Sen. Monty Mason

Authorizes any locality, by ordinance, to authorize contracts to provide loans for the initial acquisition and installation of shoreline resiliency improvements, including improvements for the mitigation of flooding or the impacts of flooding or stormwater management improvements with a preference for natural or nature-based features and living shorelines with free and willing property owners of both existing properties and new construction. Current law authorizes such contracts only for clean energy improvements. Such ordinance shall include (i) a minimum and maximum aggregate dollar amount that may be financed with respect to a property and (ii) if a locality or other public body is originating the loan, a maximum aggregate dollar amount that may be financed with respect to loans originated by the locality or other public body.

Establishes the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program (the Program), consisting of specialized dockets within the existing structure of the general district courts for the cities of Danville, Hampton, Petersburg, and Richmond. The Program is initially established as a pilot program that has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2020, and that expires on July 1, 2023. The purpose of the Program is to reduce the number of evictions of low-income persons. Parties to an unlawful detainer action in participating jurisdictions will be directed to participate in the Pilot Program upon certain findings by the court. The Virginia Housing Commission (the Commission) shall request data from the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia for the evaluation of the Program's effectiveness and potential benefits and costs. The bill tasks the Commission with making recommendations for legislative action to the General Assembly, the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance, General Laws and Technology, and Courts of Justice, and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, Finance, General Laws, and Courts of Justice in time for the 2023 Session.

Requires health insurers, health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder in individuals of any age. Currently, such coverage is required to be provided for individuals from age two through age 10. The provision applies with respect to insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended on or after January 1, 2020.

Provides that prior to offering surplus property for sale to the public, the Department of General Services (the Department) shall notify the chief administrative officer of the locality within which the property is located, as well as any economic development entity for such locality, of the pending disposition of such property. Such chief administrative officer or economic development entity is given 180 days to submit a proposal that the property may represent a bona fide economic development opportunity, which is to be reviewed by the Department. If the Department finds that the proposal is viable and may result in favorable benefits to the Commonwealth, the Department may enter into negotiations with the chief administrative officer or economic development entity for the sale of the property. The bill provides that if no proposal is received within the 180-day period or no sale agreement is achieved subsequent to submission of a proposal, the Department may proceed with disposing of the property as provided by law. The bill contains technical amendments.