2019 Session – Gov Spending

HB2653 Higher educational institutions, public, institutional partnership performance agreements. (Cox–R–66) Permits any public institution of higher education to propose in conjunction with the six-year plan process, and the General Assembly to adopt by reference in the general appropriation act, an institutional partnership performance agreement that advances the objectives of the Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 by aligning the strategies, activities, and investments of the institution, the Commonwealth, and any identified partners concerning (i) college access, affordability, cost predictability, and employment pathways for undergraduate Virginia students and (ii) strategic talent development and other high-priority economic initiatives of the Commonwealth. The bill contains provisions relating to mandatory and permissive contents of, the approval process for, and the legal effect of any such agreement. Status: Passed the House 94-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB1920 New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Fund and Program; grant priority. (Stolle-R-83) Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in awarding grants pursuant to the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program, to give priority to institutions that offer noncredit workforce training programs in high-demand fields in which employer demand is currently unmet by the available workforce. Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 39-Y, 0-N.

HB1729 School counselors; nomenclature; staff time. (Landes-R-25) Changes the name of guidance counselors to school counselors and requires each school counselor employed by a school board in a public elementary or secondary school to spend at least 80 percent of his staff time during normal school hours in the direct counseling of individual students or groups of students. Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by the Governor.

HB2192 Public school buildings and facilities; modernization. (Rush-R-7) Provides that it is the legislative intent that public school buildings and facilities be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to generate more electricity than consumed, and allows local school boards to enter into leases with private developers to achieve that goal. The bill also provides that private developers that contract with local school boards to modernize public school buildings and facilities may receive financing from the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. Status: Passed the House 96-Y, 1-N. Passed Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB1737 School crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plans; development and review.(Wright-R-61)Requires each school board to include the chief law-enforcement officer, the fire chief, the chief of the emergency medical services agency, the executive director of the relevant regional emergency medical services council, and the emergency management official of the locality, or their designees, in the development and review of school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plans. Under current law, the school board is required to provide copies of such plans to the chief law-enforcement officer, the fire chief, the chief of the emergency medical services agency, and the emergency management official of the locality but is not required to include such first responders in the development and review of such plans. Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Senate 40-Y ,0-N. Signed into law by the Governor.

HB1970 Telemedicine services; payment and coverage of services. (Kilgore-R-1)Requires insurers, corporations, or health maintenance organizations to cover medically necessary remote patient monitoring services as part of their coverage of telemedicine services to the full extent that these services are available. The bill defines remote patient monitoring services as the delivery of home health services using telecommunications technology to enhance the delivery of home health care, including monitoring of clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and other condition-specific data; medication adherence monitoring; and interactive video conferencing with or without digital image upload. The bill requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistance for medically necessary health care services provided through telemedicine services.Status: Passed the House 97-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB1611 Virginia College Savings Plan; prepaid tuition contracts; pricing reserves. (Landes-R-25)Provides that in the event that the ratio of the assets of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Plan) to the obligations of the Plan exceeds 105 percent, the pricing reserve, which the bill defines as the percentage by which the sum of advanced payments to be made pursuant to each prepaid tuition contract of the Plan exceeds the amount estimated to be required to provide tuition at the fixed, guaranteed level that is specified in such prepaid tuition contract, shall not exceed five percent. The bill provides that in the event that the ratio of the assets of the Plan to the obligations of the Plan does not meet or exceed 105 percent, the pricing reserve may exceed five percent but shall not exceed 10 percent.Status: Passed the House 94-Y, 5-N. Passed the Senate with substitute 40-Y, 0-N.

HB2538 Balance billing; emergency and elective services. (Ware-R-65)Requires a facility where a covered person receives scheduled elective services to post the required notice or inform the covered person of the required notice at the time of pre-admission or pre-registration. The bill also requires such a facility to inform the covered person or his legal representative of the names of all provider groups providing health care services at the facility, that consultation with the covered person’s managed care plan is recommended to determine if the provider groups providing health care services at the facility are in-network providers, and that the covered person may be financially responsible for health care services performed by a provider that is not an in-network provider, in addition to any cost-sharing requirements.Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB2577 Health Insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder. (Thomas-R-28)Requires health insurers, health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in individuals of any age. Currently, such coverage is required to be provided for individuals from age two through age 10. Status: Passed the House 97-Y, 1-N 1-A. Passed the Senate 39-Y, 0-N.

