WARNER SIGNS DRUG MONITORING, TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILLS

NORTON -- Two bills on the Southwest Virginia legislative delegation's
agenda this year were signed into law by Gov. Mark Warner, allowing the
start of a new illegal drug use countermeasure and opening up the
telecommunications business to some local governments.

Warner on Thursday signed Senate Bill 425, patroned by Bristol Sen. William
C. Wampler, R-40th District. The bill authorized creation of a pilot
database program to track patient abuse of Schedule II controlled
prescription medicines including painkillers such as OxyContin.

In a statement issued Thursday evening, Warner said OxyContin has been a
"godsend" to chronic pain sufferers but a "dangerous scourge" of abuse in
many parts of the state.

"This legislation addresses an important public safety and public health
problem in a measured way," said Warner. "I look forward to working with
our local communities, local law enforcement, and health care providers to
end OxyContin abuse. This bill represents an important first step."

"This was a hard-fought victory for Southwest Virginia," Wampler said
Friday. "You only have to look to Kentucky as to how effective their
program has been and how the problem spread across to Lee County as a result."

The database - which still has to be funded from sources other than state
general fund money - will require dispensers of controlled substances to
report the following information each time a substance has been prescribed
and filled:

.The recipient's name and address.

.The recipient's date of birth.

.The covered substance that was dispensed to the recipient.

.The quantity of the covered substance that was dispensed.

.The date the substance was dispensed.

.The prescriber's identifier number.

.The dispenser's identifier number.

Wampler said the pilot program - covering the Lenowisco, Cumberland Plateau
and Mount Rogers planning district areas - does safeguard public privacy
because it limits law enforcement agencies' and grand juries' use of the
database to active criminal investigations and by oversight by the Virginia
Department of Health Professions. Requesting agencies will not be allowed
to view the database and must instead submit requests for information on
specific persons under investigation.

"We have gone to an extreme in protecting patient confidentiality," said
Wampler.

Warner also signed a bill patroned by Wampler and Delegate D.W. Marshall
III, R-Danville, allowing localities with municipal electric utilities to
become local exchange telecommunications providers within their service areas.

Another provision in the Wampler bill would allow municipalities to enter
the communications service in cases of limited private competition in their
service area.

"In an effort to speed deployment of high-speed communications
infrastructure to underserved areas, this legislation gives local
governments authority to provide affordable high-speed telecommunications
services to residents," said Warner. "This is an important component of my
efforts to expand economic opportunity in rural Virginia."

Wampler said the new law will help government and regional agencies move
ahead with expanding broadband Internet access for business and residential
use.

"There's no doubt in my mind that rural Virginia must have access to
high-speed Internet and telecommunications service in today's economy,"
said Wampler. "What we deploy with this bill will cover that 'last mile' of
fiber to serve businesses and households in Southwest Virginia."