Del. Will Morefield

Permits the Department of Forensic Science (the Department) to purchase forensic laboratory services from laboratories located in the Commonwealth that are operated by an institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth or a corporate entity that is wholly owned by an institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth, where such institution meets certain requirements. The bill provides that no contract or agreement may be made with any other laboratory unless the Department requests, and the Department of General Services grants, an exemption in a case where such laboratory does not meet the reasonable requirements of the Department, cannot provide the forensic laboratory services required by the Department, or the Department can purchase forensic laboratory services from another source at a price that is at least 10 percent less or from a laboratory that has received a ranking that is at least 10 percent higher than the ranking of any laboratory of such institution of higher education. The bill also provides that any laboratory that has entered into a contract with the Department for the provision of forensic laboratory services shall be deemed authorized by the Department to conduct certain analyses and examinations of certain trial evidence. This bill is identical to

Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefighters and certain employees develop the cancer. The measure will become effective if reenacted by the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. The measure also directs the 2020 Session of the General Assembly, in considering and enacting any legislation relating to workers' compensation and the presumption of compensability for certain cancers, to consider any research, findings, and recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's review of the Virginia Workers' Compensation program. The provisions of this bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. This bill is identical to

Creates a special license plate for persons awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or for unremarried surviving spouses of such persons.

Requires insurers, corporations, or health maintenance organizations to cover medically necessary remote patient monitoring services as part of their coverage of telemedicine services to the full extent that these services are available. The bill defines remote patient monitoring services as the delivery of home health services using telecommunications technology to enhance the delivery of home health care, including monitoring of clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and other condition-specific data; medication adherence monitoring; and interactive video conferencing with or without digital image upload. The bill requires the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistance services a provision for the payment of medical assistance for medically necessary health care services provided through telemedicine services. This bill is identical to

Allows the sale of mixed beverages by licensed restaurants and the sale of alcoholic beverages by the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority in any county, town, or supervisor's election district unless a referendum is held and a majority of the voters voting in such referendum vote to prohibit such sales. Under current law, such sales are prohibited unless they have been approved through the referendum process. The bill includes a grandfathering provision that allows the granting of a mixed beverage license to any establishment described in § 4.1-126, as it was in effect prior to the effective date of this bill, notwithstanding the provisions of the bill related to local referendums but subject to other applicable laws and regulations. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2020, but allows localities to hold anticipatory referendums between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, and provides that the results of such referendums shall become valid and enforceable on July 1, 2020. The bill provides that the result of any referendum held prior to July 1, 2019, shall remain valid and enforceable for a period of five years. This bill is identical to