Del. Rod Willett

Produce Rx Program established; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to report on the activities of the work group and the elements of the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2021.

Absentee voting; witness signature not required. Repeals the requirement that an absentee ballot be opened in thepresence of a witness and signed by such witness.

Virginia Immunization Information System; healthcare entities; required participation. Requires any health careprovider in the Commonwealth that administers immunizations to participatein the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) and reportpatient immunization history and information to VIIS. Under currentlaw, participation in VIIS is optional for authorized health careentities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.

Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; mission; membership. Adds to the mission of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (i) developing strategies to increase diversity in the health workforce by examining demographic data on race and ethnicity in training programs and health professional licensure, (ii) identifying ways to leverage technology to increase access to health workforce training and health care delivery, and (iii) developing a centralized health care careers roadmap in partnership with the Department of Health Professions that includes information on both licensed and unlicensed professions and that is disseminated to the Commonwealth's health care workforce stakeholders to raise awareness about available career pathways. The bill increases from three to five the number of members representing health professionals or employers or representatives of health professionals on the Board of Directors of the Authority and removes the requirement that the chairman and vice-chairman of the Board of Directors be legislative members. The bill adds the Chief Workforce Development Advisor to the list of officials and entities to whom the Board of Directors reports biennially on the activities and recommendations of the Authority.

Certain declared states of emergency; essential workers; funeral service licensees; emergency. Provides that in any case in which the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health has made an emergency order or regulation for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health or a communicable , contagious, or infectious disease or other danger to the public life and health or the Governor has declared a state of emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat, funeral service licensees and persons employed by a funeral service establishment or by a public medical examination facility shall be considered essential workers and shall be included in any group afforded priority with regard to (i) access to personal protective equipment and (ii) administration of any vaccination against such communicable disease of public health threat during such emergency. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Department of Health and the Office of the ChiefMedical Examiner; plan for the establishment of a Fetal and InfantMortality Review Team; report. Directs the Department of Healthand the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to develop a plan forthe establishment of a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team andto report such plan to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriationsand Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees onFinance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1,2021. The bill also requires the Department of Health to convenea work group to participate in development of the plan and, uponinclusion in a general appropriation act adopted by the General Assemblyof funds for such purpose, to hire such contract staff as may benecessary to assist the work group with development of the plan.

DMAS; work group to study options for the permanentuse of virtual supports and increasing access to virtual supportsand services; individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to study anddevelop recommendations for the permanent use of virtual supportsand increasing access to virtual supports and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting accessto assistive technology and environmental modifications and to reportits findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.

Child Care Assistance Program; emergency. Provides that regulations governing the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) shall be amended to provide that (i) a family shall be eligible for assistance through the Program if the family's income does not exceed 85 percent of the state median income, the family includes at least one child who is five years of age or younger and has not yet started kindergarten, and the family meets all other income and eligibility requirements of the Program and (ii) job search activities shall be considered eligible activities for the purposes of the Program. The bill provides that a family determined to be eligible for assistance through the Program shall be eligible to receive assistance for a period of 12 months or until the family's household income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income, whichever occurs sooner. The Department of Social Services shall administer the program, as amended by the bill, in cooperation with the Department of Education. The bill contains an emergency clause and provides that the provisions of the bill shall be applicable to applications for assistance through the Program received prior to August 1, 2021.

State Air Pollution Control Board; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program. Directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. Regulations adopted by the Board to implement the program are exempt from the Administrative Process Act and shall not become effective prior to January 1, 2024. The bill also authorizes the State Corporation Commission to exclude sales related to such vehicles from certain energy efficiency calculations.

Central Virginia Transportation Authority; membership. Adds the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, or hisdesignee, as a nonvoting ex officio member of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority.