Distributed renewable energy. Promotes the establishment of distributed renewable solar and other renewable energy. The measure (i) requires the State Corporation Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program that allows multifamily customers of investor-owned utilities, other than American Electric Power, to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility; (ii) raises the cap on the total amount of renewable energy that can be net metered in a utility's service territory from one percent to six percent, five percent of which is available to all customers and one percent of which is available only to low-income utility customers; (iii) raises the cap for net-metered nonresidential generation facilities from one megawatt to three megawatts; (iv) allows certain localities to install solar or wind facilities of up to five megawatts on government-owned property and use the electricity for government-owned buildings; (v) increases the cap on the capacity of generation from facilities from the customer's expected annual energy consumption to 150 percent of such amount for customers in Dominion Energy Virginia's service territory; (vi) prohibits standby charges for any residential customer-generator or agricultural customer-generator of an investor-owned utility other than Dominion Energy Virginia; and (vii) increases the cap on third party power purchase agreements to 500 megawatts for jurisdictional customers and 500 megawatts for nonjurisdictional customers of Dominion Energy Virginia and to 40 megawatts for customers of American Electric Power. The measure also amends the Commonwealth Energy Policy to include provisions supporting distributed generation of renewable energy. This bill is identical to HB 572, HB 1184, and HB 1647.
Department of Veterans Services; eligibility for veteran status under state and local laws; change in treatment of certain discharges. Provides that any person who was separated from active military, naval, or air service with an other than honorable discharge due solely to such person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression may petition the Department of Veterans Services to have such discharge recorded with the Department as honorable. The bill provides that persons whose discharge status is changed pursuant to such petition shall be afforded the same rights, privileges, and benefits authorized by state law and local ordinances as any other veteran who was honorably discharged.
General registrars; certification requirement; removal from office. Provides for a certification program to be conducted by the State Board of Elections for the general registrars. The bill requires each general registrar to complete the certification program and receive his certification within the 12 months following initial appointment or any subsequent reappointment; failure to do so shall result in removal from office. The State Board is authorized to grant a waiver requested by a local electoral board to extend, on a case-by-case basis, the 12-month deadline. The State Board is required to develop a training curriculum for the certification program and standards for completing the program and maintaining certification, including required hours of annual training. No fees shall be charged to a general registrar for any required training as part of the certification program.
Alcoholic beverage control; gourmet shop license;distiller participation in tastings. Allows distillers to participatein tastings held by gourmet shop licensees.
Employment; prohibited retaliatory action.Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening,discriminating against, penalizing, or taking other retaliatory actionagainst an employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms,conditions, location, or privileges of employment because the employee(i) reports a violation or suspected violation of any federal orstate law or regulation to a supervisor or to any governmental bodyor law-enforcement official; (ii) is requested by a governmentalbody or law-enforcement official to participate in an investigation,hearing, or inquiry; (iii) refuses to engage in a criminal act thatwould subject the employee to criminal liability; (iv) refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee believes,which belief has an objective basis in fact, violates any federalor state law or regulation and the employee informs the employerthat the order is being refused for that reason; or (v) providesinformation to or testifies before any governmental body or law-enforcementofficial conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into anyalleged violation by the employer of federal or state law or regulation.A person who alleges a violation of this chapter may bring a civilaction seeking injunctive relief, reinstatement, and compensation for lost wages, benefits, and other remuneration.
Visiting state correctional facilities; strip searches of those entering. Provides that no child under the age of 18 who is seeking entrance to a state correctional facility shall be strip searched or subjected to a search of any body cavity under any circumstances. The bill also provides that the Department may not permanently ban any person, or insinuate that any person will be permanently banned, from seeking entrance to a state correctional facility on the basis of such person's refusal to consent to a strip search or a search of any body cavity when such person is seeking to enter the interior of any state correctional facility. The bill provides that the Department may deny such person entry to the facility, unless otherwise provided by law, but may not deny such person any future entry on the basis of a prior refusal to consent.
Department of General Services; identifying high-risk structures; desirability and feasibility of certain key boxes. Directs the Department of General Services (the Department) to (i) determine which state-owned structures have a higher likelihood of being involved in a natural or man-made emergency that may require special access by law-enforcement personnel and (ii) study the desirability and feasibility of coordinating with local law enforcement in the installation of certain key boxes permitting law-enforcement officials to gain access to such structure during an emergency. The bill permits the Department to implement procedures for installing such key boxes to the extent that the Department determines such action is desirable and feasible. The bill directs the Department to report its findings to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2020.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; process for competitive negotiation; including employment of persons with a disability as a factor in evaluating proposals. Provides that, except with regard to contracts for architectural, professional engineering, transportation construction, or transportation-related construction services, a public body may include a proposer's employment of persons with disabilities to perform the specifications of the contract as a factor in evaluating a proposal.
Medicare supplement policies for certain individuals under age 65. Requires each insurer issuing Medicare supplement policies or certificates in the Commonwealth to offer the opportunity of enrolling in at least one of its issued Medicare supplement policies or certificates to any individual under age 65 who resides in the Commonwealth, is enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, and is eligible for Medicare by reason of disability. The provisions of the measure are applicable to health plans and health maintenance organizations.
Absentee voting; annual applications for eligibleabsentee voters. Provides that any person who is eligible foran absentee ballot pursuant to law and who is likely to remain soeligible for the remainder of the calendar year shall be eligibleto file a special annual application to receive ballots for all electionsin which he is eligible to vote in that calendar year. This applicationrequires a statement signed by the voter that he is eligible foran absentee ballot pursuant to law and is likely to remain so eligiblefor the remainder of the calendar year. Under current law, such a special annual application is available to persons who are eligibleto vote absentee due to a disability or illness and are likely toremain eligible to vote absentee due to such disability or illness.
Prohibited discrimination; sexual orientationand gender identity. Prohibits discrimination in employment,public accommodation, public contracting, apprenticeship programs,housing, banking, and insurance on the basis of sexual orientationor gender identity. The bill also adds discrimination based on sexualorientation or gender identity to the list of unlawful discriminatoryhousing practices. The bill contains technical amendments.
Establishment of the Virginia Voluntary Do NotSell Firearms List; penalty. Creates the Virginia Voluntary DoNot Sell Firearms List (the List) that prohibits the possession,transportation, and sale of firearms to any person who voluntarilyregisters himself to be enrolled into the List. The List shall bemaintained and updated by the Department of State Police. The billmakes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for any person enrolled into the Listto purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. The bill disqualifiesany person enrolled into the List from obtaining a concealed handgunpermit and prohibits such person from being employed by a firearmsdealer. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any personwho sells, barters, gives, or furnishes, or has in his possessionor under his control with the intent of selling, bartering, giving,or furnishing, any firearm to any person he knows is enrolled intothe List. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021.
