Del. Dave LaRock

Creates the Henrietta Lacks Commission to establish through a public-private partnership the Henrietta Lacks Life Sciences Center in Halifax County as a cancer research and treatment center designed to (i) transform and accelerate cancer research and treatment through the use of biodata tools, (ii) provide tailored cancer treatment medicine to an underserved portion of rural Southside Virginia, and (iii) incubate new biotech businesses across the Southside Virginia region. The bill requires the Commission to annually submit a report on its interim activity and work to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2021.

Requires enrollment in the Virtual Virginia online learning program during the school year to be open, on a space-available basis, to each public high school student in the Commonwealth and each high school student in the Commonwealth who receives home instruction.

Clarifies that student directory information may be publicly disclosed by a school if the school has given notice to the parent or eligible student of (i) the types of information that the school has designated as directory information; (ii) the right of the parent or eligible student to refuse the designation of any or all of the types of information about the student as directory information; and (iii) the period of time within which a parent or eligible student must notify the school in writing that he does not want any or all of the types of information about the student designated as directory information. The bill also provides, however, that no school shall disclose the address, phone number, or email address of a student pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11) or the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) unless the parent or eligible student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure.

Provides that the Department of Health (the Department) shall serve as the lead agency with responsibility for the development, coordination, and implementation of a plan for services for substance-exposed infants in the Commonwealth. Such plan shall (i) support a trauma-informed approach to identification and treatment of substance-exposed infants and their caregivers and (ii) include (a) options for improving screening and identification of substance-using pregnant women, (b) use of multidisciplinary approaches to intervention and service delivery during the prenatal period and following the birth of the substance-exposed infant, and (c) referral among providers serving substance-exposed infants and their families and caregivers. The bill requires the Department to report annually to the General Assembly regarding implementation of the plan.

Removes the condition that fire companies and volunteer emergency medical services agencies seeking aid and cooperation from the Division of Purchases and Supply (the Division) in making purchases seek such aid and cooperation through and with the approval of a governing body of a county, city, or town. The bill limits purchases of motor fuel through the Division to purchases for the use of operating and propelling equipment used actually and necessarily for firefighting and emergency medical services purposes.