Del. Margaret Ransone

Unemployment compensation; disqualificationfor benefits; misconduct does not include refusing COVID-19 vaccine.Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Employment Commissiondetermining if an individual was separated or partially separatedfrom employment for misconduct and would be disqualified for unemploymentbenefits, the term "misconduct" does not include an employee's refusalto receive or receive in part any primary series or booster shotof a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.

Commending Virginia Polytechnic Institute andState University.

Commending the Virginia Manufacturers Association.

Absentee voting; application requirements; absenteeballot requirements. Requires an applicant for an absentee ballotto provide the last four digits of his social security number onthe application regardless of whether he is completing the applicationin person and makes the failure of the absentee voter to have a witnesssign his absentee ballot envelope a material omission that rendersthe ballot void. The bill removes the permanent absentee voter listand reinstates the special annual application for voters with a disabilityor illness. The bill also removes the requirement that the absenteevoter return envelope be sent to absentee voters with prepaid postage.

Grand larceny and certain property crimes;threshold; penalty. Decreases from $1,000 to $500 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at whichthe crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill decreasesthe threshold by the same amount for the classification of certainproperty crimes.

Sales tax; exemption for food purchased forhuman consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Exemptsfood purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygieneproducts (the grocery tax) from all state, regional, and local salestaxes.

Study; Virginia State Crime Commission; prohibitionon the sale of nitrous oxide by retailers of tobacco and tobacco-relatedproducts; report. Directs the Virginia State Crime Commissionto study whether the sale of nitrous oxide should be specificallyprohibited by a retailer of tobacco or tobacco-related products.

Snare traps; prohibition. Prohibits theuse of snare traps with a circumference greater than 12 inches tohunt or kill game animals.

Snare traps; prohibition. Prohibits theuse of snare traps to hunt or kill game animals.

Public health emergency; emergency orders andregulations; limitations. Provides that any emergency order orregulation adopted by the Board of Health shall be valid for no morethan 45 days and that such order may be extended by the Board fora subsequent period of 45 days, provided that the Board providesnotice and receives public comment on the order or regulation proposedto be extended, but that in no case shall such emergency order or regulation be valid for more than 18 months from the effective dateof the initial order or regulation. The bill also provides that inany case in which the Commissioner of Health exercises the authorityof the Board to enact an emergency order or regulation, such orderor regulation shall be valid for no more than 45 days from the effectivedate of the order or regulation unless the Board adopts an orderor regulation to such effect. Thebill also limits the duration of an emergency temporary standardadopted by the Safety and Health Codes Board to 45 days and providesfor an extension of such emergency temporary standard for a subsequentperiod of 45 days, provided that the Board provides notice and receivespublic comment on the emergency temporary standard proposed to beextended. However, no emergency temporary order shall be valid fora period of more than six months.