Del. Chris Runion

Veteran-owned small businesses; waiving of fees. Directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, in conjunction with the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, to examine the waiving of fees associated with permits necessary to establish a small business for veteran-owned small businesses. This bill is identical to SB 572.

Fee for solid waste disposal; Bath County. Adds Bath County to the list of counties that may by ordinance, and after a public hearing, levy a fee for the management of solid waste not to exceed the actual cost incurred by the county in removing and disposing of solid waste. The bill also grants Bath County various powers with regard to collection of the fee, including to levy penalties and interest for late payment and unpaid fees, to require payment of the fee prior to approval of certain land use applications, and to provide discounts to the standard fee rates for certain older and disabled persons. This bill is identical to SB 294.

DMAS; work group to study options for the permanent use of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supports and services; individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Extends the work group established by the 2021 Special Session I directing the Department of Medical Assistance Services to study and develop recommendations for the permanent use of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supports and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting access to assistive technology and environmental modifications. The bill extends the deadline for the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly from November 21, 2021, to November 1, 2022.

DMAS; work group to study options for the permanent use of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supports and services; individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to continue the work group established to study and develop recommendations for the permanent use of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supports and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting access to assistive technology and environmental modifications and to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2022. This bill is identical to SB 232.

Charter; Town of Grottoes. Establishes a new charter for the Town of Grottoes in Rockingham County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1997. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to SB 99.

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.

Amending death certificates. Requires the State Registrar, upon receipt of an affidavit and supporting evidence testifying to corrected information on a death certificate within 45 days of the filing of a death certificate, to amend such death certificate to reflect the new information and evidence. The bill also requires the State Registrar, upon receipt of an affidavit and supporting evidence testifying to corrected demographic information on a death certificate more than 45 days after the filing of a death certificate, to amend such death certificate to reflect the new information and evidence. This bill is identical to SB 55.

Safe haven protections; newborn safety device. Provides an affirmative defense in certain criminal prosecutions and civil proceedings regarding child abuse or neglect to a parent who safely delivers his child within the first 30 days of the child's life to a newborn safety device located at a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or at an attended emergency medical services agency that employs emergency medical services personnel. The bill also provides civil and criminal immunity to such hospitals and emergency medical services agencies for injuries to children received through such newborn safety devices, provided that (i) the injuries are not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct and (ii) the hospital or emergency medical services agency meets certain requirements regarding the establishment, functioning, and testing of the device. Current law requires the child to be delivered within the first 14 days of the child's life at such hospital or emergency medical services agency. This bill is identical to SB 63.

Dealers; sale of dogs or cats for experimentalpurposes. Prohibits a dealer or commercial dog or cat breeder from importing for sale, selling, or offering for sale a dog or catbred by a person who has received certain citations pursuant to the federal Animal Welfare Act. Current law only prohibits such activities related to the sale of dogs. The bill also clarifies that sellingincludes selling the dog or cat for experimental purposes.

Military honor guards and veterans service organizations; paramilitary activities; exception. Exempts members of a lawfully recognized military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization, and members of a veterans service organization that is congressionally chartered or officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, when such member is participating in a training or educational exercise, funeral, or public ceremony on behalf of such military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization or veterans service organization, from the crime of unlawful paramilitary activity unless such member engages in such activity with malicious intent. This bill is identical to SB 618.