Del. Israel O'Quinn

Renewable energy portfolio standard; eligibilityof hydrogen and nuclear resources. Provides that, for the purposesof the renewable energy portfolio standard, eligible sources include(i) hydrogen resources that are produced from zero-carbon generatingfacilities located in the Commonwealth and (ii) zero-carbon nucleargenerating facilities located in the Commonwealth that were placedinto service after July 1, 2024.

Department of Environmental Quality; nuclearenergy electric generation facilities; permitting. Redefines "small renewable energy projects" as "small clean energy projects"and adds an electrical generation facility with a rated capacitynot exceeding 300 megawatts that generates electricity only fromnuclear energy located in Planning District 1 (LENOWISCO), 2 (CumberlandPlateau), 3 (Mount Rogers), or 4 (New River Valley Region) to thedefinition for purposes of the regulation of such projects by theDepartment of Environmental Quality. The bill requires the Departmentto limit the permitting of such facilities pursuant to the definitionand directs the Department to develop the applicable permit by rule regulations for such nuclear energy projects to be effective assoon as practicable.

Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board established;report. Creates the Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board to advisethe Governor and General Assembly on ways to improve economic andcultural links between Virginia and Ireland, with a focus on theareas of commerce and trade, art and education, and general government.The bill requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Governorand General Assembly.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

Commending the Lebanon High School boys' crosscountry team.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

General registrars; term of office and exceptionfrom general early retirement provisions. Extends the term ofoffice of general registrars from four years to eight years beginningon July 1, 2029, and extends the term of any general registrar servingon the effective date of the bill until June 30, 2029. The bill alsoprovides that, in making an appointment of a general registrar, thereshall be a presumption that an incumbent general registrar seeksto continue in office unless such general registrar notifies theelectoral board in writing to the contrary. The bill adds general registrars to the list of officers who are exempted from generalearly retirement provisions and may obtain normal retirement benefitswhen they are involuntarily separated from service and have 20 ormore years of creditable service.

Elections; administration; chief deputy andother deputy registrars. Requires that each locality have onechief deputy registrar. The bill requires any chief deputy registrarserving on a full-time basis to be paid not less than 60 percentof the salary paid to the general registrar. The bill requires thatany chief deputy registrar of a locality whose population is greaterthan 10,000 serve on a full-time basis and gives the general registrarin a locality whose population is 10,000 or less the authority todetermine whether the chief deputy registrar serves on a full-timebasis. The bill gives general registrars in all localities the authorityto determine whether any other deputy registrar serves on a full-timeor part-time basis and the authority to determine the terms of deputyregistrars, including the chief deputy registrar. Under current law,requirements for employees in a registrar's office are determinedon the basis of a population of 15,500 or less or more than 15,500and some of the determinations are made by the electoral board ratherthan by the general registrar.

Elections; absentee voting; counting ballotsprior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at acentral absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording thenumber of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon onthe day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots thatare counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any timeafter noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for anyabsentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. Thebill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast inperson 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 seventhday prior to the day of the election.

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.