Del. Josh Cole

Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fundand Program established. Establishes the Get Skilled,Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Fund and requires the Virginia Community College System to establish the G3 Program for the purpose of providing financial assistance from the Fund to certain low-income and middle-income Virginia students who are enrolled in an educational program at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher educationthat leads to an occupation in a certain high-demand field. The billcontains provisions for student eligibility, financial assistanceaward amounts, and data reporting.

Abolition of the death penalty. Abolishes the death penalty, including for those persons currently under a death sentence. The bill incorporates HB 1779.

Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Programand Fund; established. Requires the Commissioner of Agricultureand Consumer Services (the Commissioner) to establish the VirginiaAgriculture Food Assistance Program (VAFA Program) for Virginia farmersand food producers to donate, sell, or otherwise provide agricultureproducts to charitable food assistance organizations. The bill also creates the Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance Fund to disbursemoneys to such charitable food assistance organizations to reimbursefarmers or food producers for any costs associated with harvesting,processing, packaging, or transporting agriculture products donatedto such charitable food assistance organizations. The bill authorizesthe Commissioner to adopt guidelines and regulations to carry outthe VAFA Program.

Aging services; economic and social need. Provides that, in providing aging services, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services shall prioritize providing services to older persons with the greatest economic or social need. The bill defines "economic need" as need resulting from an income level at or below the poverty line and "social need" as need caused by noneconomic factors, including (i) physical and mental disabilities, which may include developmental disabilities and human immunodeficiency virus; (ii) language barriers; and (iii) cultural, social, or geographic isolation, including that caused by racial or ethnic status, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation that restricts an individual's ability to perform normal daily tasks or threatens such individual's capacity to live independently.

Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Establishesthe Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board to advise the Governor regardingthe economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmentallinks between the Commonwealth and the LGBTQ+ community in Virginiaand sets out the powers and duties of the Board. The Board shallbe composed of 21 nonlegislative citizen members, at least 15 ofwhom shall identify as LGBTQ+, to be appointed by the Governor, andthe Secretaries of the Commonwealth, Commerce and Trade, Education,Health and Human Resources, and Public Safety and Homeland Security,or their designees, who shall serve as ex officio members.

Duties of agencies and their appointing authorities; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans. Requires stateagencies to establish and maintain a comprehensive diversity, equity,and inclusion strategic plan in coordination with the Governor's Directorof Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Department of General Services; removal of HarryF. Byrd, Sr., statue. Directs the Department of General Servicesto remove the statue of former Virginia Governor and U.S. SenatorHarry F. Byrd, Sr., from Capitol Square. The bill directs the Departmentto store the statue until such time as the General Assembly determinesits final disposition.

Certain school boards; student meals; participationin the Afterschool Meal Program. Requires each school board thatgoverns a local school division that has a student population thatqualifies for free and reduced-price meals at a minimum percentageof 50 percent in the prior school year and simultaneously offerseducational or enrichment activities and is consequently eligibleto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program administered by theU.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Childand Adult Care Food Program to apply to the Department of Educationto participate in the Afterschool Meal Program for each such schoolto subsequently and simultaneously serve federally reimbursable mealsand offer an afterschool education or enrichment program, pursuantto FNS guidelines and state health and safety standards. The billrequires the Department of Education to administer the AfterschoolMeal Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill provides that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shallissue a waiver to this requirement upon determination that participation is not financially viable for a school or group of schools. The billrequires the Department of Education to develop a process and criteriafor evaluating such waivers. The bill has a delayed effective dateof July 1, 2022.

Virginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program.Renames the Virginia Missing Child with Autism Alert Program to theVirginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program and expands itto apply to any missing person with autism, regardless of age. Thebill defines "a missing person with autism" as any person (i) whosewhereabouts are unknown; (ii) who has been diagnosed with autismspectrum disorder as defined by the Code of Virginia; and (iii) whosedisappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of the person.

Assistance for certain voters; curbside voting. Clarifies that any voter with a permanent physical disability, temporary physical disability, or injury is entitled to vote outside of thepolling place. The bill further provides that during a declared stateof emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat,any voter shall be entitled to vote outside of the polling place.The bill requires that the area designated for voting outside ofthe polling place be clearly marked and instructions on how the voteris to notify an officer of election of his request to vote outsideof the polling place be prominently displayed. The bill makes technical amendments for clarity and organizational purposes.