Rep. Nick Rush

Commending the Washington Nationals.

Provides that any person convicted of capital murder of a law-enforcement officer or certain other public safety officials who was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense shall be sentenced to no less than a mandatory minimum term of confinement for life. This bill is identical to

Provides that it is the legislative intent that public school buildings and facilities be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to generate more electricity than consumed, and allows local school boards to enter into leases with private entities to achieve that goal if the school board owns or operates a school building or facility that has been properly modernized, generates energy derived from sunlight, and if the solar generating facility is properly interconnected. The bill also provides that private entities that contract with local school boards to modernize public school buildings and facilities may receive financing from the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. This bill is identical to

Allows for any registered voter to vote by absentee ballot in person beginning on the second Saturday immediately preceding any election in which he is qualified to vote without providing a reason or making prior application for an absentee ballot. The bill makes absentee voting in person available beginning on the forty-fifth day prior to the election and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding the election. The bill retains the current provisions for voting with an absentee ballot by mail or in person prior to the second Saturday immediately preceding the election, including the application requirement and the list of statutory reasons for absentee voting. The provisions of the bill do not become effective until the November 3, 2020, general election, and the State Board of Elections is required to submit a report on the procedures and instructions it promulgates for conducting absentee voting pursuant to the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to

Creates a grant program to assist qualified public institutions of higher education, defined in the bill, in reaching, by 2039, a goal of increasing by at least 25,000 degrees the number of bachelor's and master's degrees awarded in computer science, computer engineering, and closely related fields, or that otherwise align with traded-sector, technology-focused growth opportunities identified by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority. To be eligible for an annual grant, a qualified institution is required to enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth specific criteria for eligible degrees, eligible expenses, degree production goals, and graduation rates. Failure to meet criteria would result in the adjustment of future awards.

Requires health insurers, health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in individuals of any age. Currently, such coverage is required to be provided for individuals from age two through age 10. The provision applies with respect to insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended on or after January 1, 2020. This bill is identical to

Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefighters and certain employees develop the cancer. The measure will become effective if reenacted by the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. The measure also directs the 2020 Session of the General Assembly, in considering and enacting any legislation relating to workers' compensation and the presumption of compensability for certain cancers, to consider any research, findings, and recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's review of the Virginia Workers' Compensation program. The provisions of this bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2020 Session of the General Assembly. This bill is identical to

Directs the State Board of Elections to promulgate regulations and standards necessary to ensure the security and integrity of the Virginia voter registration system and the supporting technologies utilized by the counties and cities to maintain and record registrant information. The local electoral boards are also required to develop and update annually written plans and procedures to ensure the security and integrity of the supporting technologies. The local electoral boards are further required to report annually to the Department of Elections on their security plans and procedures. The bill authorizes the Department of Elections to limit a locality's access to the Virginia voter registration system if it is determined that the county or city has failed to develop security plans and procedures or to comply with the security standards established by the State Board; such access would be limited as necessary to address and resolve any security risks or to enforce compliance. Records describing protocols for maintaining the security of the Virginia voter registration system and the supporting technologies utilized to maintain and record registrant information are exempted from the Freedom of Information Act and meetings to discuss such protocols are permitted to be closed pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to convene a work group prior to adopting security standards and to establish a standing advisory group of local government IT professionals and general registrars to assist and consult on updates to security standards.

Requires (i) the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety to develop a model memorandum of understanding and (ii) the school board in each school division in which the local law-enforcement agency employs school resource officers to enter into a memorandum of understanding with such local law-enforcement agency that is based on such model and sets forth the powers and duties of the school resource officers. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to review and amend or affirm the memorandum at least once every five years or at any time upon the request of either party. This bill is identical to