Study; JLARC; creation of Secretariat of Rural Affairs; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the need for and feasibility of creating a Secretariat of Rural Affairs in the Commonwealth.
Stormwater management regulations; localities outside Chesapeake Bay watershed. Requires the State Water Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to apply in a locality that is located outside of the Chesapeake Bay watershed the regulations establishing minimum design criteria for measures that were in effect prior to July 1, 2014, to control (i) nonpoint source pollution and (ii) localized flooding and stream channel erosion.
Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset. Removes the sunset on elevated standard deduction amounts for single individuals and married persons that is scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026.
Sale of certain vacant and blighted or derelict property. Allows a locality where certain vacant and blighted or derelict property is located to petition the circuit court to appoint a special commissioner to execute the necessary deed or deeds to convey the real estate, in lieu of a sale at public auction, to the locality, to the locality's land bank entity, or to an existing nonprofit entity designated by the locality to carry out the functions of a land bank. The bill provides that the locality shall require any purchaser by covenants in the deed or other security instrument to (i) begin repair or renovation of the property within six months of purchase and (ii) complete all repairs or renovations necessary to bring the property into compliance with the local building code within a period not to exceed two years of the purchase. The provisions of the bill apply only to property that is owned by a person that is not a United States citizen or United States entity or an entity that is owned or controlled by a person who is not a United States citizen.
Public utilities; rate increases during certain months prohibited. Prohibits the regulated operating revenues of certain public utilities from being increased in the months of November, December, January, or February. The bill's limitation does not apply to certain increases, which are the same exceptions as allowed for the existing prohibition on multiple rate increases during a 12-month period. This bill was incorporated into HB 2621.
Elections; absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at a central absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots that are counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any time after noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for any absentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. The bill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast in person on voting systems cannot be determined until the day of the election. The bill also requires that general registrars begin processing absentee ballots on the fourteenth day prior to the day of the election. Under current law such processing is not required until the seventh day prior to the day of the election.
Study; Department of Conservation and Recreation; state park in Washington County; report. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study the feasibility of establishing a state park in Washington County at the Mendota Trail and Abrams Falls located within the Holston River Watersheds.
State Board of Elections; appointment of Commissioner of Elections. Provides for the appointment of the Commissioner of Elections to be made by the State Board of Elections; currently, the Governor makes such appointment. The appointment or removal of a Commissioner shall require an affirmative vote of four of the five members of the Board. The Commissioner shall be subject to confirmation and reconfirmation by the General Assembly every four years. If the Board fails to make or communicate an appointment of a Commissioner by the end of the term, the bill provides that the Commissioner serving at such time shall be deemed to be reappointed and shall be subject to reconfirmation at the next regular session. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
Department of Energy; work group on critical infrastructure sectors; report. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors' usage of fuel for energy and feedstock and impact on jobs, capital investments, and state and local revenue. The bill requires the work group to also assess (i) the impact of the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors on natural gas service or retail natural gas supply choice as provided in relevant law and individually metered propane service or non-utility gas service in accordance with relevant law and (ii) the impact of any public entity enacting an ordinance, building code, contractual provision, fee, permit, or other requirement that limits, prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting, or prevents critical infrastructure sectors within their boundaries from acquiring fuel. The bill requires the work group to complete its evaluation and submit its findings and any recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 1, 2024.
Health insurance; cost-sharing; pharmacy benefits managers' compensation and duties: civil penalty. Amends provisions related to rebates provided by carriers and health benefit plans to health plan enrollees by defining "defined cost-sharing," "price protection rebates," and "pharmacy benefits management services." The bill requires that an enrollee's defined cost-sharing for each prescription drug be calculated at the point of sale based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to at least 80 percent of all rebates received or expected to be received in connection with the dispensing or administration of the prescription drug. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from deriving income from pharmacy benefits management services provided to a carrier or health benefit plan except for income derived from a pharmacy benefits management fee. The bill requires the amount of any pharmacy benefits management fees to be set forth in the agreement between the pharmacy benefits manager and the carrier or health benefit plan and that such fee not be based on the acquisition cost or any other price metric of a drug; the amount of savings, rebates, or other fees charged, realized, or collected by or generated based on the activity of the pharmacy benefits manager; or the amount of premiums, deductibles, or other cost-sharing or fees charged, realized, or collected by the pharmacy benefits manager from enrollees or other persons on behalf of an enrollee. The bill requires a pharmacy benefits manager to annually certify to the State Corporation Commission that it has met certain requirements. The bill establishes a pharmacy benefits manager duty, which includes the duties of care and good faith and fair dealing, owed to any enrollee, provider, or health benefit plan that receives pharmacy benefits management services from the pharmacy benefits manager or that furnishes, covers, receives, or is administered a unit of a prescription drug for which the pharmacy benefits manager has provided pharmacy benefits management services. The bill requires the Commission to define by regulation the scope of such duty and provides for a private cause of action for any person aggrieved by the breach of such duty.
