Competitive compensation for certain positionsin public elementary and secondary schools. Declares it the goalof the Commonwealth that its public school teachers and all otherindividuals employed in Standards of Quality-funded positions becompensated at a rate that is competitive, defined as at or abovethe national average salary for the position, in order to attractand keep highly qualified individuals in such positions. The bill requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriationact in a sum sufficient to fund a five percent annual pay increasefor each such position, effective from the 2023%9624 school yearthrough the 2027%9628 school year, provided that such five percentannual pay increase (i) is subject to a local matching requirementin accordance with each local school board's composite index of localability-to-pay and (ii) shall be adjusted annually as necessary toaccount for rebenchmarking and to yield a rate of compensation percentage increase for all Standards of Quality-funded positions that is peggedto providing a competitive average teacher salary in the Commonwealth.The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.
Sponsored bills
Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable LinwoodA. Holton, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Colonel Edward DavidShames, USA, Ret.
Commending the Honorable Paul S. Trible, Jr.
Paid family and medical leave program. Requiresthe Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer apaid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January1, 2025. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employeesfor family and medical leave. Funding for the program is providedthrough premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning in2024. The amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's averageweekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changesin the statewide average weekly wage. The measure caps the durationof paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year. The bill provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.
Minimum staffing standards for nursing homesand certified nursing facilities; administrative sanctions; Long-TermCare Services Fund. Requires nursing homes to meet a baselinestaffing level based on resident acuity in alignment with the Centersfor Medicare and Medicaid Services staffing level recommendations.The bill requires nursing homes to collect and submit to the Departmentof Health certain data related to staffing. The bill gives the Commissionerof Health the power to impose administrative sanctions on nursinghomes and directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations relatedto the criteria and procedures for imposition of administrative sanctionsor initiation of court proceedings for violations of the bill. Thebill provides that nursing homes shall only be subject to administrativesanctions upon initial funding for the state share of the cost toimplement the provisions of the bill. The bill establishes the Long-TermCare Services Fund for the purpose of making grants to assist inthe provision of activities that protect or improve the quality ofcare or quality of life for residents, patients, and consumers oflong-term care services.
Death with Dignity Act; penalties. Allows an adult who has been determined by an attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal condition to request medication for the purpose of ending his life in a humane and dignified manner. The bill requires that a patient's request for medication to end his life be given orally on two occasions, that such request be in writing, that such request be signed by the patient and two witnesses, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request. The bill requires that before a patient is prescribed medication to end his life, the attending physician must (i) confirm that the patient is making an informed decision, (ii) refer the patient to a capacity reviewer if the physician is uncertain as to whether the patient is making an informed decision, (iii) refer the patient to a consulting physician for confirmation or rejection of the attending physician's diagnosis, and (iv) inform the patient that he may rescind the request at any time. The bill provides that neither a patient's request for medication to end his life in a humane and dignified manner nor his act of ingesting such medication shall have any effect upon a life, health, or accident insurance policy or an annuity contract. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (a) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for medication to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death or (b) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request medication for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death. Finally, the bill grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of medication to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.
Celebrating the life of Alexander Shepherd Quintard,USA, Ret.