Sen. Tommy Norment

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.

Increases the scholarship amount available for an eligible student with a disability from 100 percent to 300 percent of the per pupil amount distributed to the local school division as the state's share of the standards of quality costs, or the actual qualified educational expenses of the student, whichever is less. The bill broadens the definition of "eligible student with a disability" to include any child who is a resident of Virginia for whom an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) has been written and finalized in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In addition, the family household income of the eligible student with a disability who is receiving the scholarship must not exceed 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

Provides that in the event that the ratio of the assets of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Plan) to the obligations of the Plan exceeds 105 percent, the pricing reserve, which the bill defines as the percentage by which the sum of advanced payments to be made pursuant to each prepaid tuition contract of the Plan exceeds the amount estimated to be required to provide tuition at the fixed, guaranteed level that is specified in such prepaid tuition contract, shall not exceed five percent. The bill provides that in the event that the ratio of the assets of the Plan to the obligations of the Plan does not meet or exceed 105 percent, the pricing reserve may exceed five percent but shall not exceed 10 percent. The bill also requires the governing board of the Plan to provide to the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission written notification and a detailed explanation of any change to the pricing reserve within 30 days of such change.

Defines, for purposes of cigarette taxes, alternative nicotine product, heated tobacco product, liquid nicotine, and nicotine vapor product. The bill also provides that the definition of cigarette includes only nicotine-containing products that produce smoke from combustion. The bill extends from November 2018 to November 2019 the conclusion of a study by the Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences of options for the modernization of cigarette taxes and possible reforms to the taxation of tobacco products that will provide fairness and equity for all local governments. The bill incorporates