Summary

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Subcommittees

Capital Outlay Subcommittee

Meets on:  Monday at 8:30 a.m. in 300-A Subcommittee Room

Members: Cliff Hayes (Chair),  Terry Austin,  Chris Hurst,  Jay Jones,  Barry Knight,  Paul Krizek,   Will Morefield,  Ken Plum,  David Reid

Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee

Meets on:  Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in Shared Committee Room

Members: David Bulova,(Chair),  Rob Bloxom,   Matt Fariss,   Barry Knight,  Ken Plum,  David Reid,   Mark Sickles,  Roslyn Tyler

Compensation and General Government Subcommittee

Meets on:  Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in Shared Committee Room

Members:  Roslyn Tyler (Chair),  Lashrecse Aird,  Rob Bloxom,  David Bulova,  Betsy Carr,  Glenn Davis,   Delores McQuinn,   Nick Rush

Elementary and Secondary Subcommittee

Meets on:  Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in Shared Committee Room

Members: Delores McQuinn (Chair),  Emily Brewer,  David Bulova,  Glenn Davis,   Chris Hurst,  Jay Jones,  Ken Plum,   Nick Rush

Health and Human Resources Subcommittee

Meets on:  Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in 300-A Subcommittee Room

Members: Mark Sickles,(Chair),  Emily Brewer,  Betsy Carr,  Kirk Cox,  Matt Fariss,  Cliff Hayes,  Jay Jones,   Paul Krizek

Higher Education Subcommittee

Meets on:    Monday at 3:00 p.m. in Shared Committee Room

Members:  Betsy Carr (Chair),  Terry Austin ,  Kirk Cox,  Cliff Hayes,  Chris Hurst,  Jay Jones,   David Reid,  Nick Rush

Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee

Meets on:  Monday at 4:00 p.m. in Shared Committee Room

Members: Paul Krizek (Chair),  Lashrecse Aird,  Terry Austin,  Barry Knight,   Delores McQuinn,  Will Morefield,  Mark Sickles,  Roslyn Tyler

Bills

Bills in committee 

SB 1100: Amends Chapter 56 of the 2020 Special Session I Acts of Assembly.

SB 1105: Provides that a person who was convicted of a felony offense, or who was adjudicated delinquent of an offense that would have been a felony offense if committed by an adult, may petition the Court of Appeals to have his conviction vacated.

SB 1106: Creates the Public School Assistance Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing grants to school boards to be used for the purposes of repairing or replacing the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, or plumbing systems or the roofs of public elementary and secondary school buildings in the local school division, including financing costs for such repairs and replacements

SB 1109: Provides for a statewide referendum on the question of whether the General Assembly shall issue state general obligation bonds in the amount of $3 billion for the purpose of K-12 school building construction, repair, or other capital projects related to the modernization of school facilities.

SB 1119: Creates a special non-reverting fund to be known as the Body-Worn Camera System Fund to assist state or local law enforcement agencies with the costs of purchasing, operating, and maintaining body-worn camera systems. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting with amendments (7 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1150: Establishes the position of Military Spouse Liaison (the Liaison) in the Department of Veterans Services to conduct outreach and advocate on behalf of military spouses in the Commonwealth. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting with amendments (7 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1211: Imposes an additional $4 vehicle registration fee to be deposited into the Public Safety Trust Fund, established by the bill. 

SB 1226: Provides that the Compensation Board shall consider workload totals comprehensively, including the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, when determining staffing and funding levels for an attorney for the Commonwealth and the office. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act. Compensation & General Government sub-committee recommends laying bill on the table (8 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1258: Requires any locality that does not operate a regulated MS4 and for which the Department did not administer a VSMP as of July 1, 2020, to notify the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) if it decides to have the Department provide the locality with (i) review of a required erosion and sediment control plan and (ii) a recommendation on the plan’s compliance with the requirements of the Erosion and Sediment Control Law and the State Water Control Board’s regulations, for any solar project and its associated infrastructure with a rated electrical generation capacity exceeding five megawatts. Commerce, Agriculture, & Natural Resources sub-committee recommends reporting with amendments (8 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1261: Expands the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals of Virginia by providing for an appeal of right in every civil case and provides that the granting of further appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia shall be within the discretion of the Supreme Court. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting (5 Yes to 2 No)

SB 1301: Prohibits the use of isolated confinement in state correctional facilities and juvenile correctional centers, subject to certain exceptions. 

