Sen. Bill DeSteph

Assisted living facilities; audio-visual recordingof residents. Directs the Board of Social Services (the Board)to promulgate regulations by July 1, 2021, governing audio-visual recording of residents in assisted living facilities and requiresthe Department of Social Services to convene a workgroup of stakeholdersto make recommendations on such regulations. The workgroup shall report its recommendations to the Board and the General Assembly byDecember 1, 2020.

Virginia National Guard; state active duty for emergency response; pay and allowances for members. Provides that whenever called to state active duty in response to certain emergencies, members of the National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force receive pay and allowance equal to their rank and years of service, as determined by the Department of Military Affairs. The bill also authorizes the Adjutant General to increase state active duty pay on an annual basis by a rate not to exceed the most recent percentage increase in basic pay for members of the Armed Forces. Current law provides that (i) officers of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as prescribed for members of like rank in the United States Armed Forces, (ii) members of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as if they were on a day of Annual Training, and (iii) members of the Virginia Defense Force called to state active duty receive the same pay and allowances as persons of like grade in the National Guard for a day of Annual Training, capped at 25 years of service. The provisions of the bills are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Charter; City of Virginia Beach. Provides that a Virginia Beach city council member from one of the residence districts who decides to run for an at-large seat on the council shall tender his resignation as a council member not less than 10 days prior to the date for the filing of petitions. Similarly, a city council member from one of the at-large seats who decides to run for a residence district seat on the council shall tender his resignation as a council member not less than 10 days prior to the filing date. The unexpired portion of the term of any such council member who has resigned shall be filled at the same general election, or by special election if the seat is to be filled by special election. This bill is identical to HB 464.

Hearing notice by localities. Provides that in any instance in which a locality in Planning District 23 has submitted a timely notice of public hearing to a newspaper published or having general circulation in the locality and the newspaper fails to publish the notice, such locality shall be deemed to have met certain notice requirements so long as the notice was published in the next available edition. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2022. This bill is identical to HB 166.

Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge. Designatesthe bridge on Guinea Station Road over Interstate 95 in SpotsylvaniaCounty the Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge.

Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children; membership. Adds two nonlegislative citizen members to the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, one of whom is a parent of a military child, to be appointed by the Governor, and one of whom is a military spouse serving on the Department of Education's Military Student Support Process Action Team, to be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This bill incorporates SB 47.

Specialty dockets; veterans docket. Providesthat any veterans docket authorized and established as a local specialtydocket in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginiashall be deemed a "Veterans Treatment Court Program," as that termis used under federal law or by any other entity, for the purposesof applying for, qualifying for, or receiving any federal grants,other federal money, or money from any other entity designated toassist or fund such state programs. The bill contains an emergencyclause.

Line of Duty Act; eligible dependents. Provides that children born or adopted after the death or disability of an employee covered by the Line of Duty Act are eligible for health insurance coverage if their birth or adoption occurred after the time of the employee's death or disability, but prior to July 1, 2017. Under current law, such children are not eligible unless they were adopted pursuant to a preadoptive agreement entered into prior to the death or disability. This bill is identical to HB 51.

Workers' compensation; presumption of compensability for certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefighters or certain employees develop the cancer. The presumption shall not apply for any individual who was diagnosed with one of the conditions before July 1, 2020. The measure removes the compensability requirement that the employee who develops cancer had contact with a toxic substance encountered in the line of duty. The bill also reduces the number of years of service needed to qualify for the presumption from 12 to five for various types of cancer. For hypertension or heart disease, the bill adds a requirement that an individual complete five years of service in his position in order to qualify. This bill incorporates SB 58, SB 381, and SB 531 and is identical to HB 783.

Special license plates; VB STRONG. Authorizes the issuance of special license plates for supporters of the City of Virginia Beach bearing the legend VB STRONG. The deadline for the receipt of 450 prepaid applications is November 1, 2020.