Rep. Glenn R. Davis

Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Programestablished. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund andProgram, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education forVirginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically BlackCollege or University in the Commonwealth (defined in the bill as HamptonUniversity, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, and VirginiaUnion University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution toannually provide renewable scholarships on a competitive basis to two studentswho (i) attended a a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealthin which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free orreduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below thefederal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution'seducation preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grantto attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship wouldconsist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, roomand board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacherlicensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activitiesfor the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d)$10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by a master teacher, defined as anexperienced public elementary or secondary school teacher who is deemed by therelevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high qualitymentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarshippursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementaryor secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of theenrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members offamilies whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established bythe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a periodthat is at least as long as the period during which the recipient usedscholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2)be mentored by a master teacher during such period of employment.

Group Violence Intervention Board; Divisionof Group Violence Intervention; Project Ceasefire Grant Fund; ProjectExit Grant Fund; report. Establishes the Group Violence InterventionBoard to coordinate and assist federal, state, and local group violenceintervention efforts. The bill also establishes within the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services (the Department) the Division of GroupViolence Intervention (the Division), to be headed by an executivedirector appointed by the Director of the Department. The bill providesthat the Division is responsible for (i) coordinating the effortsof members of state and local law enforcement, community members,and social services providers to combat group violence; (ii) servingas a clearinghouse for research, best practices, and strategies thatmay be utilized in the implementation, execution, and evaluationof group violence interventions; and (iii) implementing and administeringvarious federal, state, and local grant funds that aid group violenceintervention efforts. Finally, the bill creates the Project CeasefireGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that are involvedin group violence intervention efforts, and creates the Project ExitGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that assist formergang members or individuals attempting to leave gangs.

College partnership laboratory schools; application and establishment. Permits any public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education to apply to the Board of Education (the Board) to establish a college partnership laboratory school as a new school or through the conversion of all or part of an existing school. Under current law, only public and private institutions of higher education that operate approved teacher education programs are permitted to apply to the Board to establish such a school and no explicit provision is made for the conversion of an existing school. The bill permits college partnership laboratory schools to enter into a memorandum of understanding with any individual or entity to provide apprenticeships, career training, and curriculum support to carry out the provisions of law relating to such schools. The bill requires the Board, in reviewing such applications, to give substantial preference to any application from a historically black college or university and any application to establish a college partnership laboratory school in an underserved community, which the bill defines as a geographical area that is served by public schools in which a high percentage of students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch, as determined by the Board.

Celebrating the life of Adeline Rose Krizek.

Commending M.E. Marty Hall, Jr.

Celebrating the life of Eugene L. Krizek.

Healthcare Regulatory Sandbox Program; established. Requires the Department of Health to establish the Healthcare Regulatory Sandbox Program to enable a person to obtain limited access to the market in the Commonwealth to temporarily test an innovative health care product or service on a limited basis without otherwise being licensed or authorized to act under the laws of the Commonwealth. Under the Program, an applicant requests the waiver of certain laws, regulations, or other requirements for a 24-month testing period, with an option to request an additional six-month testing period. The bill provides application requirements, consumer protections, procedures for exiting the Program or requesting an extension, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The bill requires the Department to provide an annual report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health that provides information regarding each Program participant and recommendations regarding the effectiveness of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.

Celebrating the life of Adam Jeffery Oakes.