| Action Summary | The regulation requires updates as required by 2026 legislative changes. Chapter 585 (HB 283) of the 2026 Acts of Assembly clarifies that a pregnant woman's prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed by such woman's health care provider for opioid addiction recovery shall not solely be a reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected. Chapter 845 (HB 1414) of the 2026 Acts of Assembly expands enumerated list of mandated reporters to include any athletic coach, director, or other person 18 years of age or older employed by or volunteering with the athletics program of a public or private elementary or secondary school, including interscholastic teams and clubs; expands a reason to suspect a child is abused or neglected to include suspected violations of §§ 18.2-370 through 18.2-370.6 or § 18.2-374.3 involving a child; and enhances the penalty for failure to report child abuse or neglect where such reportable offense is alleged to have occurred at a private or state-operated hospital, institution, or facility to which children have been committed or where children have been placed for care and treatment. Chapter 900 (SB 640) and Chapter 865 (HB 1490) of the 2026 Acts of Assembly requires local departments of social services to respond within 24 hours to valid complaints involving a victim child under age three and to determine the validity of complaints alleging suspected abuse or neglect of children under the age of three and children under the age of 18 with disabilities as defined in § 22.1-213 of the Code of Virginia. |
| Chapters Affected | Only affects this chapter. |
| Executive Branch Review | This Action is exempt from Article 2 of the Administrative Process Act. The normal executive branch review process is not required. As such, it can be submitted directly for publication and is effective upon publication. Exempt Citation: 2.2-4006.A.4.a. |
| RIS Project | Yes [8708] |
| Associated Mandates |
Bill: HB1414 (2026)
Bill: HB1490 (2026)
Bill: HB283 (2026)
Bill: SB640 (2026)
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| New Periodic Review | This action will not be used to conduct a new periodic review. |
| Name / Title: | Shannon Hartung |
| Address: |
801 E. Main Street Richmond, VA 23219 |
| Email Address: | shannon.hartung1@dss.virginia.gov |
| Phone: | (804)726-7554 FAX: (804)726-7499 TDD: ()- |