SB 1305: Requires all public bodies in a locality with a population in excess of 25,000 and covered institutions, defined in the bill, to include in every construction contract of more than $500,000 certain provisions related to the outsourcing of subcontracted work, which a contractor shall agree to during the performance of such contract. Passed by for the day in Commerce, Agriculture, & Natural Resources sub-committee (2/19/21)

SB 1319: Requests the Department of Environmental Quality to continue and expand the scope of the Waste Diversion and Recycling Task Force. Commerce, Agriculture, & Natural Resources sub-committee recommends reporting ( 5 Yes to 2 No)

SB 1339: Establishes a process for the sealing of police and court records, defined in the bill, of criminal records for certain convictions, deferred dispositions, and acquittals and for offenses that have not been prosecuted or otherwise dismissed. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting (5 Yes to 2 No)

SB 1362: Requires that, upon determination that a worksite cluster of COVID-19 has occurred at a workplace with 50 or more employees, the Department of Health (the Department) shall make a report available to the public on a website maintained by the Department that includes (i) the name of the employer at which a worksite cluster has been reported and (ii) the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by such employer. Health and Human Resources sub-committee recommends laying on the table (8 Yes to 0 No) 

SB 1365: Creates the Office of Data Governance (the Office) in the Office of the Secretary of Administration, to be directed by the existing Chief Data Officer of the Commonwealth. 

SB 1367: Requires that, for any medical review of a claim made pursuant to the provisions of the Line of Duty Act, the Virginia Retirement System shall require that such review be conducted by a doctor, nurse, or psychologist who is licensed in the Commonwealth or a contiguous state. Compensation & General Government sub-committee recommends laying bill on the table (5 Yes to 3 No)

SB 1369: Redefines “small business” for the purpose of programs for the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to allow a cooperative association organized pursuant to Chapter 3 (Cooperative Associations) of Title 13.1 as a nonstock corporation to qualify as a small business if it is at least 51 percent independently controlled by one or more members who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens and, together with affiliates, has 250 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years. Commerce, Agriculture, & Natural Resources sub-committee recommends laying bill on the table ( 6 Yes to 2 No)

SB 1396: Authorizes the State Board of Health to use the Onsite Sewage Indemnification Fund to provide grants and loans to property owners with income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to repair failing onsite sewage systems or install onsite sewage systems on properties that lack adequate sewage disposal. Commerce, Agriculture, & Natural Resources sub-committee recommends reporting (8 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1427: Establishes the Early Psychosis Intervention and Coordinated Specialty Care Program Advisory Board for the purpose of assisting the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in expanding the provision of high-quality, evidence-based early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention services.

SB 1428: Prohibits the Board of Directors (the Board) of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority from selling in government stores low alcohol beverage coolers not manufactured by licensed distillers. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting (7 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1442: Establishes a public defender office for the County of Chesterfield. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting (7 Yes to 0 No)

SB 1443: Eliminates all mandatory minimum sentences of confinement from the Code of Virginia. Transportation & Public Safety sub-committee recommends reporting with substitute (5 Yes to 2 No)

SB 1462: Requires the Department of Social Services to establish a pilot program to provide a fixed reimbursement for the costs of broadband services to households currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Health and Human Resources sub-committee recommends laying bill on the table (5 Yes to 3 No)

Bills reported out 

HB 1750: Directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish and administer the Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance Program (the Program). The bill provides that any dairy farmer that has a resource management plan or nutrient management plan and participates in the federal margin coverage program for dairy producers at the tier I level as contained in the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is eligible to participate in the Program.  Passed House (99 Yes to 0 No) and Re-referred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 1763: Creates an enhanced individual and corporate income tax credit beginning in the taxable year 2021 for the implementation of certain agricultural best management practices by the taxpayer that are required as part of a certified resource management plan. Bill passes both the House and Senate

HB 1776: Requires the Board of Education to grant a two-year extension of the license of any individual licensed by the Board whose license expires on June 30, 2021, in order to provide the individual with sufficient additional time to complete the requirements for licensure. Bill passes both the House and Senate

HB 1796:  Removes the fee for the issuance of a special license plate for retired members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently, such special license plates cost the same as the prescribed cost for a typical Virginia license plate. Bill passes both the House and Senate

HB 1800: Amends Chapter 56 of the 2020 Special Session I Acts of Assembly. Bill was rejected in House and is now in conference with House delegates and Senators present.

