Public schools; English language learners. Requires state funding to be provided to support new divisionwide ratiosof English learner students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions, as follows: (i) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level one, one position per 25students; (ii) for each English language learner identified as proficiencylevel two, one position per 30 students; (iii) for each English languagelearner identified as proficiency level three, one position per 40 students; and (iv) for all other English language learners, one positionper 50 students. Under the bill, in order to provide additional supportfor instruction of English language learners, $150 shall be appropriatedin year one to divisions for each English learner student to supportprofessional development of instructional and support staff, purchaseresources developed for students learning English, and offer grantsto community-based organizations that offer support services to Englishlanguage learners in school settings.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; schoolhealth services information; survey. Requires the Superintendentof Public Instruction to, at least annually, survey all local schooldivisions and use such data to strengthen the comprehensive availabilityof school health services information. The bill provides that informationto be collected in the survey shall include: (i) staffing levelsof school health personnel, (ii) the prevalence of students with chronichealth conditions, (iii) the percentage of students with healthservices written in their records, (iv) the number of visits to theschool health office and dispositions, (v) health services providedby each school, and (vi) any other information deemed appropriate.The bill requires each local school division to complete each survey.
Department of Education; School Quality Profiles;teacher data. Requires the Department of Education to includeon each School Quality Profile data on teachers' race and proficiencyin any language other than English.
Commission on Historically Black Colleges andUniversities in the Commonwealth; report. Establishes the 10-memberCommission on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in theCommonwealth in the legislative branch to identify and recommend legislative priorities and policies for adoption or examination bythe General Assembly and the Governor in order to provide ongoingsupport in developing and reviewing services and funding relatedto the five historically black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth,which are Hampton University, Norfolk State University, VirginiaState University, Virginia Union University, and Virginia Universityof Lynchburg.
Department of Health; certain communicationprohibited. Prohibits any person employed by or who has enteredinto a contract to provide services on behalf of the Department ofHealth or a local department of health from initiating communicationregarding health-related matters with a minor on behalf of the Departmentor local department of health without the consent of the minor'sparent, except as otherwise required by law.
Disorderly conduct; students in grades kindergarten through grade eight. Provides that the crime of disorderly conduct shall not apply to any student in grades kindergarten through eight if the disorderly conduct occurred on the property of any elementary or secondary school, on a school bus, or at any activity conducted or sponsored by any elementary or secondary school. Current law provides that disorderly conduct shall not apply to any elementary or secondary school student in such locations and at such activities.
Abortion; born alive infant; treatment and care; penalty. Requires every health care provider licensed by the Board of Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to (i) exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of an infant who has been born alive following such attempt as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and (ii) take all reasonable steps to ensure the immediate transfer of the infant who has been born alive to a hospital for further medical care. A health care provider who fails to comply with the requirements of this act is guilty of a Class 4 felony and may be subject to disciplinary action by the Board of Medicine. The bill also requires every hospital licensed by the Department of Health to establish a protocol for the treatment and care of an infant who has been born alive following performance of an abortion and for the immediate reporting to law enforcement of any failure to provide such required treatment and care.
School security officers; scope of employment;carrying firearm in performance of duties. Provides that eachschool security officer, in addition to performing each enumeratedduty, is responsible for carrying out any other duty assigned to himby the local school board, excluding enforcement of discipline reservedsolely and exclusively to school administrators. The bill permitsa school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance ofhis duties if (i) within 10 years immediately prior to being hiredby the local school board or private or religious school, he was anactive duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States who servedon active duty for at least 10 years and received an honorable dischargefrom such service and (ii) he has provided proof of completion ofthe required training course.
Public institutions of higher education; in-state tuition; children of active duty service members or veterans. Provides that any child of an active duty service member or veteran who claims Virginia as his home state and filed Virginia tax returns for at least four years during active duty service is eligible for in-state tuition charges, regardless of domicile. Under current law, any such child is eligible for in-state tuition charges if such service member or veteran claims Virginia as his home state and filed Virginia tax returns for at least 10 years during active duty service.
Behavioral Health Commission; membership.Adds two nonlegislative citizen members who have received or are receiving services from the Commonwealth's behavioral health system,one nonlegislative citizen member who is a local law-enforcementofficer serving a jurisdiction located in the Commonwealth, one nonlegislativecitizen member who is a behavioral health services provider providingservices in the Commonwealth, and one nonlegislative citizen memberwho is a certified peer recovery specialist or registered peer recoveryspecialist to the membership of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; feasibility study; Catawba Hospital; substance abuse treatment and recovery services. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to study the feasibility of transforming Catawba Hospital into a state-of-the-art facility at which a continuum of substance abuse treatment and recovery services, including long-term, short-term, acute, and outpatient services, is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to geriatric individuals in need of mental health care, and to identify state hospitals in other regions of the Commonwealth that may be appropriate for transformation into facilities at which a continuum of such services is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to individuals in need of mental health care. The Department shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions by December 1, 2022.
Elections; removal of officers; recall elections; petition. Provides for the removal of certain elected officers and officers appointed to elected offices by recall referendum. The bill requires a petition for recall be signed by 30 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last election for the office for which a recall is sought.
