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.
Sponsored bills
Standards of Learning; programs of instruction;civics education; instruction on local government. Requires theBoard of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginiaand United States Government for grade 12 and requires each schoolboard to provide as a part of any Virginia and U.S. Government courseor civic education course offered to students in grade 12 instructionon local government, including instruction on the types of localitiesin the Commonwealth and the structure and functions of local governmentsin the Commonwealth. The bill also requires the Board to considerin its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civicseducation and understanding of the state and federal constitutionsand the democratic model of government the successful completionof government or civics courses that include instruction on the structuresand functions of local government.
Annual retail sales and use tax holiday.Establishes an annual retail sales and use tax holiday that takesplace on the first full weekend in August beginning on August 1,2025. During such weekend, state retail sales and use tax will notapply to certain (i) school supplies, (ii) clothing and footwear,(iii) qualified products designated as Energy Star or WaterSense,(iv) portable generators, or (v) hurricane preparedness equipment.
Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.
Income tax deduction; eligible educators.Provides for taxable years 2022 and thereafter an income tax deductionof the lesser of $500 or the actual amount paid or incurred by aneligible educator, defined in the bill as (i) an individual who forat least 900 hours during the taxable year served as a Virginia licensedteacher, instructor, student counselor, principal, or student aidefor public or private primary and secondary school students in Virginiaor (ii) a parent providing home instruction to his child in Virginia,for qualifying expenses, defined in the bill as expenses incurredfrom participation in professional development courses and the purchaseof books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other educational equipment, and supplementary materialsused directly in service to Virginia students as an eligible educator.
Income tax; military benefits subtraction; emergency. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of military benefits in taxable year 2022, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2023, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2024 and each year thereafter. The bill defines military benefits to include military retirement income and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran. The bill contains an emergency clause.
School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense. The bill provides, as an exception to the requirement to report any written threats against school personnel while on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity, that a principal is not required but may report to the local law-enforcement agency any such incident committed by a student who has an individualized education plan. This bill is identical to SB 36.
Board of Education; membership; qualifications. Requires the nine-member Board of Education, all of whom are appointedby the Governor, to include at least one member with experience orexpertise in local government leadership or policymaking, at leastone member with experience or expertise in career and technical education,and at least one member with experience or expertise in early childhoodeducation.
Public institutions of higher education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; notice to students; SNAP benefits.Requires each public institution of higher education to ensure thatall students have access to accurate information about the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and howto apply. The bill also directs each institution to advertise theapplication and process for applying for SNAP prominently on the institution's website, in orientation materials that are distributedto each new student, in at least one campus-wide email per academicyear to all students at such institution, and through other means.
Group health benefit plans; bona fide associations; formation of benefits consortium. Provides that certain trusts constitute a benefits consortium and are authorized to sell health benefit plans to members of a sponsoring association that (i) has been formed and maintained in good faith for purposes other than obtaining or providing health benefits; (ii) does not condition membership in the sponsoring association on any factor relating to the health status of an individual, including an employee of a member of the sponsoring association or a dependent of such an employee; (iii) makes any health benefit plan available to all members regardless of any factor relating to the health status of such members or individuals eligible for coverage through a member; (iv) does not make any health benefit plan available to any person who is not a member of the association; (v) makes available health plans or health benefit plans that meet requirements provided for in the bill; (vi) operates as a nonprofit entity under § 501(c)(5) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code; and (vii) has been in active existence for at least five years. The bill replaces references to "bona fide association," as used in provisions applicable to health care plans in the small employer market, with the term "sponsoring association."The bill requires any health benefit plan issued by a self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) that covers one or more employees of one or more small employers to (a) provide essential health benefits and cost-sharing requirements; (b) offer a minimum level of coverage designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan; (c) not limit or exclude coverage for an individual by imposing a preexisting condition exclusion on that individual; (d) be prohibited from establishing discriminatory rules based on health status related to eligibility or premium or contribution requirements as imposed on health carriers; (e) meet the renewability standards set forth for health insurance issuers; (f) establish base rates formed on an actuarially sound, modified community rating methodology that considers the pooling of all participant claims; and (g) utilize each employer member's specific risk profile to determine premiums by actuarially adjusting above or below established base rates, and utilize either pooling or reinsurance of individual large claimants to reduce the adverse impact on any specific employer member's premiums.The bill prohibits a self-funded MEWA from issuing health benefit plans in the Commonwealth until it has obtained a license pursuant to regulations promulgated by the State Corporation Commission. The bill authorizes the Commission to adopt regulations applicable to self-funded MEWAs, including regulations addressing financial condition, solvency requirements, and the exclusion of self-funded MEWAs from the Virginia Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association. This bill is identical to SB 195.