HB 1818: Provides that the occupational disease presumption for death caused by hypertension or heart disease will apply for salaried or volunteer emergency medical services personnel who have at least five years of service and are operating in a locality that has legally adopted a resolution declaring that it will provide one or more of such presumptions. Senate substitute was rejected by House (3 Yes to 95 No)

HB 1820: Adds participation in educational activities that lead to a post-secondary credential from an accredited institution of higher education or other postsecondary school licensed or certified by the Board of Education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to the list of activities to which a participant in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work may be enrolled and directs the Board of Social Services to amend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits program). Bill passes both the House and Senate 

HB 1822:Prohibits health insurance companies and other carriers from setting an amount exceeding $50 per 30-day supply of a tier-one or tier two prescription asthma inhaler that a covered person is required to pay at the point of sale in order to receive a covered prescription asthma inhaler unless the carrier is prohibited from providing the additional benefits under state or federal law. Bill passed House but was defeated in Senate Commerce and Labor committee

HB 1849: Directs the Virginia Board of Workforce Development (the Board), the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI), and the Department of General Services (DGS) to review the availability of registered apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth and evaluate the capacity to build a program that would require contractors engaged in construction contracts with public bodies to participate in apprenticeship training programs for each trade or classification of employees engaged in the construction contract.  Bill is sent to Governor and is currently waiting for Governor action

HB 1893: Authorizes the creation of a regional passenger rail station authority in Planning District 4 to assist in the creation and maintenance of passenger rail in the region. Senate amendment agreed to by House (90 Yes to 8 No)

HB 1895: Provides that no interest shall accrue on any fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or in a case involving a traffic infraction (i) for a period of 180 days following the date of the final judgment imposing such fine or costs; (ii) during any period the defendant is incarcerated; and (iii) for a period of 180 days following the date of the defendant’s release from incarceration if the sentence includes an active term of incarceration. Bill passes both the House and Senate 

HB 1912: Provides that the Department of Juvenile Justice is no longer required to apply for child support from, and the parent of a juvenile is no longer responsible to pay child support to, the Department of Social Services for a juvenile who is in the temporary custody of or committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Bill passes both the House and Senate

HB 1925: Establishes the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program (the Fund and Program). Bill passes both the House and Senate 

HB 1950: Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the Department of Health to convene a work group to develop a plan for the establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team and to report such plan to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2021. Bill passed Senate (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 1953: Defines “practice of licensed certified midwifery,” directs the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to establish criteria for the licensure and renewal of a license as a certified midwife, and requires licensed certified midwives to practice in consultation with a licensed physician in accordance with a practice agreement.  Bill passes both the House and Senate 

HB 1963: Provides that funding for local health departments shall consist of such state funds as may be allocated for the operation of the local health department together with local matching funds and estimated self-generated local service revenues, the total amount of which shall constitute the cooperative local health budget available to a local department of health, and that the amount of local matching funds for which a county or city is responsible shall be based on the county’s or city’s revenue generation capacity factor, as defined in the bill; in no case, however, shall the amount of local matching funds required to be greater than 45 percent or less than 18 percent of the total amount of the cooperative local health budget for the local health department that serves the county or city, after deducting estimated self-generated local service revenues. Passed Senate (33 Yes to 6 No)

HB 1978:Establishes the Legislative Staff Development Fund (Fund) to encourage and support the professional development of legislative staff. Passed by Indefinitely by Senate Rules committee 

HB 1979:Creates a rebate program for the purchase or lease of new and used electric vehicles, to be administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.  Passed Senate with substitute (21 Yes to 17 No)

HB 1985: Establishes a presumption that COVID-19 causing the death or disability of health care providers is an occupational disease compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Bill rejected by House vote ( 0 Yes to 95 No to 2 Abstain)

