Rep. Josh Thomas

Assistance for certain voters outside of thepolling place; definition of disability. Expands the definitionof disability for purposes of providing assistance outside of a pollingplace to voters with disabilities to include any permanent or temporary disability. Under current law, the disability is limited to a permanentor temporary physical disability.

Study; Department of Energy; local governments;purchases of clean energy; report. Requests the Department ofEnergy to study the barriers for local governments to directly purchaseclean energy or to facilitate the purchase of clean energy by their constituents. In conducting its study, the Department shall considerexisting ways for local governments to purchase clean energy andpromote access to clean energy for their constituents, evaluate barriersand develop recommendations relating to reducing such barriers forlocal governments to purchase clean energy and encouraging the purchaseof and access to clean energy by local governments and their constituents,and consult with relevant stakeholders as needed.

Commissioner of Health; work group to studythe occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinkingwater; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene awork group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth'spublic drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. Thebill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendationsto the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture,Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutionsand the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and NaturalResources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and QualityMeasures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablishthe Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes toguide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality,and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The billdirects the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions tothe Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regardingits activities. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on MaternalHealth Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; consideration of employment of older Virginia residents. Allows public bodies to include as a factor that will be used in evaluating a Request for Proposal the proposer's participation in programs that employ Virginia residents age 55 or older. The bill also provides that in the case of a tie bid between two or more bidders-both of which are eligible for a preference as a bidder for goods produced in Virginia or goods, services, or construction provided by Virginia persons, firms, or corporations-an additional preference shall be given to any bidder that participates in such programs. This bill was incorporated into HB 1361.

Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.

Drug Control Act; Schedule I; Schedule II; Schedule IV; Schedule V. Adds certain chemicals to Schedules I, II, IV, and V of the Drug Control Act. The Board of Pharmacy has added these substances in an expedited regulatory process. A substance added via this process is removed from the schedule after 18 months unless a general law is enacted adding the substance to the schedule. This bill was incorporated into HB 1333.

Delivery network companies; portable benefit accounts. Requires a delivery network company, defined in the bill as a business entity that maintains an online-enabled application or platform used to facilitate delivery services, to contribute an amount equal to four percent of an eligible driver's earnings in the immediately preceding quarter earned through that delivery network company. Additionally, the eligible driver may make voluntary contributions to the portable benefit account. The bill provides that a delivery driver is eligible for the portable benefit account if the driver earned $1,000 delivering in a quarter. Under the bill, funds in a portable benefit account may be used to (i) compensate for lost income due to (a) an illness or accident, (b) the birth or adoption of a child of the driver, (c) a state of emergency, or (d) an earnings loss; (ii) transfer funds to an individual retirement account; or (iii) cover expenses incurred for premiums for health insurance coverage in the individual market. The bill provides that a portable benefit account is exempt from taxation, and contributions to the portable benefit account are not included in the driver's gross income. The bill requires the delivery network company to purchase insurance to cover medical expenses and lost income resulting from injuries suffered while the driver was engaged on a delivery network company's online-enabled application or platform. Additionally, the bill prohibits a delivery network company from discriminating against drivers based on certain classes. The bill provides that delivery drivers are classified as independent contractors, notwithstanding the provision of benefits required by the bill. The bill also provides that jurisdiction in all matters concerning delivery network companies and app-based delivery drivers shall be exclusively vested in the state. Finally the bill provides that its provisions regarding the classification of delivery drivers as independent contractors are not severable.

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension ofbodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment; divorce from bedand board. Eliminates the one-year waiting period for being decreeda divorce on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodilyhurt, or willful desertion or abandonment by either party. The billalso repeals the provision allowing for a divorce from bed and boardon the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt,or willful desertion or abandonment. The provisions of the bill applyto suits for divorce filed on or after July 1, 2024.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.