Rep. Will Wampler

Unemployment compensation; notice of hearingprior to discontinuing benefits; overpayment forgiveness; benefiteligibility. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to provideclaimants with notice and an opportunity to present evidence priorto discontinuing benefits to which a claimant was previously entitled.The bill waives the requirement to repay penalties associated withoverpayment for claimants who were awarded state pandemic unemploymentassistance between March 12, 2020, and September 1, 2020. The billdirects the Commission to conduct an incarceration check and employmentID check prior to awarding benefits to any individual. The bill containsan emergency clause.

Veteran-owned small businesses; waiving of fees. Directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, in conjunction with the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, to examine the waiving of fees associated with permits necessary to establish a small business for veteran-owned small businesses. This bill is identical to SB 572.

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.

Workers' compensation; employer duty to furnishmedical attention; cost limit. Adds scooters to the list of medicalequipment an employer is required to furnish to an employee undercertain circumstances under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act.The bill raises the limit on the aggregate cost of items and modificationsrequired to be furnished by an employer to an injured employee from $42,000 to $75,000, to be increased on an annual basis.

Secretary of Transportation; commercial driver's licenses. Directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation and working with various agencies of the Commonwealth, to promote and implement various initiatives related to commercial driver's licenses. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2023.

Certain GO Virginia Grants; matching funds; sunset. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, the sunset of the provision that allows a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants.

Staff Sergeant Darrell "Shifty" Powers Memorial Highway. Designates Shifty Lane in the Town of Clinchco the "Staff Sergeant Darrell "Shifty" Powers Memorial Highway."

Human trafficking training for law-enforcement personnel. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish training standards for law-enforcement personnel regarding the recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking. This bill is identical to SB 467.

Bail for a person accused of a crime that is an act of violence; notice to attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires a magistrate to transmit within 24 hours a copy of the checklist for bail determination form to the attorney for the Commonwealth when a magistrate conducts a bail hearing for a person arrested on a warrant or capias for an act of violence. The bill also provides that transmission of such copy to the attorney for the Commonwealth may be by facsimile or other electronic means. This bill is identical to SB 614.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable FloraLonette Davis Crittenden.