Del. Vivian Watts

Termination of parental rights of person whocommitted sexual assault; clear and convincing evidence standard.Provides that the parental rights of a person who has been found by a clear and convincing evidence standard to have committed rape,carnal knowledge, or incest, which act resulted in the conceptionof a child, may be terminated without the need for the person tohave been charged with or convicted of such offense. The bill furtherprovides that the consent of a person found to have committed suchan offense is not necessary for the validity of an adoption of sucha child.

Commending the Richmond Free Press.

Hospital regulations; policies and proceduresrelated to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Requireshospitals to develop and implement written policies and proceduresrelated to the screening and treatment of victims of domestic violenceand sexual assault.

Board of Medicine; implicit bias and culturalcompetency. Requires all practitioners licensed by the Boardof Medicine to complete two hours of continuing education in eachbiennium on topics related to implicit bias and cultural competency.

Minimum staffing standards for nursing homesand certified nursing facilities; administrative sanctions; Long-TermCare Services Fund. Requires nursing homes to meet a baselinestaffing level based on resident acuity in alignment with the Centersfor Medicare and Medicaid Services staffing level recommendations.The bill requires nursing homes to collect and submit to the Departmentof Health certain data related to staffing. The bill gives the Commissionerof Health the power to impose administrative sanctions on nursinghomes and directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations relatedto the criteria and procedures for imposition of administrative sanctionsor initiation of court proceedings for violations of the bill. Thebill provides that nursing homes shall only be subject to administrativesanctions upon initial funding for the state share of the cost toimplement the provisions of the bill. The bill establishes the Long-TermCare Services Fund for the purpose of making grants to assist in the provision of activities that protect or improve the quality ofcare or quality of life for residents, patients, and consumers oflong-term care services.

Special Assistant to the Governor for DisabilityRights Advocacy; position created; report. Creates the positionof Special Assistant to the Governor for Disability Rights Advocacy (the Special Assistant) for the purpose of representing Virginianswith disabilities in a comprehensive and authoritative manner byensuring that all state agencies provide adequate services, resources,and accommodations to such persons. The bill directs the SpecialAssistant to submit an annual report to the Governor on or beforeDecember 1, through the Secretary of Health and Human Resources,that (i) outlines the key issues and problems discovered within stateagencies that impact people with disabilities; (ii) identifies thedetails of any plan of action implemented by the Special Assistantto address and remediate such issues and problems; (iii) provideslegislative recommendations that would improve processes and proceduresacross all state agencies with regard to the provision of services, resources, and accommodations to people with disabilities; and (iv)details such other matters as required by the Governor.

Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.

Larceny of a catalytic converter; penalty. Provides that any person who conspires, confederates, or combines with another to commit larceny or counsels, assists, aids, or abets another in the performance of a larceny of a catalytic converter from a motor vehicle where the value of such catalytic converter is less than $1,000 is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill was incorporated into SB 729.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable LinwoodA. Holton, Jr.

Commending the Spotsylvania American LegionPost 320.