James River watershed; timeline for compliance with regulations of certain combined sewer overflow outfalls. Advances the timeline from 2035 to 2030 for work on construction related to any consent special order issued by the State Water Control Board (the Board) for certain combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems east of Charlottesville that discharge into the James River. The bill requires annual reporting about the impact of CSO system funding on ratepayers, particularly economically disadvantaged ratepayers. The bill also requires the Board to extend the compliance deadline if it determines that the CSO system operator has not secured grant funding in an amount sufficient to meet the deadline without an adverse impact on ratepayers, particularly economically disadvantaged ratepayers.
Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocery store workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to health care providers and grocery store workers. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain health care providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for certain other health care providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries to provide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1, 2022. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Low-to-Moderate Income Solar Loan and Rebate Fund and Pilot Program; financial incentives. Provides that the purpose of the Low-to-Moderate Income Solar Loan and Rebate Fund and the Low-to-Moderate Income Solar Loan and Rebate Pilot Program is to provide financial incentives, which may include grants, loans, rebates, and other inducements, to electric customers who complete solar installations and energy efficiency projects and renames the Fund and Program to the Low-to-Moderate Income Solar Financial Incentives Fund and Pilot Program to reflect such purpose. Under current law, the Fund and Program may only offer loans and rebates to customers who complete either solar installations or energy efficiency projects. The bill reassigns the duty to accept and review applications to the Program for such financial incentives from the Clean Energy Advisory Board to the Director of the Department of Energy. The bill updates references to the Maryland-DC-Delaware-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association with the association's new name, the Chesapeake Energy Storage and Solar Association.
Snare traps; prohibition. Prohibits the use of snare traps to hunt or kill game animals east of Interstate 95 during deer hunting season.
Health insurance wellness programs; COVID-19 vaccine. Provides that a wellness program provided by a health carrier is provided at the employer's discretion and may include a program that provides a reward or assesses a surcharge to encourage individuals to receive a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.
Workers' compensation; presumption as to deathor disability from COVID-19; vaccine. Provides that the presumptionthat COVID-19 causing the death or disability of certain employeesis an occupational disease compensable under the Virginia Workers'Compensation Act does not apply to an individual who fails or refuses to receive a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 either approvedby or with an Emergency Use Authorization issued by the U.S. Foodand Drug Administration, unless the person is immunized or the person'sphysician determines in writing that the immunization would posea significant risk to the person's health.
Expungement of offenses civil penalty. Provides for the automatic sealing of misdemeanor marijuana offensesand the petition-based sealing for certain felony marijuana offenses.The bill requires a business screening service, defined in the bill,to destroy all expunged records, as defined in the bill, and to followreasonable procedures to ensure that it does not maintain or sellexpunged records. The bill also provides that any petition for expungementshall be kept under seal and that an indigent person may file a petitionfor expungement without the payment of fees and costs and can request court-appointed counsel, who shall be paid from the Sealing FeeFund. The bill has staggered delayed effective dates in order todevelop systems for implementing the sealing provisions of the bill.
Constitutional amendment (second reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriageas only a union between one man and one woman as well as the relatedprovisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United StatesSupreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644(2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamentalright inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses,recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law,regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religiousorganizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; recordexclusions; administrative investigations; onsite sewage complaints.Creates an exemption with respect to the Virginia Freedom ofInformation Act for records of active investigations and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of complainants furnished in confidencewith respect to an active investigation of onsite sewage complaintsmade to the Department of Health or the Department of EnvironmentalQuality. However, the exemption does not prohibit the release ofinformation taken from inactive investigations so long as such informationdoes not reveal the identity of the parties involved or other personssupplying information.
Commending the New Virginia Majority EducationFund.
Charter; City of Roanoke; municipal elections.Makes various changes related to the City of Roanoke's shiftto November municipal elections.
Religious freedom; applicability of certainexecutive orders. Provides that no rule, regulation, or orderissued by the Governor or other governmental entity pursuant to theCommonwealth of Virginia Emergency Services and Disaster Law of 2000applies to the exercise of religion in a church, synagogue, or otherplace of worship.
