Rep. Chad Green

Commending Scott McGeary.

Department of Education; development and distribution of fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet; requirements. Requires the Department of Education to develop, in collaboration with the Department of Health, a fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with and the prevalence of fentanyl and provide essential information on fentanyl overdose prevention and preparedness among high school-age students. The bill requires the Department of Education to make available to each school board and post in a publicly accessible location on its website such informational one-sheet and to annually review and update such informational one-sheet in collaboration with the Department of Health to ensure its currency and accuracy. The bill requires each public high school or secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 to annually distribute such informational one-sheet to each student in grades nine through 12 within the first two weeks of the school year. This bill was incorporated into HB 1473.

Commending the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation.

Elections; voting equipment and systems; StateBoard approval process; printed receipt for cast ballot. Requires voting systems approved by the State Board of Elections to producea printed receipt for each voter who has cast a ballot that showsthe date and time the voter's ballot was cast, the voter's numbercorresponding to the order in which ballots were cast, and a listof all the voter's selections on the ballot as recorded by the votingsystem.

Carrying concealed handguns; protective orders. Authorizes any person 21 years of age or older who is not prohibitedfrom purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm and is protectedby an unexpired protective order to carry a concealed handgun for45 days after the protective order was issued. The bill providesthat if the person issued the protective order applies for a concealedhandgun permit during such 45-day period, such person will be authorizedto carry a concealed handgun for an additional 45 days and be givena copy of the certified application, which shall serve as a de factoconcealed handgun permit. During the period such person is authorizedto carry a concealed handgun, the bill provides that the person maycarry a handgun any place a law-enforcement officer may carry a firearm.The bill requires such person to have the order or certified applicationand photo identification on his person when carrying a concealed handgun and to display them upon demand by a law-enforcement officer;failure to do so is punishable by a $25 civil penalty.

Commissioner of Health; work group to studythe occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinkingwater; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene awork group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth'spublic drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. Thebill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendationsto the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture,Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutionsand the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and NaturalResources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; guidance to small businesses; identification of enforcement actions; work group; report. Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to develop and provide guidance to businesses with newly approved permits and established businesses regarding responsibilities and requirements for maintaining such business that includes information identifying any regularly occurring required report to a state agency and any associated fees, penalties, or waivers.The bill requires each state agency to annually report any enforcement action taken by the agency against a small business in the previous calendar year that specifies each infraction and the enforcement action taken by the agency. The bill requires the Department to post de-identified aggregated data by state agency and infraction type from such reports on its website.The bill requires the Department to convene a work group to identify and recommend means to provide relief to small businesses regarding regularly occurring required reports to state agencies. The work group is required to identify each such report and consider (i) if such report can be required less frequently or eliminated; (ii) if the required information has not changed since the previous report, allowing the small business to satisfy the reporting requirement by indicating that there has been no change; (iii) establishing a waiver or lowering the threshold to qualify for an existing waiver; (iv) reducing or eliminating any penalty for noncompliance; and (v) any other means to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. The Department is required to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024.

Commending Ann Thomas.

Commending Elizabeth Fowler.

Commending Walter C. Zaremba.