Public institutions of higher education; eligibility for in-state tuition. Provides that any student is eligible for in-state tuition who (i) attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth and either (a) graduated on or after July 1, 2008, from a public or private high school or program of home instruction in the Commonwealth or (b) passed, on or after July 1, 2008, a high school equivalency examination approved by the Secretary of Education; (ii) has submitted evidence that he or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to the date of registration or enrollment; and (iii) registers as an entering student or is enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill states that students who meet these criteria shall be eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, except students with currently valid visas issued under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(F), 1101(a)(15)(H)(iii), 1101(a)(15)(J) (including only students or trainees), or 1101(a)(15)(M). Information obtained in the implementation of the provisions of the bill shall only be used or disclosed to individuals other than the student for purposes of determining in-state tuition eligibility. This bill incorporates HB 1138 and is identical to SB 935.
Sponsored bills
County manager plan; election of board members by instant runoff voting. Provides that, in a county operating under the county manager plan of government (Arlington County), elections to nominate candidates for and to elect candidates to the board of supervisors may be conducted by instant runoff voting, which the bill describes as the method of casting and tabulating votes in which (i) voters rank candidates in order of preference, (ii) tabulation proceeds in rounds such that in each round either a candidate or candidates are elected or the last-place candidate is defeated, (iii) votes for voters' next-ranked candidates are transferred from elected or defeated candidates, and (iv) tabulation ends when the number of candidates elected equals the number of offices to be filled. The bill provides that the State Board of Elections may promulgate regulations governing elections determined by instant runoff voting. The bill provides that any costs incurred by the Department of Elections related to technological changes necessary for the implementation of ranked choice voting pursuant to the bill shall be charged to the localities exercising the option to proceed with ranked choice voting.
Electric utilities; fuel cost recovery. Requires an electric utility, as a condition of approval of any request by an electric utility for recovery through its fuel factor of costs incurred under a natural gas capacity contract not previously subject to review in a fuel factor case, to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the utility has (i) determined that the utility cannot meet its service obligations, giving due regard, in the Commission's sole discretion, to reliability of service and the need to maintain reliable sources of supply, without an additional fuel resource; (ii) reasonably identified and determined the date and amount of the new fuel resource it needs; (iii) objectively studied available alternative fuel resource options, as verified by the Commission, including options other than a new natural gas capacity contract or contracts to meet the identified and determined need; and (iv) determined that the natural gas capacity contract or contracts are the lowest-cost available option, taking into consideration fixed and variable costs and a reasonable projection of utilization.
Doulas; certification; registry. Provides that no person shall use or assume the title "state-certified doula," as defined in the bill, unless such person is a community-based doula who has received training and education as a doula from an entity approved by a body approved by the Board of Health for such purpose and been certified as a doula by a body approved by the Board of Health for such purpose and that no entity shall hold itself out as providing training and education necessary to meet the requirements for certification as a doula unless its curriculum and training program has been approved by a body approved by the Board of Health for such purpose. The bill also directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations setting forth the requirements for (i) use of the title "state-certified doula" and (ii) training and education necessary to satisfy the requirements for certification by the Department of Health as a state-certified doula.
Health insurance program for local governmentemployees; transit companies. Adds employees of a transit companyto the definition of "employees of local governments" for the purposesof the Commonwealth's health insurance program for local governmentemployees. The bill defines "transit company" as a public servicecorporation wholly owned by a locality, or combination of localities,that provides public transportation services.
Collection of debts by hospitals affiliated with public institutions of higher education. Prohibits the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority and the University of Virginia Medical Center from participating in debt collection efforts pursuant to the Virginia Debt Collection Act or the Setoff Debt Collection Act unless all reasonable efforts have been made to determine if the individual with delinquent debt is eligible for financial assistance. The bill requires both hospitals to develop debt collection policies that adhere, at a minimum, to Internal Revenue Service policies regarding financial assistance by tax-exempt hospitals as they were in effect on January 1, 2020.
Affordable housing; City of Charlottesville.Adds the City of Charlottesville to the list of localities with authorityto provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program.
Strategic lawsuits against public participation; specialmotion to dismiss; stay of discovery; special motion to quash; fees and costs.Establishes a procedure by which a party alleging that a claim filed against himis a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP), as defined in thebill, may file a special motion to dismiss within 45 days after service of sucha claim. The bill provides that the filing of such a special motion to dismissshall stay discovery proceedings related to the claim, pending the entry of anorder adjudicating the special motion to dismiss, unless the court allowslimited and specific discovery for good cause shown. The bill furtherestablishes a special motion to quash procedure for persons whose personalidentifying information is sought pursuant to a discovery order, request, orsubpoena in connection with an alleged SLAPP. The bill provides that a partyaggrieved by an entry of an order granting or denying a special motion to dismissor special motion to quash shall be permitted to submit a petition for anappeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill provides that a court shallaward reasonable expenses related to a special motion to dismiss or quash,including attorney fees and costs, if the moving party prevails, in whole or inpart, on such a special motion. The bill allows the court to award suchreasonable expenses to a prevailing responding party to a special motion todismiss or quash if the court finds that such a motion was filed in bad faithor solely with the intent to delay the underlying proceedings.
School principals; incident reports. Eliminates the requirement for reports to be made to division superintendents and school principals on incidents involving assault or assault and battery, without bodily injury, of any person on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity. The bill also eliminates the requirement that school principals report certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense to law enforcement.
Elections; preclearance of certain covered practicesrequired. Requires the governing body of any county, city, or town tosubmit, prior to enacting or seeking to administer any voting qualification orprerequisite to voting, or any standard, practice, or procedure with respect tovoting, that is a covered practice, such qualification, prerequisite, standard,practice, or procedure by either (i) instituting an action in the Court of Appealsfor a declaratory judgment that such qualification, prerequisite, standard,practice, or procedure neither has the purpose nor will have the effect ofdenying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color ormembership in a language minority group or (ii) submitting such qualification,prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure to the Office of the AttorneyGeneral. No qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure thatis a covered practice shall be given effect until (a) the circuit court hasentered such judgment, (b) the Attorney General has not interposed an objectionwithin 60 days of the governing body's submission, or (c) upon good cause shownand to facilitate an expedited approval within 60 days of the governing body'ssubmission, the Attorney General has affirmatively indicated that no suchobjection will be made. The bill is modeled after the Section 5 preclearancerequirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended. The bill defines"covered practice" as any change to the method of election in alocality, any change to jurisdiction boundaries, any change to electiondistricts or wards, or any change that reduces, consolidates, or relocatesvoting locations.