Virginia Bills

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 417: Adult protective services; created central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse, etc.

Adult protective services; central registry. Creates a central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements for local departments of social services related to reports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retention and disclosure requirements for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and local departments of social services; (iii) notice requirements related to findings by local departments and central registry entries; and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findings of a local department related to substantiated reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill directs the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and exempts the Commissioner's initial adoption of such regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SJ 1: Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom (first reference).

Constitutional amendment (first reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that the right to make and effectuate one's own decisions about all matters related to one's pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individual for exercising the individual's right to reproductive freedom or for aiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unless justified by a compelling state interest.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 183: Income tax, state; eligible low-income taxpayers to claim a refundable tax credit.

Earned income tax credit. Allows eligible low-income taxpayers to claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year by the taxpayer for the same taxable year. The bill also states that individuals who would have been entitled to the federal equivalent of this credit but for the fact that the individual, the individual's spouse, or one or more of the individual's children does not have a valid social security number are eligible to claim this credit.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Immigration ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 445: Veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces; credit for service, teacher salary scale.

Veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces; teachers; credit for service. Requires each local school board to give any veteran or active duty member of any of the Armed Forces of the United States or the Commonwealth who it employs as a teacher in the local school division credit for any time served in any such forces in determining such teacher's step on the local school division's teacher salary scale.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Veterans

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 318: Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; established, report.

Public institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education; however, participation in the Program shall be optional for such institutions. Under the bill, if a public institution of higher education satisfies certain criteria set out in the bill, including creating initiatives on campus to address student food insecurity, it shall be designated as a "Hunger-Free Campus" and the Council shall award a grant to such institution. A public institution of higher education that receives a grant under the bill shall utilize the funds to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution. The bill requires the Council to submit a report to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education no later than two years after the establishment of the Program.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SJ 2: Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 548: Virginia Retirement System; return to work, break in service.

Virginia Retirement System; return to work; break in service. Reduces, from six months to one month, the length of the required break in service after retirement for a teacher, bus driver, specialized student support instructor, or law-enforcement officer before such person may return to work full time and continue to receive his pension under the Virginia Retirement System (VRS).

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 378: State correctional facilities; DOC to provide telephone calls and communication services.

State correctional facilities; telephone calls and communication services. Requires the Department of Corrections to provide telephone systems and web-based or electronic communications systems free of charge to any person, whether such person is initiating or receiving the communication. The bill also requires that a minimum ratio of one telephone per every 10 inmates be available within each housing unit at each correctional facility and that the maximum number of telephone numbers permitted on an approved call list must be no fewer than 20.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 349: Vehicle inspections; extends timeframe for new motor vehicles.

Vehicle inspections; new motor vehicles. Extends the timeframe following the first inspection of a new motor vehicle in which such vehicle must be inspected from 12 months after the first inspection to either 36 months after the first inspection or within such time as such new motor vehicle reaches a mileage of 36,000 miles. The bill provides that the inspection approval sticker provided by the Department of State Police for such new motor vehicle shall designate its validity period and directs the Department to develop, create, and distribute such new stickers.

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 351: Advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives; joint licensing.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-401.2, 22.1-271.7, 32.1-134.2, 32.1-263, 32.1-282, 54.1-2900, 54.1-2901, 54.1-2910.5, 54.1-2927, 54.1-2957.9, 54.1-2972, 54.1-2973.1, 54.1-3000, 54.1-3005, 54.1-3300, 54.1-3300.1, 54.1-3301, 54.1-3303, 54.1-3401, 54.1-3408, 54.1-3482, 54.1-3482.1, and 63.2-2203 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 30 of Title 54.1 articles numbered 8 and 9, consisting of sections numbered 54.1-3044 through 54.1-3051; and to repeal §§ 54.1-2957 through 54.1-2957.04 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Board of Medicine; Board of Nursing; joint licensing of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives. 24104734D

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 62: New College Institute; duties.

New College Institute; duties. Requires the New College Institute to design and implement, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, and other relevant agencies and organizations, any workforce development programs necessary to support the initiatives of the Office of the Governor, including adult education and workforce training programs.

in committee · Virginia · Senate Nov 19, 2024

SB 717: Higher educational institutions, public; duties of governing boards, acceptance & use of donations.

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; acceptance and use of donations. Provides that the governing board of each public institution of higher education may receive, take, hold, and enjoy any donation or gift made to such institution or governing board and may use and administer any such donation or gift for the uses and purposes designated by the donor or, if no such specific designation is made, for the general purposes of the institution. The bill provides that in the event that a donor specifically designates any particular use or purpose for a donation or gift, each governing board is required to appropriate such donation or gift and any resulting interest, income, and profits only to such specifically designated use or purpose, provided, however, that if such specifically designated use or purpose fails by any means such that the specifically designated use or purpose is permanently frustrated, the whole donation or gift, including unexpended principal and interest, will revert to and be vested in the donor or his legal representatives.

Topics ✓ Education

Bill results