Writ of vacatur; victims of sex trafficking;payment of fees or costs. Provides that a petitioner for a writof vacatur for victims of sex trafficking shall not be required topay any fees or costs for filing such petition if the petitioneris found to be unable to pay them.
Local government hiring; people with disabilities. Requires any locality to take into consideration or give preferenceto an individual's status as a person with a disability in its employmenthiring policies and practices, provided that such person with a disabilitymeets all of the knowledge, skills, and eligibility requirementsfor the available position.
Worker training tax credit. Extends from2022 to 2025 the sunset date for the worker training tax credit andremoves a requirement for such tax credit that direct costs incurredby a business primarily engaged in manufacturing in conducting orientation, instruction, and training in the Commonwealth be related to the manufacturing activities undertaken by the business.
Virginia Retirement System; Line of Duty Act;medical reviews to be conducted by Virginia practitioners. Providesthat, for any medical review of a claim made pursuant to the provisionsof the Line of Duty Act, the Virginia Retirement System shall requirethat such review be conducted by a doctor, nurse, or psychologistwho is licensed in Virginia or a contiguous state. The bill has adelayed effective date of July 1, 2023.
Banks; virtual currency custody services. Permits banks in the Commonwealth to provide virtual currency custody services so long as the bank has adequate protocols in place to effectively manage the associated risks. The bill defines "virtual currency" and provides that a bank may choose to offer such custody services in a nonfiduciary capacity or a fiduciary capacity. If it chooses to provide such custody services in a fiduciary capacity, it must possess trust powers and have a trust department approved by the State Corporation Commission.
Historical African American cemeteries. Changes the date of establishment that qualifies historical African American cemeteries for appropriated funds to care for such cemeteries from prior to January 1, 1900, to prior to January 1, 1948, and provides that the total number of graves in a qualifying cemetery shall be the number of markers of African Americans who were interred in such cemetery prior to January 1, 1948. Under current law, the total number of graves is the number of markers of African Americans who lived at any time between January 1, 1800, and January 1, 1900. This bill is identical to SB 477.
Institutions of higher education; hazing; policies. Establishes mandates at nonprofit private institutions of higher education and public institutions of higher education relating to hazing and defines different types of organizations at such institutions to which the mandates apply. The bill requires student organizations officially recognized by an institution of higher education structured in such a way that upon invitation for membership, individuals do not automatically become members of such organization and have a period of time between invitation for membership and being initiated into membership, to have an advisor present at all official events where new members and members of the student organization hosting the event are invited or are instructed to attend, except that such advisors may be asked to leave the room during ceremonies, rituals, or other such events that are only permitted to be attended by the new members and members. Such advisors shall provide extensive, current, and in-person education and information on hazing to all members and new members of such organizations. The bill requires the governing board of each institution to include as part of its policy, code, rules, or set of standards governing sexual violence a provision for immunity from disciplinary action based on hazing or personal consumption of drugs or alcohol where such disclosure is made in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of hazing in advance of or during an incident of hazing that causes injury to a person. Beginning with the 2022–2023 academic year, the bill requires each institution to maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing that are reported to campus authorities or local law enforcement. This bill shall be known as Adam's Law.
Retail sales and use tax; exemption for medicine and drugs purchased by veterinarians. Exempts veterinarians from sales and use tax on the purchase of prescription medicines and drugs that are administered or dispensed to patients within a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. The bill repeals provisions of current law that provide that a veterinarian dispensing or selling medicines or drugs on prescription shall be deemed to be the user or consumer of all such medicines and drugs. The bill provides that the exemption shall be in effect from July 1, 2022, until July 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 517.
Board of Education; provisional teacher licensure; teachers licensed or certified outside of the United States. Permits the Board of Education to provide for the issuance of a provisional license, valid for a period not to exceed three years, to any individual who has held within the last five years a valid and officially issued and recognized license or certification to teach issued by an entity outside of the United States but does not meet the requirements for a renewable license if the individual's license or certification to teach has been evaluated and verified by an entity approved by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to SB 68.
Workers' compensation; time period for filing claim; certain cancers. Provides that the time period for filing a workers' compensation claim for certain cancers is two years after a diagnosis of the disease is first communicated to the employee or within 10 years from the date of the last injurious exposure in employment, whichever first occurs. The bill provides, however, that such claim for benefits shall be barred if an employee is 65 years of age or older, regardless of the date of diagnosis, communication, or last injurious exposure in employment. This bill is identical to HB 1042.
