Del. Sam Rasoul

Preventive services; coverage for outpatientmental health screenings or visits. Requires a health carrierto provide coverage as a preventive service for at least six annualtherapy or counseling outpatient screenings or visits with a licensedmental health professional for the early detection or preventionof mental illness. Health carriers are prohibited from imposing any cost-sharing requirements for mandated preventive services.

Constitutional amendment (first resolution);qualifications of voters; 16-year-olds permitted to vote. Providesthat, notwithstanding the requirement that a voter shall be 18 yearsof age, any person who is 16 years of age or older and is otherwisequalified to vote shall be permitted to register to vote and to votein local elections.

Health insurance; coverage for mammograms.Requires health insurers, on and after January 1, 2021, to providecoverage for low-dose screening mammograms at rates that are more frequent than is currently required if the covered individual hasa family history of breast cancer. If the individual has a familyhistory of breast cancer, the bill requires coverage for annual mammogramsfrom age 30 through 49 and biannual mammograms starting at age 50.However, the age at which such coverage of annual mammograms startsshall be younger than 30 if the covered individual's mother was diagnosedwith breast cancer at an age earlier than 40, in which event coveragestarts during the year that the individual attains an age that is10 years younger than the age of the individual's mother at thetime of her diagnosis.

Expungement of police and court records.Provides that a court that enters a nolle prosequi for a criminalcharge or dismisses such charge for any reason may, upon motion ofthe person charged, enter an order requiring the expungement of thepolice and court records relating to the charge.

Solid waste management facility; permit forlandfill with capacity of more than 35 million tons. Prohibitsthe Virginia Waste Management Board from issuing (i) a permit fora new solid waste management facility or (ii) an amendment to a permitallowing the expansion of a facility or an increase in capacity,where such permit or amendment is likely to result in the creationof a landfill whose capacity exceeds 35 million tons. For the Boardto issue such a permit or amendment, the bill requires the Directorof the Department of Environmental Quality to determine that theamount of capacity in excess of 35 million tons will serve a public interest that outweighs any additional harms to human health andsafety and the environment caused by such capacity in excess of 35million tons.

Expungement of police and court records; misdemeanor convictions. Allows a person convicted of a misdemeanor to filea petition requesting expungement of the police and court recordsrelating to the conviction if (i) such person has been free from any term of incarceration, probation, and postrelease supervisionimposed as a result of such conviction for at least two years and (ii) such person has no pending criminal proceeding. The bill alsorequires the court to grant such petition for expungement of policeand court records if such petition is for a misdemeanor arrest, charge,or conviction. Currently, except in certain cases, the person isnot entitled to an order of expungement, and the court hearing thepetition must find that the continued existence and possible disseminationof such records causes or may cause circumstances that constitutea manifest injustice to such person before such an order will beentered.

Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund andGrant Program; firearm and ammunition tax. Establishes the ViolenceIntervention and Prevention Fund (the Fund), to be administered bythe Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department), to distribute grants to localities and organizations for the purposeof improving public health and safety by supporting effective violencereduction initiatives in communities that are disproportionatelyimpacted by violence, particularly homicides, shootings, and aggravatedassaults. Funds may also be used to finance the hiring of counselorsin public elementary and secondary schools and research initiativesthat have the objective of reducing gun violence. Thebill provides that the Department shall issue grants on a competitivebasis. As a condition of receiving a grant, a locality or organizationmust commit a cash or in-kind contribution equivalent to the amountof the grant, with waivers allowed for good cause, and report onits progress toward achieving the grant's objectives. The bill requiresthe Department to provide public access to such reports. The bill imposes a 15 percent tax on the saleof any firearm or ammunition, with all revenue from the tax accruingto the Fund. Sales to state or local agencies or law-enforcementofficers are exempt from the tax.

Health insurance; coverage for prosthetic devices. Requires health insurers, corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts, health maintenance organizations, and the Commonwealth's Medicaid program to provide coverage for prostheticdevices, including myoelectric, biomechanical, or microprocessor-controlledprosthetic devices that have a Medicare code. The measure repealsthe existing requirement that coverage for prosthetic devices beoffered and made available. The measure has a delayed effective dateof January 1, 2021.

Possession of marijuana. Allows for possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

Secretary of Education; establishment of Collegeand Career Readiness Steering Committee. Requires the Secretaryof Education to establish a 21-member College and Career ReadinessSteering Committee to (i) develop and oversee implementation of a strategic plan for ensuring that all students in the Commonwealth,and particularly subgroups of students who have been historicallyunderserved, graduate from high school (a) meeting the requirementsfor an advanced studies diploma, (b) having had the opportunityto participate and succeed in pathways that integrate rigorous academicinstruction aligned with the Standards of Learning, including career and technical education, work-based learning, wraparound services,and opportunities to earn credit for postsecondary education whileenrolled in high school, and (c) having had a high school experiencethat is aligned with expectations for postsecondary education andemployer demand and (ii) provide certain recommendations, guidance,leadership, goals, and assistance relating to the implementationof such strategic plan.