Del. Hala S. Ayala

Replacement and conservation of trees during development. Gives a locality the ability to exceed general requirements in its tree replacement and conservation ordinances in specific circumstances, including development that impacts stormwater permit requirements, recurrent flooding, formerly redlined areas, and comprehensive plan compliance. The provisions of the bill shall become effective July 1, 2022.

Essential health benefits; abortion coverage.Removes the prohibition on the provision of coverage for abortionsin any qualified health insurance plan that is sold or offered forsale through a health benefits exchange established or operatingin Virginia.

Aircraft registration; unmanned aircraft.Exempts an owner of an unmanned aircraft from the requirement toregister aircrafts.

Research and development tax credits. Provides that the research and development expenses tax credit and the major research and development expenses tax credit shall be available against the bank franchise tax for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2021. Under current law, the credits are available only against the individual and corporate income tax.

Alcoholic beverage control; license fee reform;delay; emergency. Delays the effective date of the 2020 alcoholicbeverage control license and fee reform from July 1, 2021, to January1, 2022. During the period of delay and subject to certain requirements,the bill allows on-premises wine or beer licensees to sell wine orbeer for off-premises consumption and allows such licensees, as wellas off-premises wine or beer licensees, to deliver wine or beer thatthe licensee is authorized to sell without a delivery permit. The bill contains a technical amendment and an emergency clause.

Consumer Data Protection Act. Establishesa framework for controlling and processing personal data in the Commonwealth.The bill applies to all persons that conduct business in the Commonwealthand either (i) control or process personal data of at least 100,000consumers or (ii) derive over 50 percent of gross revenue from thesale of personal data and control or process personal data of at least25,000 consumers. The bill outlines responsibilities and privacyprotection standards for data controllers and processors. The billdoes not apply to state or local governmental entities and containsexceptions for certain types of data and information governed byfederal law. The bill grants consumer rights to access, correct, delete,and obtain a copy of personal data and to opt out of the processingof personal data for the purposes of targeted advertising. The billprovides that the Attorney General has exclusive authority to enforceviolations of the law, and the Consumer Privacy Fund is created tosupport this effort. The bill has a delayed effective date of January1, 2023.

Compensation Board determining staffing and salaries for an attorney for the Commonwealth. Provides that the Compensation Board shall consider workload totals comprehensively, including the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, when determining staffing and funding levels for an attorney for the Commonwealth and the office. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; transit equity and modernization; report. Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth,with emphasis on transit services and engagement opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use; child care exception. Prohibits any person from converting any moneys, securities, or like intangible personal property contributed to a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee to his personal use, the personal use of the candidate, or the personal use of a member of the candidate's immediate family. Current law prohibits such conversion of contributions to personal use specifically with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but excepts from "personal use" the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill directs the Attorney General to issue an advisory opinion explaining the provisions of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgated by the Board.

Department of Human Resource Management; duties of the Department; annual safety and disaster awareness training. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources or his designee, to develop an online training module addressing safety and disaster awareness, including information on public health safety. The bill also requires that all state employees complete the training annually. The bill requires such training to be incorporated into existing mandatory training.