Clean Energy and Community Flood PreparednessAct. Repeals the Clean Energy and Community Flood PreparednessAct and directs the Director of the Department of Environmental Qualityto take all steps necessary to suspend the Commonwealth's participationin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative market-based trading program.
Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.
Capital murder; death penalty for the willful,deliberate, and premeditated killing of a law-enforcement officer.Authorizes punishment by death for the willful, deliberate, and premeditatedkilling of a law-enforcement officer.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.
Electric utilities; recovery of costs; rateadjustment clause proceedings; construction or acquisition of certainfacilities. Provides that in any proceeding regarding petitionsfor a rate adjustment clause, the State Corporation Commission may,as an alternative to a rate adjustment clause, authorize recoveryof any proposed cost through the utility's rates for generation anddistribution services, if the Commission, in its discretion, determinesthat such cost recovery better serves ratepayers while still providingthe utility the opportunity to recover its costs and earn a fairrate of return. Additionally, the bill prohibits the Commission fromapproving the recovery of costs related to the construction or acquisitionof generation facilities powered by sunlight or onshore or offshorewind, or energy storage facilities, that are constructed or acquiredby a Phase I or Phase II Utility after July 1, 2022, unless the Commissiondetermines that the construction or acquisition of such facilitiesis (i) necessary to maintain the reliability or security of electricservice to customers or meet the renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) program requirements established in this section and (ii) isthe lowest-cost option to maintain the reliability or security ofelectric service to customers or meet the RPS program requirements.
Electric utilities; retail competition; renewableenergy. Allows individual retail customers of an electric utilityto purchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energyfrom any licensed supplier. The measure eliminates (i) provisionsthat prohibit such a purchase from a licensed supplier that is anincumbent electric utility that is not the incumbent electric utilityserving the exclusive service territory in which the customer islocated and (ii) a condition that permits such purchases only if the electric utility serving the applicable exclusive service territorydoes not offer a tariff for 100 percent renewable energy.
Child abuse and neglect; limitations period on sexual abuse of a minor claims; background check and training requirements for youth sports coaches and staff. Eliminates the civil statute of limitations period for injury resulting from sexual abuse occurring during the infancy of the abused person and allows persons who have previously been time-barred from filing such an action due to the expiration of the limitations period in effect prior to July 1, 2022, to file such an action. The bill requires youth sports leagues to (i) require all coaches, staff members, employees, and other volunteers who will be alone with, in control of, or supervising children to complete a fingerprint-based background check; (ii) provide to all coaches, staff members, employees, and other volunteers who will be alone with, in control of, or supervising children and the parent of any child participating in the sports league written notice of the duty of all coaches, directors, and persons 18 years of age or older employed by or volunteering with the sports league to report suspected child abuse or neglect, information regarding how to report suspected child abuse or neglect, an explanation of the penalties that may be imposed for failure to file a required report, contact information for the local department of social services, and the telephone number for the Department of Social Services' toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline; and (iii) require all paid coaches, staff members, and employees who will be alone with, in control of, or supervising children to complete no less than four hours of training annually regarding child abuse prevention and response and require all volunteers who will be alone with, in control of, or supervising children to complete no less than two hours of training annually regarding child abuse prevention and response. The bill directs the Board of Education to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to develop and provide to sports leagues resources regarding child abuse prevention and response training opportunities.
Reckless driving; involuntary manslaughter. Increases the punishment for every person convicted of reckless driving who, when he committed the offense, caused the death of another as the sole and proximate result of his reckless driving. The bill states that such person is guilty of involuntary manslaughter, punishable as a Class 5 felony. Under current law, the punishment is a Class 6 felony provided that such person who was driving recklessly was also driving without a valid operator's license due to a suspension or revocation for a moving violation.
Unemployment compensation; disqualificationfor benefits; misconduct does not include refusing COVID-19 vaccine.Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Employment Commissiondetermining if an individual was separated or partially separated from employment for misconduct and would be disqualified for unemployment benefits, the term "misconduct" does not include an employee's refusalto receive or receive in part any primary series or booster shotof a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.
Limitation on recovery in certain medical malpractice actions. Provides that the limits on recovery in medical malpractice cases shall not apply when the plaintiff has sustained certain catastrophic injuries.
Health care provider panels; vertically integrated carriers; reimbursements to providers. Requires any vertically integrated carrier, upon written request, to offer participation in each requested provider panel or network established for each of the vertically integrated carrier's policies, products, and plans, including all policies, products, and plans offered to individuals, employers, and enrollees in government benefit programs, to the requesting provider under the same terms and conditions that apply to providers under common control with the vertically integrated carrier. The measure requires that the offered participation (i) be without any adverse tiering or other financial incentives that may discourage enrollees from utilizing the services of the provider, (ii) include all sites and services offered by the provider, and (iii) take into account the different characteristics of different providers with regard to the range, nature, cost, and complexity of services offered. The measure prohibits an officer or director of a vertically integrated carrier from simultaneously serving as an officer or director of an entity that owns, operates, manages, or controls an acute care hospital located, in whole or in part, in the Commonwealth. The measure defines "vertically integrated carrier" as a health insurer or other carrier that owns an interest in, is owned by, or is under common ownership or control with an acute care hospital facility, excluding an entity that is under the ultimate control of or under common control with a public hospital.
Conditional release of geriatric prisoners.Expands the list of offenses that would prohibit a person from petitioningthe Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisonerif the offense was committed on or after July 1, 2022.
