Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; effect of criminal convictions on licensure; data to be included in biennial report. Provides for consideration of certain factors to be made by any regulatory board through an individualized assessment prior to denying an application for licensure, certification, or registration for any occupation or profession regulated by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation where such denial was made in whole or in part upon the existence of the applicant's criminal record. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2023 Session of the General Assembly, and the bill requires, beginning July 1, 2025, the Department to include certain data related to the criminal history of applicants to each regulatory board in its biennial report. This bill is identical to HB 282 and contains technical amendments.
Sponsored bills
Local correctional facilities; fees. Eliminatescertain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility,including a fee to defray the costs associated with an inmate's keep,travel and other expenses associated with an inmate's work releaseemployment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program,and telephone systems. The bill also caps certain fees charged toinmates within a local correctional facility, including that thecost of items within a correctional facility's store or commissaryand that the fee associated with electronic visitation and messagingsystems. The bill removes provisions that if an inmate is unableto pay in full certain fees, the inmate must enter into a deferredor installment payment agreement with the local correctional facility,or that such facility may enter into a contract for collection ofsuch fees with a private entity, a local governing body, or the countyor city treasurer. The bill also provides that, upon discharge froma local correctional facility, an inmate shall receive, in the formof a check, electronic transfer, or a debit or other account card,the balance of all accounts maintained by the facility for an inmate'suse.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; effect of criminal convictions on licensure; data to be included in biennial report. Provides for consideration of certain factors to be made by any regulatory board through an individualized assessment prior to denying an application for licensure, certification, or registration for any occupation or profession regulated by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation where such denial was made in whole or in part upon the existence of the applicant's criminal record. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2023 Session of the General Assembly, and the bill requires, beginning July 1, 2025, the Department to include certain data related to the criminal history of applicants to each regulatory board in its biennial report. This bill is identical to SB 409 and contains technical amendments.
Local Food and Farming Infrastructure GrantProgram. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the amount of a grantthat may be made to a political subdivision for projects that supportlocal food production and sustainable agriculture.
Local correctional facilities; entry privileges.Authorizes the Governor and members of the General Assembly toenter the interior of any local correctional facility.
Definitions; cremate; crematory; alkalinehydrolysis. Expands the definition of "cremate" to include reducinga dead human body to ashes and bone fragments through alkaline hydrolysis,a water-based process of dissolution using alkaline chemicals andagitation known as aquamation. The bill adds "aquamator" as an additionalterm for the existing definition of "cremator." The bill also adds"aquatorium" as an additional term for the existing definition of"crematory" or "crematorium" and amends the definition to includea facility containing a pressure vessel. Under current law, "cremate"means to reduce a dead human body to ashes and bone fragments bythe action of fire, and "crematory" or "crematorium" means a facilitycontaining a furnace for cremation of dead human bodies.
Special license plates; THE RICHMOND PLANET.Authorizes the issuance of special license plates commemoratingthe Richmond Planet newspaper bearing the legend THE RICHMOND PLANET.
Dealers; sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes. Prohibits a dealer or commercial dog or cat breeder, as defined in the bill, from importing for sale, selling, or offering for sale a dog or cat bred by a person who has received certain citations pursuant to the federal Animal Welfare Act. Current law only prohibits such activities related to the sale of dogs. The bill also clarifies that selling includes selling the dog or cat for experimental purposes. Certain provisions of the bill apply only to violations occurring on or after March 1, 2023.
Breeders; records of animals sold or transferred to animal testing facility. Requires any person or entity that breeds dogs or cats for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility to keep records of each animal for five years from the date of the acquisition, transfer, or disposition and to quarterly submit a summary of the records to the State Veterinarian.
Breeders of dogs and cats for animal testingfacilities; adoption of dogs and cats. Requires a breeder ofdogs and cats for sale or transfer to an animal testing facilitythat no longer has a need for a dog or cat in its possession to offerthe animal for adoption prior to euthanizing it. Currently, onlyanimal testing facilities are subject to this requirement.