HB 1987: Requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance to provide for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine for certain high-risk patients, makes clear that nothing shall preclude health insurance carriers from providing coverage for services delivered through real-time audio-only telephone that are not telemedicine, and clarifies rules around prescribing of Schedule II through VI drugs via telemedicine, including establishing a practitioner-patient relationship via telemedicine. Passed Senate with substitute (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 1989: Directs the Department of Health to develop and implement a system for sharing information regarding confirmed cases of communicable diseases of public health threat with emergency medical services agencies in real-time during a declared public health emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat and with the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board and regional emergency medical services councils upon request, in order to protect the health and safety of emergency medical services personnel and the public. Passed by for the day in House (02/22/21)

HB 1990: Provides that the Chair of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or the Chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary may request the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to review and prepare a racial and ethnic impact statement for a proposed criminal justice bill to outline its potential impact on racial and ethnic disparities within the Commonwealth. Constitutional reading dispensed (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 1995: Creates the Rare Disease Council for the purpose of (i) advising the Governor and the General Assembly on the needs of individuals with rare diseases in the Commonwealth; (ii) identifying challenges that such individuals face, including delays in obtaining a diagnosis or the receipt of a misdiagnosis, shortages of medical specialists who can provide treatment, and lack of access to therapies and medication used to treat rare diseases; (iii) funding research related to rare diseases and the development of new treatments for rare diseases; and (iv) funding for supports for persons with rare diseases in the Commonwealth. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2001:Requires that any executive branch agency or institution or locality entering the design phase for the construction of a new building greater than 5,000 gross square feet in size or the renovation of a building where the cost of the renovation exceeds 50 percent of the value of the building ensure that such building has sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure, defined in the bill, and has features that permit the agency or institution to track the building’s energy efficiency and carbon emissions. Rereffered to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2004: Adds criminal investigative files, defined in the bill, relating to a criminal investigation or proceeding that is not ongoing, also defined in the bill, to the types of law enforcement and criminal records required to be released in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2007: Directs the Department of Health to enter into a contract or an agreement with a nonprofit data services organization to collect, compile, and make available on its website information about prescription drug pricing and requires every health carrier, pharmacy benefits manager, and drug manufacturer to report information about prescription drug prices to the nonprofit data services organization with which the Department of Health has entered into a contract for such purpose. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2027: Requires the Board of Education to establish, in lieu of a one-time end-of-year assessment and for the purpose of providing measures of individual student growth over the course of the school year, a through-year growth assessment system, aligned with the Standards of Learning, for the administration of reading and mathematics assessments in grades three through eight. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2035: Modifies the Full Employment Program (FEP) for Virginia Initiative for Education and Work participants by (i) allowing FEP participants to continue receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); (ii) disregarding wages received through FEP for purposes of calculating TANF; (iii) removing the requirement that a person be unable to find unsubsidized employment in order to participate in FEP; and (iv) allowing employers participating in FEP to receive a subsidy of up to $1,000 per month for each FEP employee for a period not to exceed six months. Constitutional reading dispensed (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2040: Provides that an employer shall be deemed to have established a pattern of failing to respond timely or adequately to written requests for information relating to claims if the Virginia Employment Commission determines that the employer has failed to respond timely or adequately to a written request for information relating to a claim on two or more occasions within a 48-month window and requires such employer to pay a penalty upon his second such failure to respond timely or adequately. Bill was rejected in House and is now in conference with House delegates and Senators present.

HB 2053: Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development (Department) to convene a stakeholder advisory group to evaluate the construction of internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address the Commonwealth’s growing demand for affordable and market-rate housing. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2065: Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider.  Constitutional reading dispensed (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2068:Establishes the Local Food and Farming Infrastructure Grant Program and authorizes the Governor to award grants to political subdivisions from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund as part of the Program. Passed Senate (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2074: Establishes the Interagency Environmental Justice Working Group as an advisory council in the executive branch of state government to further environmental justice in the Commonwealth and directs each of the Governor’s Secretaries to designate at least one environmental justice coordinator to represent the secretariat as a member of the Working Group. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2075:Renames any section of U.S. Route 1 in Virginia that is designated as “Jefferson Davis Highway” to “Emancipation Highway.” Constitutional reading dispensed (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2092:Requires background checks for contract staff providing direct care services for Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ licensed services. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2098: Authorizes the Governor to lease a portion of property previously used by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute to Smyth County in as-is condition for a term of three years upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed by the parties, including, without limitation, Smyth County’s responsibility for building or infrastructure refurbishments and operational expenses.  Passed Senate (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2101: Repeals the July 1, 2021, sunset of the provision of the Code of Virginia allowing a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants. House voted to adopt ( 84 Yes to 13 No)

