Del. Hala S. Ayala

Health insurance; mandated coverage for hearing aids for minors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children 18 years of age or younger when a licensed audiologist prescribes such hearing aids and related services. The coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months. The measure applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2021.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices. Prohibits any locality, its employees, or its appointed commissions from discriminating (i) in the application of local land use ordinances or guidelines, or in the permitting of housing developments, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap or (ii) in the permitting of housing developments because the housing development contains or is expected to contain affordable housing units occupied or intended for occupancy by families or individuals with incomes at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area where the housing development is located or is proposed to be located, unless at the time of the municipal decision, a proposed development will be located in a census tract wherein more than 50 percent of the units serve families or individuals at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area. The bill also requires the Fair Housing Board, after determining the existence of an unlawful discriminatory housing practice and after consultation with the Attorney General, to immediately refer the matter to the Attorney General for civil action.

Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically Black College or University in the Commonwealth (Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution to annually provide scholarships on a competitive basis to no more than two students who (i) identify as African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by an experienced teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the period during which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2) be mentored by an experienced teacher, as described in clause (d), during such period of employment.

Earned paid sick time. Requires public and private employers with six or more employees to provide those employees with earned paid sick time. The measure provides for an employee to earn at least one hour of paid sick leave benefit for every 30 hours worked. An employee shall not use more than 40 hours of earned paid sick time in a year, unless the employer selects a higher limit. Employees shall not be entitled to use accrued earned paid sick time until the ninetieth calendar day following commencement of their employment, unless otherwise permitted by the employer. The bill provides that earned paid sick time may be used (i) for an employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; an employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care; (ii) to provide care to a family member under similar circumstances; (iii) when there is a closure of the employee's place of business or the employee's child's school or place of care due to a public health emergency; or (iv) when an employee's or employee's family member's presence in the community may jeopardize the health of others because of their exposure to a communicable disease. The bill authorizes the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, in the case of a knowing violation, to subject an employer to a civil penalty not to exceed $150 for the first violation, $300 for the second violation, and $500 for each successive violation, if the second or successive violation occurs within two years of the previous violation. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry may institute proceedings on behalf of an employee to enforce compliance with this measure and to collect specified amounts from the employer, which shall be awarded to the employee. Alternatively, an aggrieved employee is authorized to bring a civil action against the employer in which he may recover double the amount of any unpaid earned sick time and the amount of any actual damages suffered as the result of the employer's violation. The measure has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates HB 418 and HB 1684.

Day of Women. Recognizes January 22 of each year as the Day of Women in Virginia and provides that January 22 of each year no longer be known as the Day of Tears in Virginia.

Financial institutions; small loans; penalty. Prohibits any person from making a small loan unless such person is licensed by the State Corporation Commission. The bill defines "small loan" as an unsecured loan or credit of $5,000 or less extended to a borrower for a personal, family, household, or other noncommercial purpose pursuant to a small loan agreement. The bill also prohibits any person from engaging in the business of arranging or brokering small loans for any consumer residing in the Commonwealth without registering with the Commission. Under the provisions of the bill, a licensee may charge and collect periodic interest at any rate up to 36 percent agreed to by the parties and may also charge and collect a customary daily fee. The bill provides exemptions for certain institutions and persons licensed by the Commission to provide consumer finance loans or motor vehicle loans.The bill provides for qualifications for licensure, posting of a bond, financial solvency requirements, reporting requirements, and recordkeeping and retention requirements. The bill authorizes the Commission to investigate and examine applicants and licensees, to revoke or suspend licenses, to issue cease and desist orders, and to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for violations of the small loan provisions. The bill allows the Commission to refer violations to the Attorney General, and the Attorney General may seek injunctive relief and monetary damages.

Science, technology, engineering, arts, andmathematics (STEAM) programs; grants. Establishes the STEAM EducationFund for the purpose of awarding grants in amounts not to exceed $50,000 annually to any public elementary or secondary school inthe Commonwealth at which at least 25 percent of students qualifyfor free or reduced lunch that provides an academic class, curriculum,or activity focused on a science, technology, engineering, arts,or mathematics (STEAM) discipline.

Development and use of accessory dwelling units.Provides that all localities shall allow for the development anduse of one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per single-family dwelling(SFD), notwithstanding any contrary provision of a zoning ordinance.The bill defines "accessory dwelling unit" or "ADU" as an independentdwelling unit on a single-family lot with its own living, bathroom,and kitchen space that may be within or attached to SFDs or in detachedstructures on lots containing SFDs. ADUs may include basements, attics,flats, guest houses, cottages, and converted structures such as garages and sheds. The bill requires localities to regulate the sizeand design of ADUs through an approval process, as well as regulatefees, parking, and other requirements, provided that the regulations(i) are not so arbitrary, excessive, or burdensome, individuallyor cumulatively, as to unreasonably restrict the ability of propertyowners to utilize or create ADUs and (ii) do not require the propertyowner to occupy the ADU or SFD as his primary residence.

Study; Department of Elections; use of blockchain technology to protect voter records and election results; report.Requests the Department of Elections to conduct a study to (i) determinethe kinds of blockchain technology that could be used to secure voterrecords and election results, (ii) determine the costs and benefitsof using such technology as compared to traditional registrationand election security measures, and (iii) make recommendations on whether and how to implement blockchain technology in practices affectingthe security of voter records and election results.

Study; JLARC; effects of gun violence on communities;report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commissionto study the social, physical, emotional, and economic effects ofgun violence on communities across the Commonwealth.