HB1655 Real property tax exemption for disabled veterans; surviving spouse’s ability to change residence. (Miyares-R-82)Enacts as statutory law an amendment to subdivision (a) of Section 6-A of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia that was adopted by the voters on November 6, 2018, which applies the real property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran to such spouse’s principal place of residence regardless of whether such spouse moves to a different residence. The provisions of the bill would apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2019. The bill makes technical corrections related to the real property tax exemptions for surviving spouses of members of the armed forces killed in action and surviving spouses of certain persons killed in the line of duty.Status: Passed the House 94-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y 0-N. Signed into law by the Governor.

HB2528 Felony homicide; certain drug offenses, penalty. (Hugo-R-40)Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person’s death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. Status: Passed the House 69-Y, 30-N. Passed Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB2719 Health insurance; small employers. (Pillion-R-4)Revises the definition of “small employer” for purposes of group health insurance policies to provide that an individual who performs any service for remuneration under a contract of hire for (i) a corporation in which he is a shareholder or an immediate family member of a shareholder, or (ii) a limited liability company in which he is a member, regardless of the number of members of the limited liability company, shall be deemed to be an employee of the corporation or the limited liability company. The measure provides that a health insurance issuer shall not be required to issue more than one group health plan for each employer identification number issued by the Internal Revenue Service for a business entity, without regard to the number of shareholders or members of such business entity.Status: Passed the House (99-Y 0-N). Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.HB2529 Income tax, state; conformity of taxation system. (Hugo-R-40)Advances conformity of the Commonwealth’s tax code with the federal tax code to December 31, 2018, effective starting in taxable year 2018. Starting in taxable year 2019, the bill deconforms from the provisions of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that limit the deduction for state and local taxes and that suspend the overall limit on itemized deductions. The bill establishes income tax subtractions starting in taxable year 2018 for Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) and for one-fifth of the amount of business interest that is disallowed as a deduction from federal income tax. The bill increases the standard deduction to $4,500 for single individuals and $9,000 for married persons filing jointly for taxable years 2019 through 2025. Under current law, the standard deduction is $3,000 for single individuals and $6,000 for married couples filing jointly. The bill provides for a refund, not to exceed a taxpayer’s tax liability of up to $110 for individuals and $220 for married persons filing a joint return. The refund will be issued in October 2019 and will be available only for a taxpayer filing a final return by July 2019. The refunds will be reduced and prorated if the additional revenues generated by the TCJA are insufficient to fully fund the refunds. The bill establishes the Taxpayer Relief Fund (the Fund). For fiscal years 2019 through 2025, any additional revenues attributable to the TCJA, beyond those necessary to fund the provisions of the bill, would accrue to the Fund. The bill directs the General Assembly to appropriate money from the Fund to enact permanent or temporary tax reform measures. Status: Passed the House 95-Y, 4-N. Passed Senate with substitute 35-Y, 5-N. Signed into law by the Governor.

2019 Session – Small Business

HB2440 Intangible personal property; classification and exemption of certain business property. (Campbell, R.-R-24) Classifies as intangible property, and exempts from taxation, personal property that is employed in a trade or business, has an original cost of less than $25, and is not classified as machinery and tools, merchants’ capital, or short-term rental property. Status: Passed the House 97-Y, 1-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. HB2197 Summary judgment; limited use of discovery depositions and affidavits. (Gilbert-R-15) Allows for the limited use of discovery depositions and affidavits in support of or in opposition to a motion for summary judgment, provided that the only parties to the action are business entities and the amount at issue is $50,000 or more.
Status: Passed the House 97-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate (25-Y, 15-N). Signed into law by Governor.

