Del. Rip Sullivan

Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically Black College or University in the Commonwealth (Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution to annually provide scholarships on a competitive basis to no more than two students who (i) identify as African American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by an experienced teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the period during which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2) be mentored by an experienced teacher, as described in clause (d), during such period of employment.

Possession or transportation of firearms following convictions for certain misdemeanor crimes; restoration of rights; penalty. Prohibits a person who has been convicted of assault and battery when the person intentionally selects the person against whom a simple assault is committed because of his race, religious conviction, color, or national origin from possessing or transporting a firearm. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill provides for a process by which a person convicted of such crimes may petition the circuit court for a reinstatement of his right to possess or transport a firearm. This bill was incorporated into HB 1288.

Standards of Quality; work-based learning; teacher leadersand mentors; principal mentors; certain personnel positions and initiatives. Makesseveral changes to the Standards of Quality, including requiring the establishmentof units in the Department of Education to oversee work-based learning andprincipal mentorship statewide in Standard 1 and requiring the Board ofEducation to establish and oversee the local implementation of teacher leaderand teacher mentor programs in Standard 5. The bill also makes several changesrelating to school personnel in Standard 2, including (i) establishingschoolwide ratios of students to teachers in certain schools with highconcentrations of poverty and granting flexibility to provide compensationadjustments to teachers in such schools; (ii) requiring each school board toassign licensed personnel in a manner that provides an equitable distributionof experienced, effective teachers and other personnel among all schools in thelocal school division; (iii) requiring each school board to employ teacherleaders and teacher mentors at specified student-to-position ratios; (iv)requiring state funding in addition to basic aid to support at-risk studentsand granting flexibility in the use of such funds by school boards; (v)lowering the ratio of English language learner students to teachers; (vi)requiring each school board to employ reading specialists and establishing astudent-to-position ratio for such specialists; (vii) requiring school boardsto employ one full-time principal in each elementary school; (viii) loweringthe ratio of students to assistant principals and school counselors inelementary, middle, and high schools; and (ix) requiring each school board toprovide at least four specialized student support positions, including schoolsocial workers, school psychologists, school nurses, and other licensed healthand behavioral positions, per 1,000 students.

Day of Women. Recognizes January 22 of each year as the Day of Women in Virginia and provides that January 22 of each year no longer be known as the Day of Tears in Virginia.

Study; DCJS; enforcement of the law prohibitingindividuals subject to permanent protective orders for family abusefrom possessing firearms while such order is in effect; report. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to study the enforcementof the law prohibiting individuals subject to permanent protectiveorders for family abuse from possessing firearms while such orderis in effect.

Conformity of the Commonwealth's taxation system with the Internal Revenue Code; net interest deduction. Conforms the taxation system in Virginia with relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

Study; State Corporation Commission; requiring telecommunications facilities to be placed underground; report.Requests the State Corporation Commission to study the feasibilityof requiring telecommunications facilities to be placed underground when overhead electric distribution lines that share the same polesare buried.

Location of assisted living facilities and group homes. Requires that localities not allow certain assisted living facilities and group homes with eight or fewer residents approved by the locality on or after July 1, 2020, to be located within one-quarter mile of such existing assisted living facility or group home, provided such enforcement is in compliance with applicable state and federal fair housing laws.

Group homes; license application; notice.Requires persons applying for licensure as a group home with theDepartment of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to providenotice to the local governing body, the general public, and residentialoccupants within one-half mile of the proposed location of the grouphome. The bill requires that such notices include a statement ofintent to operate a group home and the address of the proposed locationof the group home. The bill also requires (i) the Department to establishand maintain a process for receiving comments regarding such noticesand (ii) the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to consider all comments received within 30 days of the noticewhen deciding whether to grant the license application.

Purchase, possession, and transportation offirearms; fugitives; penalty. Provides that it is a Class 1 misdemeanorfor any person who is a fugitive to purchase, possess, or transporta firearm. The bill also updates the criminal history record informationcheck form to inquire if the applicant is a fugitive, as definedin the bill.