Abolition of the death penalty. Abolishes the death penalty, including for those persons currently under a death sentence. The bill provides that no person may be sentenced to death or put to death on or after its effective date for any violation of law.
State Board of Health; hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires each hospital with an emergency department that is currently regulated by the State Board of Health (the Board) to establish a protocol for treatment and discharge of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency, which shall include provisions for (i) appropriate screening and assessment of individuals experiencing substance use-related emergencies and (ii) recommendations for follow-up care, which may include dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal, issuance of a prescription for naloxone, and information about accessing naloxone at a community pharmacy or organization that dispenses naloxone or other opioid antagonist to persons without a prescription. Such protocols may also include referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services or providers of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses. The bill also directs the Department of Health, together with the Department of Health Professions, to convene a work group to develop recommendations for best practices for the treatment and discharging of patients in emergency departments experiencing opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, which shall include recommendations for best practices related to (a) performing substance use assessments and screenings for patients experiencing opioid-related overdose and other high-risk patients; (b) prescribing and dispensing naloxone or other opioid antagonists used for overdose reversal; (c) connecting patients treated for opioid-related emergencies, including overdose, and their families with community substance abuse resources, including existing harm reduction programs and other treatment providers; and (d) identifying barriers to and developing solutions to increase the availability and dispensing of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal at hospitals and community pharmacies and by other community organizations. The bill also provides that hospitals in the Commonwealth may enter into agreements with the Department of Health for the provision to uninsured patients of naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal.
Alcoholic beverage control; sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption. Allows distillers that have been appointed as agents of the Board of Directors (the Board) of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (the Authority), mixed beverage restaurant licensees, and limited mixed beverage restaurant licensees to sell mixed beverages for off-premises consumption and deliver such mixed beverages to consumers subject to requirements set forth in the bill. The bill allows the Board to summarily revoke a licensee's privileges to sell and deliver mixed beverages for off-premises consumption for noncompliance with the requirements set forth in the bill or applicable provisions of current law. The bill also allows farm winery licensees to sell pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption. The bill directs the Authority to convene a work group to study the sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption and report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2021. The provisions of the bill sunset on July 1, 2022. This bill incorporates SB 1388.
Certain students in kindergarten through grade3; reading intervention services. Requires reading interventionservices for students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstratedeficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standardsof Learning reading test or any reading diagnostic test that meetscriteria established by the Department of Education to be evidence-basedand aligned with the science of reading and structured literacy approaches,both defined in the bill, and to include the components of effectivereading instruction and explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulativeinstruction. The bill requires the parent of each student who receivessuch reading intervention services to be notified before the servicesbegin and the progress of each such student to be monitored throughoutthe provision of services. The bill also requires the Departmentof Education, no later than the beginning of the 2021%962022 school year, to compile and provide to each local school division a listof materials, resources, and curriculum programs that are supportedby the science of reading and based on instruction that is explicit,systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic, including (i) evidence-baseddyslexia programs that are aligned to structured literacy or groundedin the Orton-Gillingham methodology and (ii) evidence-based readingintervention programs, including programs that are grounded in thescience of reading.
Department of Veterans Services; initiativesto reduce unemployment among veterans; comprehensive transition program.Requires the Department of Veterans Services to develop a comprehensiveprogram to assist military service members, veterans, and their spousesin making a successful transition from military to civilian life in Virginia. The program promotes strategies and services for connectingtransitioning service members, veterans, and spouses to local, regional,state, and federal employment resources in Virginia, including (i)skills and workforce assessments and (ii) internship and apprenticeship programs. The bill also requires that the program prioritize assistanceto military service members, veterans, and their spouses who havenot sought services from or do not qualify for services under certainfederal programs administered by the Commonwealth.
Loudoun County school board; staggered terms.Enables the Loudoun County school board to stagger the terms of itsmembers at the November election immediately preceding the end ofthe board's term and upon the board's prior vote for staggered terms.
Absentee voting; third-party absentee ballotassembly and distribution. Permits a general registrar to contractwith a third party for the printing, assembly, and mailing of absenteeballots. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergencyregulations to implement the provisions of the bill and for thoseregulations to include processes to ensure secure and timely deliveryof voter information to contractors and reports of mailed absenteeballots from contractors.
Dams; negotiated settlement agreements.Authorizes the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board to enterinto a negotiated settlement with the owners of certain impoundingstructures who have allegedly violated or failed, neglected, or refusedto obey any permit condition, provision of the Dam Safety Act, orBoard regulation or order. The settlement shall require the dam ownerto correct deficiencies at the dam structure and to pay civil charges for past alleged violations instead of any appropriate civil penaltythat could be imposed. Such civil charges shall be suspended uponcompliance with the settlement agreement.
Entry onto land for inspection. Requires that for any project wherein the power of eminent domain may be exercised, any locality or the Commissioner of Highways to provide a landowner with a request to enter and inspect property at least 30 days in advance. The request must be on official letterhead, and shall notify the landowner that even if permission is withheld, the locality or the Commissioner of Highways will be permitted to enter the property on the proposed date.
Sales tax; exemption for personal protectiveequipment; emergency. Establishes a retail sales and use taxexemption for personal protective equipment, defined in the bill.The exemption would be available to any business that has in placea COVID-19 safety protocol that complies with the Emergency TemporaryStandard promulgated by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industryand that meets other criteria. The exemption would sunset one dayafter the first day following the expiration of the last executiveorder issued by the Governor related to the COVID-19 pandemic andthe termination of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard andany permanent COVID-19 regulations adopted by the Virginia Safetyand Health Codes Board. The bill contains an emergency clause.
