Definition of "abused or neglected child." Conforms the definition of "abused or neglected child" in Title 16.1 (Courts Not of Record) with the definition of the same term in Title63.2 (Welfare (Social Services)).
Licensed certified midwives; licensure; practice. Defines "practice of licensed certified midwifery" and directs the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to establish criteria for the licensure and renewal of a license as a certified midwife. The bill requires that licensed certified midwives practice in consultation with a licensed physician in accordance with a practice agreement. The bill also directs the Department of Health Professions to convene a work group to study the licensure and regulation of certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and certified professional midwives to determine the appropriate licensing entity for such professionals. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
Excise tax on peanuts. Extends from July1, 2021, to July 1, 2026, the sunset date of the excise tax on allpeanuts grown in Virginia and reduces from $0.30 per 100 pounds to$0.25 per 100 pounds the excise tax rate. The proceeds from thistax are used for promoting the sales and use of Virginia peanuts.
Pharmaceutical processors; cannabis products.Permits pharmaceutical processors to produce and distribute cannabisproducts other than cannabis oil. The bill defines the terms "botanicalcannabis," "cannabis product," and "usable cannabis." The bill requiresthe Board of Pharmacy to establish testing standards for botanical cannabis and botanical cannabis products, establish a registrationprocess for botanical cannabis products, and promulgate emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill allowsthe Board of Pharmacy to assess and collect a one-time botanicalcannabis regulatory fee from each pharmaceutical processor, not toexceed $50,000, to cover costs associated with the implementationof the provisions of the bill, including costs for new personnel,training, promulgation of regulations and guidance documents, andinformation technology.
Produce Rx Program established; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to convene a work group to develop a plan for a three-year pilot Produce Rx program to incentivize consumption of qualifying fruits and vegetables by eligible individuals for whom increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended by a qualified care provider. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to report on the activities of the work group and the elements of the plan to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2021.
Central Virginia Transportation Authority; membership. Adds the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, or hisdesignee, as a nonvoting ex officio member of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority.
Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.
Pretrial data collection. Requires the VirginiaCriminal Sentencing Commission to collect and disseminate, on an annualbasis, statewide and locality-level data related to adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by confinement in jail or a termof imprisonment. The bill provides that any personal or case identifyinginformation within the data shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and shall not be made publicly available.The bill does not require that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commissionsubmit such annual report prior to December 1, 2022. Additionally,the bill requires the Virginia State Crime Commission to providethe Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission with the final datasetof all adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinementin jail or a term of imprisonment as of October 2017 and that theVirginia Criminal Sentencing Commission make such statewide and locality-leveldata publicly available on a website established and maintained bythe Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission as (i) an electronic dataset, excluding any personal and case identifying information, that maybe downloaded by members of the public and (ii) an electronic interactivedata dashboard tool that displays aggregated data based on characteristicsor indicators selected by the user, by October 1, 2021. This billis a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission.
Research and development tax credits. Provides that the research and development expenses tax credit and the major research and development expenses tax credit shall be available against the bank franchise tax for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2021. Under current law, the credits are available only against the individual and corporate income tax.
Electric utilities; electric school bus projects;report. Authorizes electric utilities to partner with schooldivisions to implement projects designed to encourage the proliferationof school buses that are fueled in whole or in part by electricity,along with associated charging and other infrastructure, for the purpose of transporting students and that may also serve as electricgrid stabilization or peak-shaving resources. The bill provides thatif an electric school bus project meets the requirements in the bill,then it is in the public interest and may constitute an energy storageresource. The bill requires an electric school bus project and itscorresponding agreement to include a provision to compensate a participating school division for the use of the school bus battery by the electricutility as a grid stabilizing or peak-shaving resource and a provisionthat the electric school buses shall be titled under the participatingschool division, but the utility shall own the associated batteriesand charging stations. The bill also provides a tax exemption forelectric school buses and associated charging and other infrastructurethat is related or incidental to an authorized electric school busproject.
