Del. Phil Hernandez

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.

Voluntarily registered family day homes; safesleep guidance; compliance; training. Requires each voluntarilyregistered family day home to comply with all safe sleep guidelinesrecommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and to ensure thateach provider employed in such family day home completes basic trainingon such guidelines.

Child Care Subsidy Program; categorical eligibility for certain families. Provides that any family that receives public assistance through Medicaid or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children shall be deemed to categorically satisfy income eligibility requirements to receive assistance through the Child Care Subsidy Program.

Superintendent of Public Instruction; pandemicrecovery task force; report. Requires the Superintendent ofPublic Instruction to establish and appoint such members as he deems necessary or appropriate to a pandemic recovery task force (the taskforce) within the Department of Education, the purpose of which isto examine the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on publiceducation in the Commonwealth and to provide recommendations, guidance,and resources to each local school division in order to enable allenrolled students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionallyand to meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels on all relevant metricsof student achievement and well-being. The bill requires the taskforce to focus particularly on student learning loss, attendance,and mental health and on vulnerable populations of students and toannually submit a report of its findings and recommendations to theBoard, the Governor, the General Assembly, and each school boardno later than November 1.

Early childhood care and education; child day programs; use of office buildings; waiver of zoning requirements. Permits any locality to by ordinance provide for the waiver of any requirements for zoning permits for the operation of a child day program in an office building, as defined by the bill, provided that such facility satisfies the requirements for state licensure as a child day program. This bill is identical to SB 13.

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to SB 704.

Public high schools; research-based hazing prevention instruction. Requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for research-based hazing prevention instruction to be provided as a part of physical or health education instruction provided to students in grade nine or 10. The bill requires such hazing prevention instruction to include age-appropriate, extensive, and current education about hazing, including (i) examples of hazing; (ii) the dangers of hazing, including the consequences of alcohol intoxication; and (iii) school policies and laws related to hazing, including criminal penalties and bystander intervention. The bill requires such research-based hazing prevention instruction to be offered in-person but requires each school board to provide options for virtual participation for any student who is enrolled in an online or virtual physical or health education program. Finally, the bill requires each school board to provide such research-based hazing prevention instruction beginning with the school year following the Board's adoption of revised Standards of Learning for physical and health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such research-based hazing prevention instruction and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such research-based hazing prevention instruction available to local school boards. This bill is identical to SB 379.

Prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure works by public service companies. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to determine and make available the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work. Under the bill, each public service company shall ensure that its bid specifications or other contracts applicable to underground infrastructure works require payment at the prevailing wage rate. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. The bill also requires each public service company, contractor, or subcontractor subject to the provisions of the bill to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements. Provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2024.

Commending the Honorable L. Kaye Kory.

Employee Child Care Assistance Program and Fund; established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Programand Fund to provide matching funds to in order to incentivize employersto contribute to the child care costs of their employees. To participatein the program, an employer is required to enter into an agreementwith its employee and an eligible mixed-delivery provider, definedin the bill, to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-deliveryprovider on behalf of the employee, and the Department of Educationwill issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-deliveryprovider or to a third-party administrator. The bill provides thatthe state match shall not exceed 100 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare equal to or less than the local median household income, definedin the bill, and shall not exceed 80 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare greater than the local median household income. The bill requiresthat 25 percent of the Fund be used to provide state matching fundsfor employees of small businesses.