Sen. Danica Roem

Baccalaureate public institutions of highereducation; student meal donation programs; report. Requests thateach baccalaureate public institution of higher education in theCommonwealth establish a student meal donation program by which anyenrolled student who has purchased a meal plan may donate any mealon such plan to the program and any enrolled student with demonstratedfood insecurity may apply to the program to redeem a donated mealat a meal plan-eligible on-campus dining location or food bank locatedon campus in accordance with applicable state health regulations.

Green New Deal Act. Establishes a moratorium, effective January 1, 2022, on approval by any state agency or political subdivision of any approval required for (i) electric generating facilities that generate fossil fuel energy through the combustion of a fossil fuel resource; (ii) import or export terminals for fossil fuel resources; (iii) certain maintenance activities relating to an import or export terminal for a fossil fuel resource; (iv) gathering lines or pipelines for the transport of any fossil fuel resource that  require the use of eminent domain on private property; (v) certain maintenance activities relating to such gathering lines or pipelines; (vi) refineries of a fossil fuel resource; and (vii) exploration for any type of fossil fuel, unless preempted by applicable federal law. The measure also requires that at least 80 percent of the electricity sold by a retail electric supplier in calendar years 2028 through 2035 be generated from clean energy resources. In calendar year 2036 and every calendar year thereafter, 100 percent of the electricity sold by a retail electric supplier is required to be generated from clean energy resources. The clean energy mandates apply to a public utility or other person that sells not less than 1,000 megawatt hours of electric energy to retail customers or generates not less than 1,000 megawatt hours of electric energy for use by the person. The Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is authorized to bring actions for injunctions to enforce these requirements. The measure requires the Department to adopt a Climate Action Plan that addresses all aspects of climate change, including mitigation, adaptation, resiliency, and assistance in the transition from current energy sources to clean renewable energy. The measure provides that any retail electric supplier that fails to meet any goal or benchmark is liable for a civil penalty equal to twice the cost of the financial investment necessary to meet such goal or mandate that was not achieved, or three times the cost of the financial investment necessary to meet such goal or benchmark that was not achieved if not met in an environmental justice community. The measure provides that it is the goal of the Commonwealth to achieve a 36 percent reduction in electric energy consumption in buildings by 2036. The measure requires the Department, in coordination with the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice (Council) to establish performance benchmarks for environmental justice communities and to establish programs for jobs for people in environmental justice communities. The measure requires the Council to develop and make available to each state agency training modules designed to facilitate the promotion of environmental justice. The measure requires the Department to establish the Transitioning Workers Program (the Program) to provide support for workers in the fossil fuel industry and affected communities and provide such workers job training, relocation support, income and benefit support, and early retirement benefits. The measure provides for funding such program by 20 percent of the revenue generated by the allowance auction established by the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. The measure prohibits the Commission from approving construction of any new utility-owned generating facilities that emit carbon dioxide as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity. The measure requires that all utility costs associated with the construction of, acquisition of, or agreements to purchase the energy, capacity, and environmental attributes of certain required generation and storage facilities are recovered through the utility's rates for generation and distribution services. The measure requires that under the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power be required to produce their electricity from 80 percent renewable sources by 2028 and 100 percent by 2036. The measure increases the incremental energy efficiency savings that each investor-owned incumbent electric utility is required to achieve that start in 2022 at 2.4 percent for American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia of the average annual energy retail sales by that utility in 2020 and increases those savings annually.

Presidential electors; National Popular VoteCompact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known asthe Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by NationalPopular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United Statesgives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the mannerof awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agreesto award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receivesthe most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessinga majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A statemay withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring withinsix months of the end of a President's term shall not become effectiveuntil a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; recognition ofsame-sex marriages. Repeals the constitutional provision definingmarriage as only a union between one man and one woman, as well asthe related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of theUnited States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and its agents are required to issuemarriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equallyunder the law, regardless of the gender of the two parties to themarriage. The amendment further provides that religious organizationsand clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuseto perform any marriage.

Commending journalists in Virginia.

Commending Wolf Trap Foundation for the PerformingArts.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable MamyeE. BaCote.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; chargesfor production of public records. Prohibits a public body fromcharging a requester for any costs incurred during the first twohours spent accessing or searching for requested records when suchrequester has made four or fewer individual records requests to suchpublic body within 31 consecutive days. The bill provides that forany additional time spent accessing or searching for such records,or when such requester makes five or more individual records requeststo such public body within any 31-consecutive-day period, the publicbody shall not charge an hourly rate for accessing or searching forthe records exceeding the lesser of the hourly rate of pay of thelowest-paid individual capable of fulfilling the request or $33 perhour. The bill also requires public bodies to post on their website or otherwise publish a written policy (a) explaining how the publicbody assesses charges for accessing or searching for requested recordsand (b) noting the current fee charged, if any, by the public bodyfor accessing and searching for the requested records.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; requiredrelease of law-enforcement disciplinary records; exceptions.Requires the release of law-enforcement disciplinary records relatedto completed disciplinary investigations. The bill defines "law-enforcement disciplinary records" as any record created in furtherance of alaw-enforcement disciplinary proceeding or any other administrativeor judicial proceeding, whether such proceeding takes place in theCommonwealth or in another jurisdiction. The bill allows for theredaction of certain personal contact information of the law-enforcementofficer, complainant, and witness or their families; social securitynumbers; and certain medical information of the law-enforcement officerand complainant.