Sen. Mike Jones

Commissioner of Health; work group to studythe occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinkingwater; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene awork group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth'spublic drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. Thebill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendationsto the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture,Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutionsand the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and NaturalResources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.

Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitiveand sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposesof the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, "occupational disease"includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitiveand sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustainedmotions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations,or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are coveredunder the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitiveor sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period,provided that the time period over which such physical stress occurredcan be reasonably identified.

Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.

Virginia Retirement System; return to work for law-enforcement officers. Allows a retired law-enforcement officer to return to work full time as a law-enforcement officer and continue to receive his pension under the Virginia Retirement System. Such person shall be required to have a break in service of at least six calendar months before reemployment. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Firearm locking device required for sale or transfer of handguns; child safety warning required; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer any handgun to any person, other than a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer, unless the transferee is provided with a locking device for such handgun and the handgun is accompanied by a warning, in conspicuous and legible type in capital letters printed on a label affixed to the gun and on a separate sheet of paper included within the packaging enclosing the handgun, that handguns should be locked and kept away from children and that there may be civil and criminal liability for failing to do so. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement and governmental agencies. This bill was incorporated into HB 158.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.

Public secondary schools; naloxone procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans and policies for each secondary school relating to opioid overdose prevention and reversal, including: (i) the procurement, storage, and maintenance of at least two unexpired doses of naloxone at each such secondary school; (ii) the possession and administration of naloxone by school board employees; (iii) the requirement that each faculty and staff member employed at each secondary school complete training and certification in the administration of naloxone; (iv) the development and implementation of an opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program to be completed by each secondary school student by grade 10; and (v) the provision of disciplinary immunity for a student who, on school grounds and during regular school hours, has been found in possession of naloxone or has administered naloxone in the event of a life-threatening opioid overdose, provided that such student has completed the opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program and is 16 years of age or older.The bill contains provisions requiring each local school board and each secondary school to implement the applicable provisions of the bill. The bill also modifies the individuals who are authorized to administer naloxone or other opioid antagonists to include any school board employee who has completed training and is certified in the administration of naloxone by an organization authorized by DBHDS to provide such training and certification and to include any student enrolled at a public secondary school who has completed and received certification through the opioid overdose prevention and reversal training program and is 16 years of age or older. Current law limits such authorization to school nurses or school board employees contracted by a school board to provide school health services.Finally, the bill directs the Department of Health and the Department of Education to collaborate to develop guidelines and policies for the implementation of the provisions of the bill and for the Department of Education to submit such guidelines to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by January 1, 2025. The bill requires such guidelines and policies to be implemented by each school board by the beginning of the 2025–2026 school year.