Indian American Heritage Month. DesignatesAugust, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as Indian American HeritageMonth in Virginia.
Victims of human trafficking; affirmative defense to prosecution for certain offenses. Provides an affirmative defense to prosecution for prostitution and keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place if, at the time of the offense leading to such charge, such person was a victim of human trafficking, as defined in the bill, and (i) was coerced to engage in the offense through the use of force or intimidation of another, (ii) such offense was committed as part of a commercial sex trafficking scheme, or (iii) such offense was committed at the direction of an operator of a commercial sex trafficking scheme. The bill also states that a victim of human trafficking may raise such affirmative defense regardless of whether any other person has been arrested for, prosecuted for, charged with, or convicted of an offense.
Study; Department of Health Professions; needfor additional micro-level, mezzo-level, and macro-level socialworkers and increased compensation; report. Requests that theDepartment of Health Professions convene a work group, which shall include certain stakeholders listed in the bill, to (i) identifythe number of social workers needed in the Commonwealth to adequatelyserve the population; (ii) identify opportunities for the Commonwealth'ssocial work workforce to successfully serve and respond to increasingbiopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities inareas related to aging, child welfare, social services, militaryand veterans affairs, criminal justice, juvenile justice, corrections,mental health, substance abuse treatment, and other health and socialdeterminants; (iii) gather information about current social workersin the Commonwealth related to level of education, school of socialwork attended, level of licensure, job title and classification,years of experience, gender, employer, and compensation; (iv) analyzethe impact of compensation levels on social workers' job satisfactionand performance, as well as its impact on the likelihood of otherpersons entering the profession and any complications to such compensationlevels caused by student debt; and (v) make recommendations for additionalsources of funding to adequately compensate social workers and increasethe number of social workers in the Commonwealth.
Motor vehicle fuels sales tax in certain counties and cities. Imposes a regional motor vehicle fuels sales tax at a rate of 7.6 cents per gallon and gasoline and 7.7 cents per gallon of diesel fuel in any county or city outside of the Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads regions or the Interstate 81 Corridor, where such a tax is already imposed. The new revenues will be returned to the transportation district in which the revenues are generated via the construction district grant program. The bill also converts the existing regional motor vehicle fuels sales in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the Interstate 81 Corridor from tax from a percentage of the distributor price of a gallon of gasoline to this same cents per gallon rate. The rate will be indexed each year beginning July 1, 2021.
Study; DEQ; revised priority ranking criteria for grants from the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to include reduction of nitrogen pollution; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to study revised priority ranking criteria for grants from the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (the Fund) to include reduction of nitrogen pollution and report its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. In conducting its study, the DEQ shall (i) analyze the benefits and costs of nitrogen pollution reduction in Virginia's waters and compare to the benefits and costs of reductions in phosphorous pollution, and (ii) determine comparable criteria to award grants from the Fund based on nitrogen reductions and revise the Fund's award criteria accordingly. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Virginia Retirement System; health insurance credits for retired state employees, constitutional officers, and other employees. Increases annually the amount of the health insurance credit for retirees who rendered at least 30 years of creditable service in the Virginia Retirement System. The bill increases the credit by the same percentage as any annual post-retirement supplement that is calculated for employees hired on or after July 1, 2010.The bill also increases the health insurance credit for constitutional officers and other employees who rendered at least 15 years of creditable service. The monthly credit for such employees would be the greater of $120 or $4 per year of service. Under current law, the credit for such employees is limited to $45 per month. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Stormwater management; inspections. Directs the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations that require that a long-term maintenance agreement for any best management practice that is a wet pond provide for inspections no more frequently than every three years.
Public School Assistance Fund and Program created. Creates the Public School Assistance Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing grants to school boards to be used solely for the purpose of repairing or replacing the roofs of public elementary and secondary school buildings in the local school division. The bill permits any school board in the Commonwealth to apply for Program grants but requires the Department of Education to give priority in the award of grants to school boards that demonstrate the greatest need based on the condition of existing school building roofs and the ability to pay for the repair or replacement of such roofs. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the ratificationof the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.Commemorates the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the FifteenthAmendment to the Constitution of the United States. This resolutionis a recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority; dissolution; conveyance of property. Provides that the board of the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority may by resolution divest itself of property owned by the authority and may convey all such property to a locality. The measure provides that whenever the board of the authority determines by resolution that the purposes for which the authority was formed have been substantially complied with and all property of the authority has been conveyed and all bonds therefor issued and all obligations incurred by the authority have been fully paid or adequate provisions have been made for the payment, the board may dissolve itself upon a majority vote of the board. The measure also provides that if the authority ceases to operate or is dissolved, the title to its real property shall transfer to the locality in which the majority of such property is located.
Study; jurisdiction and organization of Courtof Appeals of Virginia; report. Requests the Judicial Councilof Virginia to study the jurisdiction and organization of the Courtof Appeals of Virginia and make recommendations on providing an appealof right from the circuit courts to the Court of Appeals and organizingthe Court of Appeals into four geographic circuits.
Study; Department of Aviation; coordinationof the aviation industry for economic and workforce development;report. Requests the Department of Aviation to study the coordinationof stakeholders within the aviation industry for economic and workforcedevelopment. In conducting its study, the Department shall convenea work group with representation from the aviation industry, the Departmentof Education, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia,and other interested parties to explore issues related to the continueddevelopment of the aviation industry and workforce, in coordinationwith the Federal Aviation Administration and other responsible federalagencies.
