Del. Jackie Glass

Health insurance; coverage for doula care services. Requires health insurers, corporations providing health care subscription contracts, and health maintenance organizations whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for obstetrical services to provide coverage for doula care services provided by a state-certified doula. The bill requires such coverage to include coverage for at least eight visits during the antepartum or postpartum period and support during labor and delivery. The bill provides that health insurance carriers are (i) not required to pay for duplicate services actually rendered by both a state-certified doula and another health care provider and (ii) prohibited from requiring supervision, signature, or referral by any other health care provider as a condition of reimbursement for doula care services, except when those requirements are also applicable to other categories of health care providers. Such provisions of the bill are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Health Insurance Reform Commission to consider coverage for doula care services in its review of the essential health benefits benchmark plan and to include such coverage in its recommendation to the General Assembly unless a compelling reason for excluding such coverage is identified. This bill is identical to SB 118.

Board of Medicine; Board of Dentistry; Board of Optometry; Boards of Medicine and Nursing; patient counseling; treatment with opioids. Directs the Board of Medicine, the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Optometry, and the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to amend their regulations to require the provision of certain information to patients being prescribed an opioid for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. The bill requires that the regulations include an exception to the required provision of such information for patients who are (i) in active treatment for cancer, (ii) receiving hospice care from a licensed hospice or palliative care, (iii) residents of a long-term care facility, (iv) being prescribed an opioid in the course of treatment for substance abuse or opioid dependence, or (v) receiving treatment for sickle cell disease. The bill directs the Boards to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Child labor offenses; civil penalties. Increasesfrom $10,000 to $25,000 the civil penalty for each violation of childlabor laws that results in the employment of a child who is seriouslyinjured or dies in the course of employment. The bill also increasesfrom $1,000 to $2,500 the maximum civil penalty for each other violationof child labor laws and provides that such civil penalty shall notbe less than $500. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a stakeholder work group to develop education and outreach plans to inform young workers and employers about child labor laws.

Department of Housing and Community Development; forms and documents for landlords and tenants; translation into non-English languages. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to translate all forms and documents that the Department is mandated by law to create and that are posted on its website for use by residential landlords and tenants into the five non-English languages most commonly spoken in Virginia. The bill allows the Department to accept materials translated by volunteers but requires the Department to verify the accuracy of such translations prior to making such translations available on its website.

Public schools; certain local school divisions; youth and community violence prevention; Community Builders Pilot Program established; report. Establishes the Community Builders Pilot Program for the purpose of reducing youth involvement in behaviors that lead to gun violence and increasing community engagement among public school students by providing to students who are entering the eighth grade and enrolled in Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools opportunities during the school year after regular school hours and during the summer months for community engagement, workforce development, postsecondary education exploration, and social-emotional education and development. The bill provides that the school boards of Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools shall be responsible for the administration of the Program and are directed to collect data and report to the Governor and relevant committees of the General Assembly by November 1 of each year on the progress of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 484.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;early termination of rental agreement; victims of sexual abuse orcriminal sexual assault. Provides that a tenant who is a victimof family abuse, sexual abuse, or other criminal sexual assaultmay terminate such tenant's obligations under a rental agreement if the tenant (i) has obtained a protective order and has given properwritten notice of termination during the period of the protectiveorder or any extension thereof or (ii) as evidence of such abuseor criminal sexual assault, has obtained (a) records or files froma federal or state agency, law-enforcement agency, or court; (b)documentation from a domestic violence or sexual assault program;(c) documentation from a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensedminister of any religious denomination who provides proper proof ofhis credentials as outlined in the bill; or (d) documentation froma medical professional licensed by the Board of Medicine or Boardof Nursing or a mental health service provider and has given written notice of termination. Under current law, there must be a familyabuse protective order or a conviction before the tenant may terminatesuch obligations under a rental agreement.

Military centered community zones; local designation. Allows localities to establish, by ordinance, one or more military centered community zones, defined in the bill as a community that has a significant presence of military personnel living or working in the designated area and where such presence drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity. The bill provides that a locality, or another political subdivision acting on behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to businesses looking to locate within a zone for the purpose of serving the needs of the military personnel, including reduction of certain fees and taxes. In addition, the bill provides that local governing bodies are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development incentive grants to such businesses. The bill also allows a governing body to provide for certain regulatory flexibility and incentives and provides that the establishment of a military centered community zone shall not preclude the area from also being designated as an enterprise zone or from receiving support under the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program. This bill is identical to SB 343.

Cosmetology Compact. Establishes the Cosmetology Compact upon the enactment of substantially similar legislation in the seventh member state, defined in the bill. The bill creates a multistate license in furtherance of the objectives of providing opportunities for the uninterrupted practice of cosmetology between member states and supporting the relocation of military members and their spouses by enabling such continuation of practice. The bill requires the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Office of Data Governance and Analytics; reciprocal data-sharing agreements; veteran-specific data. Allows the Officeof Data Governance and Analytics to enter into reciprocal data agreementswith state agencies for the purpose of sharing veteran-specific datain order to support data-informed outreach plans for veterans.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; unlawful detainer action; emergency hearings. Provides for an emergency hearing to occur on a summons for unlawful detainer filed by an owner of a residential single family dwelling unit if the court finds based upon the evidence that (i) no rental agreement exists or has ever existed between the owner and the occupant; (ii) the occupant occupies such dwelling unit without permission of such owner; and (iii) the owner has given such occupant a written notice to vacate such dwelling unit at least 72 hours prior to the date of filing. Under the bill, an emergency hearing on such summons shall occur as soon as practicable, but not more than 14 days from the date of filing.