Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia SB641: An Act 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.
Status: Chaptered, April 6, 2026
Board of Medicine; office-based buprenorphine treatment; counseling. Directs the Board of Medicine to 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. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 712.
What the bill says
An Act 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. [S 641] Approved April 6, 2026 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 disor.
From the enrolled text, April 6, 2026:
An Act 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. [S 641] Approved April 6, 2026 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.
Sponsors
- Pillion, Todd (R, 6) · primary sponsor