Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribeof Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek CherokeeTribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.
Capitol Square Preservation Council; powersand duties; review and approval of plans for changes to artifactscontained within the Capitol Building. Grants the Capitol SquarePreservation Council the authority to review and approve all plansor proposals for alterations, improvements, additions, or renovationsto, or other disposition of, any monuments, statuary, artwork, orother historical artifacts contained within the Capitol Building,including within the old and new Senate chambers, the old and newhalls of the House of Delegates, and the Rotunda.
Repeal of the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988; roadways operating under the Highway Corporation Act of 1988 to operate under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995. Directs the Commissioner of Highways to evaluate whether it is in the public interest for any roadway operated pursuant to the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988 (HCA) to operate instead under the authority and requirements provided by the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 (PPTA). The bill authorizes the Commissioner, if he determines it is in the public interest for any such roadway to operate under the PPTA and the Secretary of Transportation and the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Steering Committee concur, to negotiate and execute a new comprehensive agreement with the operator of such roadway to operate under the authority and requirements provided by the PPTA and to cease to operate pursuant to the HCA. The bill provides for the repeal of the HCA upon the execution of a comprehensive agreement between the Department of Transportation and the operator of the Dulles Greenway for the Dulles Greenway to operate pursuant to the PPTA.
Board of Education; guidance on the governance of academic year Governor's Schools. Requires the Board of Education to issue guidance on the governance of academic year Governor's Schools, including communication and outreach practices, admissions policies, and guidelines on diversity, equity, and inclusion training. The bill requires such guidance to focus on the importance of increasing access to Governor's Schools for historically underserved students and to include best practices on (i) conducting information sessions about the school and the availability of gifted, advanced, and specialty education program opportunities for feeder public middle schools; (ii) strengthening the student pipeline in feeder public middle schools, prioritizing the most underserved and underrepresented students and public middle schools; and (iii) conducting programs related to and evaluations of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bill requires the Board of Education, in developing such guidance, to collaborate with relevant stakeholders representing the geographical areas served by the Regional Governor's Schools, including local school boards representing the geographical areas served by the Regional Governor's Schools, Regional Governor's School boards, and Governor's School directors.
Motor vehicle insurance; underinsured motor vehicle. Provides that a policy or contract of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance for the use of a motor vehicle shall contain an endorsement or provisions obligating the insurer to make payment for injury or damage caused by an underinsured vehicle without any credit, set-off, or reduction for the available bodily injury and property damage coverage. The bill provides that a motor vehicle is underinsured when the total amount of bodily injury and property damage coverage applicable to the operation or use of the motor vehicle and available for payment for such bodily injury or property damage, is less than the total amount of damages sustained up to the total amount of uninsured motorist coverage afforded any person inured.
Celebrating the life of John F. Merchant.
Commending the Korean Central Presbyterian Church.
Commending the Asian Pacific American Bar Associationof the Greater Washington, D.C., Area, Inc.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources; contractfor study of options for financing universal health care. Directsthe Secretary of Health and Human Resources to enter into a contractwith a qualified entity to study options for financing universalhealth care in the Commonwealth. The Secretary shall report the findings,conclusions, and recommendations of the qualified entity to the Governorand the General Assembly by December 1, 2021.
Wrongful death statute of limitations; criminal investigations by law enforcement. Provides that, in a civil action for the wrongful death of an injured person, such an action may be brought by a personal representative of a decedent within two years after the death of the person or, if applicable, within two years of the conclusion of a criminal investigation by law enforcement of such death, whichever is longer. Under current law, a wrongful death action must be brought within two years of the death of the decedent. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Access to firearms; cohabitants; civil penalty. Makes it unlawful for an individual residing or cohabitating with any person who such individual knows or has reason to believe is prohibited from possessing or transporting a firearm to allow such person access to any firearm. The bill requires such individual to store such firearm in a manner that is inaccessible to such co-resident. If an individual violates any provision of the bill and the co-resident uses such firearm during the commission of a crime, such individual will be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500, except for any crime committed against such individual. The bill further provides that an individual who lawfully possesses a firearm is not in violation of the provisions of the bill if he carries the firearm on or about his person or exercises control of the firearm.
Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; certain advertising related to school quality. Adds as a prohibited practice under the Consumer Protection Act the use in any advertising any information regarding the quality of any public or private elementary or secondary school other than information derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or information derived from the school's website or the website of the school's district, unless such advertising contains a statement, displayed on its face in a conspicuous manner, that such school quality information is not derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or endorsed by the Department of Education. The bill provides that such provisions shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2022 Session of the General Assembly.The bill requires the Department of Law's Division of Consumer Counsel (the Division), to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly for any legislation that the Division deems necessary to prevent the misleading or deceiving of consumers by the use of information in advertising regarding the quality of any public or private elementary or secondary school other than information derived from the school quality indicators contained in the School Quality Profiles established by the Department of Education or information derived from the school's website or the website of the school's district. The bill requires the Division to make its recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