HB 2110: Requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to collect and disseminate, on an annual basis, statewide and locality-level data related to adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment. Bill incorporates HB 1945. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2111: Directs the State Health Commissioner to establish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. House voted to adopt ( 98 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2113:Establishes a process for the automatic expungement, defined in the bill, of criminal records for certain convictions, deferred dispositions, and acquittals and for offenses that have not been prosecuted or otherwise dismissed.  Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2117: Requires that funds expended for special education services under the Children’s Services Act only be expended on educational programs that are licensed by the Department of Education. House voted to adopt ( 95 Yes to 3 No)

HB 2123: Provides that students who meet the criteria to be deemed eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status shall be afforded the same educational benefits, including financial assistance programs administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the State Board for Community Colleges, or a public institution of higher education, as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2124: Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to, during a public health emergency related to COVID-19 declared by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, deem testing for, treatment of, and vaccination against COVID-19 to be emergency services for which payment may be made pursuant to federal law for certain aliens not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2129: Requires the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations establishing a Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan Enhanced Nutrient Removal Certainty Program (ENRC Program), consisting of a number of total nitrogen and total phosphorous waste load allocation reductions assigned to particular water treatment facilities with schedules for compliance. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2137: Requires employers to provide certain employees paid sick leave. An employee is eligible for paid sick leave under the bill if the employee is an essential worker and works on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2163: Limits the release of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) privileged information to government entities and law-enforcement agencies for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement unless (i) the subject of the information provides consent or (ii) the requesting agency presents a lawful judicial order, judicial subpoena, or judicial warrant. Rereferred to Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2166: Amends provisions governing involuntary inpatient and mandatory outpatient treatment to (i) revise criteria for entry of a mandatory outpatient treatment order to become effective upon expiration of an order for involuntary inpatient treatment; (ii) eliminate the requirement that a person agree to abide by a mandatory outpatient treatment plan to be eligible for mandatory outpatient treatment and instead require that the judge or special justice find that the person is able to adhere to a mandatory outpatient treatment plan; (iii) eliminate the role of a treating physician in determining when a person is eligible to transition from inpatient to mandatory outpatient treatment under an order for mandatory outpatient treatment following a period of involuntary inpatient treatment; (iv) increase from 90 to 180 days the length of an order for mandatory outpatient treatment; (v) revise requirements for monitoring of a person’s adherence to a mandatory outpatient treatment plan by a community services board; (vi) expand the category of persons who may file petitions for various reviews of a mandatory outpatient treatment order or plan; and (vii) add a provision for status hearings during the period of mandatory outpatient treatment. House voted to adopt ( 55 Yes to 42 No)

HB 2174: Directs the governing board of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Board) to establish an automatic enrollment payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA) retirement savings program, to be known as the VirginiaSaves Program (the Program). Passed Senate with substitute with amendments (23 Yes to 14 No)

HB 2177: Updates the six-year capital outlay plan for projects to be funded entirely or partially from general fund-supported resources. Rejected by House vote (0 Yes to 100 No)

HB 2178: Authorizes issuance of bonds in an amount up to $34,136,000 for revenue-producing capital projects at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  Bill is identical to SB 1145.  House voted to adopt ( 98 Yes to 2 No)

