Del. Carrie Coyner

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; effect of criminal convictions on licensure; data to be included in biennial report. Provides for consideration of certain factors to be made by any regulatory board through an individualized assessment prior to denying an application for licensure, certification, or registration for any occupation or profession regulated by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation where such denial was made in whole or in part upon the existence of the applicant's criminal record. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2023 Session of the General Assembly, and the bill requires, beginning July 1, 2025, the Department to include certain data related to the criminal history of applicants to each regulatory board in its biennial report. This bill is identical to SB 409 and contains technical amendments.

Department of Education; State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; instruction concerning post-graduate opportunities for high school students. Requires the Department of Education to collect and distribute to public schools and publicly post on its website information that assists high school students in making more informed decisions about their futures after graduating from high school and in doing so ensure that such students are aware of the costs and benefits of different educational and certificate programs. The bill directs the Department to annually collect and compile such information in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and any other entity that can assist the Department with collecting and compiling such information and to update its distribution materials accordingly each year. The bill requires the Department to post and distribute the information to school boards, with any relevant updates, no later than October 1 each year and requires each school board to ensure that the information is readily available to each high school student and distributed to each high school student who expresses an interest in attending an institution of higher education or completing another training program as described in the bill. This bill is identical to SB 738.

Appeal of local tax assessments. Clarifiesthe procedure by which a taxpayer aggrieved by any local tax assessmentmay seek relief by providing that (i) the necessary parties in sucha proceeding shall be the taxpayer and the locality; (ii) the taxpayermay show that the property was assessed at more or less than its fairmarket value; and (iii) the county or city attorney or, if none, theattorney for the Commonwealth shall defend the locality in any suchproceeding.

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.

Public elementary and middle schools; student growth assessments; NWEA MAP Growth assessment program. Requires the Board of Education, in implementing the through-year growth assessment system for the administration of reading and mathematics assessments in grades three through eight, to seek input and suggestions from each interested local school division in the Commonwealth regarding ways in which such system can emulate the functionality of the NWEA MAP Growth assessment program, including ease of administration and use, and shall, to the extent possible, incorporate such input and suggestions into the through-year growth assessment system.

Real Estate Appraiser Board; continuing education to include fair housing or appraisal bias courses. Provides that any regulation of the Real Estate Appraiser Board setting out continuing education requirements for real estate appraiser licensees as a prerequisite of license renewal shall include at least two hours of fair housing or appraisal bias courses if the Board requires continuing education for the renewal of such licenses. The bill directs the Real Estate Appraiser Board to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this act that include a course of at least two hours relating to fair housing or appraisal bias and exempts the initial adoption of such regulations from the Administrative Process Act, except that the Board shall provide an opportunity for public comment prior to adoption of the regulations. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.

Insurance for employees of certain public schoolfoundations. Provides that any locality may provide group life,accident, and health insurance programs for employees of certain publicschool foundations. This bill is identical to SB 437.

Health insurance; definition of autism spectrum disorder. Provides that for the purposes of required health insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, "autism spectrum disorder" means any pervasive developmental disorder or autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the most recent edition or the most recent edition at the time of diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association and "medically necessary" means in accordance with the generally accepted standards of mental disorder or condition care and clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, site, and duration, based upon evidence and reasonably expected to do any of the following: (i) prevent the onset of an illness, condition, injury, or disability; (ii) reduce or ameliorate the physical, mental, or developmental effects of an illness, condition, injury, or disability; or (iii) assist to achieve or maintain maximum functional capacity in performing daily activities, taking into account both the functional capacity of the individual and the functional capacities that are appropriate for individuals of the same age. This bill is identical to SB 321.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable FloraLonette Davis Crittenden.

Commending Bob Brown.