Rep. Wendell Walker

Tangible personal property taxes; classificationof certain motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers. Providesthat the separate class of property for rate purposes that includesmotor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers with a gross vehicle weightof 10,000 pounds or more used by a motor carrier engaged in interstatecommerce on a for-hire basis shall also include such vehicles usedto transport passengers. Under current law, this class of propertyonly includes such vehicles if they are used to transport property.

Charter; City of Lynchburg. Provides thatsalaries of members of the Lynchburg City Council shall be determinedin accordance with general law.

Department of Veterans Services; Military Spouse Liaison; position created. Establishes the position of Military Spouse Liaison (the Liaison) in the Department of Veterans Services to conduct outreach and advocate on behalf of military spouses in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Liaison to report by December 1 of each year through the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, the Governor, and the General Assembly on the work of the Liaison and any legislative recommendations. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Farmers market food and beverage sales consideredessential during state of emergency. Provides that any Commonwealth-basedseller at a farmers market of food or beverage products, and thefarmers market in which it is located, shall be considered an essentialbusiness to the same extent as grocery stores if such stores areallowed to remain open as essential businesses during a state ofemergency declared by the Governor.

Adult adoption; investigation and report.Removes the requirement that an investigation and report be conductedwhen a petition is filed for the adoption of a person 18 years ofage or older on the basis of good cause shown and after a showingthat the person to be adopted is at least 15 years younger than the petitioner and the petitioner and the person to be adopted have knowneach other for at least one year prior to the filing of the petitionfor adoption.

Special license plates; Virginia National Guardretirees. Removes the fee for the issuance of a special licenseplate for retired members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently,such special license plates cost the same as the prescribed costfor a typical Virginia license plate.

Sales tax; exemption for personal protectiveequipment; emergency. Establishes a retail sales and use taxexemption for personal protective equipment, defined in the bill.The exemption would be available to any business that has in placea COVID-19 safety protocol that complies with the Emergency TemporaryStandard promulgated by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industryand that meets other criteria. The exemption would sunset one dayafter the first day following the expiration of the last executiveorder issued by the Governor related to the COVID-19 pandemic andthe termination of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard andany permanent COVID-19 regulations adopted by the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board. The bill contains an emergency clause.

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 HB 2333.

Lynchburg Parking Authority. Shortens fromfive years to three years the term of office of appointees to theLynchburg Parking Authority, beginning with appointments made onor after July 1, 2021.

Commending Valerie Braxton-Williams.