Del. Joe McNamara

Commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. RobertRussa Moton.

Standard deduction from Virginia taxable income; increasing. Increases the standard deduction for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2026, by 1.8 percent to $4,581 for single individuals and $9,162 for married persons (one-half of such amounts in the case of a married individual filing a separate return).

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); apportionment; Virginia Redistricting Commission. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2020, election to approve or reject amendments to the Constitution of Virginia establishing the Virginia Redistricting Commission and providing for the reapportionment of the Commonwealth to be done by such Commission. If approved by the voters, the amendments would become effective on November 15, 2020.

Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program established.Establishes the Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program, pending federalapproval and certification from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services. Under the Program, the Commissioner of Health is requiredto designate the Department of Health, the Commissioner, or another agency orofficer of the Commonwealth; a licensed drug wholesaler; or a nonprofit,nonstock corporation established by the Department as a public instrumentalityexercising public and essential governmental functions to (i) importprescription drugs from Canadian suppliers and (ii) distribute the importedprescription drugs to pharmacies or pharmacists in the Commonwealth thatcontract with the designated entity to make the imported prescription drugsavailable to residents of the Commonwealth at the cost prescribed in thecontract. The measure provides that only prescription drugs that have thehighest potential for cost savings to the Commonwealth shall be identified forimportation. The Program will authorize the designated entity to purchaseprescription drugs from a Canadian supplier and distribute the prescriptiondrugs to pharmacists and pharmacies that are in-network under a health planprovided by a health carrier, state employee health plan or local choice plan,and the Medicaid program. Contracts between the pharmacist or pharmacy and thedesignated entity will set the price at which the prescription drugs are to beprovided to covered individuals. The measure requires the Commissioner, byDecember 1, 2021, to review the proposed Program and, if the proposed Programis approved, to submit the proposed Program for federal review. The Departmentis also required to prepare an implementation plan, which is to be put intoeffect six months after the last to occur of (a) the enactment of anylegislation required for the establishment of the charge or assessment tofinance the Program and (b) receipt of notice that the proposed Program hasbeen approved and certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services.

Department of Education; recommendations forimproving civic education. Requires the Department of Educationto develop and report to the Board of Education, the Governor, andthe Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committeeon Education and Health no later than July 1, 2021, recommendationsfor improving civic education for each public elementary and secondaryschool student in the Commonwealth, including strategies for (i)expanding their level of civic knowledge, (ii) increasing their respectfor the political history of the Commonwealth and the United States,(iii) mitigating the politically polarizing effects that the mainstream media can have on such students, and (iv) helping such students become civically and politically engaged in a rational and civil manner.

Assault and battery against a family or householdmember; prior conviction; mandatory minimum term of confinement;penalty. Provides that upon a conviction for assault and batteryagainst a family or household member where it is alleged in the warrant,petition, information, or indictment on which a person is convictedthat such person has been previously convicted of an offense thatoccurred within a period of 10 years of the instant offense againsta family or household member of (i) assault and battery against a family or household member, (ii) malicious wounding or unlawful wounding,(iii) aggravated malicious wounding, (iv) malicious bodily injuryby means of a substance, (v) strangulation, or (vi) an offense underthe law of any other jurisdiction that has the same elements of anyof the offenses, such person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor andthe sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum termof confinement of 60 days.

Department of Human Resource Management; totalcompensation statement. Requires the Department of Human ResourceManagement to develop a total compensation statement for each employeein the service of the Commonwealth to be distributed annually tothe employee by hard copy. The bill requires the statement to providethe total value of all compensation provided by the Commonwealthto the employee, including medical benefits, health premium awards,life insurance, flexible spending accounts, bonuses, disability benefits,employee assistance programs, deferred compensation, and retirement benefits.

Motor vehicle safety inspection program. Abolishes the state motor vehicle safety inspection program.

Virginia income tax; indexing; Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Adjusts Virginia's standard deduction beginning in taxable year 2020 by the percentage increase in the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) for the previous taxable year. For taxable years on and after 2026, the standard deduction would return to $3,000 for an individual or a married person filing a separate return and $6,000 for married persons filing jointly, coincident with the expiration of the individual income tax provisions of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but would be adjusted by the percentage increase in the C-CPI-U for the previous taxable year. Beginning in taxable year 2020, the individual tax brackets and the personal deductions will also be adjusted by the percentage increase of the C-CPI-U for the previous taxable year.

Violation of protective orders; assault andbattery. Removes the requirement that a violation of a protectiveorder involving an assault and battery that is committed by the respondentagainst a protected party result in a bodily injury for the enhancedpenalty to apply.