A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 4 of Title 32.1 an article numbered 6.01, consisting of sections numbered 32.1-122.10:0001 through 32.1-122.10:0005, relating to Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program established; workforce development; report.
HB1332 establishes a Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program within the Virginia Department of Health to encourage voluntary, regionally based collaboration among health care providers facing nursing workforce shortages. The program is aimed specifically at strengthening the pipeline for certified nurse aides (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) through joint recruitment, training, clinical placements, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, mentorship, and retention efforts.
The bill directs the Department to designate between three and five pilot regions, with priority given to areas experiencing high CNA or LPN vacancy rates, shortages in long-term care, post-acute care, or home-care capacity, or impacts from reductions in federal workforce or health-related funding. Participating compacts may pool resources, partner with schools and workforce entities, and share workforce data, but they are expressly barred from exercising regulatory authority, setting compensation or employment terms, or engaging in conduct that would violate antitrust law. The Department would provide technical assistance and annual reporting would be required from both the compacts and the Department to the Governor and General Assembly.
If enacted, HB1332 would add a new article to Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia and create a state-run pilot structure for regional health workforce collaboration. It would affect hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities, home care organizations, and other Department-approved health care entities by giving them a voluntary framework to coordinate workforce development activities, while also imposing reporting obligations and requiring the Department of Health to administer and monitor the program using existing resources to the extent practicable.
The available context suggests the bill was treated as a workforce and health care access initiative rather than a controversial regulatory measure. Its voluntary design, limited scope, and explicit antitrust and compensation safeguards likely made it more acceptable to stakeholders concerned about overreach. The bill ultimately did not advance in the session and was continued to the next session in Appropriations by voice vote, indicating procedural support for further consideration but not final enactment.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s use of state resources, the role of the Department in selecting pilot regions, and whether regional compacts could indirectly influence labor markets despite the bill’s express limits. Health care providers and workforce advocates may support the collaboration model, while opponents or cautious stakeholders may question data-sharing, administrative burden, or whether the pilot could create expectations for broader state involvement in staffing issues. The bill specifically tries to address these concerns by making participation voluntary and prohibiting compacts from setting pay or employment terms.