Vacant buildings; registration. Permits any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law to register such building annually. This bill incorporates SB 478, is identical to HB 1486, and is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.
Sponsored bills
Surveillance Technology Registry; created.Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department)to create and maintain a registry of surveillance technologies, definedin the bill, and related information provided by localities and toprovide notice to localities that fail to properly register. Thebill requires localities, prior to implementing the use of any surveillancetechnology, to register such surveillance technology with the SurveillanceTechnology Registry and provide information including (i) the type of surveillance technology used, (ii) the cost and vendor of thesurveillance technology, (iii) the approximate location of the surveillancetechnology, and (iv) any storage and use requirements for the surveillancetechnology. The bill requires the Department, for any type of surveillancetechnology that has not previously been registered, to request theJoint Commission on Technology and Science to study and issue a reporton such surveillance technology.
Health insurance; pharmacy benefits managers; reporting requirements; civil penalty. Provides that a person that violates the existing requirement to obtain a license prior to providing pharmacy benefits management services or otherwise acting as a pharmacy benefits manager shall be subject to a civil penalty of $5,000 for each day on which such violation occurs. The bill adds additional requirements to existing reporting requirements for insurance carriers relating to pharmacy benefits managers. Such additional requirements include (i) the aggregate amount of a pharmacy benefits manager's retained rebates, as defined in the bill; (ii) a pharmacy benefits manager's aggregate retained rebate percentage, as defined in the bill; (iii) a pharmacy benefits manager's retained rebate percentage, as defined in the bill, for each health benefit plan; and (iv) the aggregate amount of administrative fees received by a pharmacy benefits manager.
Autism Advisory Council; reestablished. Reestablishes the Autism Advisory Council, which expired July 1, 2022. The bill also increases from eight to 25 the number of Council members, establishes eligibility criteria for nonlegislative citizen members, and provides that no recommendation of the Council shall be adopted if a majority of the legislative members appointed to the Council vote against the recommendation and for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Council. The law prior to expiration of the Council provided that no Council recommendation could be adopted if a majority of the House members or Senate members voted against the recommendation and for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Council. The bill has a sunset date of July 1, 2027.
Law-enforcement training; individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish compulsory minimum and in-service training standards for law-enforcement officers on communicating with individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability, such as autism spectrum disorder, which shall include (i) an overview and behavioral recognition of autism spectrum disorder, (ii) best practices for crisis prevention and de-escalation techniques, (iii) an objective review of any relevant tools and technology available to assist in communication, and (iv) education on law-enforcement agency and community resources for the autism community on future crisis prevention. The bill requires that such training standards be established in consultation with at least one individual with autism spectrum disorder, one family member of an individual with autism spectrum disorder, one specialist who works with individuals with autism spectrum disorder, one representative from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and one representative from a state or local law-enforcement agency. The bill requires the Department to establish such training standards by January 1, 2027, and requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2024, to complete the compulsory in-service training by July 1, 2028. This bill is identical to HB 1246.
Kinship as Foster Care Prevention Program established.Establishes the Kinship as Foster Care Prevention Program to promote and support placements of children with relatives by local boardsof social services in order to avoid foster care. The bill providesthat a child is eligible to participate in the Program if the localboard determines that (i) the child is at imminent risk of beingremoved from his home and a preliminary protective order is insufficientto address the child's immediate safety concerns and (ii) the child'sparent or guardian consents to the placement of the child with arelative pursuant to an agreement with the local board developedin accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Employee protections; medicinal use of cannabisoil. Amends the provision that prohibits an employer from discriminatingagainst an employee for such employee's lawful use of cannabis oilpursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitionerfor the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee'sdiagnosed condition or disease, with certain exceptions, by specifyingthat such use must conform to the laws of the Commonwealth and byexcluding the employees of the Commonwealth and other public bodiesfrom such protections.
Law-enforcement training; individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish compulsory minimum and in-service training standards for law-enforcement officers on communicating with individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability, such as autism spectrum disorder, which shall include (i) an overview and behavioral recognition of autism spectrum disorder, (ii) best practices for crisis prevention and de-escalation techniques, (iii) an objective review of any relevant tools and technology available to assist in communication, and (iv) education on law-enforcement agency and community resources for the autism community on future crisis prevention. The bill requires that such training standards be established in consultation with at least one individual with autism spectrum disorder, one family member of an individual with autism spectrum disorder, one specialist who works with individuals with autism spectrum disorder, one representative from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and one representative from a state or local law-enforcement agency. The bill requires the Department to establish such training standards by January 1, 2027, and requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2024, to complete the compulsory in-service training by July 1, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 547.
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; dissemination and availability of online transition resources. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in partnership with relevant entities, to ensure that online resources are readily available and disseminated to all individuals of age to transition from school to post-school activities and their families. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.
Financial institutions; reporting financial exploitation of elderly or vulnerable adults. Permits a financial institution to allow an elderly or vulnerable adult, as defined in the bill, to submit and periodically update a list of trusted persons whom such financial institution or financial institution staff, as defined in the bill, may contact in the case of the suspected financial exploitation of such adult. The bill also permits a financial institution to conduct a training to instruct its staff on how to identify and report the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult internally at such financial institution, to a designated trusted contact, and to various other authorities. The bill directs the Bureau of Financial Institutions of the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish guidelines for such training by January 1, 2026. The bill provides that no financial institution staff that have received such training shall be liable in any civil or administrative proceeding for disclosing the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult pursuant to the bill's provisions if such disclosure was made in good faith and with reasonable care. The bill provides that no financial institution that has provided such training shall be liable for any such disclosure by financial institution staff. This bill is identical to HB 692.