Rep. Dawn Adams

Public school buses; seat belts. Requiresthe Board of Education to make regulations to require each new publicschool bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equippedwith a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder strap or harnessin every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure thatno later than July 1, 2040, each school bus that it uses for thetransportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat.

Health carriers; denial of coverage; quarterlyreport. Requires each health carrier in the Commonwealth to submitto the State Corporation Commission on a quarterly basis a reportof all first-time denials of coverage, including denials based onpreexisting conditions and experimental or investigational treatments.The bill states that a health carrier must inform a covered personof his right to an internal appeal or, if applicable, an externalreview, upon issuing a denial of coverage. The bill has an expirationdate of July 1, 2024.

Study; Department of Education; root causesof public school bus driver shortages and working conditions of publicschool bus drivers in the Commonwealth; report. Requests thatthe Department of Education, with the assistance of each local schoolboard, to study the root causes of public school bus driver shortagesand the working conditions of public school bus drivers in the Commonwealthby (i) administering to each public school bus driver in each localschool division in the Commonwealth and as many former public school bus drivers as is feasible a survey to determine the level of satisfactionwith and the need for improvement to the working conditions of publicschool bus drivers in the Commonwealth, (ii) analyzing such surveydata and such other information and data as it deems necessary andadvisable, including information from other states and school districtscontained therein that have had success in addressing public schoolbus driver shortages by addressing working conditions, and (iii)making recommendations for statutory, regulatory, or budgetary changesthat may contribute to the improvement of the working conditionsof public school bus drivers.

Study; Apprenticeship Council; electric vehicle charging infrastructure apprenticeship programs; report. Requests the Virginia Apprenticeship Council to study the need for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and maintenance and repair of EV infrastructure apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth, noting the stated goal of the Commonwealth to reduce carbon emissions intensity across all sectors, including the transportation industry. In conducting its study, the Apprenticeship Council should consider a number of factors in studying the need for such apprenticeship programs. The Apprenticeship Council is further requested to report the results of an in-depth study of similar apprenticeship programs in other states to the General Assembly and to convene a stakeholder advisory group to discuss the need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Apprenticeship Council to complete its meetings by November 30, 2022, and report its findings to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Commerce and Labor and the House Committees on Education and Labor and Commerce.

Commissioner of Health; study of the occurrenceof PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, and other PFAS in the Commonwealth'spublic drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Healthto convene a work group to study the occurrence of perfluoroalkyland polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoicacid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorobutyrate(PFBA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorohexane sulfonate(PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimeracid (HFPO-DA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoropentanoicacid (PFPeA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), in drinkingwater in the Commonwealth. The work group shall report its findingsand recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the HouseCommittees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health,Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture,Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December1, 2023.

Native plant species; state agencies. Directsthe Secretaries of Natural and Historic Resources, Agriculture andForestry, and Administration to coordinate the development of strategicactions for state agencies to take to prioritize the use of nativeplant species on state properties.

Cannabis. Replaces the term "marijuana"with the term "cannabis" throughout the Cannabis Control Act. Thebill also replaces the terms "botanical cannabis" and "cannabis"with the term "medical cannabis" throughout the sections of the Codeof Virginia that govern pharmaceutical processors and the issuanceof written certifications for the use of cannabis products and oil.

Constitutional amendment (second reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriageas only a union between one man and one woman as well as the relatedprovisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United StatesSupreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses,recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law,regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religiousorganizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity havethe right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Practitioners of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, and podiatric medicine; requirements. Increases the duration of postgraduate training required issuance of a license to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, or podiatric medicine from 12 months to 36 months and requires every practitioner licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, and podiatric medicine to obtain and maintain coverage by or to be named insured on a professional liability insurance policy with limits equal to the current limitation on damages set forth in the Code of Virginia.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable JohnHowson Rust, Jr.