Del. Will Morefield

Health insurance; coverage for prosthetic devices.Requires health insurers, corporations providing health carecoverage 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 provisions of thebill apply only in the large group markets. The bill repeals theexisting requirement that coverage for prosthetic devices be offeredand made available. The bill has a delayed effective date of January1, 2023.

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.

Virginia Regional Industrial Facilities Act; revenue sharing agreements; facilities. Allows facilities owned by a non-authority that are utilized as part of a cooperative arrangement entered into by an authority promoting economic and workforce development to participate in localities' revenue sharing agreements. This bill is identical to SB 720.

Charter; Town of Tazewell; board of zoning appeals. Increases the term length for members of the board of zoning appeals for the Town of Tazewell from two to five years. This bill is identical to SB 627.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable FloraLonette Davis Crittenden.

Commending Bob Brown.

Group Violence Intervention Board; Divisionof Group Violence Intervention; Project Ceasefire Grant Fund; ProjectExit Grant Fund; report. Establishes the Group Violence InterventionBoard to coordinate and assist federal, state, and local group violenceintervention efforts. The bill also establishes within the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services (the Department) the Division of GroupViolence Intervention (the Division), to be headed by an executivedirector appointed by the Director of the Department. The bill providesthat the Division is responsible for (i) coordinating the effortsof members of state and local law enforcement, community members,and social services providers to combat group violence; (ii) servingas a clearinghouse for research, best practices, and strategies thatmay be utilized in the implementation, execution, and evaluationof group violence interventions; and (iii) implementing and administeringvarious federal, state, and local grant funds that aid group violenceintervention efforts. Finally, the bill creates the Project CeasefireGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that are involvedin group violence intervention efforts, and creates the Project ExitGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that assist formergang members or individuals attempting to leave gangs.

Board of Education; Child Care Subsidy Program; Armed Forces; examination and report. Directs the Board of Education to determine the feasibility of amending its regulations to permit all active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States who serve as caregivers to dependents to apply for the Child Care Subsidy Program and submit its findings to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health. This bill is identical to SB 529.

Celebrating the life of Adeline Rose Krizek.