Del. Rod Willett

Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.

Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles;powers and duties. Authorizes the Commissioner of the Departmentof Motor Vehicles, for the duration of a declared state of emergencyand for up to 90 days after it has been rescinded or expires, to(i) extend the validity or delay the cancellation of driver's licenses, special identification cards, and vehicle registrations; (ii) extendthe time frame during which a driver improvement clinic or paymentplan may be completed; (iii) extend the maximum number of days ofresidency permitted before a new resident must be licensed in Virginiato operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth; and (iv) extend thetime frame during which a new resident may operate a motor vehiclein the Commonwealth that has been registered in another jurisdictionbefore registering the vehicle in the Commonwealth.

School board policies; school meal debt; enforcement. Requires each school board to adopt a policy that prohibits the board from filing a lawsuit against a student or the student's parent because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or owes a school meal debt.

Essential health benefits; abortion coverage.Removes the prohibition on the provision of coverage for abortionsin any qualified health insurance plan that is sold or offered forsale through a health benefits exchange established or operatingin Virginia.

Alcoholic beverage control; license fee reform;delay; emergency. Delays the effective date of the 2020 alcoholicbeverage control license and fee reform from July 1, 2021, to January1, 2022. During the period of delay and subject to certain requirements,the bill allows on-premises wine or beer licensees to sell wine orbeer for off-premises consumption and allows such licensees, as wellas off-premises wine or beer licensees, to deliver wine or beer thatthe licensee is authorized to sell without a delivery permit. The bill contains a technical amendment and an emergency clause.

Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; transit equity and modernization; report. Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth,with emphasis on transit services and engagement opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities.

Brain injury; definition. Eliminates therequirement that an injury occur before the age of 65 to constitutea brain injury as that term is used in the context of licensure ofprivate providers of behavioral health services.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic meetings. Authorizes a public body to conduct through electronic communication means a meeting for which, on or before the day of the meeting, a member of the public body holding the meeting notifies the chair that such member is unable to attend the meeting due to a family member's medical condition that requires the member to provide care for such family member, thereby preventing the member's physical attendance. The bill also clarifies that participation in an electronic meeting by a member of a public body due to the inability to attend because of a personal matter is limited each calendar year to two such meetings, which is current law, or 25 percent of the meetings held that calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

Charitable Gaming Board; regulations; electronic pull tabs. Prohibits the Charitable Gaming Board from promulgating regulations that prohibit the use of multiple video monitors or touch creens on an electronic pull tab device. The bill provides that the use of electronic pull tab devices utilizing multiple video monitors or touchscreens shall be limited to one player at a time.

Economic education and financial literacy requiredin middle and high school grades; employment arrangements. Addsto objectives developed and approved by the Board of Education foreconomics education and financial literacy at the middle and highschool levels the implications of various employment arrangementswith regard to benefits, protections, and long-term financial sustainability. Employment arrangements is defined in the bill as full-time employment, part-time employment, independent contract work, gig work, piecework, contingent work, day labor work, freelance work, and 1099work.