Hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and birthing centers; standardized protocols for obstetric emergencies. Requires all hospitals with an emergency department for labor and delivery, freestanding emergency departments, and birthing centers to implement standardized protocols for identifying and responding to obstetric emergencies, including obstetric hemorrhage, preeclampsia, and eclampsia. The bill requires the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative to work collaboratively with these hospitals, departments, and centers to provide training related to obstetrical services, recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, and establishing protocols for transfer of any pregnant or recently delivered women who present for care and for such hospitals, departments, and centers to participate in and submit data with no protected health information or identifiers to the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Patient Safety Bundle.
Sponsored bills
Guidelines and policies on school-connected overdose; response and parental notification. Adjusts the contents of the guidelines that the Board of Education is required to establish for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies by requiring such guidelines to include guidance and model language for the development and implementation of a policy requiring each school board to provide within 24 hours of any school-connected overdose notification to the parent of each student within the local school division and criteria for ensuring sensitivity to the privacy interests of affected individuals in issuing such notification. The bill also requires each school board to notify the parent of each student in the local school division of any school-connected overdose within 24 hours of the overdose occurring in accordance with the guidance and criteria provided by the Board of Education.
Possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law. A violation of such prohibition is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for a first violation and a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a second or subsequent violation. The bill also provides that a court may, as an alternative to the civil penalty, and upon motion of the defendant, prescribe the performance of up to 20 hours of community service for a first violation and up to 40 hours of community service for a second or subsequent violation, but if the defendant fails or refuses to complete the community service as prescribed, the court may impose the civil penalty. Additionally, upon such violation, the judge may enter an order suspending the motor vehicle and driver's license of such person pursuant relevant law.
Individual income taxes; creation of currently not collectible status. Directs the Department of Taxation to create a form through which taxpayers may file for currently not collectible status. The Department may place an applicant into such status upon a finding that the collection of income taxes from such applicant would create or exacerbate an undue hardship for such applicant. Such applicant shall reapply for such status annually and shall not be eligible for such status for any single tax assessment for a total of more than five years from the date that the original application for such status was approved. This bill was incorporated into HB 2549.
Standards of Learning; programs of instruction; civics education; instruction on local government. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginia and United States Government for grade 12 and requires each school board to provide as a part of any Virginia and U.S. Government course or civic education course offered to students in grade 12 instruction on local government, including instruction on the types of localities in the Commonwealth and the structure and functions of local governments in the Commonwealth. The bill also requires the Board to consider in its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civics education and understanding of the state and federal constitutions and the democratic model of government the successful completion of government or civics courses that include instruction on the structures and functions of local government.
Human trafficking investigators; licensing by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Authorizes the Department of Criminal Justice Services to register and issue licenses for human trafficking investigators. The bill provides that a human trafficking investigator is a private investigator who is GSA compliant and engages in the business of, or accepts employment to make, investigations to obtain information on sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
Maddy summaryThis House resolution honors the life of Colonel Porcher L. Taylor, a retired U.S. Army veteran and educator from the Petersburg community who passed away in May 2024. The document highlights his distinguished service in three major wars, his historic promotion to full colonel, and his significant contributions to Virginia State University and local civic organizations. It formally records the House of Delegates' respect for his memory and directs the Clerk to provide a copy of the resolution to his family.
Maddy summaryThis legislative resolution honors the memory of Maxwell Winn Watkins, Jr., a seventh-generation farmer from Dinwiddie County who passed away in June 2024. The document formally acknowledges his significant contributions to local agriculture, his leadership in various community organizations, and his dedication to mentoring fellow farmers. As a commemorative measure, the House of Delegates directs its Clerk to create a copy of this resolution to present to Watkins' family as a gesture of respect.
Animal Cruelty Conviction List established.Requires the Superintendent of State Police to establish no laterthan January 1, 2027, and to maintain the Animal Cruelty ConvictionList and to make the List available to the public on the websiteof the Department of State Police. The bill specifies that the Listinclude the names of persons convicted of certain felony animal crueltyoffenses on or after July 1, 2024. The bill requires persons convictedof any such offense to pay a fee of $50 per conviction to fund themaintenance of the List. The bill also requires the Department toremove a person's name and information from the List 15 years afterits listing if he has no additional felony conviction of any such offense.
Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman; created. Creates, within the Office of the State Inspector General, the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman (the Office) headed by an Ombudsman who is selected by the State Inspector General. The bill creates the Corrections Oversight Committee (the Committee) made up of four members of the General Assembly, nine nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, subject to criteria described in the bill, and two nonvoting members, appointed as described in the bill, who monitor the activities of the Ombudsman and the Department of Corrections (the Department). The bill provides the Office with authority to conduct inspections at least once every three years and more often when warranted of Department facilities and requires the Office to establish a statewide toll-free telephone number, website, mailing address, and paper and electronic forms for inmates, family members, friends, and advocates to submit complaints and inquiries. In addition, the bill requires the Committee to hold at least two public hearings per year and requires the Office to submit an annual report to be made available online and to be delivered to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services, the House Committee on Public Safety, the Committee, and the Director of the Department. The bill directs the Office to develop a short-term and long-term strategic plan and to provide a report on its initial activities and strategic plan to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before November 15, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 456.