Del. Sam Rasoul

Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board oftrustees; membership. Adds the president of Virginia State Universityor his designee to the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher EducationAuthority and removes the presidents of Averett University and MaryBaldwin College or their designees from the board of trustees.

Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy; evidence-based literacy instruction; science-based reading research. Makes several changes relating to early student literacy, including requiring (i) each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any individual seeking initial licensure with an endorsement in a certain area, including as a reading specialist, to demonstrate mastery of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as such terms are defined in the bill; (ii) the literacy assessment required of individuals seeking initial teacher licensure with endorsements in certain areas to include a rigorous test of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction; (iii) each local school board to establish a divisionwide literacy plan; (iv) each local school board to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three; and (v) each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction whereby, among other things, (a) the program provides reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; (b) a reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan; and (c) each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024–2025 school year. This bill is identical to SB 616.

Virginia National Guard; institutions of higher education; tuition grants. Adds parameters around grants distributed by the Department of Military Affairs (the Department) to members of the Virginia National Guard who are enrolled in any course or program at any public institution of higher education or accredited nonprofit private institution of higher education. The bill provides that an application for a grant shall be made to the Department no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of an academic semester. The bill provides that the Department shall determine whether an applicant is eligible for the grant and communicate acceptance and any additional requirements determined by the Department in writing no later than 30 days after receipt of an application. The bill requires individuals who are eligible for such grants to satisfy all financial obligations with the institution and provide written proof of acceptable academic performance and good standing for the current term no later than 30 days following the end of a term or semester. The bill provides that individuals receiving grants pursuant to the bill incur a single two-year service obligation to the Virginia National Guard and that this two-year obligation commences on the last day of the last term or semester for which tuition assistance was awarded. The bill provides that federal active duty mobilizations occurring while still a member of the Virginia National Guard and state active duty for the Commonwealth count toward such two-year service obligation. The bill provides that grants shall be subject to limitation based on the amount of funds appropriated for such purpose and that if applications for grants exceed the amount of funding appropriated, the Department shall issue grants to eligible recipients based on the order in which applications were received.

Refunds of local taxes; authority of treasurer. Increases from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount that the governingbody of a locality may authorize its treasurer to approve and issuefor a refund of taxes paid as a result of an erroneous tax assessment.

Local Food and Farming Infrastructure GrantProgram. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the amount of a grantthat may be made to a political subdivision for projects that supportlocal food production and sustainable agriculture.

Certain public elementary and secondary school students; excused absences; attendance at pow wow. Provides that, subject to guidelines established by the Department of Education, any student who is a member of a state-recognized or federally recognized tribal nation that is headquartered in the Commonwealth and who is absent from school to attend such tribal nation's pow wow gathering shall be granted one excused absence per academic year, provided that the parent of such student provides to the student's school advance notice of such absence in the manner required by the school.

Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; marketing. Requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to prepare an annual marketing plan that includes consumer outreach, licensed health insurance agents, and navigator programs. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to SB 469.

Limited liability companies; prepayment of annual registration fees. Permits domestic and foreign limited liabilitycompanies to prepay annual registration fees for two or three years.Under the bill, a domestic or foreign limited liability company mustmake the election to prepay its annual registration fees before itsannual registration fee would otherwise be due and seek approvalfrom the State Corporation Commission to engage in prepayment fortwo or three years. The bill provides that such optional prepaymentdoes not apply to the initial annual registration fees assessed againsta limited liability company that is newly formed or recently convertedfrom another entity. The bill requires that, if applicable, the Commissionprovide notice of this prepayment option to a foreign or domesticlimited liability company that has failed to pay its annual registrationfee as a method of avoiding future delinquencies.

Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; marketing. Requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to prepare an annual marketing plan that includes consumer outreach, licensed health insurance agents, and navigator programs. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 312.

Public schools; instruction concerning gambling. Requires instruction concerning gambling and the addictive potential thereof to be provided by the public schools as prescribed by the Board of Education. The bill requires the Board of Education to report to the Chairmen of House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health a description of such instruction.