Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services intends to consider amending 12VAC35-105, Rules and Regulations for Licensing Providers by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The purpose of the proposed action is to comply with the quality and risk management system requirements of the U.S. Department of Justice's Settlement Agreement with Virginia (United States of America v. Commonwealth of Virginia, Civil Action No. 3:12cv059-JAG) and develop and implement a system to ensure that individuals in the Settlement Agreement population who are receiving services in Virginia's public system of services receive a level of care that is good quality, meets individuals' needs, and helps individuals achieve positive outcomes. Quality improvement measures are required of community services boards for services they provide, but those services are not currently in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) licensing regulations for providers. The proposed amendments will clarify and expand the requirements for the quality practices for the health, safety, care, and treatment for adults who receive services from DBHDS service providers.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 37.2-302 and 37.2-400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Emily Bowles, Legal Coordinator, Office of Licensing, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, 1220 Bank Street, P.O. Box 1797, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 225-3281, FAX (804) 692-0066, TTY (804) 371-8977, or email emily.bowles@dbhds.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Dentistry intends to consider amending 18VAC60-21, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dentistry. The purpose of the proposed action is to replace regulatory provisions specific to the advertising of dental specialties with reference to the statutory language regarding the use of trade names. Specifically being considered for removal are provisions prohibiting (i) advertising a claim of a dental specialty unless it is approved by the National Certifying Boards for Dental Specialists of the American Dental Association and (ii) representation by a dentist who does not hold specialty certification that his practice is limited to providing services in such specialty area without disclosing that he is a general dentist. The prohibition of a claim of professional superiority remains in the regulation.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Sandra Reen, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4437, FAX (804) 527-4428, or email sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Dentistry intends to consider amending 18VAC60-21, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dentistry. The purpose of the proposed action is to amend regulations relating to administration of sedation or anesthesia in dental offices. The goals of the proposed action are greater consistency and clarity of the requirements, depending on the level of sedation and the risk to the patient, and closer alignment with the American Dental Association Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia. The board intends to amend provisions that are problematic to dentists, such as compliance with current regulations regarding special needs patients. The board intends to incorporate guidelines and best practices for sedation and anesthesia, such as the use of a three-person team in the operatory during administration of moderate sedation.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2709.5 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Sandra Reen, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4437, FAX (804) 527-4428, or email sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Dentistry intends to consider amending 18VAC60-21, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dentistry; 18VAC60-25, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dental Hygiene; and 18VAC60-30, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dental Assistants. The purpose of the proposed action is to change the license renewal schedule from the set date of March 31 to renewal in the licensee's birth month. The change will occur in the calendar year after the effective date of the regulation. The intent is to distribute the workload associated with renewal across a calendar year and to make the renewal deadline easier for licensees to remember.

The agency does not intend to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Sandra Reen, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4437, FAX (804) 527-4428, or email sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Dentistry intends to consider amending 18VAC60-21, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dentistry; 18VAC60-25, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dental Hygiene; and 18VAC60-30, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dental Assistants. The purpose of the proposed action is to change the license renewal schedule from the set date of March 31 to renewal in the licensee's birth month. The change will occur in the calendar year after the effective date of the regulation. The intent is to distribute the workload associated with renewal across a calendar year and to make the renewal deadline easier for licensees to remember.

The agency does not intend to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Sandra Reen, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4437, FAX (804) 527-4428, or email sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Dentistry intends to consider amending 18VAC60-30, Regulations Governing the Practice of Dental Assistants. The purpose of the proposed action is to modify the educational qualifications for registration of a dental assistant II by moving to a competency-based program in which basic didactic course work is followed by clinical training under the direction and supervision of a dentist who has successfully completed a calibration exercise on evaluating the clinical skills of a student. The intent of the proposed regulatory action is to make entry into the profession more accessible to students and ensure greater consistency in their training and assurance of competency.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Sandra Reen, Executive Director, Board of Dentistry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4437, FAX (804) 527-4428, or email sandra.reen@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers intends to consider amending 18VAC65-40, Regulations for the Funeral Service Internship Program. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide clear, enforceable regulations for the supervision and practice of interns so that interns and funeral homes are not misleading the public about their status and are being appropriately supervised to protect public health and safety in the handling of human remains. The proposed action will amend 18VAC65-40-130 to (i) indicate that training should be completed within a timeframe of 18 months through 60 months and provide that the board will only consider extensions for extenuating circumstances; (ii) reduce the initial intern supervisor application fee to $25 but institute a yearly renewal fee of $25 to allow the board to track active supervisors and make sure supervisors are in good standing; and (iii) add a requirement that interns be identified as interns in titles, correspondence, and communications with the public.

The agency does not intend to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2817 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Corie Tillman-Wolf, Executive Director, Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, telephone (804) 367-4424, FAX (804) 527-4637, or email corie.wolf@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Optometry intends to consider amending 18VAC105-20, Regulations Governing the Practice of Optometry. The purpose of the proposed action is to issue inactive licenses. The intent is to allow licensees who are no longer practicing, either because they have located to another state or have retired, to place their Virginia licenses in an inactive status, which will allow them to reactivate should they decide to resume practice.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Leslie L. Knachel, Executive Director, Board of Optometry, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4508, FAX (804) 527-4471, or email leslie.knachel@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Pharmacy intends to consider amending 18VAC110-20, Regulations Governing the Practice of Pharmacy. The purpose of the proposed action is to regulate brown bagging of drugs requiring reconstitution or compounding prior to administration and to set specific requirements for specialty pharmacies participating in white bagging. The intent of the regulatory action is to ensure drugs are appropriately dispensed and administered.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3307 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Caroline Juran, RPh, Executive Director, Board of Pharmacy, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, telephone (804) 367-4456, FAX (804) 527-4472, or email caroline.juran@dhp.virginia.gov.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Social Work intends to consider amending 18VAC140-20, Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work. The purpose of the proposed action is to add hours in ethics or standards of practice to address a concern about complaints against social workers, almost all of which stem from an ethical issue or a failure to adhere to professional standards of practice. Currently, 30 hours of continuing education are required every two years for renewal of a clinical social work license and 15 hours of continuing education are required for renewal of a social work license. A minimum of two of those hours must pertain to ethics or the standards of practice for the behavioral health professions or to laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia. The proposed action increases continuing education in ethics or the standards of practice for behavioral health professions from a minimum of two hours to a minimum of six hours every two years. The total hours of required continuing education would not change.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: September 5, 2018.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Social Work, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, telephone (804) 367-4406, FAX (804) 527-4435, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.