Rep. Steve E. Heretick

Commending Loudoun Now.

Commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. RobertRussa Moton.

Certificate of public need; determination of need. Provides that, for the purpose of determining public need for a proposed project in cases in which a provider or affiliated group of providers holds a market share of 55 percent or more for a type of service or medical care facility in a planning district, a proposed project involving the same type of service or medical care facility in the same planning district shall be presumed to be a project that fosters institutional competition that benefits the area to be served while improving access to essential health care services for all persons in the area to be served, absent evidence to the contrary. The bill also provides that, for the purpose of determining public need for a proposed project in cases in which a provider or affiliated group of providers holds a market share of 85 percent or more, the proposed project shall be deemed to be a project that fosters institutional competition that benefits the area to be served while improving access to essential health care services for all persons in the area to be served.

Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program; handbook. Establishes the Virginia Brownfield Renewable Energy and Coal Mine Grant Fund and Program. The fund and program shall be administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy for the purpose of awarding grants to renewable energy projects that are located on brownfields or previously coal mined lands. Grants are to be awarded on a basis of $500 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on previously coal mined lands and $100 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields.No more than $10 million shall be awarded to any previously coal mined lands project and no more than $5 million to any single brownfield project. No more than $35 million shall be allocated per year by the grant program. Of the $35 million, $20 million shall be reserved for previously coal mined lands projects. If less than $20 million is distributed to such projects, the remaining funds may be reallocated to brownfield projects. The bill also provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department shall, in consultation with stakeholders, develop a guidebook for renewable energy and energy storage development on brownfields and previously coal mined lands.

Free use of toll facilities; teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel. Authorizes any teacher employed by a public school district, firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel to use all toll bridges, toll ferries, toll tunnels, and toll roads in the Commonwealth without the payment of toll while traveling between his place of residence and his place of employment.

Interest on fines and costs in criminal casesand traffic infractions. Eliminates the accrual of interest onany fine or costs imposed in a criminal case or in a case involvinga traffic infraction. The bill provides that any such fine or coststhat have accrued interest prior to July 1, 2020, shall cease toaccrue interest on July 1, 2020, and such accrued interest may bewaived by any court. A person who owes fines and costs on which interesthas accrued may move any court in which he owes fines and costs to waive the interest that accrued on such fines and costs and shallhave such interest waived for any period of incarceration.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of small business; LGBT-owned business. Amends the definition of small business to includeLGBT-owned businesses, defined in the bill, for purposes of programsadministered by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversityand the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.).

Health insurance; authorization of drug prescribedby psychiatrist. Requires that any provider contract betweena carrier and a participating health care provider with prescriptiveauthority, or its contracting agent, provide that no prior authorizationis required for any drug prescribed by a psychiatrist, if (i) thedrug is a covered benefit, (ii) the prescription does not exceedthe FDA-labeled dosages, and (iii) the drug is prescribed consistentwith the regulations of the Board of Medicine.

Authority of localities to provide broadbandservice. Provides that any locality may establish any department,office, board, commission, agency, or other governmental division or entity that has authority to offer telecommunications, Internetaccess, broadband, information, and data transmission services.

Income tax modifications for certain companiesin economically distressed localities. Adds the City of Portsmouthto the list of economically distressed localities in which a companymay invest to become eligible for certain income tax modifications.Under current law, a company is eligible for such modifications if,among other things, it either (i) invests at least $5 million innew capital investment in a qualified locality and creates at least10 jobs paying at least 150 percent of the minimum wage in a qualifiedlocality or (ii) creates at least 50 jobs paying at least 150 percent of the minimum wage in a qualified locality.