Del. Irene Shin

Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocerystore workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leaveto health care providers and grocery store workers. Under currentlaw, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certainhome health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers workon average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to beeligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain healthcare providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for employers of certain other healthcare providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industryto develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries toprovide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1,2024. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for theDepartment of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayedeffective date of January 1, 2025.

Department of Health; emergency medical servicespersonnel; career fatigue and wellness program; report. Directsthe Department of Health to convene a work group to study the viabilityof establishing or contracting for a professional program for emergencymedical services personnel, both professional and volunteer, thataddresses career fatigue and wellness, including the costs of suchprogram and recommendations for funding. The bill requires the Departmentto report its findings to the Governor and relevant committees ofthe General Assembly by October 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.

Study; Department of Social Services; Departmentof Housing and Community Development; unaccompanied minor housingprogram; report. Directs the Department of Social Services andthe Department of Housing and Community Development to convene a workgroup to study the implementation of an unaccompanied minor housingprogram. The bill requires the work group to report its findingsand recommendations to the Governor and the relevant committees ofthe General Assembly no later than December 1, 2024.

Study; Department of Housing and Community Development;tax implications of implementing a land value tax; report. Directsthe Department of Housing and Community Development to study tax implicationsof local governing bodies implementing a land value tax.

Commission on Legislature Modernization; report. Establishes the Commission on Legislature Modernization in the legislativebranch for the purpose of studying the operation and functionality of the General Assembly and identifying ways to make the legislaturemore effective, efficient, responsive, reflective, and transparenton behalf of all Virginians. The Commission will consist of 17 members,which shall include 9 legislators, 6 nonlegislative citizen members,and 2 ex officio members. The Commission shall be convened for aperiod of two years, every 10 years in the year ending in four, andshall terminate after the submission of its final report to the General Assembly at the end of its second year.

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribeof Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek CherokeeTribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.

Study; procuring goods and services from employmentservice organizations; report. Requests the Department of GeneralServices, in tandem with the Department for Aging and RehabilitativeServices, to examine the current process for procurement, potentialset-asides or percentage goals that could be utilized or bolsteredby employment service organizations, and whether employment serviceorganizations should be housed within the Department of Small Businessand Supplier Diversity.

Study; joint committee of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health; challenges faced by and effective strategies for ensuring the sustainable, long-term success of the five historically black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth; report. Establishes a joint committee consisting of five members of the House Committee on Education and three members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health to study the challenges faced by and effective strategies for ensuring the sustainable, long-term success of the five historically black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth–Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg–by discussing, adopting, and recommending to the Governor and the General Assembly for formal recognition and endorsement a comprehensive statewide HBCU Support Plan.

Early childhood care; Child Care Subsidy Programexpansion; provision of free child care to certain child care provideremployees. Requires the Child Care Subsidy Program, establishedpursuant to applicable regulations, to be expanded to assist employeesof any licensed child care provider in the Commonwealth with thecosts of child care by providing any such employee who meets the eligibilitycriteria set forth in the bill child care at no cost to and withno copayment required of such employee. The bill directs the Boardof Education to adopt any regulations and the Department of Educationto implement any policies and procedures necessary for the implementationand administration of the provisions of the bill.