Del. Rod Willett

Department of Medical Assistance Services; presumptive eligibility for pregnant individuals; qualified entities; performance standards for qualified entities. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek federal authority to implement presumptive eligibility for pregnant individuals, in addition to the existing hospital presumptive eligibility program and, if the Department receives such authority, allows the Department to authorize qualified entities to make determinations of presumptive eligibility for pregnant individuals. The bill directs qualified entities to provide (i) the necessary applications for medical assistance on the day in which the presumptive eligibility decision is made and (ii) assistance with completing such applications through available modalities. Under the bill, qualified entities are authorized to make determinations of presumptive eligibility for pregnant individuals who meet eligibility criteria for certain medical assistance programs and have not had a presumptive eligibility period during the current pregnancy. The bill also sets forth certain performance standards that qualified entities must meet to remain a qualified entity, described in the bill.

Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Board established; report. Continues the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank (the Bank) as a division of the Department of Energy to implement the provisions of the bill and approve expenditures and disbursements from the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Fund. The bill describes the powers of duties of the Bank and requires certain lending practices. The bill requires the Bank to develop and adopt a strategic plan biennially starting in 2025 to develop programs to overcome market impediments through access to Bank financing and technical assistance and outreach and marketing strategies designed to make potential project developers, participants, and communities aware of financing and technical assistance available from the Bank. The bill requires the Bank to adopt a long-term investment strategy by December 15, 2025, and every four years thereafter. The bill requires the bank to maintain a public website and submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill also creates an Advisory Board and specifies how initial appointments of nonlegislative citizen members shall be staggered and made.

Deaths by suicide of veterans or military service members; inquiry by State Registrar of Vital Records; Department of Veterans Services annual report. Requires the State Registrar of Vital Records, when a death certificate is filed and lists suicide as the cause of death, to make an inquiry into whether the decedent was a veteran or military service member and to provide any information concerning the suicide of such veteran or military service member to the Department of Veterans Services. The bill also provides that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services may request, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall deliver to the Commissioner, a copy of an autopsy report of a veteran or military service member whose cause and manner of death is determined to be a suicide. The bill also reestablishes the position of Suicide Prevention Coordinator as the Suicide Prevention Program and requires such Program to, in coordination with the State Police, compile and analyze data relating to such suicides to be included in the annual report submitted by the Department to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments; availability in commonly spoken languages other than English. Requires the Board of Education to prioritize the incorporation of Standards of Learning assessments in commonly spoken languages in the Commonwealth other than English into its statewide student assessment system, and in any contract that it enters into with a third party for the development, establishment, and maintenance of such system.

First-time Homebuyer Grant Program. Establishes a First-time Homebuyer Grant Program for the purpose of assisting first-time homebuyers with first-time homebuyer expenses, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill provides that the Department of Housing and Community Development shall award eligible first-time homebuyers a grant in an amount equal to five percent of such expenses incurred during a calendar year, not to exceed $10,000. Any grant awarded pursuant to the Program shall be repaid to the Commonwealth if the property for which expenses were incurred is sold within three years from the purchase date, unless the sale is made following a natural disaster or other act of God.

Income tax; housing opportunity tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the housing opportunity tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2025 to taxable year 2030. The bill also increases the aggregate credit cap across all calendar years from $255 million to $595 billion and imposes an annual aggregate credit cap of $68 million in each calendar year between 2026 and 2030. The bill also provides that of the $68 million in credits authorized per calendar year from 2026 through 2030, 33 percent shall be reserved for qualified projects located in a geographic area within the Balance of State Pool, defined in the bill. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late state legislator Frank Miller Ruff, Jr. It does not create new laws or affect any policies or people. The resolution formally commemorates his service and life through a symbolic tribute. As a non-binding resolution, it has no practical impact beyond recognition.

Department of Social Services; Department of Health; local departments of social services; local health districts; screening for unmet social needs; service referrals. Directs the Department of Social Services and Virginia Department of Health to require local departments of social services and local health districts to screen clients seeking services for unmet social needs and refer clients to services for such unmet needs.

Earned income tax credit. Allows eligible low-income taxpayers to claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year by the taxpayer for the same taxable year. The bill also states that individuals who would have been entitled to the federal equivalent of this credit but for the fact that the individual, the individual's spouse, or one or more of the individual's children does not have a valid social security number are eligible to claim this credit. Under current law, taxpayers may choose to claim either a nonrefundable tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year or a refundable tax credit equal to 15 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year.

Education and workforce data ecosystem in the Commonwealth; Virginia Education and Workforce Data Governing Board and Office of Virginia Education and Workforce Data established. Establishes in the executive branch of state government the 10-member Virginia Education and Workforce Data Governing Board and establishes with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency a supporting Office of Virginia Education and Workforce Data to (i) govern, administer, and support the ecosystem of education and workforce data collection and analysis systems in the Commonwealth, defined in the bill as the Commonwealth Data Trust, the Virginia Longitudinal Data System, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, and the Virginia Workforce Data Trust, and (ii) replace several separate data system governance and administration structures established in current law. The bill renames the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment as the Virginia Office of Education Economics and directs its governance by the Board. The bill establishes several powers and duties for such Board and Office, certain of which are subject to delayed implementation dates.