Del. Sam Rasoul

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.

Department of Housing and Community Development;broadband affordability plan. Directs the Department of Housingand Community Development to develop the Commonwealth Digital Affordabilityand Cost-Effectiveness to address broadband affordability and equity.The bill requires that the Plan include (i) an overview of wherein the Commonwealth broadband and other digital connectivity is unaffordable;(ii) recommendations on how best to leverage federal grants addressingbroadband affordability to best execute the Plan; (iii) best practicesfor establishing a grant program or its equivalent to address digitalaffordability, taking into account existing federal funds and programs;(iv) a strategy to expand the affordability of broadband by retrofittingall affordable housing projects with broadband installations andother necessary infrastructure improvements; and (v) recommendations, including recommendations for a public outreach plan, on how to takeadvantage of the $14 billion Affordability Connectivity Program ofthe federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support a permanent$30-a-month broadband subsidy for low-income households, NationalTelecommunications and Information Administration programs, and theU.S. Department of Agriculture Reconnect program. The bill requiresthe Department to report the Plan to the Governor and the GeneralAssembly by December 1, 2022.

Living shorelines. Amends the definitionof living shorelines to include low crested armoring, defined inthe bill. The bill also requires the Marine Resources Commissionto publish annually on its website a summary of the percentages ofdifferent living shoreline approaches contained in permitted projects.

Hospitals; price transparency. Requires every hospital to make information about standard charges for items and services provided by the hospital available on the hospital's website by July 1, 2023. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to develop recommendations for implementation of the bill and to report those recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2022.

Slaughter and meat-processing facilities. Establishes that it is the policy of the General Assembly to encourage, expand, and develop slaughter and meat-processing facilities through strategic planning and financial incentive programs. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop a five-year strategic plan to increase total combined throughput capacity of slaughter and meat-processing facilities. This bill is identical to SB 726.

Automatic renewal or continuous service offerto consumer; cancellation and online opt-out. Requires that the supplier of automatic renewals or continuous service offers thatinclude a free trial notify the consumer of the automatic renewalseven days prior to expiration of the free trial and obtain the consumer'saffirmative consent to the automatic renewal beyond the trial period.The bill also requires that suppliers of automatic renewals or continuousservice offers through an online website must make available a conspicuousonline option to cancel a recurring purchase of a good or servicewithin the website by which such purchase was made.

Capital Region Airport Commission. Authorizesthe Capital Region Airport Commission to (i) make charitable donationsto organizations and (ii) form or support independent foundationsdesigned to foster an appreciation by the public of the importanceof aviation, assist the public in aviation travel, or help developand educate the next generation of aviation professionals in the Commonwealth.The bill provides that any such foundation is not a public body andis exempt from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Actand the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill also authorizesthe Commission to indemnify any current or former Commissioner, officer,employee, or agent of the Commission against liability arising fromsuch position. This bill is identical to SB 478.

Issuance of original driver's licenses to minors. Authorizes the chief juvenile and domestic relations district court judge to waive the ceremonial requirements for the issuance within the district of original driver's licenses to minors or order that the licensing ceremony be conducted in an alternative manner. This bill is identical to HB 1050.

Scenic river designation; North Fork of theShenandoah River. Designates an 8.8-mile portion of the NorthFork of the Shenandoah River as the North Fork of the ShenandoahState Scenic River.