, DSS and DMAS shall develop and submit a legislative report that includes a detailed plan to modernize the current technological systems to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by December 1, 2026. DSS and DMAS shall use the recommendations and plan outlined in the legislative report to move forward with the procurement process and shall comply with any applicable federal requirements.