Del. Mark L. Keam

Same-sex marriages; civil unions. Repeals the statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unions or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage. These prohibitions are no longer valid due to the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). This bill is identical to SB 17.

Electric utility regulation; initial triennial review. Establishes requirements for the first scheduled triennial review proceeding for Virginia Electric and Power Company that is scheduled to be conducted in 2021. The measure directs that such initial triennial review shall consist of a generation and distribution rate case conducted solely pursuant to Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia, rules of the State Corporation Commission, and this measure. As part of the initial triennial review, the Commission is directed to review the earnings during the utility's test period and to order credits to customers in amounts equal to any earnings during the combined test periods that are above the utility's authorized rate of return in effect on July 1, 2020, as determined in the initial triennial review. The measure authorizes the Commission to order rate adjustments and to use any methodology to determine the fair rate of return on common equity that it finds consistent with the public interest, provided that such return shall be set at a level that is sufficient to assure confidence in the utility's financial integrity, adequate to maintain and support the utility's credit and its ability to attract capital, and comparable to returns that investors in securities would expect to earn on investments of similar risk. The measure provides that any capital investments made during the combined test periods reviewed during an initial triennial review in solar or wind generation facilities or electric distribution grid transformation projects will not be applied as customer credit reinvestment offsets during such utility's initial triennial review, but any portion of such capital investments that remain undepreciated as of the utility's subsequent triennial reviews may be applied as customer credit reinvestment offsets in subsequent proceedings. The measure directs the utility to make its initial triennial review filing by March 31, 2021. Subsequent triennial reviews shall be conducted pursuant to the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act. This bill incorporates HB 969.

Department of Health Professions; conversion therapy prohibited. Prohibits any health care provider or person who performs counseling as part of his training for any profession licensed by a regulatory board of the Department of Health Professions from engaging in conversion therapy, as defined in the bill, with any person under 18 years of age and provides that such counseling constitutes unprofessional conduct and is grounds for disciplinary action. The bill provides that no state funds shall be expended for the purpose of conducting conversion therapy with a person under 18 years of age, referring a person under 18 years of age for conversion therapy, or extending health benefits coverage for conversion therapy with a person under 18 years of age. This bill is identical to SB 245.

Public elementary and secondary school teachers; probationary term of service; performance evaluation. Removes (i) the option for local school boards to extend the three-year probationary term of service for teachers by up to two additional years and (ii) the prohibition against school boards reemploying any teacher whose performance evaluation during the probationary term of service is unsatisfactory. This bill incorporates HB 1169 and HB 1326 and is identical to SB 98.

Public libraries. Provides that it is thepolicy of the Commonwealth that public libraries are deemed to providean essential service to the communities of the Commonwealth.

Commending the Division of Capitol Police.

Commending the Virginia Department of StatePolice.

Teledentistry. Defines "teledentistry," establishes requirements for the practice of teledentistry and the taking of dental scans for use in teledentistry by dental scan technicians, and clarifies requirements related to the use of digital work orders for dental appliances in the practice of teledentistry. This bill is identical to SB 122.

State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; disclosure by members of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. Requires the citizen members of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission to file a financial disclosure statement as a condition of assuming office and thereafter annually on or before February 1. The bill requires the members to file their disclosure forms with the clerk of the governing body where the entity holds its principal office. The first disclosure form for the members will be due on February 1, 2021.

Commending the Honorable Rosalyn Randolph Dance.