Sen. John Bell

Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable LinwoodA. Holton, Jr.

Commending John H. Foote.

Celebrating the life of Colonel Edward DavidShames, USA, Ret.

Commending the Honorable Paul S. Trible, Jr.

Commending the Spotsylvania American LegionPost 320.

Regulating video gaming terminals; penalties. Authorizes and specifies the licensing requirements for the manufacture,distribution, operation, servicing, hosting, and playing of video gaming terminals (VGTs). The bill provides that VGTs are regulatedby the Virginia Lottery Board, which the bill renames as the VirginiaLottery and Gaming Oversight Board. The bill requires employees ofsuch licensees to be registered with the Virginia Lottery, whichthe bill renames as the Virginia Lottery and Gaming Department. Thebill imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the lawand regulations related to VGTs. The bill imposes a 34 percent taxon all gross profits from the play of VGTs and provides for how thetax proceeds are used; most are deposited into the School ConstructionFund, created by the bill.

Prescription Drug Affordability Board; established; drug cost affordability review. Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board for the purpose of protecting state residents, state and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the Commonwealth, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill directs the Governor to appoint members and alternate members of the Board. The Board is required to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The Board is tasked with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, and, in the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of the prescription drug product. Factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge are listed in the bill. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision, as provided in the bill, and the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the provisions of the bill.The bill also creates the Prescription Drug Affordability Fund to be used for funding operations of the Board and reimbursing other state agencies for implementing the provisions of the bill. The Board is required to report to the General Assembly twice annually, beginning on July 1, 2023, and December 1, 2023.Provisions of the bill shall apply to state-sponsored and state-regulated health plans and health programs and obligate such policies to limit drug payment amounts and reimbursements to an upper payment limit amount set by the Board, if applicable, following an affordability review. Medicare Part D plans shall not be bound by such decisions of the Board.The bill contains a severability clause and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.

Zoning; wireless communications infrastructure;application process. Provides that in its consideration of certaincommunications infrastructure applications, a locality shall notdisapprove an application if (i) the proposed new structure providesadditional wireless coverage or capacity for first responders or(ii) the proposed tower is not within a four-mile radius of an existingtower that is part of the applicant's network. Additional changesin the bill provide that a locality shall not be prohibited fromdisapproving certain applications for any zoning approval requiredfor non-administrative review-eligible projects on the basis of the fact that the proposed height of any wireless support structure,wireless facility, or wireless support structure with attached wirelessfacilities exceeds 200 feet above ground level. Current law setsthe limit at 50 feet above ground level.

Study; JLARC;whether a stand-alone gaming oversight agency would allow for morefocused oversight of all types of legal gaming in the Commonwealthand alleviate potential conflicts of interest; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study whethera stand-alone gaming oversight agency would allow for more focusedoversight of all types of legal gaming in the Commonwealth and alleviatepotential conflicts of interest by (i) evaluating whether the currentoversight and regulatory structure of the different types of legalgaming result in varying compliance standards with regard to similargaming devices which could unintentionally cause a competitive advantageto one industry over another; (ii) reporting on the current costsfor each existing gaming oversight agency to regulate the gaming forwhich it is responsible; (iii) determining whether the overall coststo oversee, regulate, and enforce violations of legal gaming in theCommonwealth would be lower if all such types of gaming were housedunder a stand-alone gaming oversight agency; (iv) conducting researchto determine potential methods of housing, and the steps necessaryto house, all legalized gaming under a stand-alone gaming oversightagency; and (v) determining the potential necessity for and specific composition of a centralized gaming oversight board that would best ensure compliance with ethical requirements and a substantial decreasein the number of potential conflicts of interest.