Del. Nadarius Clark

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.

Public school staffing ratios; teachers; Englishlanguage learner students. Requires state funding to be providedpursuant to the general appropriation act to support divisionwideratios of English language learner students in average daily membershipto full-time equivalent teaching positions as follows: (i) for eachEnglish language learner identified as proficiency level one, oneposition per 25 students; (ii) for each English language learneridentified as proficiency level two, one position per 30 students;(iii) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level three, one position per 40 students; and (iv) for all otherEnglish language learners, one position per 50 students. Currentlaw requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to support one such teaching position per 50 Englishlanguage learner students, regardless of the identified English proficiencylevel of such students.

Virginia local journalism sustainability taxcredits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligiblelocal newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensationpaid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for thefirst taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalistsduring such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxableyears, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wagesto local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. Thecredit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable incometax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employeesfor certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a localnewspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station.The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which thecredit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amountspaid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or$4,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percentof the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local mediaadvertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The creditincludes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxableyears beginning on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2029.

Child Care Subsidy Program vendors; basis forperiodic reimbursement. Requires the Department of Educationto periodically reimburse child care providers that are vendors through the Child Care Subsidy Program on the basis of authorizedchild enrollment but provides that if any such enrolled child isabsent from the provider for 10 or more days during one month, theDepartment shall periodically reimburse such provider on the basisof such child's attendance.

Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitiveand sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposesof the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, "occupational disease"includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitiveand sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustainedmotions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations,or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are coveredunder the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitiveor sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period,provided that the time period over which such physical stress occurredcan be reasonably identified.

Permit applications for natural gas pipelines; State Water Control Law. Requires applicants for federal licenses or permits for natural gas transmission pipelines with an inside diameter of at least 24 inches to submit a separate application, erosion and sediment control plan, and stormwater management plan to the Department of Environmental Quality concurrently with a Joint Permit Application. Current law requires such application standards for pipelines with an inside diameter of greater than 36 inches. The provisions of the bill apply to any natural gas transmission pipeline project of at least 24 inches in inside diameter that is subject to a certificate of public convenience and necessity under the federal Natural Gas Act and that has not commenced construction by July 1, 2024, notwithstanding any previous certification previously issued or waived by the Department of Environmental Quality or the State Water Control Board.

Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.

Celebrating the life of Charles Cragg Hines.

Commending the Culpeper County Volunteer FireDepartment.

Zoning; civil penalties; commercial uses.Allows enhanced civil penalties for zoning violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses. The bill also requires that for any violation involving nonpermitted commercial uses, a person who admitsliability shall be required to abate or remedy the nonpermitted commercialuse violation within a period of time specified by the locality thatis no less than 30 days but no more than 24 months from the dateof admission of liability.