Del. Marcus Simon

Commending the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Disease; established;report. Establishes the Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Diseaseto advise the State Health Commissioner on the efforts to improveawareness of sickle cell disease and the needs of individuals withsickle cell disease. The bill requires the Board of Health to reportannually by December 1 to the Governor and the General Assemblyregarding its activities and recommendations.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; reimbursement rates for Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers withDisabilities; work group; report. Directs the Department of MedicalAssistance Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholdersto assess and make recommendations related to reimbursement ratesfor the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlerswith Disabilities. The bill requires the work group to report itsrecommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health,Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education andHealth by November 1, 2024.

Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Centers;licensure; regulation. Authorizes the Board of Health to license prescribed pediatric extended care centers. The bill establishesthe scope of services offered by such centers and requirements foroperation, management, staffing, facilities, and maintenance anddirects the Board to promulgate regulations to implement the provisionsof the bill.

Virginia Human Rights Act; dual-filed civilactions. Clarifies timelines for dual-filing complaints allegingunlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act and theU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The bill allows eitherthe complainant or the respondent for any charge of discriminationto request a notice of the right to file a civil action after theCommission has closed its file on such charge of discrimination.

Elections; campaign finance; Public CampaignsProgram and Fund established; tax check-off. Establishes thePublic Campaigns Program within the Department of Elections for thepurpose of providing matching payments of public money to participatingcandidates receiving qualified small-dollar contributions of lessthan $250. The bill requires participating candidates to agree toabide by contribution limits and limits on the use of public matchingpayments in addition to agreeing to participate in public debates.Under the bill, matching payments are made from the Public CampaignsFund, which is funded by an option on Virginia tax returns to directa contribution of $40 from an individual filer, or $80 dollars forjoint filers, to the Fund. The bill requires the Department to conductaudits of elections involving Program participants and to make a reportto the General Assembly on the status of the Program generally.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaignfunds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions.Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or hiscampaign committee to personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversionof contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at thedissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that acontribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if thecontribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment,obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking,holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used forthe ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holdingelective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate'schild care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity.The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may requestan advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The billdirects the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar tothose promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement theprovisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaignfinance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General'sguidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use ofcampaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board ofElections.

Land preservation tax credit. Increases from $1 million to $1.5 million the threshold credit amount that triggers verification by the Department of Conservation and Recreation of the conservation value of a land donation. The bill exempts certain state agencies from the verification requirement unless the value of the credit claimed is greater than $2 million.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

Commending Erik M. Pelton & Associates, PLLC.