Del. J.R. Henson

Study; JLARC; Department of Juvenile Justice;report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission,in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of Public Safetyand Homeland Security and the Office of the Secretary of Health andHuman Resources, to conduct a study to determine the feasibilityand benefits of transferring responsibility for the Department ofJuvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

Transportation projects; highway safety.Prohibits the initiation of any transportation project in an establishedschool crossing zone unless a pedestrian safety-focused road safetyaudit is conducted and its recommendations are incorporated intothe project plan. The bill requires the Commonwealth TransportationBoard, in administering the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program,to prioritize infrastructure projects that address a hazardous roadlocation or feature or address an identified highway safety problemlocated in a school crossing zone.

Pneumatic guns; penalties. Makes it a Class6 felony to possess a pneumatic gun upon (i) the property of any child day center or public, private, or religious preschool or elementary,middle, or high school, including buildings and grounds; (ii) thatportion of any property open to the public and then exclusively usedfor school-sponsored functions or extracurricular activities whilesuch functions or activities are taking place; or (iii) any schoolbus owned or operated by any such school.

Governor; chief of staff and Governor's Secretaries.Provides that no chief of staff appointed by the Governor andno Secretary appointed by the Governor shall be members of each other'simmediate family when each is serving in his appointed capacityat the same time.

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.

Use of salt and brine; certain highways. Prohibitsthe Department of Transportation from using salt or brine for stabilizationor control of ice or snow on any highway that is part of the primaryor secondary state highway system and located in the watershed ofthe Occoquan River.

Loan repayment programs; mental health professionals. Creates a loan repayment program for persons who have worked as mentalhealth professionals in the Commonwealth for at least five years.

Collective bargaining by public employees; labor organization representation. Repeals the existing prohibitionon collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates thePublic Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriatebargaining units and provide for certification and decertificationelections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employeesand local government employees. The bill requires public employersand employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representativesto meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respectto wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. Thebill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providingfor the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organizationto represent employees, the right of an individual employee to voteby secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement.

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.

Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; recruitment and development of volunteer firefighters; work group. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to study the recruitment and development ofvolunteer firefighters with a specific focus on providing trainingto volunteer fire departments, volunteer fire companies, and volunteerfirefighters in a cost-efficient and effective manner and to identifyand recommend eliminating any barriers to the recruitment and developmentof volunteer firefighters.