Del. Bonita Anthony

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.

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.

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.

Collective bargaining by public employees; public transportation providers. Permits the governing body of a public transportation provider, as defined in the bill, to adopt a resolutionauthorizing such public transportation provider to (i) recognizea labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agentof public officers and employees and (ii) collectively bargain orenter into a collective bargaining contract with such union or associationor its agents with respect to any matter relating to such transportationdistrict or its employees.

Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; establishment on the campus of certain public institutions of highereducation. Requires, for any general election, at least one votersatellite office to be established on the campus of any baccalaureatepublic institution of higher education that has more than 3,000 enrolledstudents. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Educationfor Virginia to report each year to the State Board of Electionsthe number of enrolled students, as defined by the bill, at eachbaccalaureate public institution of higher education and requiresthe State Board to use this number to determine which institutionsmeet the enrollment threshold for requiring an on-campus voter satelliteoffice for the general election held the following year. The governingbody of a county or city where a baccalaureate public institutionof higher education meeting the enrollment threshold is located,or the general registrar serving such county or city, shall collaboratewith the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to selecta location for the establishment and operation of a voter satelliteoffice on such institution's campus. The location selected shallbe within the student activity center on the institution's campus,unless such placement creates an undue burden on the operation ofsuch institution, in which case the location selected shall be centrallylocated on the institution's campus.

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension ofbodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment; divorce from bedand board. Eliminates the one-year waiting period for being decreeda divorce on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodilyhurt, or willful desertion or abandonment by either party. The billalso repeals the provision allowing for a divorce from bed and boardon the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt,or willful desertion or abandonment. The provisions of the bill applyto suits for divorce filed on or after July 1, 2024.

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023. This bill was incorporated into HB 781.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.

Stillbirth Support Grant Program. Establishesthe Stillbirth Support Grant Program for the purpose of providinggrants to individuals who delivered a stillborn child, as definedby the bill, to assist with out-of-pocket costs associated with suchdelivery. Under the bill, an application for such a grant must besubmitted within the same calendar year as such delivery of a stillborn child occurs.