Health insurance; clinical nurse specialists. Prohibits health insurers and health service plan providers whose policies or contracts cover services that may be legally performed by a licensed clinical nurse specialist from denying reimbursement because the service is rendered by a licensed clinical nurse specialist. The measure removes the existing limitation that requires such reimbursement only to licensed clinical nurse specialists who render mental health services.
Alcoholic beverage control; commercial lifestylecenter; definition. Reduces from 25 to 10 the minimum numberof acres upon which a commercial development must sit in order toqualify for licensure as a commercial lifestyle center.
Misclassification of employees as independentcontractors; Department of Taxation to investigate and enforce; civil penalties. Prohibits an employer from classifying an individualas an independent contractor if he is an employee. An individualshall be considered an employee of the party that pays the remunerationfor purposes of Titles 40.1 (Labor and Employment), 58.1 (Taxation),60.2 (Unemployment Compensation), and 65.2 (Workers' Compensation)unless and until it is shown to the satisfaction of the Departmentof Taxation that such individual is an independent contractor under Internal Revenue Service guidelines. Violators are subject to civilpenalties and debarment from public contracts. The bill has a delayedeffective date of January 1, 2021.
Nonagricultural irrigation wells prohibited outside surficial aquifer. Prohibits any person from constructing a well in a ground water management area for nonagricultural irrigation purposes except in the surficial aquifer. The bill authorizes the State Water Control Board (the Board) to adopt regulations to develop a general permit for the regulation of irrigation withdrawals from the surficial aquifer greater than 300,000 gallons in any one month. The bill directs the Board to promulgate regulations establishing criteria for determining whether the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer is adequate to meet a proposed beneficial use and requires that such regulations specify the information required to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) by a golf course or any other person seeking a determination from the Department that either the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer is not adequate to meet a proposed beneficial use. The bill requires such regulations require the Department, within 30 days of receipt of a complete request, to make a determination as to the adequacy of the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer.
Charter; Town of Elkton; town boundaries; council meetings. Codifies various annexation agreements between the Town of Elkton and Rockingham County. The bill increases from 30 to 45 days the maximum allowable period between a vacancy in the council and the filling of the vacancy. The bill also authorizes the Chief of Police to deliver via a designee a notice of a special or emergency meeting of the council. This bill is identical to HB 846.
Additional sales and use tax in Northampton County; appropriations to incorporated towns for educational purposes. Authorizes Northampton County to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, as determined by the governing body, if initiated by a resolution of the local governing body and approved by the voters at a referendum. The bill requires the governing body to specify in the enacting ordinance the time period, not to exceed 20 years, for which the tax would be imposed. Revenue from the tax shall be used solely for capital projects for new construction or major renovation of schools in the locality enacting the tax. The bill removes the limit on the amount that Northampton County may appropriate to an incorporated town that has not complied with the provisions of its charter relating to the elections of local officials. Under current law, such amount is limited to the amount the town would have received from local sales and use tax for educational purposes if such election had been held. Under current law, only Halifax County has the authority to impose such tax and make such appropriations. The bill contains technical amendments.
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;position created. Establishes the position of Director of Diversity,Equity, and Inclusion (the Director), to be appointed by the Governor. The Director is empowered to (i) develop a sustainable frameworkto promote inclusive practices across state government; (ii) implementa measurable, strategic plan to address systemic inequities in stategovernment practices; and (iii) facilitate methods to turn feedbackand suggestions from state employees, external stakeholders, andcommunity leaders into concrete equity policy.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; one-stop small business permitting program; guidance regarding responsibilities for maintaining a business. Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to develop and provide guidance to businesses with newly approved permits regarding responsibilities and requirements for maintaining the business. The bill also requires regulatory agencies, by November 30 of each year, to provide the Department with information outlining any changes to the agency's policies and regulations. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021.
Teachers, other instructional personnel, and support staff; shortages; data; reporting. Requires (i) each school board to report to the Department of Education annually the number and type of teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff vacancies in the school division and (ii) each approved education preparation program to report to the Department of Education annually the number of individuals who completed the program by endorsement area. The bill requires the Department of Education to (a) establish deadlines for and the format of the reporting of such data and (b) aggregate and report such data annually on the Department's website.
Comprehensive plan; solar facilities review. Exempts a solar facility that is 150 megawatts or less from the requirement that it be reviewed for substantial accord with a locality's comprehensive plan if the zoning ordinance of the locality permits solar facilities with a conditional use permit and the locality waives the requirement that solar facilities be reviewed.
Hearing notice by localities. Provides that in any instance in which a locality in Planning District 23 has submitted a timely notice of public hearing to a newspaper published or having general circulation in the locality and the newspaper fails to publish the notice, such locality shall be deemed to have met certain notice requirements so long as the notice was published in the next available edition. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2022. This bill is identical to HB 166.
Fostering Futures program. Establishes theFostering Futures program to provide services and support to individualsbetween the ages of 18 and 21 who were in foster care as a minorand are transitioning to full adulthood and self-sufficiency.
