Rep. Debra Gardner

Commending Scott McGeary.

Commending the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation.

Weapons; possession or transportation; facility that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to possess in or transport into any facility that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including a hospital or an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and specifies exceptions to the prohibition.

JLARC; Department of Human Resource Management;Grievance Procedure Manual; report. Directs the Joint LegislativeAudit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a review of the Departmentof Human Resource Management's Grievance Procedure Manual as it relatesto the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires that JLARC evaluate the effectiveness of such proceduresand report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of theSenate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committeeon General Laws by November 1, 2024.

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.

Social Work Advisory Board; established; report. Establishes the Social Work Advisory Board to advise the Governoron efforts to improve the social work profession in the Commonwealth.The bill requires the Social Work Advisory Board to report annuallyby December 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly regardingits activities and recommendations. The bill contains an expirationdate of June 30, 2027.

Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.