Del. Ibraheem S. Samirah

Celebrating the life of the Honorable MamyeE. BaCote.

Presidential electors; National Popular VoteCompact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known asthe Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by NationalPopular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United Statesgives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the mannerof awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agreesto award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receivesthe most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessinga majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A statemay withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring withinsix months of the end of a President's term shall not become effectiveuntil a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the nextterm.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.

Drug Treatment Court Act; authorization andavailability. Provides that any jurisdiction or jurisdictionsintending or proposing to establish a drug treatment court shallnot be denied permission under the Code of Virginia to establishsuch court solely on the basis of funding such court. The bill alsoprovides that a drug treatment court shall be available to everydefendant irrespective of the jurisdiction.

Additional state sales tax on firearms and ammunition;use of proceeds; Student Mental Health and Safety Fund and Program.Imposes an additional sales and use tax on the retail sale of firearmsand ammunition. The amount of the tax shall be 10 percent minus theamount of tax imposed by all other sales and use taxes levied bythe Commonwealth. Revenues from the tax shall be deposited in theStudent Mental Health and Safety Fund (the Fund), which is establishedby the bill. In addition to the Fund, the bill creates the StudentMental Health and Safety Program (the Program). The Program and Fundshall provide grants on a competitive basis to public school divisionsfor the purpose of funding full-time school counselor positions ata ratio of 250:1 or better, school social worker positions at a ratioof 400:1 or better, and school psychologists at a ratio of 500:1or better.

Health care coverage; qualified health plans.Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services, in collaborationwith the State Corporation Commission, to contract with health carriersto offer qualified health plans on the health benefit exchange beginningJanuary 1, 2022. The bill provides that such qualified health plansare designed to reduce deductibles, make more services availablebefore the deductible is met, provide predictable cost sharing, maximizesubsidies, limit adverse premium impacts, reduce barriers to maintainingand improving health, encourage choice based on value, and limitadverse premium impacts and increases in premium rates. The billrequires that any health carrier contracted with the Department tooffer such qualified health plans (i) is licensed and in good standingto offer health insurance coverage in the Commonwealth and (ii) offersat least one qualified health plan at a silver level of coverageand one qualified health plan at a gold level of coverage. The billprovides that any fee-for-service rates for providers and facilitiesunder any such qualified health plan cannot exceed the Medicare ratesfor the same or similar covered services, and for reimbursement otherthan fee-for-service, the aggregate amount the qualified health planpays to providers and facilities cannot exceed the equivalent ofthe aggregate amount the qualified health plan would have reimbursedproviders using fee-for-service Medicare rates.

Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995; Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002; affected local jurisdictions and public entities; consideration of economic impact.Requires a private entity requesting approval to develop and operatea qualifying transportation facility under the Public-Private TransportationAct of 1995 or a qualifying project under the Public-Private EducationFacilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 to include an economicimpact analysis identifying any potentially adverse economic or revenueimpacts a potential comprehensive agreement may have on all affectedlocal jurisdictions. The bill further provides that affected localjurisdictions be given reasonable opportunity to consult with theparties concerning the nature and scope of the impacts and regardingmeasures that may be taken to avoid or mitigate the impacts or make the agreement revenue-neutral. The bill directs each responsiblepublic entity to certify compliance with the review of the economicimpact analysis provisions.

Protective orders; prohibited contact; remotecontrol of appliance, utility, or device by electronic device. Clarifiesthat a court entering a protective order may, as a condition of suchprotective order, prohibit the respondent from using any electronicdevice to remotely control any appliance, utility, or device locatedon or within the petitioner's residence or the curtilage thereof.

Law enforcement; use of force; data collectionand reporting requirement. Requires state and local law-enforcementofficers to collect data on use of force incidents involving law enforcement and forward the data to the Superintendent of StatePolice, which the Department of State Police shall include in theannual Crime in Virginia report. Such incidents include the following:(i) any fatality to a civilian; (ii) any serious bodily injury toa civilian; or (iii) in the absence of either death or serious injury,a discharged firearm by a state or local law-enforcement officerat or in the direction of a person. The bill specifies information required to be included in such incident report.

Expungement of police and court records; nolleprosequi taken or acquittal. Provides that a court that takesa nolle prosequi or enters a judgment acquitting a person of a criminalcharge shall, upon motion of the person, enter an order requiringthe expungement of the police and court records relating to the charge.Currently, such a person may file a separate petition for the expungementof such records; however, except in certain cases involving misdemeanorcharges, the person is not entitled to an order of expungement, andthe court hearing the petition must find that the continued existenceand possible dissemination of such records causes or may cause circumstancesthat constitute a manifest injustice to such person before such anorder will be entered.