Sen. Danica Roem

Protected information in administrative andcivil proceedings; newspersons engaged in journalism. Expandsthe protected information privilege for newspersons to administrativeand civil proceedings. Under current law, a newsperson engaged injournalism shall not be compelled by the Commonwealth or a localityto testify about, disclose, or produce protected information, withcertain exceptions, in criminal proceedings only.

Department of Education; establishment of Farm to School Program Task Force. Requires the Department of Education to establish and appoint such members as it deems necessary or appropriate to the Farm to School Program Task Force for the purpose of increasing student access throughout the Commonwealth to high-quality farm to school programs, defined in the bill as programs (i) whereby public schools purchase and feature prominently in school meals locally produced food or (ii) that involve experiential student learning opportunities relating to local food and agriculture, including school and community garden programs and local farm visits. The bill requires the Task Force to collaborate with local school boards, community-based organizations, farmers, relevant state and local agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to (a) assess existing farm to school programs within the Commonwealth to identify and disseminate to each local school board best practices for implementing and sustaining such programs, (b) establish and distribute to each local school board a guidance document for the establishment and operation of school garden programs, (c) provide information and resources to each local school board to assist it in leveraging grant funds to support farm to school programs, and (d) collect such data and make such policy recommendations to local school boards, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly as it deems appropriate. This bill is identical to HB 830.

Guardians and conservators; order of appointment and certificate of qualification; annual report. Requires a petitioner to file with a petition for the appointment of a guardian, a conservator, or both a cover sheet on a form prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill requires a guardian to file an initial annual report reflecting the first four months of guardianship since qualification within six months of the date of qualification and to file the second and each subsequent annual report for each succeeding 12-month period within four months from the last day of the last 12-month period covered by the previous annual report. The bill also specifies which documents the clerk shall forward to certain entities upon the qualification of a guardian or conservator. This bill is a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia and is identical to HB 115.

STEM+C Competition Team Grant Program and Fund;established. Establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering,Mathematics, and Computing (STEM+C) Competition Team Grant Programand Fund to encourage interest in STEM+C-related subject areas andsupport STEM+C-related extracurricular team-building activities inpublic schools in the Commonwealth by providing grants to qualifiedschools, as defined in the bill, for use in establishing or supportingSTEM+C competition teams.

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to HB 1381.

Vital records; birth certificates; adoption; members of the military. Directs the State Registrar to expedite issuance of a new birth certificate upon receipt of certain documentation for a person born in the Commonwealth if at least one adoptive parent is an active duty or retired member of the military or military reserves. The bill directs the court decreeing the adoption to deliver such records to the State Registrar no later than five business days from such decree. This bill is identical to HB 649.

Senator Richard L. "Dick" Saslaw; portrait.Establishes a committee to contract for a portrait of SenatorRichard L. "Dick" Saslaw to be painted, framed, and installed inthe Capitol.

Celebrating the life of Kenneth Robert Krieger.

Vital records; birth certificates; adoption; members of the military. Directs the State Registrar to expedite issuance of a new birth certificate upon receipt of certain documentation for a person born in the Commonwealth if at least one adoptive parent is an active duty or retired member of the military or military reserves. The bill directs the court decreeing the adoption to deliver such records to the State Registrar no later than five business days from such decree. This bill is identical to SB 325.

Celebrating the life of Marvin Joseph Weniger.