Sen. Bryce Reeves

Makes numerous changes to the laws governing the provision of foster care services in the Commonwealth. Among other things, the bill (i) allows the Commissioner of Social Services to develop and implement a corrective action plan for or assume temporary control over the foster care services of a local board of social services upon determining that the local board (a) has failed to provide foster care services or make placement and removal decisions in accordance with applicable laws or regulations or (b) has taken any action that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of any child under its supervision and control; (ii) requires the Commissioner to create within the State Department of Social Services (the Department) a foster care health and safety director position; (iii) directs the Commissioner to establish and maintain a confidential hotline to receive reports and complaints from foster parents and other persons regarding violations of laws or regulations applicable to foster care and any other matters related to the health, safety, or well-being of children in foster care; (iv) directs the Department to develop and implement a more reliable, structured, and comprehensive case review and quality improvement process to monitor and improve foster care services provided by local boards and departments of social services; and (v) requires the Department to establish and update annually a caseload standard that limits the number of foster care cases that may be assigned to each foster care caseworker. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Authorizes health insurance carriers in the Commonwealth to offer short-term, limited-duration health plans. Short-term, limited-duration health plans are defined as plans that have an expiration date that is less than 12 months after the original effective date of the contract, policy, or plan and, taking into account renewals or extensions, have a duration that does not exceed 36 months. Short-term health plans are required to include a specified disclaimer.

Requires a locality, as part of the local legislative approval process or as a condition of approval of a site plan, to require an owner, lessee, or developer of real property to enter into a written agreement to decommission solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices upon certain terms and conditions, including right of entry by the locality and financial assurance. This bill incorporates

Requires all members of the Virginia National Guard who are called into state active duty to be paid an amount not less than that prescribed for a member with the rank of E-6 who has more than 18 years of service. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Prohibits changes to the registration record of a registered voter who has been sent or provided an absentee ballot from being put into effect until after the election for which he was sent or provided an absentee ballot. The changes are still processed when made or requested by the registered voter. The prohibition applies to registration transactions by electronic means. The bill requires the Department of Elections to provide instructions to the general registrars for enrolling the name and address of voters to whom an absentee ballot is sent or provided into the Virginia voter registration system and for checking the registration record to determine whether a registered voter has been sent or provided an absentee ballot when receiving a request for a change to the registration record.

Permits any student whose service member parent is relocated to the Commonwealth pursuant to orders received to register for courses and other academic programs and participate in the lottery process for charter schools and college partnership laboratory schools in the school division in which such student will reside at the same time and in the same manner as students who reside in the local school division.

Requires, in any contract for a major information technology project, terms and conditions relating to the indemnification obligations and liability of a supplier to be reasonable and to not exceed in aggregate twice the value of the contract. The bill also provides that there is be no limitation on the liability of a supplier for (i) any intentional or willful misconduct, fraud, or recklessness of a supplier or any employee of a supplier or (ii) claims for bodily injury, including death, and damage to real property or tangible personal property resulting from the negligence of a supplier or any employee of a supplier. The bill provides an exception to such conditions where the Secretary of Administration approves a reasonable maximum alternative limitation of liability amount recommended by the CIO based on a risk assessment showing exceptional risk to the Commonwealth.

Increases the membership of the Board of Veterans Services by adding an additional member of the House of Delegates, an additional member of the Senate of Virginia, an additional nonlegislative citizen member, and an additional ex officio member, the Chairman of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. The bill also clarifies the scope of responsibility of the Board to include policy recommendations related to the mission of the Virginia War Memorial. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2020.