World Polio Day. Designates October 24,in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as World Polio Day in Virginia.
Kimchi Day. Designates November 22, in 2022and in each succeeding year, as Kimchi Day in Virginia.
Girl Scout Week. Designates the week ofMarch 12, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Girl Scout Weekin Virginia.
Commending Virginia Polytechnic Institute andState University.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; charges for production of public records. Prohibits a public body from charging a requester for any costs incurred during the first two hours spent accessing or searching for requested records when such requester has made four or fewer individual record requests to such public body within 31 consecutive days. The bill provides that for any additional time spent accessing or searching for such records, or when such requester makes five or more individual record requests to such public body within any 31-consecutive-day period, the public body shall not charge an hourly rate for accessing or searching for the records exceeding the lesser of the hourly rate of pay of the lowest-paid individual capable of fulfilling the request or $33 per hour. The bill allows a public body to petition the appropriate court for relief from the $33 per hour fee cap upon showing by a preponderance of the evidence that there is no qualified individual capable of fulfilling the request for $33 per hour or less and requires such petition to be heard within seven days of when the petition is made, provided that the public body has sent and the requester has received a copy of the petition at least three working days prior to filing. The bill also provides that in certain instances a hearing on any petition shall be given precedence on a circuit court's docket over all cases that are not otherwise given precedence by law and that the time period the public body has to respond to a record request shall be tolled between the requester's receipt of the petition and the final disposition of the court. Finally, the bill prohibits a public body from charging a requester for any court costs or fees resulting from a petition and requires a public body to post on its website or otherwise publish a written policy (i) explaining how the public body assesses charges for accessing or searching for requested records and (ii) noting the current fee charged, if any, by the public body for accessing and searching for the requested records. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services;training; powers and duties of guardian; annual reports by guardians;information required. Directs the Department for Aging and RehabilitativeServices to develop and provide training for court-appointed guardians.The bill requires an appointed guardian and any staff employed bysuch guardian to perform guardianship duties to complete the initialtraining developed by the Department within four months of the dateof the initial court order of appointment and to include certainadditional information in the annual report that the guardian is requiredunder current law to submit to the local department of social services.
Electric cooperatives; board of directors; accessto meetings; required disclosures. Requires that each Virginiaelectric cooperative hold direct elections for its board of directors,either in person or by mail, or by electronic communication meansif authorized by its articles of incorporation, and prohibits proxyvoting. The bill requires that meetings of the board of directorsbe open to members of the cooperative, viewable both in person andthrough online streaming, and that recordings of the meetings beposted on an official website for viewing by members of the cooperative,with certain exceptions for confidential matters. Thebill also requires the board of directors of an electric cooperativeto make certain disclosures to its members annually. These disclosuresmust include the cooperative's position on legislative and regulatoryissues, the amount of money spent on lobbying by the cooperative,and the names of lobbying organizations that the cooperative supportsand be posted online or distributed through a member publication.
Department of Behavioral Health and DevelopmentalServices; work group; strategies to meet behavioral health safety net workforce needs; report. Directs the Department of BehavioralHealth and Developmental Services to establish a work group, whichshall include representatives of the Department of Health Professions,the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards, the VirginiaArea Health Education Centers Program and regional area health educationcenters, the Virginia Community College System, the State Councilof Higher Education for Virginia, and other relevant stakeholders,to develop a strategy to address the behavioral health safety networkforce shortage in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the workgroup to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor andthe General Assembly by November 1, 2022.
Public school buses; seat belts. Requiresthe Board of Education to make regulations to require each new publicschool bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equippedwith a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder strap or harnessin every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure thatno later than July 1, 2040, each school bus that it uses for thetransportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat.
Health carriers; denial of coverage; quarterlyreport. Requires each health carrier in the Commonwealth to submitto the State Corporation Commission on a quarterly basis a reportof all first-time denials of coverage, including denials based onpreexisting conditions and experimental or investigational treatments.The bill states that a health carrier must inform a covered personof his right to an internal appeal or, if applicable, an externalreview, upon issuing a denial of coverage. The bill has an expirationdate of July 1, 2024.
