Del. Liz Guzmán

Produce Rx Program established; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to report on the activities of the work group and the elements of the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2021.

Duties of agencies and their appointing authorities; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans. Requires stateagencies to establish and maintain a comprehensive diversity, equity,and inclusion strategic plan in coordination with the Governor's Directorof Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Department of Human Resource Management, alternative application for employment for persons with a disability. Directs the Department of Human Resource Management to create an alternative application process for the employment of persons with a disability. The process must be noncompetitive in nature and provide state agencies using the process an option for converting positions filled through the noncompetitive process into positions that are normally filled through a competitive process. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to develop and disseminate a policy to implement the provisions of the bill.

Accrual of cause of action; diagnosis of latent injury or disease. Provides that a cause of action for a latent injury shall accrue when such injury and its causal connection to an injurious or disease-causing substance, product, or circumstance is first communicated to the injured person or his agent by a physician. The bill further provides that a diagnosis of a nonmalignant substance-related, product-related, or circumstance-related latent injury or disease shall not accrue an action based upon the subsequent diagnosis of a malignant substance-related latent injury or disease.

Certain school boards; student meals; participationin the Afterschool Meal Program. Requires each school board thatgoverns a local school division that has a student population thatqualifies for free and reduced-price meals at a minimum percentageof 50 percent in the prior school year and simultaneously offerseducational or enrichment activities and is consequently eligibleto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program administered by theU.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Childand Adult Care Food Program to apply to the Department of Educationto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program for each such schoolto subsequently and simultaneously serve federally reimbursable mealsand offer an afterschool education or enrichment program, pursuantto FNS guidelines and state health and safety standards. The billrequires the Department of Education to administer the AfterschoolMeal Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill provides that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shallissue a waiver to this requirement upon determination that participation is not financially viable for a school or group of schools. The billrequires the Department of Education to develop a process and criteriafor evaluating such waivers. The bill has a delayed effective dateof July 1, 2022.

Child support; health care coverage. Provides that in any case in which a court enters an order directing the payment of spousal support in cases in which there are minor children that the parties have a mutual duty to support or any payment of child support or when the Department of Social Services issues an order directing the payment of child support, and when it appears that the gross income of a custodial parent of a dependent child is no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, the court or the Department of Social Services shall notify the parties of the availability of medical assistance through the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security plan or other government sponsored coverage through the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; certification of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses;right to appeal denial of initial certification. Requires theDepartment of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to adopt regulationsto establish a process for businesses that are denied initial certificationas a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business to appeal suchdenial on the basis that the Department made a mistake in denyingthe business's application for certification. This bill is a recommendationof the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Virginia Small Business Financing Authority;risk-based review of outstanding loans; report. Requires theVirginia Small Business Financing Authority to conduct a risk-basedreview of all outstanding loans at least annually and report theresults of such review to the Board of Directors. This bill is arecommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Assistance for certain voters; curbside voting. Clarifies that any voter with a permanent physical disability, temporary physical disability, or injury is entitled to vote outside of thepolling place. The bill further provides that during a declared stateof emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat,any voter shall be entitled to vote outside of the polling place.The bill requires that the area designated for voting outside ofthe polling place be clearly marked and instructions on how the voteris to notify an officer of election of his request to vote outsideof the polling place be prominently displayed. The bill makes technical amendments for clarity and organizational purposes.

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to establish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and states that the Task Force shall conclude its work by December 1, 2023.