Del. Dan Helmer

Celebrating the life of Officer Brian DavidSicknick.

Commending Edwin C. Roessler, Jr.

Commending Major Wayne R. Lee, Jr., USA, Ret.

Commending Kirk Kincannon.

Alcoholic beverage control; local outdoor refreshment areas. Defines "outdoor refreshment area" and permits the governing body of any locality in the Commonwealth to designate, by ordinance, up to three outdoor refreshment areas within such locality. The bill provides that such ordinance would permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages within the outdoor refreshment area, provided that such alcoholic beverages are purchased from a permanent retail on-premises licensee located within such designated area and are contained in disposable containers with a maximum capacity of no more than 16 fluid ounces that clearly display the selling licensee's name or logo. The bill requires the locality, prior to adopting such an ordinance, to create a public safety plan for each outdoor refreshment area. This bill was incorporated into HB 2266.

Creation of Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman. Creates the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman (the Office). The bill enumerates the duties and powers of the Office, which include (i) providing information, as appropriate, to inmates, family members, representatives of inmates, Department of Corrections employees and contractors, and others regarding the rights of inmates; (ii) monitoring conditions of confinement and assessing compliance with applicable federal, state, and local rules, regulations, policies, and best practices as related to the health, safety, welfare, and rehabilitation of inmates; (iii) providing technical assistance to support inmate participation in self-advocacy; (iv) providing technical assistance to local governments in the creation of correctional facility oversight bodies, as requested; (v) establishing a statewide uniform reporting system to collect and analyze data related to complaints received by the Department and data related to (a) deaths, suicides, and suicide attempts in custody; (b) physical and sexual assaults in custody; (c) the number of inmates placed in solitary confinement; (d) the number of facility lockdowns lasting longer than 24 hours; (e) the number of staff vacancies at each facility; (f) the inmate-to-staff ratios at each facility; (g) staff tenure and turnover; and (h) the number of in-person visits to inmates that were made and denied at each facility; (vi) establishing procedures to gather stakeholder input into the Office's activities and priorities, which must include, at a minimum, an annual 30-day period for receipt of and Office response to public comment; (vii) inspecting each state correctional facility at least once every three years and at least once every year for any maximum security facility and any facility where the Office has found cause for more frequent inspection or monitoring; and (viii) issuing publicly periodic facility inspection reports and an annual report with recommendations on the state correctional facilities and a summary of data and recommendations arising from any complaints investigated and resolved. The bill also establishes a Corrections Oversight Committee, which is responsible for selecting the Department of Corrections Ombudsman. The bill additionally outlines the Office's authority to conduct inspections of each Department or Board facility and requires the submission of an annual report to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the House Committee for Courts of Justice, and the Director of the Department. The bill also provides for the authority of the Office to conduct investigations of complaints made by inmates, family members or friends, and advocates.

Study; insurance coverage for infertility treatmentand fertility preservation; report. Directs the Health InsuranceReform Commission to study mandating insurance coverage for infertilitytreatment including in vitro fertilization and standard fertilitypreservation procedures that are medically necessary to preservethe fertility of a covered individual due to the covered individualreceiving cancer treatment that may directly or indirectly causeiatrogenic infertility. The Commission is required to complete itsmeetings by November 30, 2021, and the chairman shall submit an executivesummary of its findings and recommendations no later than the firstday of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Study; Department of Social Services; ways toincrease participation in national service; report. Requests the Department of Social Services to study ways to increase participationin national service. In conducting its study, the Department of SocialServices shall consider (i) promoting participation in national servicevia advertising of service opportunities through social media andtraditional media outlets, (ii) identifying ways to increase fundingfor service opportunities, (iii) creating a Secretary of Serviceposition within the Governor's Cabinet to advise the Governor and other members of his Cabinet on strategies to integrate nationalservice opportunities into state initiatives and programming, (iv)strengthening hiring preferences in state government for individualswho have completed a year of service in a national service program,(v) offering retirement service credits for individuals who havecompleted a year of service in a national service program, (vi) providingin-state tuition for those serving in national service programs inthe Commonwealth, and (vii) identifying other strategies for increasing participation in national service.

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. DesignatesMay, in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Cystic Fibrosis AwarenessMonth in Virginia.

Right to work. Repeals the provisions ofthe Code of Virginia that, among other things, prohibit any agreementor combination between an employer and a labor union or labor organizationwhereby (i) nonmembers of the union or organization are denied theright to work for the employer, (ii) membership in the union or organizationis made a condition of employment or continuation of employment bysuch employer, or (iii) the union or organization acquires an employmentmonopoly in any such enterprise.