HB 2179: Alters the principal and interest requirements, maturity date, and allowable discount for previously issued refunding bonds. Bill is identical to SB 1134. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2181: Makes technical amendments to provisions of the Code of Virginia relating to the Virginia Retirement System to reflect recent changes to federal law and conform terminology to federal law. Bill is identical to SB 1251. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2185: Establishes a retail sales and use tax exemption for personal protective equipment, defined in the bill. The exemption would be available to any business that has in place a COVID-19 safety protocol that complies with the Emergency Temporary Standard promulgated by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and that meets other criteria. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2187: Directs the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (the Center) to evaluate the development of a Flood Resiliency Clearinghouse Program and to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to evaluate solutions that manage both water quality and flooding and emphasize nature-based solutions. Passed Senate (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2203: Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services (the Commissioner) to establish the Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Program (VAFA Program) for Virginia farmers and food producers to donate, sell, or otherwise provide agriculture products to charitable food assistance organizations.Rereferred to  Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

HB 2207: Establishes a presumption that COVID-19 causing the death or disability of firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, law-enforcement officers, and correctional officers is an occupational disease compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Rejected by House vote (0 Yes to 98 No)

HB 2212: Requires the director of the Office of Children’s Services to provide for the effective implementation of the Children’s Services Act (§ 2.2-5200 et seq.) in all localities by (i) regularly monitoring local performance measures and child and family outcomes; (ii) using audit, performance, and outcomes data to identify local programs that need technical assistance; and (iii) working with local programs that are consistently underperforming to develop a corrective action plan for submission to the Office and the State Executive Council for Children’s Services. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2213: Directs the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to establish a work group to study the mining of gold in the Commonwealth.  Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2223: Eliminates language that directs certain officers and board members to procure individual surety bonds mandated by current law when such officers and board members are already covered under bonding provided by the Division of Risk Management. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2230: Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) to develop and implement a program to educate individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and others regarding the availability of supported decision-making agreements, the process by which an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability may enter into a supported decision-making agreement with a supporter, and the rights and responsibilities of principals and supporters who are parties to a supported decision-making agreement, which shall include specific training opportunities, development of model supported decision-making agreements, and development of information about and protocols for preventing, identifying, and addressing abuse and exploitation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who enter into supported decision-making agreements. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2261: Removes the fee for the issuance of special license plates to a member of the Virginia National Guard. Current law provides that such special license plates are issued at half the prescribed cost of state license plates. Bill passed both the House and Senate 

HB 2271:Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to enter into a contract with a qualified entity to study options for financing universal health care in the Commonwealth. Passed by indefinitely in Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee with a letter (10 Yes to 5 No)

HB 2288: Requires bidders or offerors on contracts for construction of $250,000 or more to submit along with their bid or proposal a list of all subcontractors, regardless of tier, that the bidder or offeror intends at the time of submitting the bid or proposal to use on the contract to perform work valued at $50,000 or more, including labor and materials. Passed Senate with amendment (21 Yes to 18 No)

HB 2299: Requires the Department of Education to (i) provide training and guidance documents to local school divisions on the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children with disabilities, (ii) develop a training module for each individual who participates in an IEP meeting, with the exception of parents, (iii) annually conduct structured reviews of a sample of IEPs from a sufficiently large sample of local school divisions to verify that the IEPs are in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, (iv) develop and maintain a statewide plan for improving (a) its ongoing oversight of local practices related to transition planning and services for children with disabilities and (b) technical assistance and guidance provided for postsecondary transition planning and services for children with disabilities, (v) develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan for recruiting and retaining special education teachers, and (vi) (a) conduct a one-time targeted review of the transition sections of a random sample of students’ IEPs in each school division; (b) communicate its findings to each local school division, school board, and local special education advisory committee; and (c) ensure that local school divisions correct any IEPs that are found to be out of compliance no later than the end of the 2021-22 school year. Passed Senate with substitute (39 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2312: Eliminates criminal penalties for simple possession of marijuana, modifies several other criminal penalties related to marijuana, and provides for an automatic expungement process for those convicted of certain marijuana-related crimes to have such crimes automatically expunged by July 1, 2026. Bill was rejected in House and is now in conference with House delegates and Senators present

HB 2321:Creates in the Governor’s Cabinet the position of Secretary of Labor. Rejected by House vote (0 Yes to 99 No)

HB 2322: Establishes the Opioid Abatement Authority. The Authority, with the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General, would administer the Opioid Abatement Fund, which would receive moneys from settlements, judgments, verdicts, and other court orders relating to claims regarding the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, or sale of opioids and any other funds received on the fund’s behalf that would be used to provide grants and loans to Virginia agencies and certain localities for the purpose of treating, preventing, or reducing opioid use disorder and the misuse of opioids or otherwise abating or remediating the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth. Reported from Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee (14 Yes to 0 No)

