Voting restrictions on the basis of race. Repeals several Acts of Assembly that implemented and enforced a state poll tax and provided for separate registration records on the basis of race. This bill is identical to HB 1086.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; return of security deposit. Requires the landlord to return the tenant's security deposit, minus any deductions or charges, within 45 days of the termination of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last. Under current law, the 45-day period to return the security deposit begins on the date of the termination of the tenancy. This bill is identical to SB 388.
Secretaries of Health and Human Resources and Public Safetyand Homeland Security; work group; improving response to exposure-proneincidents. Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources and ofPublic Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to develop a planto improve the Commonwealth's response to exposure-prone incidents involvingemployees of law-enforcement agencies, volunteers and employees of firedepartments and companies, and volunteers and employees of emergency medicalservices agencies and other appropriate entities. The work group shall (i)develop a plan for an entity to assist with management of exposure-proneincidents involving employees of law-enforcement agencies, volunteers and employeesof fire departments and companies, and volunteers and employees of emergencymedical services agencies and other appropriate entities and (ii) study anddevelop recommendations related to developing the ability to perform postmortemtesting for infection with human immunodeficiency (HIV) or hepatitis B or Cviruses through the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. The workgroup shall report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly byDecember 1, 2020. The bill also directs the Department of General Services totake steps to implement postmortem testing for infection with HIV or hepatitisB or C viruses using a screening assay that is licensed for such purpose by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration and to report to the Governor and the GeneralAssembly on the status of the contract by December 1, 2020.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programsfor recycled goods; climate positive materials. Requires theDepartment of General Services to promote the Commonwealth's interestin materials and products certified as climate positive and developprocedures to procure materials and products certified as climatepositive by a third party approved by the Director of the Departmentwith regard to the procurement guidelines established by the Department.The term "climate positive" is defined as having a net negative carbonfootprint.
Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Resources; work group; process for approval of residential psychiatric placement and services; report. Directs the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Resources to establish a work group to study the current process for approval of residential psychiatric services for children and adolescents and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century by December 1, 2020. This bill is identical to SB 734.
Virginia Retirement System; accidental death and dismemberment benefits; definitions. Changes the funding structure for the Virginia Retirement System's (VRS) obligation to fund a savings trust account for higher education for a qualifying child of a VRS member who dies as a result of an accident caused by a felonious assault committed by other than an immediate family member. The bill requires VRS to contribute to such trust account an amount equal to the current average cost, as published by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, of four years of tuition and mandatory fees at baccalaureate public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. This requirement replaces VRS's obligation under current law to contribute to such trust account an amount equal to the full cost of a prepaid tuition contract. The bill also narrows use of the trust account to include only qualified higher education expenses to account for changes to § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. This bill is identical to HB 536.
Accounts filed by fiduciaries and reports filed by guardians; civil penalty. Provides that any account filed by a fiduciary with the commissioner of accounts and annual report filed by a guardian with the local department of social services shall be signed under oath and that the punishment for making a false statement or entry in such a filing is a civil penalty of not more than $500. This bill is identical to SB 261.
Long-term care services and supports; preadmission screenings. Provides that every individual who applies for or requests community or institutional long-term services and supports, as defined in the state plan for medical assistance services, may choose to receive services in a community or institutional setting and may choose the setting and provider of long-term care services and supports from a list of approved providers. The bill also clarifies requirements related to the performance of such long-term care services and supports screenings. The bill removes the definition of and references to Pre-PACE. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to consider alternative assessment tools for long-term services and supports screenings completed on or after July 1, 2021, and to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1, 2020. The provisions of the bill shall not become effective if they conflict with any provision of federal law or regulations or guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This bill is identical to SB 902.
Degree-granting postsecondary schools; distance learning reciprocity agreements; consumer protection. Requires any degree-granting postsecondary school providing distance learning to residents of the Commonwealth from a location outside of the Commonwealth to be certified to operate in the Commonwealth or be a participant in any interstate reciprocity agreement to which the Commonwealth belongs, in accordance with the State Council of Higher Education's authority under relevant law, for the purpose of consumer protection. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.
Active duty military personnel or activatedor temporarily mobilized reservists or guard members; dependents;eligibility for in-state tuition and other educational benefits.Requires the condition of continuous enrollment in a public institutionof higher education or private institution of higher education currentlyimposed on dependents of active duty military personnel or activatedor temporarily mobilized reservists or guard members in order tobe eligible for in-state tuition and other educational benefits affordedto Virginia students to be waived if the dependent verifies thata break of no longer than one year was required in order to supporta spouse or parent on orders for a change of duty assignment or location.
Local electoral boards; office vacated if board member ceases to be qualified voter of county or city. Provides that if a member of a local electoral board ceases to be a qualified voter of the county or city for which he was appointed, his office is vacated and such vacancy is to be filled as provided by law. The bill clarifies that a person must be a qualified voter of the county or city in order to be eligible to serve as an electoral board member of that county or city. This bill is identical to HB 1285.
Department of Health; Department of Health Professions Medical Excellence Zone Program; telemedicine; reciprocal agreements. Directs the Department of Health to determine the feasibility of establishing a Medical Excellence Zone Program to allow citizens of the Commonwealth living in rural underserved areas to receive medical treatment via telemedicine services from providers licensed or registered in a state that is contiguous with the Commonwealth and directs the Department of Health Professions to pursue reciprocal agreements with such states for licensure for certain primary care practitioners licensed by the Board of Medicine. The bill requires the Department of Health to set out the criteria that would be required for a locality or group of localities in the Commonwealth to be eligible for the designation as a medical excellence zone and report its findings to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions by November 1, 2020. The bill states that reciprocal agreements with states that are contiguous with the Commonwealth for the licensure of doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners shall only require that a person hold a current, unrestricted license in the other jurisdiction and that no grounds exist for denial based on the acts of unprofessional conduct. The Department of Health Professions is required to report on its progress in establishing such agreements to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions by November 1, 2020. The bill requires the Board of Medicine to prioritize applications for licensure by endorsement as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner from such states through a streamlined process with a final determination regarding qualification to be made within 20 days of the receipt of a completed application. This bill is identical to SB 757.
