Certain students in kindergarten through grade3; reading intervention services. Requires reading interventionservices for students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstratedeficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standardsof Learning reading test or any reading diagnostic test that meetscriteria established by the Department of Education to be evidence-basedand aligned with the science of reading and structured literacy approaches,both defined in the bill, and to include the components of effectivereading instruction and explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulativeinstruction. The bill requires the parent of each student who receivessuch reading intervention services to be notified before the servicesbegin and the progress of each such student to be monitored throughoutthe provision of services. The bill also requires the Departmentof Education, no later than the beginning of the 2021%962022 school year, to compile and provide to each local school division a listof materials, resources, and curriculum programs that are supportedby the science of reading and based on instruction that is explicit,systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic, including (i) evidence-baseddyslexia programs that are aligned to structured literacy or groundedin the Orton-Gillingham methodology and (ii) evidence-based readingintervention programs, including programs that are grounded in thescience of reading.
Sponsored bills
Tax credits of agricultural equipment. Establishes for taxable years 2021 through 2024 a refundable individual and corporate income tax credit for 25 percent of expenditures, up to a maximum of $17,500, made for the purchase of conservation tillage and precision agriculture equipment certified by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board as reducing soil compaction or improving precision of pesticide and fertilizer application or injection. The bill expires the existing individual and corporate income tax credits for conservation tillage equipment and purchase of advanced technology pesticide and fertilizer application equipment after taxable year 2020. Under current law, an individual or corporate taxpayer is allowed nonrefundable credits of up to $4,000 for conservation tillage equipment purchases and up to $3,750 for advanced technology pesticide and fertilizer application equipment purchases, which credits may be carried over for five years.
Clinical nurse specialist; licensure; practice. Changes from the requirement of registration as clinical nurse specialists to the licensure of nurse practitioners as clinical nurse specialists by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing and provides that a nurse practitioner licensed as a clinical nurse specialist shall practice pursuant to a practice agreement between the clinical nurse specialist and a licensed physician and in a manner consistent with the standards of care for the profession and applicable law and regulations. For the transition of registration to licensure, the bill requires the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to jointly issue a license to practice as a nurse practitioner in the category of a clinical nurse specialist to an applicant who is an advance practice registered nurse who has completed an advanced graduate-level education program in the specialty category of clinical nurse specialist and who is registered by the Board of Nursing as a clinical nurse specialist on July 1, 2021.
Virginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program.Renames the Virginia Missing Child with Autism Alert Program to theVirginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program and expands itto apply to any missing person with autism, regardless of age. Thebill defines "a missing person with autism" as any person (i) whosewhereabouts are unknown; (ii) who has been diagnosed with autismspectrum disorder as defined by the Code of Virginia; and (iii) whosedisappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of the person.
Adult adoption; investigation and report.Removes the requirement that an investigation and report be conductedwhen a petition is filed for the adoption of a person 18 years ofage or older on the basis of good cause shown and after a showingthat the person to be adopted is at least 15 years younger than the petitioner and the petitioner and the person to be adopted have knowneach other for at least one year prior to the filing of the petitionfor adoption.
Special license plates; Virginia National Guardretirees. Removes the fee for the issuance of a special licenseplate for retired members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently,such special license plates cost the same as the prescribed costfor a typical Virginia license plate.
Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board; membership. Clarifies that each of the six nonlegislative citizen members of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board (the Board) who is not an at-large member is to be appointed by the Governor from a list of two qualified nominees submitted for each vacancy by the Board and the Board of Directors of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (the Association) in consultation with other groups. The bill also requires each of the six nonlegislative citizen members to be a resident of a different one of the six geographic areas represented in the Association. The bill contains technical amendments.
Tax credit; agricultural best management practices. Creates an enhanced individual and corporate income tax credit for taxable years 2021 through 2024 for the implementation of certain agricultural best management practices by the taxpayer that are required as part of a certified resource management plan. The enhanced tax credit is equal to 50 percent of the first $100,000 expended in implementing certain agricultural best management practices, and each amount shall be consistent with the rate offered for each eligible practice under the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program. The bill retains a tax credit for 25 percent of expenses made for all other agricultural best management practices that are not eligible for the enhanced credit rate, but increases the maximum amount of expenses to which one can apply the 25 percent credit from $70,000 to $100,000. A taxpayer may not claim credit for the same practice in the same management area under both the 25 percent and enhanced 75 percent credits. The aggregate amount of credit claimed per taxpayer shall not exceed $75,000 per year, and the aggregate amount of individual and corporate credits claimed among all taxpayers and credits shall not exceed $2 million per year. The bill sunsets the existing agricultural best management practices tax credits after taxable year 2024.
Tax credit; agricultural best management practices. Creates an enhanced individual and corporate income tax credit beginning in taxable year 2021 for the implementation of certain agricultural best management practices by the taxpayer that are required as part of a certified resource management plan. The enhanced tax credit is equal to 50 percent of the first $100,000 expended in implementing certain agricultural best management practices, and each amount shall be consistent with the rate offered for each eligible practice under the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program. The bill retains a tax credit for 25 percent of expenses made for all other agricultural best management practices that are not eligible for the enhanced credit rate, but increases the maximum amount of expenses to which one can apply the 25 percent credit from $70,000 to $100,000. A taxpayer may not claim credit for the same practice in the same management area under both the 25 percent and enhanced 50 percent credits. The aggregate per taxpayer amount of credit claimed shall not exceed $75,000. The total combined amount of credits shall not exceed $2 million annually.
Alcoholic beverage control; license fee reform;delay; emergency. Delays the effective date of the 2020 alcoholicbeverage control license and fee reform from July 1, 2021, to January1, 2022. During the period of delay and subject to certain requirements,the bill allows on-premises wine or beer licensees to sell wine orbeer for off-premises consumption and allows such licensees, as wellas off-premises wine or beer licensees, to deliver wine or beer thatthe licensee is authorized to sell without a delivery permit. The bill contains a technical amendment and an emergency clause.