Rep. Lashrecse D. Aird

Higher education; public-private partnerships;cloud computing; artificial intelligence. Requires each institutionof higher education to establish a public-private partnership, orpartnership if the institution of higher education is not public,with private entities to develop a professional development and trainingprogram for instructional and information technology staff to obtainindustry certification in cloud computing technology and artificialintelligence.

Constitutional amendment (first resolution);real property tax exemption; affordable housing. Provides thatthe General Assembly may authorize a locality to fully or partiallyexempt affordable housing, as such term may be defined by statute,from real property taxation.

General Assembly meetings; streaming and recording. Requires the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of theSenate to ensure that every (i) subcommittee or committee meetingof a standing committee of the General Assembly, regardless of meetingdate, and (ii) floor session of the House of Delegates or the Senate,including any joint session of the houses, is streamed with closedcaptioning, recorded and archived. The bill defines "stream" and specifiesthat a qualifying meeting is one the date and time of which havebeen scheduled on a public website of any agency of the General Assemblyfor at least one hour prior to the meeting and that takes place inthe State Capitol, the Pocahontas Building, or the General AssemblyBuilding in Richmond. The bill has a delayed effective date of October1, 2020.

Department of Education; pilot program; feasibility ofeducational placement transition of certain students with disabilities.Requires the Department of Education and relevant local school boards todevelop and implement a pilot program for the transition of students who areeducated in private school settings pursuant to Individualized EducationPrograms to the appropriate public school setting in the relevant local schooldivision for up to four years in two to eight local school divisions in theCommonwealth. In developing the pilot, the Department is required to partnerwith the appropriate school board employees in each such local school divisionto (i) identify the resources, services, and supports required by each studentwho resides in each such local school division and who is educated in a privateschool setting pursuant to his Individualized Education Program; (ii) study thefeasibility of transitioning each such student from his private school settingto an appropriate public school setting in the local school division andproviding the identified resources, services, and supports in such publicschool setting; and (iii) recommend a process for redirecting federal, state,and local funds, including funds provided pursuant to the Children's ServicesAct, provided for the education of each such student to the local schooldivision for the purpose of providing the identified resources, services, andsupports in the appropriate public school setting. The bill requires theDepartment of Education to make a report to the Governor, the Senate Committeeson Education and Health and Finance, and the House Committees on Education andAppropriations on the findings of the pilot program after two and four years.

Health insurance; association health plans. Providesthat for policies of group accident and sickness insurance issued to anassociation, members of such an association may include (i) a self-employedindividual and (ii) an employer member (a) with at least one employee that isdomiciled in the Commonwealth or (b) that has a principal place of businessthat does not exceed the boundaries of a metropolitan area that is at leastpartially in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that for such policies issuedto an association that covers at least 51 members and employees of employermembers of such association on the first day of the plan year the policiesshall be considered a large group market plan and are required to meet variousprovisions in the bill. The bill provides that to determine the size of anassociation all of the members and employees of employer members are aggregatedand treated as employed by a single employer.The bill requires an insurer issuing a policy to anassociation to (1) treat all of the members and employees of employer memberswho are enrolled in coverage under the policy as a single risk pool; (2) setpremiums based on the collective group experience of the members and employeesof employer members who are enrolled in coverage under the policy; (3) varypremiums by age, except that the rate shall not vary by more than 5 to 1 foradults; (4) not vary premiums based on gender; (5) not establish discriminatoryrules based on the health status of an employer member, an individual employeeof an employer member, or a self-employed individual for eligibility orcontribution.The bill requires the Commissioner of Insurance to, within 90days of the enactment of the bill, apply to the U.S. Secretary of Health andHuman Services for a state innovation waiver under the federal PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, to implement the provisionsof the bill. The provisions of the bill regarding association health plans willbecome effective 30 days following the date the Commissioner of Insurancenotifies the Governor and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees onCommerce and Labor of federal approval of such waiver.

