Del. Dan Helmer

Certain school boards; student meals; participationin the Afterschool Meal Program. Requires each school board thatgoverns a local school division that has a student population thatqualifies for free and reduced-price meals at a minimum percentageof 50 percent in the prior school year and simultaneously offerseducational or enrichment activities and is consequently eligibleto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program administered by theU.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Childand Adult Care Food Program to apply to the Department of Educationto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program for each such schoolto subsequently and simultaneously serve federally reimbursable mealsand offer an afterschool education or enrichment program, pursuantto FNS guidelines and state health and safety standards. The billrequires the Department of Education to administer the AfterschoolMeal Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill provides that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shallissue a waiver to this requirement upon determination that participation is not financially viable for a school or group of schools. The billrequires the Department of Education to develop a process and criteriafor evaluating such waivers. The bill has a delayed effective dateof July 1, 2022.

Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; Full Employment Program. Modifies the Full Employment Program (FEP) for Virginia Initiative for Education and Work participants by (i) allowing FEP participants to continue receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); (ii) disregarding wages received through FEP for purposes of calculating TANF; (iii) removing the requirement that a person be unable to find unsubsidized employment in order to participate in FEP; and (iv) allowing employers participating in FEP to receive a subsidy of up to $1,000 per month for each FEP employee for a period not to exceed six months.

Child Care Assistance Program; emergency. Provides that regulations governing the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) shall be amended to provide that (i) a family shall be eligible for assistance through the Program if the family's income does not exceed 85 percent of the state median income, the family includes at least one child who is five years of age or younger and has not yet started kindergarten, and the family meets all other income and eligibility requirements of the Program and (ii) job search activities shall be considered eligible activities for the purposes of the Program. The bill provides that a family determined to be eligible for assistance through the Program shall be eligible to receive assistance for a period of 12 months or until the family's household income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income, whichever occurs sooner. The Department of Social Services shall administer the program, as amended by the bill, in cooperation with the Department of Education. The bill contains an emergency clause and provides that the provisions of the bill shall be applicable to applications for assistance through the Program received prior to August 1, 2021.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; certification of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses;right to appeal denial of initial certification. Requires theDepartment of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to adopt regulationsto establish a process for businesses that are denied initial certificationas a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business to appeal suchdenial on the basis that the Department made a mistake in denyingthe business's application for certification. This bill is a recommendationof the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

State Air Pollution Control Board; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program. Directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. Regulations adopted by the Board to implement the program are exempt from the Administrative Process Act and shall not become effective prior to January 1, 2024. The bill also authorizes the State Corporation Commission to exclude sales related to such vehicles from certain energy efficiency calculations.

Virginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program.Renames the Virginia Missing Child with Autism Alert Program to theVirginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program and expands itto apply to any missing person with autism, regardless of age. Thebill defines "a missing person with autism" as any person (i) whosewhereabouts are unknown; (ii) who has been diagnosed with autismspectrum disorder as defined by the Code of Virginia; and (iii) whosedisappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of the person.

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to establish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and states that the Task Force shall conclude its work by December 1, 2023.

Voter registration; preregistration for persons 16 years of age or older. Permits a person who is otherwise qualified to register to vote and is 16 years of age or older, but who will not be 18 years of age on or before the day of the next general election, to preregister to vote. The preregistration does not entitle such person to vote in any election except as already permitted by law. The bill requires the Department of Elections to maintain a record of all preregistered voters in the Virginia voter registration system, which shall automatically register a person who is preregistered upon that person reaching 18 years or age or becoming eligible for advance registration as already permitted by law, whichever comes first. The bill requires the Department to provide to the general registrars voter confirmation documents for such voters. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 1, 2022.

Virginia Small Business Financing Authority;annual report; utilization or award of loan and grant program funds.Requires the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority to includein its annual report information regarding the percentage of loanand grant program funds utilized or awarded by the Authority duringthe preceding fiscal year. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.