Del. Liz Guzmán

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;position created. Establishes the position of Director of Diversity,Equity, and Inclusion (the Director), to be appointed by the Governor. The Director is empowered to (i) develop a sustainable frameworkto promote inclusive practices across state government; (ii) implementa measurable, strategic plan to address systemic inequities in stategovernment practices; and (iii) facilitate methods to turn feedbackand suggestions from state employees, external stakeholders, andcommunity leaders into concrete equity policy.

Teachers, other instructional personnel, and support staff; shortages; data; reporting. Requires (i) each school board to report to the Department of Education annually the number and type of teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff vacancies in the school division and (ii) each approved education preparation program to report to the Department of Education annually the number of individuals who completed the program by endorsement area. The bill requires the Department of Education to (a) establish deadlines for and the format of the reporting of such data and (b) aggregate and report such data annually on the Department's website.

Public institutions of higher education; in-state tuition; refugees and individuals with certain Special Immigrant Visas. Provides that an individual is eligible for in-state tuition charges regardless of domicile if he is admitted to the United States as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 within the previous two calendar years or received a Special Immigrant Visa that has been granted a status under P.L. 110-181 § 1244, P.L. 109-163 § 1059, or P.L. 111-8 § 602 within the previous two calendar years, and upon entering the United States, the individual resided in the Commonwealth and continues to reside in the Commonwealth as a refugee or pursuant to such Special Immigrant Visa.

Driver's license suspensions for certain non-driving related offenses. Removes the existing provisions that allow a person's driver's license to be suspended (i) when he is convicted of or placed on deferred disposition for a drug offense, (ii) for non-payment of certain fees owed to a local correctional facility or regional jail, and (iii) for shoplifting motor fuel. This bill is identical to SB 513.

Misclassification of employees as independent contractors; Department of Taxation to investigate and enforce; civil penalties. Prohibits an employer from classifying an individual as an independent contractor if he is an employee. An individual shall be considered an employee of the party that pays the remuneration for purposes of Titles 40.1 (Labor and Employment), 58.1 (Taxation), 60.2 (Unemployment Compensation), and 65.2 (Workers' Compensation) unless it is demonstrated that such individual is an independent contractor. The Department of Taxation shall determine whether an individual is an independent contractor by applying Internal Revenue Service guidelines. Violators are subject to civil penalties and debarment from public contracts. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021.

Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder. Requires health insurers, corporations providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder under insurance policies, subscription contracts, or health care plans issued in the individual market or small group markets. The existing requirement that such coverage be provided for policies, contracts, or plans issued in the large group market is not affected. The provision applies with respect to insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended on or after January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates HB 1043 and is identical to SB 1031.

Department of Environmental Quality; work group to research rural fill disposal. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to convene a work group to research the practice of rural landowners allowing, or allowing for compensation, the use of their lands as disposal sites for construction fill and debris from road construction and development projects. The work group shall consider recommending regulations for possible adoption by DEQ, including a regulation containing a model ordinance relating to the practice for adoption by localities, and statutory changes, including changes to the practice related to agricultural engineering operations and construction of terraces.

Commissioner of Health; study of the occurrence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutyrate (PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and other perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutyrate (PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and other perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as deemed necessary, in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and to develop recommendations for specific maximum contaminant levels for PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS, as deemed necessary, for inclusion in regulations of the Board of Health applicable to waterworks.

Workers' compensation; repetitive motion injuries.Provides that a physical injury, including the condition of carpaltunnel syndrome, that results from repetitive motion shall be treatedas an injury by accident for purposes of the Virginia Workers' CompensationAct. The bill also removes a provision that declares carpal tunnelsyndrome to be an ordinary disease of life.

Prisoners; obtaining certain identification documentation upon release. Requires the Department of Corrections and the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator of a local correctional facility to provide to any prisoner who does not already possess a government-issued identification card a special identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles upon his release. Prior to the release of any prisoner after a period of confinement of 90 days or more, if such prisoner does not already possess an original birth certificate or a Social Security card, the bill also requires the Department of Corrections and the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator of a local correctional facility to offer to (i) provide the assistance necessary for the prisoner to apply to the appropriate state and obtain an official copy of the prisoner's birth certificate and (ii) provide the assistance necessary for the prisoner to apply to the Social Security Administration and obtain a replacement Social Security card. The bill requires the correctional institutions to establish procedures for (a) securing such special identification cards through the Department of Motor Vehicles, (b) applying for and obtaining official copies of birth certificates or replacement Social Security cards, and (c) forwarding such documentation if it is not obtained prior to the prisoner's release or discharge. Such procedures shall include an offer to provide, or to assist the prisoner with providing, all paperwork necessary for such prisoner to be issued a special identification card, an official copy of a birth certificate, or a replacement Social Security card. The bill further provides that all costs and fees associated with obtaining such identification documentation shall be paid by the prisoner unless the prisoner is determined to be indigent. Current law authorizes local correctional institutions to issue special identification cards prior to the release of any prisoner and requires the prisoner to pay all costs and fees associated with obtaining such card.