Workers' compensation; presumption of compensabilityof infertility for firefighters. Provides that firefighters whosuffer from infertility are presumed to have developed infertilityduring the course and scope of employment as a firefighter in certaininstances. The bill provides that such infertility is compensableunder the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act if diagnosed by a medicalprofessional and that such compensation may include medical treatment,temporary total incapacity benefits, and temporary partial incapacitybenefits for a maximum period of 52 weeks from the date of diagnosis.The bill also requires each employer of firefighters to refer a firefighterseeking infertility health care services to a licensed medical professionalafter January 1, 2025.
Del. Dan Helmer
Sponsored bills
Celebrating the life of Janet Marie Brooking.
Commending Peter A. Blake.
Commending Scott McGeary.
Study; joint subcommittee; Dillon Rule; report.Creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a one-year study of theDillon Rule and its impact on Virginia's localities.
Financial institutions; reporting financialexploitation of elderly or vulnerable adults. Permits a financial institution, as defined in the bill, to allow an elderly or vulnerableadult, as defined in the bill, to submit and periodically updatea list of trusted persons whom such financial institution or financialinstitution staff, as defined in the bill, may contact in the caseof suspected financial exploitation of such adult. In such a case,the bill also allows a financial institution or financial institutionstaff to convey such suspicion to one or more certain individuals,provided that the recipient of such conveyance is not the suspectedperpetrator of financial exploitation. The bill provides that a financialinstitution or financial institution staff shall be immune from any criminal, civil, or administrative liability for any act taken oromission made in accordance with the bill's provisions.
Study; State Council of Higher Education forVirginia; offering reduced rate in-state tuition rates at publicinstitutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to dependentsof public school instructional, administrative, and supportpersonnel in the Commonwealth; report. Requests the State Councilof Higher Education for Virginia to study, in collaboration withthe Department of Education, the feasibility and efficacy of offeringthe dependents of public school instructional, administrative, andsupport personnel in the Commonwealth reduced rate in-state tuitionat public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth for the purpose of improving retention rates of public school instructional, administrative, and support personnel in the Commonwealth.
Institutions of higher education; sexual misconduct policies; civil penalty. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to appoint and convene a task force on combating sexual violence for the purpose of developing a base sexual misconduct campus climate survey to be distributed to institutions of higher education no less than annually. The bill defines "institution of higher education" as any public institution of higher education or any private institution of higher education. The bill permits each institution of higher education to append campus-specific questions to the base survey and, within 120 days after completion of the survey, requires each institution to submit a summary of the results to the Director of the Council and post a summary of the results on the institution's website in an easily accessible manner. The bill also requires survey data to be posted on the Council's website.The bill directs each institution of higher education to establish a written memorandum of understanding with a sexual assault crisis center, domestic violence center, or other victim support service in order to provide sexual assault victims with immediate access to a confidential, independent advocate who can provide a trauma-informed response that includes an explanation of options for moving forward. Currently, only Richard Bland College and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education are required to enter into such agreements. The bill requires each institution of higher education to include in its campus security policy the designation of at least one confidential resource advisor whose role shall be to serve as a confidential resource for students and employees to discuss alleged acts of sexual misconduct and receive information on resources available to such students or employees. The bill creates a statutory privilege between the confidential resource advisor and a student or employee who is sharing information with such confidential resource advisor. The bill sets out required awareness programming and training for students and employees to be conducted each year by each institution of higher education. The bill also requires each institution of higher education to adopt a policy on sexual misconduct that includes information set out in the bill and provides information that the institution shall provide to parties involved in an alleged incident of sexual misconduct.The bill sets forth data reporting requirements of sexual misconduct incidences and investigations that each institution of higher education shall prepare annually. After reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing, upon determination that an institution of higher education has violated or failed to carry out any provision or any rule adopted under the bill, the Director of the Council may impose a civil penalty upon such institution for each violation not to exceed $150,000, which shall be adjusted for inflation annually, or one percent of an institution's annual operating budget, whichever is lower.
Public schools; classified instructional supportstaff; competitive compensation; biennial review. Declares thatit is a goal of the Commonwealth that its classified instructional support staff, defined in the bill as any individual who works morethan 90 days total in a 200-day school year as a substitute for alicensed teacher, be compensated at a rate that is competitive inorder to provide a quality education in the absence of a licensedteacher. The bill requires the Department of Education to conducta biennial review of the compensation for classified instructionalsupport staff and to consider the Commonwealth's compensation forclassified instructional support staff relative to the national averageteacher salary and report the results of such review to the Governor,the General Assembly, and the Board of Education by June 1 of eachodd-numbered year.
Virginia local journalism sustainability taxcredits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligiblelocal newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensationpaid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for thefirst taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalistsduring such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxableyears, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wagesto local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. Thecredit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable incometax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employeesfor certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a localnewspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station.The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which thecredit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amountspaid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or$4,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percentof the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local mediaadvertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The creditincludes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxableyears beginning on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2029.