Workers' compensation; COVID-19; health care providers. Extends from December 31, 2021, to December 31, 2022, the date by which COVID-19 causing the death or disability of a health care provider is presumed to be an occupational disease compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; winery, farm winery, and limited brewery licensees; distribution of wine and beer. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group consisting of representatives of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Virginia Wineries Association, the Virginia Wine Wholesalers Association, the Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association, and the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild and other relevant stakeholders to (i) conduct research to determine the appropriate fee structure and general fund appropriation necessary to adequately address staffing needs and perform information technology system upgrades for the purpose of accommodating winery, farm winery, and limited brewery licensees that wish to utilize the services of the Virginia Winery Distribution Company; (ii) evaluate the number of barrels of beer allowed to be distributed by a limited brewery licensee over the course of one year; and (iii) review and evaluate alternative avenues of distribution, other than distribution through the Virginia Winery Distribution Company, that could be made available to limited brewery licensees. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Winery Distribution Company (the Board) for approval and directs the Board to report any such approved findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on General Laws no later than October 1, 2022.
Tangible personal property taxes; valuation of property. Provides that in any locality in which the commissioner of revenue or other assessing official adjusts the valuation of automobiles to account for the amount of mileage on a vehicle, such adjustment shall also be provided for motorcycles.
Health care providers; health records of minors; available via secure website. Provides that every hospital and health care provider that makes patients' health records available to such patients through a secure website shall make all health records of a patient who is a minor available to such patient's parent through such secure website unless the hospital or health care provider cannot make such health record available in a manner that prevents disclosure of information, the disclosure of which has been denied by a health care provider or for which required consent has not been provided.
Redevelopment and housing authorities; naming convention. Provides that a locality that establishes a redevelopment and housing authority may name such authority an appropriate name and title. Current law requires the authority to be known as the "___________ (insert name of locality) Redevelopment and Housing Authority." The bill contains technical amendments.
Elections; voting systems; reporting absentee results by precinct. Includes in the definition of "voting system" on-demand ballot printing systems and ballot marking devices used to manufacture or mark ballots to be cast by voters on electronic voting and counting machines. The bill also requires general registrars to report to the Department of Elections the number and results of absentee ballots cast by voters assigned to each precinct in the registrar's locality. The Department is directed by the bill to establish standards for ascertaining and reporting such information. This bill is identical to SB 3.
Board of Education; stakeholder group; evaluation of and recommendations for certain current and proposed policies and performance standards for public elementary and secondary schools. Requires the Board of Education to collaborate with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of Education to evaluate, to implement where possible, and to otherwise make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the following goals: (i) promoting excellence in instruction and student achievement in mathematics; (ii) increasing the number of academic year Governor's Schools in the Commonwealth and maintaining standards of excellence for students in all such schools; (iii) preserving the Advanced Studies Diploma as an option for students in public high schools in the Commonwealth; (iv) increasing the transparency and honesty of performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth and ensuring that such measures do not obscure or conceal disparities in performance among student groups and reduce or eliminate disparities among student groups; (v) ensuring that performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools prioritize the attainment of grade-level proficiency and growth during the course of a school year and from school year to school year in reading and mathematics for all students, especially in grades kindergarten through five; (vi) ensuring that the Commonwealth's proficiency standards on Standards of Learning assessments in reading and mathematics are rigorous in comparison with assessments administered by other states and national assessments in reading and mathematics; and (vii) restoring a strong accreditation system that promotes meaningful accountability year-over-year. The bill requires the Secretary of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, no later than November 30, 2022, to report to the chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health the results of such evaluation and recommendations to achieve such goals.
Human trafficking training for law-enforcement personnel. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish training standards for law-enforcement personnel regarding the recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking. This bill is identical to SB 467.
Bail for a person accused of a crime that is an act of violence; notice to attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires a magistrate to transmit within 24 hours a copy of the checklist for bail determination form to the attorney for the Commonwealth when a magistrate conducts a bail hearing for a person arrested on a warrant or capias for an act of violence. The bill also provides that transmission of such copy to the attorney for the Commonwealth may be by facsimile or other electronic means. This bill is identical to SB 614.
Commending David and Eunjoo Anderson.
