Del. Shelly Simonds

Retail sales and use tax; exemption for medicine and drugs purchased by veterinarians. Exempts veterinarians from sales and use tax on the purchase of prescription medicines and drugs that are administered or dispensed to patients within a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. The bill repeals provisions of current law that provide that a veterinarian dispensing or selling medicines or drugs on prescription shall be deemed to be the user or consumer of all such medicines and drugs. The bill provides that the exemption shall be in effect from July 1, 2022, until July 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 517.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; payment of medical assistance for obesity prevention and other obesity-related services; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to convene a work group to study and provide recommendations related to the payment of medical assistance for obesity prevention and other obesity-related services, including (i) the types of obesity prevention and other obesity-related services for which federal matching funds are available, (ii) the cost to the Commonwealth of providing medical assistance for such obesity prevention and other obesity-related services for eligible individuals, and (iii) any federal approvals or other actions necessary to allow for the payment of medical assistance for obesity prevention and other obesity-related services. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by November 1, 2022.

Automatic renewal or continuous service offerto consumer; cancellation and online opt-out. Requires that the supplier of automatic renewals or continuous service offers thatinclude a free trial notify the consumer of the automatic renewalseven days prior to expiration of the free trial and obtain the consumer'saffirmative consent to the automatic renewal beyond the trial period.The bill also requires that suppliers of automatic renewals or continuousservice offers through an online website must make available a conspicuousonline option to cancel a recurring purchase of a good or servicewithin the website by which such purchase was made.

Capital Region Airport Commission. Authorizesthe Capital Region Airport Commission to (i) make charitable donationsto organizations and (ii) form or support independent foundationsdesigned to foster an appreciation by the public of the importanceof aviation, assist the public in aviation travel, or help developand educate the next generation of aviation professionals in the Commonwealth.The bill provides that any such foundation is not a public body andis exempt from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Actand the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill also authorizesthe Commission to indemnify any current or former Commissioner, officer,employee, or agent of the Commission against liability arising fromsuch position. This bill is identical to SB 478.

Qualified health plans; state-mandated health benefits. Authorizes a qualified health plan offered on the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to provide state-mandated health benefits that are not provided in the essential health benefits package. Under current law, qualified health plans are prohibited from providing such state-mandated health benefits. This bill is identical to SB 449.

Scenic river designation; North Fork of theShenandoah River. Designates an 8.8-mile portion of the NorthFork of the Shenandoah River as the North Fork of the ShenandoahState Scenic River.

Child abuse and neglect; valid complaint. Amendsthe definition of "abused or neglected child" to include a childwho is sexually exploited or abused by an intimate partner of thechild's parent or caretaker and allows a complaint of child abuseor neglect to be deemed valid by a local department of social services(local department) in such instances. The bill allows a complaintof child abuse or neglect that alleges child trafficking to be deemedvalid regardless of who the alleged abuser is or whether the alleged abuser has been identified. The bill requires a local departmentthat receives a complaint or report of child abuse or neglect overwhich it does not have jurisdiction to forward such complaint orreport to the appropriate local department, if the local departmentthat does have jurisdiction is located in the Commonwealth.

Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent DeJure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against AfricanAmericans; expiration. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2024,the expiration of the Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent DeJure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against AfricanAmericans. The bill also provides for the nonlegislative citizen membersof the Commission to continue to serve for the duration of the extension.This bill is identical to SB 151.

High school family life education curricula; optional instruction on human trafficking. Permits any family life education curriculum offered by a local school division in high school to incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention, recognition, and awareness of human trafficking of children.

Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy; evidence-based literacy instruction; science-based reading research. Makes several changes relating to early student literacy, including requiring (i) each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any individual seeking initial licensure with an endorsement in a certain area, including as a reading specialist, to demonstrate mastery of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as such terms are defined in the bill; (ii) the literacy assessment required of individuals seeking initial teacher licensure with endorsements in certain areas to include a rigorous test of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction; (iii) each local school board to establish a divisionwide literacy plan; (iv) each local school board to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three; and (v) each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction whereby, among other things, (a) the program provides reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; (b) a reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan; and (c) each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024–2025 school year. This bill is identical to SB 616.