Consumer lending. Replaces references to payday loans with the term "short-term loans." The measure caps the interest and fees that may be charged under a short-term loan at an annual rate of 36 percent, plus a maintenance fee; increases the maximum amount of such loans from $500 to $2,500; and sets the duration of such loans at a minimum of four months, subject to exceptions, and a maximum of 24 months. Short-term loan licensees are required to make a reasonable attempt to verify a borrower's income and may not collect fees and charges that exceed 50 percent of the original loan amount if such amount is equal to or less than $1,500 and 60 percent of the original loan amount if such amount is greater than $1,500. The measure amends the requirements for motor vehicle title loans, including requiring licensed lenders to use a database to determine a prospective borrower's eligibility for a loan and prohibiting loans to a borrower who has an outstanding short-term loan. The measure sets a 36-percent annual interest rate cap on open-end credit plans and allows a $50 annual participation fee. A violation of these provisions is made a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The measure amends provisions of the Consumer Finance Act to, among other things, allow licensed lenders to use the services of access partners and establish requirements that loans be between $300 and $35,000; be repayable in substantially equal installment payments; have a term of no fewer than six and no more than 120 months; charge not more than 36 percent annual interest and a loan processing fee; and require licensees to post a bond. The measure prohibits credit service businesses from advertising, offering, or performing other services in connection with an extension of credit that has an annual interest rate exceeding 36 percent, is for less than $5,000, has a term of less than one year, or is provided under an open-end credit plan. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021, and requires any person who would be required to be licensed under the provisions of the act to apply for a license by October 1, 2020. This bill is identical to SB 421.

Driver privilege cards; penalty. Authorizes the issuance of new driver privilege cards by the Department of Motor Vehicles to an applicant who (i) has reported income from Virginia sources or been claimed as a dependent on an individual tax return filed with the Commonwealth in the preceding 12 months and (ii) is not in violation of the insurance requirements for the registration of an uninsured motor vehicle. The bill provides that driver privilege cards shall confer the same privileges and shall be subject to the same provisions as driver's licenses and permits; however, driver privilege cards shall not (a) confer voting privileges, (b) permit an individual to waive any part of the driver examination, or (c) have their issuance be contingent upon the applicant's ability to produce proof of legal presence in the United States. The bill limits the release of certain information stored by the Department. The bill provides for the term "driver's license" to consistently refer to all driver's licenses, permits, driver privilege cards, and special identification cards issued by the Commonwealth or the comparable law of another jurisdiction. The bill allows the issuance of a limited-duration driver's license and special identification card to an applicant presenting valid documentary evidence that a federal court or federal agency having jurisdiction over immigration has authorized the applicant to be in the United States for a period of at least 30 days from the date of application. The bill authorizes the Tax Commissioner to provide to the Commissioner of the Department information sufficient to verify that an applicant for a driver privilege card or permit reported income from Virginia sources or was claimed as a dependent on an individual tax return filed with the Commonwealth in the preceding 12 months. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 34.

Real property taxes; blighted and derelict properties in certain localities. Provides that, in certain localities, blighted properties and derelict structures shall constitute a separate class of property for local taxation of real property. Such certain localities may, by ordinance, levy a tax on blighted properties and derelict structures at a rate that exceeds the general real property tax rate by five and 10 percent, respectively. Any tax levied pursuant to such an ordinance shall be imposed upon a determination by the real estate assessor that a property constitutes a blighted property or derelict structure. The bill also provides that, in such certain localities, delinquent tax lands may be sold six months after the locality has incurred abatement costs for buildings that have been condemned, constitute a nuisance, are a derelict building, or are declared to be blighted. The bill contains technical amendments.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from its current federally mandated level of $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour effective May 1, 2021; to $11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2022; to $12.00 per hour effective January 1, 2023; to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025; and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. For January 1, 2027, and thereafter, the annual minimum wage shall be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. The measure provides that the increases scheduled for 2025 and 2026 will not become effective unless reenacted by the General Assembly prior to July 1, 2024. If such provisions are not reenacted prior to July 1, 2024, then the annual minimum wage will be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index beginning January 1, 2025. The measure creates a training wage at 75 percent of the minimum wage for employees in on-the-job training programs lasting less than 90 days. The measure also provides that the Virginia minimum wage applies to persons whose employment is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act; persons employed in domestic service or in or about a private home; persons who normally work and are paid on the amount of work done; persons with intellectual or physical disabilities except those whose employment is covered by a special certificate issued by the U.S. Secretary of Labor; persons employed by an employer who does not employ four or more persons at any one time; and persons who are less than 18 years of age and who are under the jurisdiction of a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The measure provides that the Virginia minimum wage does not apply to persons participating in the U.S. Department of State's au pair program, persons employed as temporary foreign workers, and persons employed by certain amusement or recreational establishments, organized camps, or religious or nonprofit educational conference centers. This bill incorporates HB 433, HB 583 and HB 615 and is identical to SB 7.

Landlord and tenant; charge for late payment of rent; restrictions. Provides that a landlord shall not charge a tenant for late payment of rent unless such charge is provided for in the written rental agreement, and that no such late charge shall exceed the lesser of 10 percent of the periodic rent or 10 percent of the remaining balance due and owed by the tenant. This bill contains an emergency clause and incorporates HB 1669.