Sale of nicotine vapor products; penalties.Limits the sale of (i) flavored nicotine vapor products, includingmint and menthol but not tobacco flavors, and (ii) high-nicotinevapor products above 30 mg strength to retail establishments thatsell to persons 21 years of age or older and have proven age restrictionprocesses. The bill requires such retail establishments to prove valididentification checks at the door upon entry and again before anytransaction is processed and to maintain required age verificationdocumentation for every transaction. The bill also prohibits all direct-to-consumer online sales that are intended to deliver nicotine vapor products and prohibits the sale of nicotine vapor productswith additives other than traditional e-liquid ingredients (e.g.,propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavoring) that alter the performancecharacteristics of nicotine (e.g., benzoic acid). The bill furtherrequires a person selling a tobacco product, nicotine vapor product,or alternative nicotine product to obtain identification as proofof a buyer's age in any circumstance. Under current law, such identificationis not required from an individual who the person has reason to believeis at least 21 years of age or who the person knows is at least 21years of age.
Del. Alfonso Lopez
Sponsored bills
Virginia Minority Business Commission; report. Establishes a 13-member legislative Commission to promote the growthand competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2023.
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; Energy Efficiency Fund. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to implement the final carbon trading regulation as approved by the Air Pollution Control Board providing for the establishment of a carbon dioxide cap and trade program. The measure directs the Commonwealth to become a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Pursuant to the Commonwealth's participation in the RGGI program, the Department shall seek to sell 100 percent of all allowances issued each year through the allowance auction. The measure authorizes the Director of the DEQ to establish, implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances into a market-based trading program consistent with the RGGI program. The measure establishes the Energy Efficiency Fund and requires that all proceeds received from the sale of allowances conducted through the RGGI program be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Not less than 50 percent of the proceeds received from the sale of allowances shall be credited to an account to support energy efficiency programs, with at least 20 percent of the proceeds being directed to low-income energy efficiency programs. Not more than three percent of the proceeds shall be used to cover reasonable administrative expenses. The remaining funds will revert to the general fund. This bill was incorporated into HB 981.
Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; right to rent manufactured home upon eviction. Allows a tenant who has been evicted from a manufactured home park to rent the manufactured home. Current law allows such tenant to sell the home or remove the home from the manufactured home park. This bill was incorporated into HB 1249.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices. Adds discrimination on the basis of a person's source of income to the list of unlawful discriminatory housing practices. The bill defines "source of income" as any source that lawfully provides funds to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any assistance, benefit, or subsidy program, whether such program is administered by a governmental or nongovernmental entity. This bill was incorporated into HB 6.
Health care services; payment estimates.Requires hospitals and practitioners licensed by the Board of Medicineto provide a patient or the representative of a patient scheduledto receive a nonemergency procedure, test, or service to be performedby the hospital or practitioner with an estimate of the payment amountfor which the patient will be responsible no later than one weekafter the scheduling of such procedure, test, or service. Currently,only hospitals are required to provide such estimate, and such estimateis required only (i) for elective procedures, tests, or services;(ii) within three days of the procedure, test, or service; and (iii)upon request of the patient or his representative.
Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Programestablished. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund andProgram, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education forVirginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically BlackCollege or University in the Commonwealth (Hampton University, Norfolk StateUniversity, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University) such sumsas are necessary for each such institution to annually provide scholarships ona competitive basis to no more than two students who (i) identify as AfricanAmerican, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or Native Alaskan, orNative Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in suchinstitution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for afederal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each suchscholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition,mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) therecipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professionaldevelopment activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, andconferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by anexperienced teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highlyeffective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires eachstudent who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree inwriting to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in theCommonwealth in which at least half of the enrolled students qualify for freeor reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federalpoverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the periodduring which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a HistoricallyBlack College or University and (2) be mentored by an experienced teacher, asdescribed in clause (d), during such period of employment.
Voter registration; automatic voter registration.Provides for the automatic electronic transmission by the Department of MotorVehicles to the Department of Elections of certain information for anyindividual who (i) is not registered to vote; (ii) is of sufficient age toregister to vote; (iii) conducts a transaction with the Department of MotorVehicles to apply for a new driver's license or special identification card orreplace, renew, or update an existing driver's license or specialidentification card; and (iv) in the course of such transaction providesdocumentation demonstrating United States citizenship or answers affirmativelywhen asked if he is a United States citizen. Any such individual is given aprinted registration notice that (a) states that the individual will beregistered to vote based on the information provided and that the individualshould decline registration if he does not meet eligibility requirements, (b)explains the eligibility requirements, and (c) provides instructions for how hemay decline registration. The Department of Elections is required to transmitthe information to the appropriate general registrar, along with anyinformation indicating ineligibility. The Department of Elections is requiredto establish security requirements for transmission of information aboutpotential registered voters and to report certain information regarding voterregistration. The bill removes the requirement that the Department of MotorVehicles offer, accept, receive, and send voter registration applications.
Elections; same-day registration; in-person absentee and election day voting. Provides an exception to the closing of registration records for any person who (i) is qualified to register to vote, (ii) is unregistered or registered in a locality in which the person no longer resides but is otherwise entitled to vote by absentee ballot, (iii) desires to vote absentee in person at the time that they present themselves to be registered, and (iv) provides proof of residency. The bill also permits same-day registrants to vote absentee and provides an excuse for election day absentee voting for such voters. The bill requires all voters who register to vote under the provisions of this bill to fill out an absentee application, including the required oath, in order to vote. This bill was incorporated into HB 201.
Power of attorney; witness or notary public. Requires that a power of attorney signed on or after July 1, 2020, be signed before at least one witness or a notary public.