Del. Kaye Kory

Right to work. Repeals the provisions ofthe Code of Virginia that, among other things, prohibit any agreementor combination between an employer and a labor union or labor organizationwhereby (i) nonmembers of the union or organization are denied theright to work for the employer, (ii) membership in the union or organizationis made a condition of employment or continuation of employment bysuch employer, or (iii) the union or organization acquires an employmentmonopoly in any such enterprise.

Abolition of the death penalty. Abolishes the death penalty, including for those persons currently under a death sentence. This bill was incorporated into HB 2263.

Fossil fuel projects moratorium. Establishesa moratorium, effective January 1, 2022, on any approval by anystate agency or political subdivision required for (i) electric generatingfacilities that generate fossil fuel energy through the combustionor use of a fossil fuel resource; (ii) import or export terminalsfor fossil fuel resources; (iii) modification of an import or exportterminal for a fossil fuel resource; (iv) gathering lines or pipelinesfor the transport of any fossil fuel resource that requires the useof public land or eminent domain on private property; (v) modificationof such gathering lines or pipelines; (vi) refineries of a fossilfuel resource; (vii) any facilities that change the physical stateof fossil fuels for the purposes of transporting such fuel; and (vii)exploration for any type of fossil fuel, unless preempted by applicablefederal law. The measure requires the establishment of job trainingprograms and energy worker protections, transitional assistance forworkers in the fossil fuel industry and affected communities, andenvironmental justice protections.

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions tocandidates. Prohibits any candidate from soliciting or acceptinga contribution from any public service corporation, as defined inthe bill, or any political action committee established and administeredby such a corporation.

Religious and charitable matters; charitableor civic organization contracts; report. Requires the Commissionerof Agriculture and Consumer Services to submit an annual writtenreport to the Governor and the General Assembly, by October 1 ofeach year, on (i) the number of charitable or civic organizations,professional fund-raising counsel, and professional solicitors registeredin Virginia; (ii) the number of contracts or agreements between suchregistered professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitorsand such registered charitable or civic organizations; and (iii) compensation paid, in relation to funds raised and administrativecosts, to any professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitorregistered in Virginia by a charitable or civic organization registeredin Virginia.

Green New Deal Act. Establishes a moratorium, effective January 1, 2022, on approval by any state agency or political subdivision of any approval required for (i) electric generating facilities that generate fossil fuel energy through the combustion of a fossil fuel resource; (ii) import or export terminals for fossil fuel resources; (iii) certain maintenance activities relating to an import or export terminal for a fossil fuel resource; (iv) gathering lines or pipelines for the transport of any fossil fuel resource that  require the use of eminent domain on private property; (v) certain maintenance activities relating to such gathering lines or pipelines; (vi) refineries of a fossil fuel resource; and (vii) exploration for any type of fossil fuel, unless preempted by applicable federal law. The measure also requires that at least 80 percent of the electricity sold by a retail electric supplier in calendar years 2028 through 2035 be generated from clean energy resources. In calendar year 2036 and every calendar year thereafter, 100 percent of the electricity sold by a retail electric supplier is required to be generated from clean energy resources. The clean energy mandates apply to a public utility or other person that sells not less than 1,000 megawatt hours of electric energy to retail customers or generates not less than 1,000 megawatt hours of electric energy for use by the person. The Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is authorized to bring actions for injunctions to enforce these requirements. The measure requires the Department to adopt a Climate Action Plan that addresses all aspects of climate change, including mitigation, adaptation, resiliency, and assistance in the transition from current energy sources to clean renewable energy. The measure provides that any retail electric supplier that fails to meet any goal or benchmark is liable for a civil penalty equal to twice the cost of the financial investment necessary to meet such goal or mandate that was not achieved, or three times the cost of the financial investment necessary to meet such goal or benchmark that was not achieved if not met in an environmental justice community. The measure provides that it is the goal of the Commonwealth to achieve a 36 percent reduction in electric energy consumption in buildings by 2036. The measure requires the Department, in coordination with the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice (Council) to establish performance benchmarks for environmental justice communities and to establish programs for jobs for people in environmental justice communities. The measure requires the Council to develop and make available to each state agency training modules designed to facilitate the promotion of environmental justice. The measure requires the Department to establish the Transitioning Workers Program (the Program) to provide support for workers in the fossil fuel industry and affected communities and provide such workers job training, relocation support, income and benefit support, and early retirement benefits. The measure provides for funding such program by 20 percent of the revenue generated by the allowance auction established by the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. The measure prohibits the Commission from approving construction of any new utility-owned generating facilities that emit carbon dioxide as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity. The measure requires that all utility costs associated with the construction of, acquisition of, or agreements to purchase the energy, capacity, and environmental attributes of certain required generation and storage facilities are recovered through the utility's rates for generation and distribution services. The measure requires that under the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power be required to produce their electricity from 80 percent renewable sources by 2028 and 100 percent by 2036. The measure increases the incremental energy efficiency savings that each investor-owned incumbent electric utility is required to achieve that start in 2022 at 2.4 percent for American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia of the average annual energy retail sales by that utility in 2020 and increases those savings annually.

Publication of certain notices on locality'swebsite. Provides that in any instance in which a locality isrequired to publish certain notices related to local planning andzoning in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality,the locality may instead choose to meet such requirement by publishingthe notice on the locality's website.

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions from corporations; civil penalty. Prohibits contributions from anynon-tax-exempt corporation to any candidate, campaign committee,political committee, or political party committee. The bill imposesa civil penalty of up to twice the amount of the contribution fora violation of the prohibition, to be levied and collected by theState Board of Elections.

Nursing home staffing and care standards; study.Requires regulations establishing the staffing and care standardsin nursing homes to require a minimum number of hours of directcare services to each resident per 24-hour period, which minimumincreases in specified phases from 3.5 hours to 4.1 hours. The billalso directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study issues related to establishment of a minimum number of hours of direct careservices for nursing homes as part of its study of the nursing facilityworkforce authorized by the Commission on December 15, 2020, andto report its findings by December 1, 2021. The regulatory provisionsof the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.

Denouncing racism and racist ideologies.Condemns all forms of racism, hate, bigotry, and discrimination,including physical or verbal attacks that target people on the basisof racial or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or genderidentity.