HB 2330: Requires the Department of Social Services (the Department), in consultation with, as it deems necessary, the Department of Housing and Community Development, to adopt rules or establish guidelines for the adoption, implementation, and general administration of the Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Fund (Fund).  Bill was rejected in House and is now in conference with House delegates and Senators present

HB 2331: Eliminates mandatory minimum sentences of confinement for certain crimes. Reported from Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee with substitute (10 Yes to 3 No to 1 Abstain)

HB 2332: Requires the State Corporation Commission (Commission)  to establish, upon approval of a state innovation waiver request pursuant to § 1332 of the Affordable Care Act, a reinsurance program, known as the Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program (the Program). Bill was rejected in House and is now in conference with House delegates and Senators present

HB 5001: Establishes the Shipping and Logistics Headquarters Grant Program to provide grants to a qualified shipping and logistics company that retains its North American headquarters in the City of Norfolk, makes a capital investment of at least $36 million, creates and maintains at least 415 new jobs, and establishes and operates a research and development center. Referred to Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations

HB 5002: Establishes the Small Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small business utilization in all discretionary spending by state agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to certified small businesses for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. Read for the first time on the House floor (2/22/21)

HJ 522: Continues the joint committee of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions; the House Committee on Public Safety; the Senate Committee on the Judiciary; and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services established by House Joint Resolution 29 (2020) to study staffing levels, employment conditions, and compensation at the Virginia Department of Corrections. The resolution directs the joint committee to conclude its work by November 30, 2021, and to report its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.  Agreed to by Senate via voice vote

HJ 526: Establishes a joint subcommittee to study comprehensive campaign finance reform in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee is tasked with examining the costs of campaigning in the Commonwealth, the effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s present disclosure laws and their enforcement, the constitutional options available to regulate campaign finances, and the desirability of specific revisions in the Commonwealth’s laws, including the implementation of contribution limits, all with the aim of promoting the integrity of, and public confidence in, the Commonwealth’s campaign finance system. Agreed to by Senate via voice vote

HJ 542: Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth, with emphasis on transit services and engagement opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities. Rejected by House vote (0 Yes to 99 No).

HJ 578: Requests the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a work group to study the feasibility of developing a secure, de-identified, renewable, and relational database of criminal justice, behavioral health, and other human services records to facilitate development of more effective interventions. Reading waived in Senate (39 Yes to 0 No)

