Del. Liz Guzmán

Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitiveand sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposesof the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, "occupational disease"includes injuries from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustainedphysical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions,posture stress, contact stresses, vibration, or noise. The bill providesthat such injuries are covered under the Act. Such coverage doesnot require that the injuries occurred over a particular period,provided that such a period can be reasonably identified and documentedand further provided that the employment is shown to have primarily caused the injury, considering all causes.

Memorializing Congress; H.R. 6422; NationalInfrastructure Bank. Urges the Congress of the United Statesto pass H.R. 6422 and create a National Infrastructure Bank to financeurgently needed infrastructure projects.

Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2022-23 school year through the 2026-27 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; recognition ofsame-sex marriages. Repeals the constitutional provision definingmarriage as only a union between one man and one woman, as well asthe related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of theUnited States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and its agents are required to issuemarriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equallyunder the law, regardless of the gender of the two parties to themarriage. The amendment further provides that religious organizationsand clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuseto perform any marriage.

Use sick leave for the care of immediate familymembers. Requires employers with a sick leave program to allowan employee to use his sick leave for the care of an immediate familymember. The measure applies only to employers that have 25 or moreemployees and that provide paid sick leave that allows an employeeto be absent from work in the event of the employee's own incapacity,illness, or injury. The measure applies only to employees who workat least 30 hours per week, and it caps the amount of sick leavethat may be used for the care of immediate family members at fivedays per calendar year.

Commending Wolf Trap Foundation for the PerformingArts.

Presidential electors; National Popular VoteCompact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known asthe Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by NationalPopular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United Statesgives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the mannerof awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agreesto award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receivesthe most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessinga majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A statemay withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring withinsix months of the end of a President's term shall not become effectiveuntil a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the nextterm.

Commending Barry M. Barnard.

Commending Virginia's Crossroads.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.