Sen. Danica Roem

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to establish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and states that the Task Force shall conclude its work by December 1, 2023.

Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.

Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles;powers and duties. Authorizes the Commissioner of the Departmentof Motor Vehicles, for the duration of a declared state of emergencyand for up to 90 days after it has been rescinded or expires, to(i) extend the validity or delay the cancellation of driver's licenses, special identification cards, and vehicle registrations; (ii) extendthe time frame during which a driver improvement clinic or paymentplan may be completed; (iii) extend the maximum number of days ofresidency permitted before a new resident must be licensed in Virginiato operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth; and (iv) extend thetime frame during which a new resident may operate a motor vehiclein the Commonwealth that has been registered in another jurisdictionbefore registering the vehicle in the Commonwealth.

Public institutions of higher education; certain students; financial assistance programs. Provides that students who meet the criteria to be deemed eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status shall be afforded the same educational benefits, including financial assistance programs administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the State Board for Community Colleges, or a public institution of higher education, as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition. The bill has a delayed effective date of August 1, 2022, and directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in coordination with institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth, to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

School board policies; school meal debt; enforcement. Requires each school board to adopt a policy that prohibits the board from filing a lawsuit against a student or the student's parent because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or owes a school meal debt.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use; child care exception. Prohibits any person from converting any moneys, securities, or like intangible personal property contributed to a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee to his personal use, the personal use of the candidate, or the personal use of a member of the candidate's immediate family. Current law prohibits such conversion of contributions to personal use specifically with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but excepts from "personal use" the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill directs the Attorney General to issue an advisory opinion explaining the provisions of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgated by the Board.

Virginia Human Rights Acts; discrimination onthe basis of disability. Adds discrimination on the basis ofdisability as an unlawful employment practice under the VirginiaHuman Rights Act. The bill also requires employers, defined in thebill, to make reasonable accommodation to the known physical and mentalimpairments of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, ifnecessary to assist such person in performing a particular job, unlessthe employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would imposean undue hardship on the employer. The bill also prohibits employersfrom taking any adverse action against an employee who requests oruses a reasonable accommodation, from denying employment or promotionopportunities to an otherwise qualified applicant or employee because such employer will be required to make reasonable accommodation tothe applicant or employee, or from requiring an employee to takeleave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to the known limitations related to the disability. The bill creates a cause of action against any employer who denies any of the rights to reasonable accommodation afforded by the bill and permits the court or juryto award compensatory damages, back pay, and other equitable relief.

National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol; Barbara Rose Johns. Authorizes, and directs the submission to the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, that the vacant spot of the Commonwealth in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol be filled with a statue to commemorate Barbara Rose Johns. The request is subject to written approval by the Governor and is made in accordance with the recommendation by the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol.

Common-law crime of suicide. Abolishes thecommon-law crime of suicide. Suicide is currently a common-law crimein Virginia, although there is no statutorily prescribed punishment.

Commending the Virginia National Guard.