Del. Patrick Hope

Relocates an existing section in Title 15.2 (Counties, Cities and Towns) related to creation of arts and cultural districts. The existing section, once applicable only to certain municipalities but currently applicable to all localities, is logically relocated from Chapter 11 (Powers of Cities and Towns) to Chapter 9 (General Powers of Local Governments).

Increases from $200 to $500 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill increases the threshold by the same amount for the classification of certain property crimes. This bill is identical to

Establishes the Office of the Qualified Education Loan Ombudsman (the Office) within the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The Office's duties include (i) receiving, reviewing, and attempting to resolve complaints from qualified education loan borrowers; (ii) compiling and analyzing data on such complaints; (iii) assisting qualified education loan borrowers to understand their rights and responsibilities under the terms of qualified education loans; (iv) providing information regarding the problems and concerns of qualified education loan borrowers; (v) analyzing and monitoring the development and implementation of applicable laws and policies; and (vi) disseminating information concerning the availability of the Office to assist qualified education loan borrowers and any other participant in qualified education loan lending with qualified education loan servicing concerns. The Office is further required to establish and maintain a qualified education loan borrower education course by December 1, 2019. This bill is identical to

Requires any health plan providing prescription drug coverage to permit and apply a prorated daily cost-sharing rate to prescriptions that are dispensed by a network pharmacy for a partial supply if the prescribing provider or the pharmacist determines the fill or refill to be in the best interest of the enrollee and the enrollee requests or agrees to a partial supply for the purpose of synchronizing the enrollee's medications. Such a proration shall not occur more frequently than annually. The measure also prohibits such a health plan from denying coverage for the dispensing of a medication that is dispensed by a network pharmacy on the basis that the dispensing is for a partial supply if the prescribing provider or the pharmacist determines the fill or refill is in the best interest of the enrollee and the enrollee requests or agrees to a partial supply for the purpose of synchronizing his medications. The measure requires health plans to allow a pharmacy to override denial codes indicating that a prescription is being refilled too soon for the purpose of synchronizing the enrollee's medications. The measure prohibits health plans from using payment structures incorporating prorated dispensing fees and requires that dispensing fees for partially filled or refilled prescriptions be paid in full for each prescription dispensed regardless of any prorated copay or fee paid for synchronization services.

Adds any locality or person that owns a historical African American cemetery to the list of qualified organizations able to receive funds for the preservation of historical African American cemeteries and graves. The bill also allows any locality to receive and hold such funds on behalf of any qualified organization until such time as the organization is able to receive or utilize the funds. The bill requires that the owner of a historical African American cemetery allow reasonable ingress and egress to such cemetery by members of an organization qualified to receive funds for cemetery care and maintenance.

Creates a program for local, regional, or statewide notification of a critically missing adult, defined as an adult whose whereabouts are unknown, who is believed to have been abducted, and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to his health and safety.

Provides that upon issuance of an emergency, preliminary, or permanent protective order, the clerk of the court shall make available to the petitioner information that is published by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for victims of domestic violence or for petitioners in protective order cases.