Del. Rip Sullivan

Commending Dr. Ben Fitzgerald III.

Commending Margaret L. Sanner.

Commending the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Local prohibition or regulation of gas-poweredleaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may byordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.The ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty.

Possession, purchase, or transportation of handgunby persons convicted of certain drug offenses and operating a boator vehicle while intoxicated prohibited; penalty. Provides thatany person who within a five-year period has been convicted of two misdemeanor driving or boating while intoxicated offenses shall beineligible to possess, purchase, or transport a handgun. The billalso provides that any person who within a three-year period hasbeen convicted of two misdemeanor drug offenses shall be ineligibleto possess a handgun. Under current law, such person who has beenconvicted of two misdemeanor drug offenses is ineligible to purchaseor transport a handgun. The bill also provides that any person whois convicted of a second or subsequent offense for violating theprohibition on possessing, purchasing, or transporting a handgunfollowing convictions of these offenses shall be given the opportunityto voluntarily relinquish any firearm in his possession.

Net energy metering; solar interconnection; cost recovery. Provides that an electric distribution company shall pay 33 cents ($0.33) per kilowatt-hour per day for the costs of lost electricity production for any and all delays beyond the regulatory notice period required by the State Corporation Commission related to net energy metering. The bill requires that, for the purposes of net energy metering, an eligible customer-generator shall bear all reasonable costs of equipment required at the eligible customer-generator's premises for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system, including commercially reasonable costs of additional controls, tests, or liability insurance. Additionally, the bill allows for cost recovery by Phase I and Phase II Utilities for electric distribution grid transformation projects that support the interconnection of generating facilities using energy derived from sunlight that are owned or contracted by eligible customer-generators, subject to the Commission finding those costs to be reasonable and prudent in accordance with existing law.

Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal condition to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life must be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.

State plan for medical assistance services and health insurance; pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) that includes payment for treatment using antimicrobials, medication and behavioral therapies to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms, immunomodulating medicines, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.The bill also requires each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing hospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverage on an expense-incurred basis; each corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts; and each health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services to provide coverage for the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of PANDAS and PANS. The bill requires such coverage to include coverage for treatment using antibiotics, medication, and behavioral therapies to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms, immunomodulating medicines, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.The bill prohibits an insurer, corporation, or organization from (i) denying or delaying the coverage of PANDAS or PANS because the enrollee previously received treatment or because the enrollee was diagnosed with or received treatment for his condition under a different diagnostic name, including autoimmune encephalopathy; (ii) limiting coverage of immunomodulating therapies for the treatment of PANDAS or PANS in a manner that is inconsistent with the treatment guidelines developed by a consortium convened for the purposes of researching, identifying, and publishing best practice standards for diagnosis and treatment of PANDAS or PANS that are accessible for medical professionals and are based on evidence of positive patient outcomes; (iii) requiring a trial of therapies that treat only neuropsychiatric symptoms before authorizing coverage of immunomodulating therapies for the treatment of PANDAS or PANS; or (iv) denying coverage for out-of-state treatment if the service is not available within the Commonwealth.

Electric utilities; cost recovery for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power, by May 1, 2025, to (i) file a proposal with the State Corporation Commission to design and deploy all electrical distribution infrastructure on the utility side of a customer's meter for each customer installing separately metered infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging stations, other than those in single-family residences; (ii) file an application with the Commission to accelerate widespread transportation electrification across the Commonwealth in a manner designed to lower total ratepayer costs and that significantly contributes to meeting air quality standards and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a manner consistent with the objectives of the energy policy of the Commonwealth, as defined by relevant law; and (iii) submit to the Commission a proposal for a specific rate or set of rates for electricity supplied to commercial and industrial facilities used to charge electric vehicles that encourage electric vehicle charging and support the efficient off-peak utilization of the electric grid.

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.