Bills Passed

• HB 2101: GO Virginia Grants; matching funds, extends sunset provision
  Delays from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022, the sunset of the provision of the Code of Virginia allowing a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants.
• HB 2174: VirginiaSaves Program; established, membership
  Directs the governing board of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Board) to establish an automatic enrollment payroll deduction individual retirement account (IRA) retirement savings program, to be known as the VirginiaSaves Program (the Program). The Board shall administer the Program and develop requirements, procedures, and guidelines for the Program, including default contribution rates, procedures for enrollment and withdrawal, and procedures for noncompliance. Moneys in the Program shall be invested in a manner deemed appropriate by the Board. Participation in the Program is mandatory for eligible employers, defined in the bill as self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, and nongovernmental employers having five or more employees that do not offer a qualified retirement plan to their employees. Each eligible employee, defined generally as an individual employed by an eligible employer, shall be enrolled in the Program unless the employee elects not to participate in the Program. The bill contains provisions limiting the liability of the Board, the Plan, and the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions for obligations associated with the Program. The Commonwealth shall have no duty or liability to any party for the payment of any retirement savings benefits accrued by any individual under the Program. Participating employers shall not (i) have any liability for an employee’s decision to participate in or opt out of the Plan, (ii) be a fiduciary over the Program, or (iii) have any liability or responsibility related to the operation of the Program. The bill also adds a requirement that at least one member of the Board have expertise in the management and administration of private defined contribution retirement plans. The Program shall be established, and enrollment shall begin, no later than July 1, 2023.
• HB 2177:  Capital outlay plan; repeals existing six-year capital outlay for projects to be funded
  Updates the six-year capital outlay plan for projects to be funded entirely or partially from general fund-supported resources. This bill is identical to SB 1155.
• HB 2178:  Commonwealth of Virginia Higher Educational Institutions Bond Act of 2021; created
  Authorizes issuance of bonds in an amount up to $34,136,000 for revenue-producing capital projects at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 1145.
• HB 2179: Refunding bonds; alters the principal and interest requirements
  Alters the principal and interest requirements, maturity date, and allowable discount for previously issued refunding bonds. The bill contains an emergency clause and has an expiration date of June 30, 2023. This bill is identical to SB 1134.
• HB 2181:  Virginia Retirement System; technical amendments
  Makes technical amendments to provisions of the Code of Virginia relating to the Virginia Retirement System to reflect recent changes to federal law and conform terminology to federal law. This bill is identical to SB 1251.
• HB 2187:  Recurrent Flooding Resiliency, Commonwealth Center; study topics to manage water quality, etc
  Directs the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (the Center) to evaluate the development of a Flood Resiliency Clearinghouse Program and to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to evaluate solutions that manage both water quality and flooding and emphasize nature-based solutions. The bill requires the Center to report its findings by November 1, 2021.
• HB 2223: Treasury and State Treasurer, Department of the; surety bonds
  Eliminates language that directs certain officers and board members to procure individual surety bonds mandated by current law when such officers and board members are already covered under bonding provided by the Division of Risk Management. The bill directs such officers and board members to be bonded pursuant to the blanket surety bond plan for state and local employees.
• HB 5001: Shipping and Logistics Headquarters Grant Program; established, report
  Establishes the Shipping and Logistics Headquarters Grant Program to provide grants to a qualified shipping and logistics company that retains its North American headquarters in the City of Norfolk, makes a capital investment of at least $36 million, creates and maintains at least 415 new jobs, and establishes and operates a research and development center. The qualified company would be eligible for an aggregate of $9.5 million in grants, payable in installments and contingent upon the qualified company’s meeting performance parameters.

Commissions & Boards

Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia, Higher Education

Source: Webpage

The Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees shall each appoint four members from their respective committees to a Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia Higher Education to (a) review ways to maintain and improve the quality of higher education, while providing for broad access and affordability; (b) examine the impact of financial, demographic, and competitive changes on the sustainability of individual institutions and the system as a whole; (c) identify best practices to make the system more efficient, including shared services, institutional flexibility, and easily accessible academic pathways; (d) evaluate the use of distance education and online instruction across the Commonwealth and appropriate business models for such programs; (e) review current need-based financial aid programs and alternative models to best provide for student affordability and completion; (f) review the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission on the study of the cost efficiency of higher education institutions and make recommendations to their respective committees on the implementation of those recommendations; (g) study the effectiveness and value of transfer students; (h) evaluate the effectiveness of dual enrollment in reducing the cost of higher education; and (i) study the effectiveness of preparing teachers to enter the K-12 system.

Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission

Source: Webpage

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) is a key component of the legislative oversight function in Virginia. Legislative oversight is an important part of government accountability. It is how the Virginia General Assembly ensures that the funds it has appropriated are used effectively and efficiently by state and local agencies. Legislative oversight is also how the General Assembly assesses the performance of the agencies and programs it creates.

Auditor of Public Accounts (APA)

Source: Website

The Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) is the legislative external auditor for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s agencies, colleges, universities and municipal courts.

Joint Subcommittee on Local Government Fiscal Stress

Source: Webpage

The goals and objectives of the Joint Subcommittee will be to review (i) savings opportunities from increased regional cooperation and consolidation of services, including by jointly operating or merging small school divisions; (ii) local responsibilities for service delivery of state-mandated or high priority programs, (iii) causes of fiscal stress among local governments, (iv) potential financial incentives and other governmental reforms to encourage increased regional cooperation; and (v) the different taxing authorities of cities and counties.

Board of Trustees Veterans Services Foundation

Source: Webpage

The Foundation shall (i) administer the Veterans Services Fund (the Fund), (ii) provide funding for veterans services and programs in the Commonwealth through the Fund, and (iii) raise revenue from all sources including private source fundraising to support the Fund.