Del. Rod Willett

Applications for teacher licensure by reciprocity;military spouses; timeline for determination. Requires the Boardof Education's licensure regulations to provide for licensure by reciprocityfor any spouse of an active duty or reserve member of the Armed Forcesof the United States or a member of the Virginia National Guard whohas obtained a valid out-of-state license, with full credentials andwithout deficiencies, that is in force at the time the applicationfor a Virginia license is received by the Department of Education.Current law requires such regulations to provide for licensure byreciprocity for any spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forcesof the United States or the Commonwealth. The bill requires such anindividual to submit an official copy of the military permanent assignmentorders of the individual's spouse as part of the complete applicationpacket. The bill requires the Department to determine and communicatesuch individual's eligibility for licensure by reciprocity within15 business days of receipt of the complete application packet. Thisbill is identical to SB 154.

Historical African American cemeteries. Changes the date of establishment that qualifies historical African American cemeteries for appropriated funds to care for such cemeteries from prior to January 1, 1900, to prior to January 1, 1948, and provides that the total number of graves in a qualifying cemetery shall be the number of markers of African Americans who were interred in such cemetery prior to January 1, 1948. Under current law, the total number of graves is the number of markers of African Americans who lived at any time between January 1, 1800, and January 1, 1900. This bill is identical to SB 477.

Institutions of higher education; hazing; policies. Establishes mandates at nonprofit private institutions of higher education and public institutions of higher education relating to hazing and defines different types of organizations at such institutions to which the mandates apply. The bill requires student organizations officially recognized by an institution of higher education structured in such a way that upon invitation for membership, individuals do not automatically become members of such organization and have a period of time between invitation for membership and being initiated into membership, to have an advisor present at all official events where new members and members of the student organization hosting the event are invited or are instructed to attend, except that such advisors may be asked to leave the room during ceremonies, rituals, or other such events that are only permitted to be attended by the new members and members. Such advisors shall provide extensive, current, and in-person education and information on hazing to all members and new members of such organizations. The bill requires the governing board of each institution to include as part of its policy, code, rules, or set of standards governing sexual violence a provision for immunity from disciplinary action based on hazing or personal consumption of drugs or alcohol where such disclosure is made in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of hazing in advance of or during an incident of hazing that causes injury to a person. Beginning with the 2022–2023 academic year, the bill requires each institution to maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing that are reported to campus authorities or local law enforcement. This bill shall be known as Adam's Law.

Department of Veterans Services; Mental HealthCare Coordinator; position created; report. Establishes the positionof Mental Health Care Coordinator (the Coordinator) in the Departmentof Veterans Services to support and closely coordinate effectivemental health care services for military service members and veteransand their families. The bill directs the Coordinator to report byDecember 1 of each year through the Commissioner of the Departmentof Veterans Services to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs,the Governor, and the General Assembly on the work of the Coordinatorand any legislative recommendations.

Compensation for wrongful incarceration.Removes the following requirements for a wrongfully incarceratedperson to receive compensation for such wrongful incarceration: (i)that the person shall have entered a final plea of not guilty, or,regardless of the plea, the person incarcerated was convicted ofa Class 1 felony, a Class 2 felony, or any felony for which the maximumpenalty is imprisonment for life and (ii) that the person incarcerateddid not by any act or omission on his part intentionally contributeto his conviction for the felony for which he was incarcerated. The bill also requires the person to be compensated in an amount equalto the product of the total number of days that the person was wrongfullyincarcerated following a wrongful conviction multiplied by the dailyrate of the Commonwealth's most recent annual median household incomeas published in the American Community Survey of the United States Census Bureau in the year the court finds the claimant eligible anddivided by 365 days to the nearest whole cent, in addition to otherpossible compensation.

Credit unions; activity authorized for a federally chartered credit union. Provides that a credit union has the power to engage in any activity, service, or other practice that is authorized for a federally chartered credit union and that has not otherwise been authorized for a state-chartered credit union, provided that (i) the credit union provides the State Corporation Commission with written notice at least 45 calendar days prior to engaging in any such activity, service, or practice and (ii) the credit union engages in the activity, service, or practice subject to the same terms, conditions, and limitations as applicable to a federally chartered credit union. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Commissioner of the State Corporation Commission to prohibit or restrict the activity, service, or practice at any time. This bill is identical to SB 329.

Assessment of real property; affordable housing. Includes the Rental Assistance Demonstration program in the list of federal laws whose restrictions shall be considered in determining the fair market value of real property that is operated as affordable rental housing.

Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy; evidence-based literacy instruction; science-based reading research. Makes several changes relating to early student literacy, including requiring (i) each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any individual seeking initial licensure with an endorsement in a certain area, including as a reading specialist, to demonstrate mastery of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as such terms are defined in the bill; (ii) the literacy assessment required of individuals seeking initial teacher licensure with endorsements in certain areas to include a rigorous test of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction; (iii) each local school board to establish a divisionwide literacy plan; (iv) each local school board to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three; and (v) each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction whereby, among other things, (a) the program provides reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; (b) a reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan; and (c) each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024–2025 school year. This bill is identical to SB 616.

State facilities; video visitation. Requiresthe director of every state facility to establish a process by whichindividuals receiving services at the state facility are able toreceive virtual visits from any person designated by the individualreceiving services or his legally authorized representative.

Local Food and Farming Infrastructure GrantProgram. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the amount of a grantthat may be made to a political subdivision for projects that supportlocal food production and sustainable agriculture.