Del. Karrie Delaney

Health insurance; cost-sharing payments forinsulin and diabetes equipment and supplies; limit. Decreasesthe cap on the cost-sharing payment that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription insulin drug from $50 to $35 fora 30-day supply of the prescription insulin drug and provides suchcap is an aggregate cap that applies in situations where the coveredperson is prescribed more than one insulin drug. The bill also establishessuch an aggregate cap of $35 for a 30-day supply of diabetes equipmentand supplies.

Child victims and witnesses using two-way closed-circuit television; standard. Expands the age range during which a childmay testify using two-way closed-circuit television in a criminalcase to include any child younger than 18 years of age at the timeof the trial. Under current law, an alleged victim must be 14 yearsof age or younger at the time of the alleged offense and 16 yearsof age or younger at the time of the trial to testify by two-wayclosed-circuit television, and a child witness must be 14 years ofage or younger at the time of the trial to so testify. The bill alsoprovides that the court may order that the testimony of a child betaken by two-way closed-circuit television if it finds that the childis unavailable to testify in open court in the presence of the defendant,the jury, the judge, and the public if the court finds, by a preponderanceof the evidence, based upon expert opinion testimony, that the childwill suffer emotional trauma that is more than de minimis as a resultof testifying in the defendant's presence and not the courtroom generally.Under current law, the court may order such testimony be taken bytwo-way closed-circuit television if there is a substantial likelihood,based upon expert opinion testimony, that the child will suffer severeemotional trauma from so testifying.

Authority of Attorney General; criminal cases;human and sex trafficking. Authorizes the Attorney General toprosecute violations of criminal law relating to human and sex traffickingoffenses in connection with racketeering.

Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board established;report. Creates the Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board to advisethe Governor and General Assembly on ways to improve economic andcultural links between Virginia and Ireland, with a focus on theareas of commerce and trade, art and education, and general government.The bill requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Governorand General Assembly.

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

Commending the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.

Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

Human trafficking investigators; licensing bythe Department of Criminal Justice Services. Authorizes the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services to register and issue licenses for humantrafficking investigators. The bill provides that a human traffickinginvestigator is a private investigator who is GSA compliant and engagesin the business of, or accepts employment to make, investigationsto obtain information on sex trafficking or severe forms of traffickingas defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled tovote. Provides that every person who meets the qualificationsof voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have thefundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such rightshall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convictedof a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacityto understand the act of voting. A person who has been convictedof a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarcerationfor such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration forthat felony conviction and without further action required of him,such person shall be invested with all political rights, includingthe right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a personconvicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by theGovernor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also providesthat a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction aslacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacityhas been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitutionof Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to bementally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competencyis reestablished.