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.
Sponsored bills
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.
Assistance for certain voters; curbside voting. Clarifies that any voter with a permanent physical disability, temporary physical disability, or injury is entitled to vote outside of thepolling place. The bill further provides that during a declared stateof emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat,any voter shall be entitled to vote outside of the polling place.The bill requires that the area designated for voting outside ofthe polling place be clearly marked and instructions on how the voteris to notify an officer of election of his request to vote outsideof the polling place be prominently displayed. The bill makes technical amendments for clarity and organizational purposes.
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.
Replacement and conservation of trees during development. Gives a locality the ability to exceed general requirements in its tree replacement and conservation ordinances in specific circumstances, including development that impacts stormwater permit requirements, recurrent flooding, formerly redlined areas, and comprehensive plan compliance. The provisions of the bill shall become effective July 1, 2022.
Department of Education; comprehensive reviewof computer science standards, courses, and pathways in public schools;report. Requires the Department of Education to perform a comprehensivereview of the ongoing implementation of mandatory computer sciencestandards in elementary schools and middle schools and the alignmentof middle school and high school computer science courses and coursepathways. The bill requires such review to include recommendationsfor implementation processes at the local level, profiles of implementationprocesses that have been successful for school divisions, a descriptionof opportunities for enhanced collaboration with relevant computer science stakeholders to expand computer science education opportunitiesfor all students in the Commonwealth and for relevant professionaldevelopment for teachers, and examining methods of data collectionannually from local school divisions pertaining to computer scienceimplementation. The bill requires the Department of Education toprepare a report on its comprehensive review and provide such reportto the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the SenateCommittee on Education and Health, the Secretary of Education, andthe Superintendent of Public Instruction no later than November 1,2021.
Teachers and other licensed school board employees;cultural competency. The bill requires teacher, principal, and division superintendent evaluations to include an evaluation ofcultural competency. The bill requires every person seeking initiallicensure or renewal of a license from the Board of Education (i)to complete instruction or training in cultural competency and (ii)with an endorsement in history and social sciences to complete instructionin African American history, as prescribed by the Board. The billalso requires each school board to adopt and implement policies that require each teacher and any other school board employee holdinga license issued by the Board to complete cultural competency training,in accordance with guidance issued by the Board, at least every twoyears.