Search warrants; menstrual health data prohibited. Prohibits the issuance of a search warrant for the search and seizure of menstrual health data, as defined in the bill, stored on a computer, computer network, or other device containing electronic or digital information. This bill was incorporated into HB 78.
Reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves the receipt of or assistance with reproductive health care services within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that such limit on extradition shall not apply when the person who is subject to such demand for extradition by another state was physically present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged offense and thereafter fled from such state. This bill was incorporated into HB 1539.
Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Removes the provision in the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act requiring that benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty be provided for a maximum of 52 weeks from the date of diagnosis.
Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.
Installation of crosswalks; waiving certainrequirement. Authorizes the Department of Transportation, whendetermining the need for a crosswalk within a community subject tothe Property Owners' Association Act, to waive any requirement thata certain number of individuals cross such highway within a particularperiod of time if the location of the proposed crosswalk is adjacentto and providing access to a facility that attracts pedestrians orgenerates an increased pedestrian presence.
Department of General Services and Departmentof Transportation; regulations and requirements; transit and schoolbus shelters; concrete pad construction. Directs the Departmentof General Services and the Department of Transportation to amendand conform the regulations and requirements for localities and transitagencies constructing concrete pad foundations for school bus shelters,public transit shelters, and rideshare stations.
Certificate of public need; hospitals licensedby the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; psychiatric beds. Excludes from the list of medical care facilitiesfor which a certificate of public need is required hospitals licensedas a provider by the Department of Behavioral Health and DevelopmentalServices. The bill excludes the following from the list of projectsfor which a certificate of public need is required for certain medicalcare facilities: (i) an increase or relocation of psychiatric bedslicensed by the Department, (ii) the introduction of any psychiatricservice when such medical care facility has not provided such servicein the previous 12 months, and (iii) the conversion of beds to psychiatricbeds. The bill also modifies the list of projects for which a certificateof public need is required for certain medical care facilities by requiring a certificate for the conversion of any psychiatric inpatientbeds to nonpsychiatric inpatient beds. Under current law, a certificateis required for the conversion of a psychiatric bed to a nonpsychiatricbed only when the psychiatric bed was approved pursuant to a Requestfor Applications (RFA).
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibitedpractices; mandatory fees disclosure. Prohibits a supplier in connection with a consumer transaction from advertising, displaying,or offering any pricing information for goods or services withoutprominently displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatoryfees or charges other than taxes imposed.
Electric utilities; State Corporation Commission;energy policy of the Commonwealth. Requires the State CorporationCommission to ensure that the Commonwealth implements the energypolicy of the Commonwealth, as defined by relevant law, at the lowestreasonable cost, taking into account all cost-effective demand-sidemanagement options and the security and reliability benefits of theregional transmission entity that each incumbent electric utilityhas joined. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that plans,petitions, or proposals from utilities that do not ensure such implementationat the lowest reasonable cost are not in the public interest.
Department of Human Resource Management; disclosureof certain information. Requires the Department of Human ResourceManagement to provide any recognized public employee association,upon the request of such association, a list containing the nameand work address of each current state employee. The bill requiressuch association to ensure that the information contained in suchlist remains confidential and prohibits any mailing sent by suchassociation to a state employee from containing (i) political or partisan content, (ii) commercial advertising, or (iii) the personal informationof any state employee.
Board of Housing and Community Development;Uniform Statewide Building Code; local building officials. Requiresthe Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the UniformStatewide Building Code and corresponding regulations to remove anyauthority for local building departments to appoint local buildingofficials for permanent terms. The bill requires the Board to requirelocal building departments to appoint such officials for a term notto exceed 10 years and to only reappoint such officials after holdinga performance evaluation.
Electric utilities; recovery of developmentcosts associated with small modular reactor. Permits AmericanElectric Power (Phase I Utility) and Dominion Energy Virginia (PhaseII Utility) to petition the State Corporation Commission at any timefor the approval of a rate adjustment clause for the recovery ofsmall modular reactor project development costs. The bill also permitsthe utility to petition the Commission for project development costrecovery along separate development phases.
