Del. Ibraheem S. Samirah

Project labor agreements; public procurement. Authorizes any state or local government, when engaged in procuring products or services or letting contracts for construction, manufacture, maintenance, or operation of public works, to require bidders to enter into or adhere to project labor agreements on the public works projects. This bill was incorporated into HB 358.

Minimum wage; farm workers. Eliminates the exemptions to Virginia's minimum wage requirements for persons employed as a farm laborer or farm employee. This bill was incorporated into HB 395.

Commending Virginia Organizing.

Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.

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.

Naturopathic doctors; license required.Requires the Board of Medicine to license and regulate naturopathicdoctors, defined in the bill as an individual, other than a doctorof medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, or podiatry, who may diagnose,treat, and help prevent diseases using a system of practice thatis based on the natural healing capacity of individuals, using physiological,psychological, or physical methods, and who may also use naturalmedicines, prescriptions, legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other naturalremedies, including light and air.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices; sexual orientation and gender identity. Adds discrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity as an unlawful housing practice. The bill defines "sexual orientation" and "gender identity." This bill was incorporated into SB 868.

School resource officers; memorandums of understanding. The bill requires that the required memorandum of understanding entered into by a local school board and local law-enforcement agency be consistent with the model memorandum of understanding developed by the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety. The bill requires that the model memorandum contain provisions that prohibit school resource officers from (i) conducting a search of a student's person or property while on school property unless such resource officer has probable cause to conduct such a search and either has a judicial warrant authorizing the search or has identified exigent circumstances necessitating a warrantless search; (ii) participating in any request for assistance from a federal agency without a subpoena or warrant; (iii) inquiring as to whether a student was born in a country other than the United States or is a citizen of a country other than the United States, unless such inquiry is in connection with an kidnapping or extortion investigation; and (iv) absent exigent circumstances, questioning any student without prior notification to the parent or guardian of such student's right to refuse to be questioned or searched. The bill also provides that the model memorandum of understanding shall contain provisions regarding the use of translators or appropriate guardians to assist students in responding to questions from a school resource officer. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to review the memorandum of understanding every four years or at any time upon request of either party. The bill provides that such memorandum shall be made available for public review and comment at least 30 days prior to its adoption. The bill also redefines "school resource officer" to specifically prohibit a school resource officer from investigating or enforcing violations of school board policies, including student conduct codes. This bill was incorporated into HB 292.

Office of the Attorney General; FOIA Ombudsman;powers and duties; report. Requires the Attorney General to appointa Virginia Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman to promote complianceby state agencies with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom ofInformation Act. The bill outlines the powers and duties of the Ombudsmanand provides for the Ombudsman to submit by November 30 of each yeara report on his activities and policy recommendations to the Governorand the General Assembly.

Expungement of police and court records; misdemeanor and felony convictions. Allows a person convicted of a criminal offense to file a petition requesting expungement of the police and court records relating to the conviction if such person (i) has been free from any term of incarceration, probation, and postrelease supervision imposed as a result of such conviction for (a) at least eight years for a misdemeanor offense or (b) at least 12 years for a felony offense; (ii) has no subsequent convictions other than traffic infractions; and (iii) has no pending criminal proceeding.