Del. Ibraheem S. Samirah

Public elementary and secondary school students; suspension and expulsion; sufficient cause. Provides that in no case shall sufficient cause for the suspension or expulsion of a student from attendance at a public elementary or secondary school include only instances of truancy or nonviolent behavior. Current law provides that in no cases may sufficient cause for suspensions include only instances of truancy.

Individual income tax; refundable credit forcoverage under qualified health plan. Provides a refundable individualincome tax credit for taxable years 2020 through 2024 for a portionof the health care premium costs of a taxpayer insured through theindividual marketplace of the Affordable Care Act, provided thatsuch taxpayer has a household income between 400 and 500 percentabove the federal poverty line. The amount of the credit would bethe lesser of (i) the taxpayer's health care premiums or (ii) theamount by which the premium for a silver plan exceeds 10 percentof household income.

Prohibited discrimination; public accommodations, employment, credit, and housing: causes of action; sexual orientation and gender identity. Creates explicit causes of action for unlawful discrimination in public accommodations and employment in the Virginia Human Rights Act. Currently, under the Act there is no cause of action for discrimination in public accommodations, and the only causes of action for discrimination in employment are for (i) unlawful discharge on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including lactation, by employers employing more than five but fewer than 15 persons and (ii) unlawful discharge on the basis of age by employers employing more than five but fewer than 20 persons. The bill allows the causes of action to be pursued privately by the aggrieved person or, in certain circumstances, by the Attorney General. The bill prohibits discrimination in public and private employment and credit on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill also codifies for state and local government employment the current prohibitions on discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. Additionally, the bill prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran and adds discrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, marital status, or status as a veteran as an unlawful housing practice. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill was incorporated into HB 1663.

Prohibited discrimination in public employment and housing; sexual orientation or gender identity. Prohibits discrimination in public employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill also codifies for state and local government employment the current prohibitions on discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. Additionally, the bill 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 HB 1663.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatoryhousing practices; sexual orientation and gender identity. Addsdiscrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientationor gender identity as an unlawful housing practice. The bill defines"sexual orientation" and "gender identity." This bill was incorporatedinto HB 1663.

Public schools; Mental Health First Aid training. Requires each school board to adopt and implement policies that require each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the school board, who are employed on a full-time basis to complete a Mental Health First Aid training or similar program every three years. The bill requires each school board to provide such training and allows a school board to contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a community services board, a behavioral health authority, a nonprofit organization, or a certified trainer of the Mental Health First Aid training program to provide such training. This bill was incorporated into HB 76.

Legal notices; online publications. Provides that where any ordinance, resolution, notice, or advertisement is required by law to be published in a newspaper, such ordinance, resolution, notice, or advertisement may instead be published in an online publication. The bill further specifies the requirements for such online publication.

Digital services; protection for minors.Requires the operator of a digital service, which is defined as awebsite, online service, online application, or mobile application,to permit minors to remove, or to request and obtain removal of,content or information posted on a digital service. The measure prohibitsan operator of a digital service directed to minors from marketingor advertising to minors specified products or services that minorsare prohibited from buying. The measure also prohibits marketing or advertising certain products on the basis of personal informationspecific to a minor or knowingly using, disclosing, compiling, orallowing a third party to do so. Violations are prohibited practicesunder the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The measure has a delayedeffective date of January 1, 2021.

Constitution of the United States; Equal RightsAmendment. Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitutionof the United States that was proposed by Congress in 1972.

Board of Education; mental health break spaces; regulations. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulations to require that each public school create and maintain a mental health break space within the public school building. The bill requires the Board of Education to collaborate with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in the creation of regulations for the mental health break spaces.