Del. Marcus Simon

Study; Department of Education; root causesof public school bus driver shortages and working conditions of publicschool bus drivers in the Commonwealth; report. Requests thatthe Department of Education, with the assistance of each local schoolboard, to study the root causes of public school bus driver shortagesand the working conditions of public school bus drivers in the Commonwealthby (i) administering to each public school bus driver in each localschool division in the Commonwealth and as many former public school bus drivers as is feasible a survey to determine the level of satisfactionwith and the need for improvement to the working conditions of publicschool bus drivers in the Commonwealth, (ii) analyzing such surveydata and such other information and data as it deems necessary andadvisable, including information from other states and school districtscontained therein that have had success in addressing public schoolbus driver shortages by addressing working conditions, and (iii)making recommendations for statutory, regulatory, or budgetary changesthat may contribute to the improvement of the working conditionsof public school bus drivers.

Substance abuse services providers; assessment; tobacco use. Requires every provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services who provides services to individuals with substance use disorder to assess each individual receiving services for use of all tobacco products at the time the provider begins providing services and provides that, in cases in which an individual receiving services is identified as having a tobacco use disorder, the provider shall (i) provide information to the individual about how continued use of tobacco products may affect the individual's long-term success in recovery from substance use disorder; (ii) recommend treatment for tobacco use disorder in the treatment plan; and (iii) offer either treatment for tobacco use disorder as part of the individual's treatment plan, if the provider is licensed to provide such treatment, or referral for treatment of tobacco use disorder.

Refundable income tax credit for low-incometaxpayers. Allows low-income individuals and married persons to claim either (i) a nonrefundable income tax credit equal to $300for each individual, his spouse, and any dependents or (ii) a refundableincome tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned incometax credit claimed that year by the individual or married personsfor the same taxable year. Under current law, low-income individualsand married persons may elect either of these amounts; however, bothoptions for claiming the credit are nonrefundable. The provisionsof the bill apply to taxable years 2022 through 2028.

Arrest and prosecution of individual experiencing a mental health emergency; assault or assault and battery against a law-enforcement officer. Provides that no individual shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for an assault or assault and battery against a law-enforcement officer if at the time of the assault or assault and battery (i) the individual (a) is experiencing a mental health emergency or (b) meets the criteria for issuance of an emergency custody order and (ii) the law-enforcement officer subject to the assault or assault and battery was responding to a call for service requesting assistance for such individual. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in good faith shall be found liable for false arrest if it is later determined that the person arrested was immune from prosecution.

Literary Fund; loans; application process; maximum loan amounts; rates of interest; closing costs; waiting lists. Makes several changes to the provisions relating to loans from the Literary Fund to finance the construction and renovation of public elementary and secondary school buildings in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Board of Education (the Board) to establish an annual open application process for Literary Fund loans to occur during the period that the Board deems most suitable. The bill increases from $7.5 million to $25 million the maximum Literary Fund loan amount and permits the Board to increase such maximum to up to $35 million for loans for any school construction or renovation project that facilitates the consolidation of schools. The bill requires the Board to fix the interest rate on all loans made from the Literary Fund at not less than one percent per year, not more than three percent per year, and at increments of one half of one percent per year between such minimum and maximum rates, payable annually, and to utilize a sliding scale based on the local school division's composite index of local ability to pay to determine the interest rate on each such loan. Under current law, such rates are required to be set between two and six percent per year. The bill requires the Board to establish a competitive program for the award of up to $25,000 to a school division that receives a Literary Fund loan for the purpose of subsidizing all or a portion of the closing costs for such loan. The bill also permits the Board to remove any project that has been inactive for at least five years from any Literary Fund loan project waiting list that it maintains. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

Study; Apprenticeship Council; electric vehicle charging infrastructure apprenticeship programs; report. Requests the Virginia Apprenticeship Council to study the need for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and maintenance and repair of EV infrastructure apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth, noting the stated goal of the Commonwealth to reduce carbon emissions intensity across all sectors, including the transportation industry. In conducting its study, the Apprenticeship Council should consider a number of factors in studying the need for such apprenticeship programs. The Apprenticeship Council is further requested to report the results of an in-depth study of similar apprenticeship programs in other states to the General Assembly and to convene a stakeholder advisory group to discuss the need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Apprenticeship Council to complete its meetings by November 30, 2022, and report its findings to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Commerce and Labor and the House Committees on Education and Labor and Commerce.

Anti-Human Trafficking and Survivor Trust Fund.Creates the Anti-Human Trafficking and Survivor Trust Fund, whichshall be administered by a Board of Trustees and used for the supportand development of services for the prevention of human traffickingand the treatment and support of human trafficking victims.

Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection.Changes the period of limitations for the collection of courtfines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offenseor delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposedby a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general districtcourt to within three years from the date of the judgment whetherimposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill also states that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, thefines imposed and costs taxed are extinguished and there shall beno right to collect the debt and that the period of limitations shallnot be extended or revived on account of a partial payment; a writtenor verbal affirmation of any fines, monetary penalties, or costs; or a change in collection methods.

Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2023-24 school year through the 2027-28 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.

Income tax subtraction; veteran retirement compensation. Provides an individual income tax subtraction for certain amountsof the annual retirement compensation received by a veteran who isat least 65 years old for service as a member of the United StatesArmed Forces. The subtraction is equal to up to $10,000 in annualretirement compensation for taxable year 2022, up to $20,000 in taxableyear 2023, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2024, and up to $40,000for taxable year 2025 and thereafter.