2019 Session – Education & School Safety

HB1729 Guidance counselors; changes name to school counselors, staff time. (Landes-R-25) School counselors; nomenclature; staff time. Changes the name of guidance counselors to school counselors and requires each school counselor employed by a school board in a public elementary or secondary school to spend at least 80 percent of his staff time during normal school hours in the direct counseling of individual students or groups of students.
Status: Passed the House 97-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB2018 Career and Technical Education Work-Based Learning Guide; Bd of Education shall review and revise. (Peace-R-97) Board of Education; Career and Technical Education Work-Based Learning Guide. Requires the Board of Education to review and revise, in consultation with certain stakeholders and no later than December 1, 2019, its Career and Technical Education Work-Based Learning Guide to expand the opportunities available for students to earn credit for graduation through high-quality work-based learning experiences such as job shadowing, mentorships, internships, and externships.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB2014 Family First Prevention Services Act; statutory alignment. (Peace-R-97) Family First Prevention Services Act; statutory alignment. Aligns the Code of Virginia with the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018. The bill contains an emergency clause for provisions of the bill relating to background checks for employees of, volunteers at, and contractors providing services to juveniles at children’s residential facilities.
Status: Passed the House 93-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB1930 Concussions in student-athletes; guidelines, policies, and procedures shall be biennially updated. (Richard P. Bell-R-20) Concussions in student-athletes; guidelines, policies, and procedures. Requires (i) the Board of Education to collaborate with various stakeholders to biennially update its guidelines on policies to inform and educate coaches, student-athletes, and student-athletes’ parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussions, criteria for removal from and return to play, risks of not reporting the injury and continuing to play, and the effects of concussions on student-athletes’ academic performance and (ii) each local school division to biennially update its policies and procedures regarding the identification and handling of suspected concussions in student-athletes.
Status:Passed the House 97-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB1734 Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety; threat assessment, case management tool. (Marshall -R-14) Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety; threat assessment; case management tool. Requires the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety to develop a case management tool for use by public elementary and secondary school threat assessment teams and requires such threat assessment teams to use such tool to collect and report to the Center quantitative data on its activities.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB2449 Scholastic records; disclosure of directory information. (Wilt-R-2) Scholastic records; disclosure of directory information. Provides that a school or institution of higher education may disclose certain directory information of a student to certain internal persons for educational purposes or internal business if the student has not opted out of such disclosure. Under current law, such disclosures require written consent. The bill also provides an exception for state and federal law requirements from the prohibition of such disclosures.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

2019 Session – Veterans

HB1623 Military families; relocation to the Commonwealth; student registration. (Cole-R-88) Permits any student whose parent has received orders to relocate to a duty station in the Commonwealth to register for courses and other academic programs and participate in the lottery process for charter schools and college partnership laboratory schools in the school division in which such student will reside at the same time and in the same manner as students who reside in the local school division. The bill requires each such student to provide to the school board proof of residency in the local school division no later than 10 days after his parent establishes such residency.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.

HB1636 Trespass; unmanned aircraft system; military airfield or military helicopter landing zone; penalty. (Knight-R-81) Provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally causes an unmanned aircraft system to enter the airspace within one mile of the boundary of any military airfield or military helicopter landing zone in the Commonwealth, for any reason, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Status: Passed the House 98-Y, 0-N, 1-A. Passed the Senate 39-Y, 1-N.

HB1655 Real property tax exemption for disabled veterans; surviving spouse’s ability to change residence. (Miyares-R-82)Enacts as law an amendment to subdivision (a) of Section 6-A of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia that was adopted by the voters on November 6, 2018, which applies the real property tax exemption for surviving spouse of a disabled veteran to such spouse’s principal place of residence regardless of whether spouse moves to a different residence.
Status: Passed the House 94-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB1832 Special license plate; Navy and Marine Corps Medal. (Leftwich-R-78) Creates a special license plate for persons awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal or for unremarried surviving spouses of such persons.
Status: Passed the House 96-Y, 0-N. Passed by the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB2551 Commercial driver’s licenses; military service members. (Thomas-R-28) Requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to waive certain knowledge and skills tests required for obtaining a commercial learner’s permit or commercial driver’s license or a commercial driver’s license endorsement for certain current or former military service members, as authorized by federal law.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed by the Senate 40-Y, 0-N. Signed into law by Governor.

HB2632 Veterans Services, Board of; increases membership and clarifies scope of responsibilities. (Helsel-R-91) Increases the membership of the Board of Veterans Services by adding an additional member of the House of Delegates, an additional member of the Senate of Virginia, an additional non-legislative citizen member, and an additional ex officio member, the Chairman of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. The bill also clarifies the scope of responsibility of the Board to include policy recommendations related to the mission of the Virginia War Memorial. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2020.
Status: Passed the House 99-Y, 0-N. Passed the Senate 40-Y, 0-N.