Del. Matt Fariss

Commending Rebecca Carter.

Commending the Honorable J. Samuel Johnston,Jr.

Damage to motor vehicles; penalties. Makesit a Class 6 felony for a person to commit larceny of a catalytic converter from a motor vehicle, regardless of the converter's value.The bill also makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to willfullybreak, injure, tamper with or remove any part or parts of any vehicle,aircraft, boat or vessel for the purpose of injuring, defacing or destroying said vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel, or temporarilyor permanently preventing its useful operation, or for any purposeagainst the will or without the consent of the owner, or to in anyother manner willfully or maliciously interfere with or prevent therunning or operation of such vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel, whensuch violation causes damage to such vehicle, aircraft, boat or vesselof $1,000 or more. Current law makes such violation a Class 1 misdemeanorwith no limit on the amount of damage. Under the bill, the penaltyfor damage of less than $1,000 remains a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Naming state highways, bridges, interchanges,and other transportation facilities; living persons. Providesthat the Commonwealth Transportation Board may name highways, bridges,interchanges, and other transportation facilities after living ordeceased persons.

Conduct of business of the General Assemblyby electronic means; joint committee established. Establishesa joint committee, consisting of eight legislative members, for thepurpose of determining rules to govern the conduct of business ofthe General Assembly by electronic means. The joint committee shallsubmit a summary of its recommendations to the General Assembly nolater than December 15, 2021.

Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services;membership. Expands the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesby adding as an at-large member an expert in companion animal welfarewho is employed by a releasing agency in the Commonwealth. Undercurrent law, the Board is composed of one member from each congressionaldistrict, of which there are 11, two at-large members engaged inthe application or sale of pesticides, and two ex officio members.

Health insurance; association health plan for real estate salespersons. Provides that a licensed insurer may issue a policy of group accident and sickness insurance to an association of real estate salespersons (association), which association shall be deemed the policyholder, and that such association health plan is not considered to be insurance and is not subject to the existing requirements for insurance if certain requirements are met. The bill requires that (i) all members of the association be eligible for coverage and membership, including employer members with at least one employee that is domiciled in the Commonwealth or self-employed individuals; (ii) membership in the association not be conditioned on any health status–related factor; (iii) the coverage offered through the association be available to all members regardless of any health status–related factor; (iv) the association not make health insurance coverage offered through the association available other than in connection with a member of the association; and (v) premiums for the policy be paid from funds contributed by the association or associations, or by employer members, or by both, or from funds contributed by the covered persons or from both the covered persons and the association, associations, or employer members. The bill also requires the association (a) has at the outset a minimum of 100 members; (b) has been organized and maintained in good faith for purposes other than that of obtaining insurance; (c) has been in active existence for at least five years; and (d) has a constitution and bylaws that provide that the association hold regular meetings not less than annually to further purposes of the members, that the the association collects dues or solicits contributions from members, and that the members have voting privileges and representation on the governing board and committees. The bill provides that any such policy shall (1) be considered a large group market plan subject to all coverage mandates applicable to a large group market plan, (2) be subject to the group health plan coverage requirements under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (3) be prohibited from denying coverage under the policy on the basis of a pre-existing condition, (4) shall be guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewable, (5) provide essential health benefits and cost-sharing requirements, and (6) offer a minimum level of coverage designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. The bill requires an insurer issuing such policy to an association to (A) treat all of the members and employees of employer members who are enrolled in coverage under the policy as a single risk pool; (B) set premiums on the basis of the collective group experience of the members and employees of employer members who are enrolled in coverage under the policy; (C) not vary premiums by age, except that the rate shall not vary by more than four to one for adults; (D) not vary premiums on the basis of gender; (E) not vary premiums on the basis of the health status of an individual employee of an employer member or a self-employed individual member; and (F) not establish discriminatory rules based on the health status of an employer member, an individual employee of an employer member, or a self-employed individual for eligibility or contribution. Finally, the bill provides that the State Corporation Commission retains its regulatory authority over any such association health plan and may impose insurance requirements, as it deems appropriate.

Commending Virginia's Crossroads.

Board of Health; public health emergency; virtual visitation. Requires the Board of Health to amend regulationsgoverning hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities,and hospices to require such entities to adopt protocols to ensurethat, during a public health emergency related to a communicabledisease of public health threat, each patient is able to receive virtualvisits from any person designated by the patient, within 72 hoursof the time the request for a virtual visit is made.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.