Del. Alfonso Lopez

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.

Coal ash ponds; private wells and public water supply wells; resident notification. Requires a utility, defined in the bill as the owner or operator of a coal ash pond in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to complete a survey of all private wells and public water supply wells within 1.5 miles of each of its ponds by October 1, 2020, and to notify residents via mail and a local newspaper posting that the survey will be conducted.

Fee for open-space preservation. Increases from $1 to $3 the fee for open-space preservation charged for every deed, deed of trust, contract, or other instrument admitted to record in those jurisdictions in which open-space easements are held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The bill also clarifies that the fee applies to any "deed, deed of trust, contract, or other instrument" admitted to record, replacing the term "deed."

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.

School meal debt; donations. Permits anyschool board to solicit and receive any donation or other funds forthe purpose of eliminating or offsetting any school meal debt atany time during the school year and requires each school board touse any such funds solely for such purpose, provided, however, thatno such funds are obtained in an illegal or illicit manner. The billprovides that if a school board receives a donation that does notentirely eliminate or offset the total school meal debt at any timeduring the school year, the school board shall distribute the donation proportionately among each school meal debt.

Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund; acquisition of interests in property; recordation fee. Authorizes the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, in administering the Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund, to provide grants to persons conveying to the Foundation fee simple title or other rights to interests or privileges in property on agricultural, forestal, or other open-space land and to provide grants to localities acquiring such interests. Current law authorizes the Foundation to provide such grants for the acquisition of open-space and conservation easements. The bill also clarifies the imposition of the existing deed recordation fee, the revenue from which is distributed to the Foundation, and raises the fee amount from $1 to $3. The bill contains technical amendments.

School boards; distribution of excess food. Allows public school boards to distribute excess food to students eligible for the School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or to students who the school board determines are otherwise eligible to receive excess food. A school board is also allowed to develop a policy for distributing excess food, saving it for later, or donating it.

Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Actand Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; required disclosures;lead pipe. Requires the owner of a residential dwelling who hasactual knowledge of the existence of lead pipe in such dwelling unitto provide to a prospective purchaser a written disclosure that theproperty has lead pipe. Such disclosure shall be provided to the purchaser on a form provided by the Real Estate Board on its website. The billalso requires any landlord of a dwelling unit who has actual knowledgeof the existence of lead pipe in such dwelling unit to disclose thatinformation to a prospective tenant. Any tenant who is not providedwith such disclosure may terminate the lease agreement at any time within 60 days of discovery of the existence of lead pipe by providingwritten notice to the landlord. The bill defines "lead pipe" as anypipe or pipe or plumbing fixture, solder, or flux that does not meetthe federal Safe Drinking Water Act definition of "lead free."

TANF; family cap. Repeals the prohibitionon increasing the amount of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families(TANF) that a family receives upon the birth of a child during theperiod of TANF eligibility or during the period in which the familyor adult recipient is ineligible for TANF benefits pursuant to apenalty imposed by the Commissioner of Social Services for failureto comply with benefit eligibility or child support requirements.

Recounts; special election to be held in the case of a tie vote. Provides that if, after a recount of an election, the recount court finds that each party to the recount has received an equal number of votes, there shall be a special election to determine which candidate is elected to the office. This provision would not apply in cases of tie votes occurring after a recount of an election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, which the Constitution of Virginia provides for, or for electors of President and Vice President of the United States, which will continue to be determined by lot. This bill incorporates HB 178 and HB 692.