Health professionals; unprofessional conduct; reporting. Requires the chief executive officer and the chief of staff of every hospital or other health care institution in the Commonwealth, the director of every licensed home health or hospice organization, the director of every accredited home health organization exempt from licensure, the administrator of every licensed assisted living facility, and the administrator of every provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in the Commonwealth to report to the Department of Health Professions any information of which he may become aware in his professional capacity that indicates a reasonable belief that a health care provider is in need of treatment or has been admitted as a patient for treatment of substance abuse or psychiatric illness that may render the health professional a danger to himself, the public, or his patients, or that he determines, following review and any necessary investigation or consultation with the appropriate internal boards or committees authorized to impose disciplinary action on a health professional, indicates that there is a reasonable probability that such health professional may have engaged in unethical, fraudulent, or unprofessional conduct. Current law requires information to be reported if the information indicates, after reasonable investigation and consultation with the appropriate internal boards or committees authorized to impose disciplinary action on a health professional, a reasonable probability that such health professional may have engaged in unethical, fraudulent, or unprofessional conduct. This bill is identical to HB 471.
Bonds for institutions of higher learning; emergency. Authorizes issuance of bonds in an amount up to $279,470,000 for revenue-producing capital projects at institutions of higher learning. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 580.
Virginia Retirement System; accidental death and dismemberment benefits; definitions. Changes the funding structure for the Virginia Retirement System's 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 SB 109.
Insurance licensing and registration renewal. Makes changes related to renewal of insurance agents' licensure and registration. In 2019, legislation was enacted that becomes effective January 1, 2021, to change the licensing and registration renewal cycles for agents, public adjusters, and others to a new cycle based on both month and year, with biennial renewal. The bill removes references in the current law to biennial renewal, removes a requirement in the law as it will become effective that limited lines agents renew their licenses before May 1, 2021, and adds a requirement in the law as it will become effective that certain settlement agents renew their registrations before May 1, 2021.
Reporting of payments by third-party settlement organizations. Requires third-party settlement organizations (TPSOs) to report to the Tax Department the gross amount of payments made to any participating payee, a person who receives payment from a TPSO. Generally speaking, a TPSO is a company that provides a platform for buyers and sellers to transact goods or services and settles transactions between those parties. Examples of TPSOs would be marketplace facilitators and "gig economy" platforms. Under federal law, payments by TPSOs to participating payees need not be reported unless they exceed $20,000 and there are more than 200 transactions between the TPSO and the participating payee. The bill instead requires use of the standard 1099 reporting threshold of $600 for non-TPSO income as the level at which TPSO income must be reported to the Tax Department. The requirements of the bill apply only to payments to participating payees with a Virginia address. This bill is identical to SB 211.
Family assessments; timeline. Increases from 45 days to 60 days the allowable time for completing a family assessment by a local department of social services and removes the local department's opportunity to request a 15-day extension. This bill is identical to HB 778.
Real estate with delinquent taxes or liens; sales by nonprofit organizations. Provides that a nonprofit organization that acquires real estate with delinquent taxes or liens pursuant to the appointment of a special commissioner may sell to eligible purchasers either (i) both the land and structural improvements on a property or (ii) only the structural improvements of a property, without the land. The bill provides that a sale of only the structural improvements is permissible only if (a) the improvements are subject to a long-term ground lease with a community land trust and (b) the community land trust retains a preemptive option to purchase such improvements at a price determined by a formula that ensures that the improvements remain affordable in perpetuity to low-income and moderate-income families.
Business license waivers. Allows localities with a population greater than 50,000 to waive license requirements for businesses with gross receipts of $200,000 or less. Current law limits such waiver to businesses with gross receipts of less than $100,000.
Teledentistry. Defines "teledentistry,"establishes requirements for the practice of teledentistry, establishesrequirements for the taking of dental scans for use in teledentistryby dental scan technicians, and clarifies requirements related tothe use of digital work orders for dental appliances in the practiceof teledentistry. The bill also requires the Board of Dentistry toreview all applications for renewal of a license to identify thoseapplicants who are engaged in the practice of teledentistry and reportsuch information annually, by October 1, to the Chairmen of the HouseCommittee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, the Senate Committeeon Education and Health, and the Joint Commission on Health Care.
Advanced Production Grant Program and Fund. Creates the Advanced Production Grant Program and Fund to make grant payments to an eligible business transportation manufacturer and producer that engages in the production of business trucks and that makes a capital investment of at least $58 million at a facility in Pittsylvania County and creates at least 703 new full-time jobs at the facility. The eligible company would be eligible for an aggregate of $7 million in grants paid out over a five-year period if it meets such performance parameters and complies with the terms of a memorandum of understanding agreed upon by the qualified company, the Commonwealth, and the Virginia Economic Development Authority. This bill is identical to SB 1014.
Fort Monroe Authority; exemption from the Virginia Personnel Act. Exempts the officers and employees of the Fort Monroe Authority from the provisions and requirements of the Virginia Personnel Act. This bill is identical to HB 1608.
Electric power-assisted bicycles. Amends the definition of "electric power-assisted bicycle" to include three classes of such bicycles, based upon the type of motor and the maximum miles per hour that the motor is capable of propelling the bicycle. The bill also provides that electric power-assisted bicycles and operators are afforded the same rights and privileges as bicycles and operators and limits local and state regulation of the operation of such electric power-assisted bicycles to certain bicycle paths, shared-use paths, and trails. The bill requires manufacturers and distributors of electric power-assisted bicycles to include (i) on each electric power-assisted bicycle, a label indicating certain technical specifications and (ii) on each class three electric power-assisted bicycle, a miles-per-hour speedometer. The bill requires persons operating or riding on a class three electric power-assisted bicycle to wear a helmet. This bill is identical to HB 543.
