Del. Kim Taylor

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.

Virginia National Guard; institutions of higher education; tuition grants. Adds parameters around grants distributed by the Department of Military Affairs (the Department) to members of the Virginia National Guard who are enrolled in any course or program at any public institution of higher education or accredited nonprofit private institution of higher education. The bill provides that an application for a grant shall be made to the Department no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of an academic semester. The bill provides that the Department shall determine whether an applicant is eligible for the grant and communicate acceptance and any additional requirements determined by the Department in writing no later than 30 days after receipt of an application. The bill requires individuals who are eligible for such grants to satisfy all financial obligations with the institution and provide written proof of acceptable academic performance and good standing for the current term no later than 30 days following the end of a term or semester. The bill provides that individuals receiving grants pursuant to the bill incur a single two-year service obligation to the Virginia National Guard and that this two-year obligation commences on the last day of the last term or semester for which tuition assistance was awarded. The bill provides that federal active duty mobilizations occurring while still a member of the Virginia National Guard and state active duty for the Commonwealth count toward such two-year service obligation. The bill provides that grants shall be subject to limitation based on the amount of funds appropriated for such purpose and that if applications for grants exceed the amount of funding appropriated, the Department shall issue grants to eligible recipients based on the order in which applications were received.

Definitions; cremate; crematory; alkalinehydrolysis. Expands the definition of "cremate" to include reducinga dead human body to ashes and bone fragments through alkaline hydrolysis,a water-based process of dissolution using alkaline chemicals andagitation known as aquamation. The bill adds "aquamator" as an additionalterm for the existing definition of "cremator." The bill also adds"aquatorium" as an additional term for the existing definition of"crematory" or "crematorium" and amends the definition to includea facility containing a pressure vessel. Under current law, "cremate"means to reduce a dead human body to ashes and bone fragments bythe action of fire, and "crematory" or "crematorium" means a facilitycontaining a furnace for cremation of dead human bodies.

Board of Education; stakeholder group; evaluation of and recommendations for certain current and proposed policies and performance standards for public elementary and secondary schools. Requires the Board of Education to collaborate with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of Education to evaluate, to implement where possible, and to otherwise make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the following goals: (i) promoting excellence in instruction and student achievement in mathematics; (ii) increasing the number of academic year Governor's Schools in the Commonwealth and maintaining standards of excellence for students in all such schools; (iii) preserving the Advanced Studies Diploma as an option for students in public high schools in the Commonwealth; (iv) increasing the transparency and honesty of performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth and ensuring that such measures do not obscure or conceal disparities in performance among student groups and reduce or eliminate disparities among student groups; (v) ensuring that performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools prioritize the attainment of grade-level proficiency and growth during the course of a school year and from school year to school year in reading and mathematics for all students, especially in grades kindergarten through five; (vi) ensuring that the Commonwealth's proficiency standards on Standards of Learning assessments in reading and mathematics are rigorous in comparison with assessments administered by other states and national assessments in reading and mathematics; and (vii) restoring a strong accreditation system that promotes meaningful accountability year-over-year. The bill requires the Secretary of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, no later than November 30, 2022, to report to the chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health the results of such evaluation and recommendations to achieve such goals.

Safe haven protections; newborn safety device. Provides an affirmative defense in certain criminal prosecutions and civil proceedings regarding child abuse or neglect to a parent who safely delivers his child within the first 30 days of the child's life to a newborn safety device located at a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or at an attended emergency medical services agency that employs emergency medical services personnel. The bill also provides civil and criminal immunity to such hospitals and emergency medical services agencies for injuries to children received through such newborn safety devices, provided that (i) the injuries are not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct and (ii) the hospital or emergency medical services agency meets certain requirements regarding the establishment, functioning, and testing of the device. Current law requires the child to be delivered within the first 14 days of the child's life at such hospital or emergency medical services agency. This bill is identical to SB 63.

Dealers; sale of dogs or cats for experimentalpurposes. Prohibits a dealer or commercial dog or cat breeder from importing for sale, selling, or offering for sale a dog or catbred by a person who has received certain citations pursuant to the federal Animal Welfare Act. Current law only prohibits such activities related to the sale of dogs. The bill also clarifies that sellingincludes selling the dog or cat for experimental purposes.

Human trafficking training for law-enforcement personnel. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish training standards for law-enforcement personnel regarding the recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking. This bill is identical to SB 467.

Military honor guards and veterans service organizations; paramilitary activities; exception. Exempts members of a lawfully recognized military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization, and members of a veterans service organization that is congressionally chartered or officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, when such member is participating in a training or educational exercise, funeral, or public ceremony on behalf of such military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization or veterans service organization, from the crime of unlawful paramilitary activity unless such member engages in such activity with malicious intent. This bill is identical to SB 618.

Bail for a person accused of a crime that is an act of violence; notice to attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires a magistrate to transmit within 24 hours a copy of the checklist for bail determination form to the attorney for the Commonwealth when a magistrate conducts a bail hearing for a person arrested on a warrant or capias for an act of violence. The bill also provides that transmission of such copy to the attorney for the Commonwealth may be by facsimile or other electronic means. This bill is identical to SB 614.

Ukraine; Russian invasion. Expressing thesense of the General Assembly on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.