Sen. Ghazala Hashmi

Policies on parental notification of instructional material that includes sexually explicit content; scope and use. Provides that nothing in the law requiring the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and requiring each school board to adopt policies that are consistent with but may be more comprehensive than such model policies or that is in such model policies or school board policies shall be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public elementary or secondary school. This bill is identical to HB 571.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The bill satisfies a reenactment clause included in Chapters 1204 and 1242 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020. This bill is identical to HB 1.

Energy upgrade programs; implementation plans; capital investment requirements; cost recovery. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia (Phase II Utility) and American Electric Power (Phase I Utility) to implement an energy upgrade program by January 1, 2025. The bill states that such program shall allow a program operator, as defined in the bill, to implement an energy upgrade project at a customer's location and recover the costs of such project by imposing a special rate charge that is payable directly through the customer's utility bill. The bill contains provisions related to setting a special rate charge, notifying eligible customers, and marketing such program. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to establish program guidelines and set the required amount of capital investment with incremental increases required by each utility. The bill also outlines the duties of program operators and requires each utility to hire a program operator by January 1, 2025, and to file an implementation plan once the Commission has promulgated rules establishing such program. The bill requires the Commission to convene a stakeholder process for interested parties to evaluate issues related to energy projects within 180 days of the effective date of the bill. The bill states a number of factors for the Commission to consider and include in its rules to implement such program. In promulgating the rules, the Commission shall determine how best to include access to such program for customers who need emergency upgrades. Additionally, the Commission shall consider in promulgating rules how best to serve residents of environmental justice communities through the implementation of such program.

Requests for reports of aggregated, nonconfidential case data; academic research. Allows a full-time faculty member of a baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to request for the purposes of academic research, provided that such academic research has been approved through such public institution's institutional review board, a report for aggregated, nonconfidential case data for garnishment, unlawful detainer, and warrant in debt actions in a general district court. The bill provides that such report may include street addresses and the amount of money claimed in the action. The bill also requires any faculty member requesting the data to take all steps necessary to protect the privacy and security of such data and that such data shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves the receipt or provision of or assistance with reproductive health care services within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that such limit on extradition shall not apply when the person who is subject to such demand for extradition by another state was physically present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged offense and thereafter fled from such state.

Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as defined in the bill. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to HB 609.

Drug manufacturers; permitting and registration;certain conditions related to 340B-covered drugs. Requires adrug manufacturer, as a condition of obtaining a permit or as a conditionof registration or renewal of registration, to certify that it doesnot limit the number of contract pharmacies or covered entities,as defined in relevant law, to which it ships 340B-covered drugsand that it does not impose requirements, exclusions, reimbursementterms, or other conditions on a contract pharmacy or covered entitythat differ from those applied to pharmacies or entities that arenot contract pharmacies or covered entities on the basis that thepharmacy or entity is a contract pharmacy or covered entity or thatthe pharmacy or entity dispenses 340B-covered drugs.

Public school staffing and funding; National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; at-risk program.Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at risk, including prevention, intervention, or remediation activities required pursuant to relevant law, teacher recruitment programs and initiatives, programs for English language learners, the hiring of additional school counselors and other support staff, and other programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training. The bill also contains provisions relating to certain funding requirements for the At-Risk Program. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education to (a) develop and implement a data collection process related to English language learner expenditures and student English proficiency levels to begin to address the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's 2023 review of Virginia's K-12 Funding Formula and (b) develop, in coordination with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or any other relevant stakeholders, a plan for revised special education staffing requirements that addresses the staffing needs of each special education program in each school division. The bill provides for the inclusion of the provisions of the first enactment in the general appropriation act beginning July 1, 2026. This bill incorporates SB 127, SB 128, SB 187, SB 227, SB 228, and SB 609.

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptivedrugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to providecoverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan thatincludes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis,for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices, as defined inthe bill, approved for use as prescribed products or for over-the-counteruse. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposingupon any person receiving contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee,except in certain circumstances. The provisions of the bill applyto health insurance contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issuedfor delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2025.

Public service companies; pole attachments;cable television systems and telecommunications service providers. Requires a public utility, as defined in the bill, to establish and adhere to pole attachment practices and procedures that comply with certain requirements, including determining whether an attachment request is complete before reviewing such request on its merits, complying with certain timelines, and providing notice of a rearrangement to affected existing attachers. The bill provides that a public utility shall not apportion to a telecommunications service provider or cable television system the cost of replacing a red-tagged pole, as defined in the bill, provided that such utility may apportion to such provider or system the incremental cost of a taller or stronger pole that is necessitated solely by the new facilities of such provider or system. The bill authorizes the State Corporation Commission to enforce its provisions and requires the Commission to resolve disputes involving pole access within 90 days and concerning certain other matters within 120 days. This bill is identical to HB 800.