Rep. Rob Bloxom

Provides that, notwithstanding any voluntary agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor and the franchisee or franchisor, neither a franchisee nor a franchisee's employee shall be deemed to be an employee of the franchisee's franchisor. The measure also provides that this exclusion does not apply with respect to a specific claim for relief made by a franchisee or a franchisee's employee if the franchisor has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have exercised a type or degree of control over the franchisee or the franchisee's employees not customarily exercised by a franchisor for the purpose of protecting the franchisor's trademarks and brand.

Limits the amount of historic rehabilitation tax credits that may be claimed by each taxpayer to $5 million per year, including any amounts carried over from prior taxable years, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2017, but before January 1, 2019. This bill is identical to

Requires any health benefit plan that is amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2018, that provides coverage for hormonal contraceptives to cover up to a 12-month supply of hormonal contraceptives when dispensed or furnished at one time for a covered person or at a location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies. Such a plan is prohibited, in the absence of clinical contraindications, from imposing utilization controls or other forms of medical management limiting the supply of hormonal contraceptives that may be dispensed or furnished by a provider or pharmacy, or at a location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies, to an amount that is less than a 12-month supply. The measure does not require a provider to prescribe, furnish, or dispense 12 months of self-administered hormonal contraceptives at one time. The measure also provides that it shall not be construed to exclude coverage for hormonal contraceptives as prescribed by a provider for reasons other than contraceptive purposes, such as decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer or eliminating symptoms of menopause, or for contraception that is necessary to preserve the life or health of an enrollee.

Establishes the Online Virginia Network Authority (the Authority) as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the purpose of establishing the Online Virginia Network to coordinate the online delivery of courses that facilitate the completion of degrees at George Mason University and Old Dominion University. The bill requires the Authority to be governed by a 15-member board that consists of four members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, three members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of George Mason University, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the board of visitors of Old Dominion University, the President of George Mason University, the President of Old Dominion University, and the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill sets forth several duties of the Authority and grants the Authority operational flexibility in the areas of procurement and information technology, provided that the Authority adopts and complies with certain policies.

Provides that when the Marine Resources Commission (the Commission) revokes a fishing license for a violation of the tidal fisheries law, it shall revoke only the particular type of license that is applicable to the fishery in which the violation occurred. The Commission may revoke other licenses upon a second violation within five years. The bill authorizes the Commission to revoke a person's underlying privileges when certain criteria are met. Under current law, the Commission is authorized to revoke all of the fishing licenses a person has been granted upon a first violation, irrespective of the location and type of fish described in the license. The bill also requires the Commission to accept credit card payment of any civil penalty it assesses for fishing under a revoked license or privileges.

Provides that the Virginia Historical Society shall plan and lead the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of women's right to vote in 2020. The bill creates a 12-member task force to assist the Virginia Historical Society, in collaboration with the Library of Virginia, the Department of Education, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, the VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, and interested civic and community organizations, in planning, developing, and performing programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The provisions of the bill expire on January 1, 2021.

Directs the Marine Resources Commission to grant a preference for an exception to the two-year delay in the effective date of a registration as a commercial fisherman. The bill requires the preference to benefit a license applicant who is a member of the immediate family or is a documented employee of the commercial fisherman who is retiring.

Establishes the Rural Coastal Virginia Community Enhancement Authority, consisting of the 12 counties within the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and Accomack-Northampton planning districts, if approved by the respective governing bodies. The Authority is created for the purpose of serving as a regional economic development body and represents a partnership of the Commonwealth, the planning districts, and the 12 counties of the coastal region. The Authority shall be governed by a board of up to 15 members. The Authority may seek and approve loans and solicit donations, grants, and any other funding from the Commonwealth, the federal government, and regional, local government, and private entities to carry out its purposes, powers, and duties. Also, the Authority will (i) assist the region in obtaining necessary job training or employment-related education, leadership and civic development, and business development, especially entrepreneurship for the coastal region; (ii) provide special assistance to distressed and underdeveloped counties within the coastal region; and (iii) fund demonstration projects, and conduct research, evaluations, and assessments of the coastal region's assets and needs.

Provides that when a person charged with violating an oyster culling regulation is required to scatter the entire cargo of oysters on the public rocks, no portion of the cargo shall be scattered anywhere else. The bill also requires the Marine Resources Commission to accept cash, check, or credit card payment of a bond paid in lieu of throwing the cargo overboard. Current law allows only payments in cash.

Updates the purposes and priorities of the Virginia Veteran and Family Support program to, in a cost-effective manner, refer veterans to mental health, physical rehabilitation, and other services as needed to help them achieve individually identified goals and to monitor their progress toward achieving those goals. The program is available to veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard in the Commonwealth, residents of the Commonwealth in the Armed Forces Reserves who are not in active federal service, and family members of covered military members who have been affected by the covered military members' service and deployments and who are located in the Commonwealth. The bill requires an annual report on the program be sent to the Governor and the General Assembly.