Del. Mark H. Levine

Employment; retaliatory discharge of employee;Workers' Compensation. Prohibits an employer or other personfrom discharging or taking other retaliatory action against an employeeif such action is motivated by the knowledge or belief that the employeehas filed a claim or taken or intends to take certain actions underthe Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. Currently, retaliatory dischargesare prohibited only if the employer discharges an employee solely because the employee has taken or intends to take such an action.

Health insurance; cost-sharing payments for prescription asthma inhalers. Prohibits health insurance companies and other carriers from setting an amount exceeding $50 per 30-day supply of a tier one or tier two prescription asthma inhaler that a covered person is required to pay at the point of sale in order to receive a covered prescription asthma inhaler unless the carrier is prohibited from providing the additional benefits under state or federal law. The measure also prohibits a provider contract between a carrier or its pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy from containing a provision (i) authorizing the carrier's pharmacy benefits manager or the pharmacy to charge, (ii) requiring the pharmacy to collect, or (iii) requiring a covered person to make a cost-sharing payment for a covered prescription asthma inhaler in an amount that exceeds such limitation. The provisions apply with respect to health plans and provider contracts entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022.

Legislative Staff Development Fund. Establishes the Legislative Staff Development Fund (Fund) to encourage and support the professional development of legislative staff. The bill defines "legislative staff" as salaried staff of a member of the House of Delegates, Senate of Virginia, or the Division of Legislative Services. The bill increases the annual lobbyist registration fee for for-profit entities from $100 to $400 and directs the $300 increase to be deposited into the Fund for the purposes described in the bill. Under the bill, any moneys remaining in the Fund at the end of each fiscal year that have not been expended for the purposes described in the bill shall revert to the general fund and be used exclusively to fund the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council. The bill has a delayed effective date of May 1, 2022.

Local financing of clean energy and other programs; when owner costs are incurred. Changes the parameters for local ordinances authorizing loan contracts for the installation by property owners of clean energy, resiliency, or stormwater management improvements. The bill provides that if the property owner incurred the costs of improvements to be refinanced or reimbursed within two years of the locality's issuance of a certificate of occupancy or other evidence that the clean energy, resiliency, or stormwater management improvements comply substantially with the plans and specifications previously approved by the locality, the loan amount may include the total costs of such improvements. The bill removes the requirement that the applicable local ordinance include the proposed interest rate for the loan program and the maximum aggregate dollar amount that may be financed with respect to a property, and it provides that no loan offered under the program shall be used to improve a residential dwelling with fewer than five dwelling units or a residential condominium. The bill alters the fee options available to the locality and provides that the placement of a voluntary special assessment lien does not require a new assessment on the value of the real property. The bill contains technical amendments.

Facilitate the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine; emergency. Facilitates the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill requires the Department of Health (the Department) to establish a program to enable eligible health care providers to volunteer to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents of the Commonwealth during a state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the Governor. The bill defines "eligible health care provider" and provides that the program shall include (i) a process by which an eligible health care provider may register to participate in the program and (ii) the training requirements for participating eligible health care providers related to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, including training on the intramuscular injection of the COVID-19 vaccine and contraindications and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill specifies requirements that the Department shall ensure that each site at which COVID-19 vaccinations are administered by eligible health care providers satisfies. The bill also requires the Department to establish a process by which entities, including medical care facilities, hospitals, hospital systems, corporations, businesses, pharmacies, public and private institutions of higher education, localities, and any other professional or community entity operating in the Commonwealth, may volunteer their facilities as sites at which the COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to residents of the Commonwealth. The bill permits a public institution of higher education or a private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to volunteer to provide assistance to the Department and local health departments for data processing, analytics, and program development related to the COVID-19 vaccine through the use of its employees, students, technology, and facilities. The bill also permits localities with fire departments, emergency medical services departments, and volunteer rescue squads to establish and staff vaccine administration clinics. The bill provides civil and criminal immunity to individuals and professional entities acting pursuant to the bill and contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 1445.

Celebrating the life of Ann Bisson.

Commending Charlene Bickford.

Commending Nancy Van Doren.

Commending John R. Broderick.

Celebrating the life of Arthur Warrington Gosling.