Access to Housing Task Force; report. Establishes the Access to Housing Task Force for the purpose of evaluating short-term and long-term access to housing in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.
Comprehensive children's health care coverage program. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to establish a program to provide state-funded comprehensive health care coverage for individuals in the Commonwealth who are (i) under 19 years of age and (ii) not covered under a group health plan or health insurance coverage, or otherwise eligible for medical assistance services through the Commonwealth's program of medical assistance services established pursuant to Title XIX or XXI of the Social Security Act. The bill also requires the Department to ensure that all program information is made available in a manner that is accessible to individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities through the provision of language access services, including oral interpretation and written translation, free of charge and to ensure that information obtained by the program remains confidential and is not disclosed for any purpose not related to the administration of the program or any purpose related to civil immigration enforcement unless the subject of the information consents to such disclosure or the requesting agency presents a valid judicial order, subpoena, or warrant. The bill requires the Department to seek all federal waivers and other approvals necessary to maximize federal financial participation in the cost of carrying out the program established by the bill.
Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2027 or 2028 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029 and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.
Independent Pharmacy Access and Resilience Pilot Program; report; sunset. Establishes the Independent Pharmacy Access and Resilience Pilot Program in the Department of Health to strengthen and stabilize access to pharmacy services in medically underserved communities and communities at heightened risk of pharmacy closure. The Program is established as a pilot program with an expiration date of July 1, 2030, and participation is limited to 12 independent pharmacies meeting certain criteria outlined in the bill. The bill directs the Department to submit to the Governor and General Assembly an interim report with evaluations of participating pharmacies no later than November 1, 2028, and a final comprehensive evaluation no later than November 1, 2029, in order for the General Assembly to determine whether to continue, modify, expand, or terminate the Program.
Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers for administrative support and supplementary support, as those terms are defined in the bill, and prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.
Local, regional, and school library material. Requires the establishment of model policies and the subsequent establishment of local policies that are consistent with such model policies on the selection, purchase, curation, display, and removal of library material, as that term is defined in the bill, in local, regional, and school libraries in the Commonwealth. The bill requires such policies, among other things, to prohibit the censorship, as such term is defined in the bill, of library material and to establish a process by which certain individuals with a vested interest in the relevant library may request that the library material be reclassified, moved to a different section of the library, or removed from the library. The bill also permits certain individuals to seek certain types of relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for certain harms suffered as the result of violations of such policies.
Court fines and fees; indigent defendant; waiver of fees. Provides that in any criminal or traffic case, the court may waive the assessment of certain fees specified in the bill, either wholly or in part, if the court determines the defendant to be indigent pursuant to the financial criteria set forth in relevant law and unable to pay such fee. The bill provides that the court may make such determination sua sponte or upon motion of the defendant at any time prior to the entry of an order for which such fee is assessed or the final order has been entered.
Extreme Weather Taxpayer Protection Program and Fund established. Establishes the Extreme Weather Taxpayer Protection Program and Fund, administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, for the purpose of holding parties responsible for covered greenhouse gas emissions between the covered period of January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2025, for the parties' share of the Commonwealth's costs due to climate change. The bill defines responsible parties as fossil fuel extractors or crude oil refiners causing emissions of one billion metric tons or more of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. Under the bill, responsible parties are strictly liable for cost recovery payments to the Commonwealth. The bill requires the State Treasurer to conduct an assessment of the costs to the Commonwealth and its residents of the emissions of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. The bill establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Fund into which the cost recovery payments from responsible entities are deposited and used to pay for extreme weather relief projects, as defined in the bill.
Department of Health; Department of Social Services; publicly accessible nursing home information portal; publicly accessible assisted living facility information portal; reporting of incidents involving emergency medical services. Directs the Department of Health to establish a nursing home information portal and the Department of Social Services to establish an assisted living facility information portal to consolidate publicly available information on nursing homes and assisted living facilities, respectively. The bill requires operators of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to submit a quarterly report to the Department of Health or the Department of Social Services, respectively, with information on incidents involving emergency medical services.
Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program established. Establishes the Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program for the purpose of expanding equitable access to high-quality work-based learning experiences for public school students. The bill requires the Department of Education to administer the Pilot Program by selecting 12 to 24 school divisions or consortia thereof as participants. Under the bill, each participating school division is required to employ or contract with a work-based learning coordinator to perform certain duties over the three-year pilot period, including executing written agreements with employer partners to provide work-based learning experiences for students, such as paid or unpaid internships, cooperative education, clinical experiences, youth-registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, externships, job shadowing, and school-based enterprises. The bill also contains provisions relating to the funding of and the reporting of data pursuant to the Pilot Program. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2029.
