Health care provider panels; vertically integrated carriers; public hospitals. Requires any vertically integratedcarrier to offer to every public hospital participation in each providerpanel or network established for each of the vertically integratedcarrier's policies, products, and plans, including all policies,products, and plans offered to individuals, employers, and enrolleesin state and federal government benefit programs. The measure requiresthat the offered participation (i) be without any adverse tieringor other financial incentives that may discourage enrollees from utilizing the services of the public hospital and (ii) include allservices offered by the public hospital and any other entity owned,operated, or controlled by the public hospital. The bill defines"vertically integrated carrier" as a health insurer or other carrierthat owns an interest in, is owned by, or is under common ownershipor control with an acute care hospital facility, excluding an entitythat is under the ultimate control of or under common control witha public hospital.
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C-PACE loans; residential dwellings and condominiums. Removes an exclusion for residential dwellings with fewer than fivedwelling units and condominium projects from certain requirementsrelated to a voluntary special assessment lien that secures a loanfor the initial acquisition and installation of clean energy, resiliency,or stormwater management improvements.
Electric energy; customer choice. Provides that all retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth will be permitted to purchase electricity from any supplier licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth by January 1, 2023. The bill requires, by January 1, 2022, the State Corporation Commission to promulgate all regulations it deems necessary to ensure the orderly transition to a competitive market for electric energy in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that such regulations (i) provide for the customer choice for electricity for all customer classes, thereby deregulating the retail sale and pricing of the generation component of electricity service; (ii) require the divestiture of generation assets or the functional separation of the generation and transmission and distribution businesses of each incumbent electric utility operating in the Commonwealth; (iii) provide all retail customers with guaranteed access to fairly priced electric generation service from a provider of last resort; (iv) provide benefits to all rate classes; (v) include adequate consumer protections, marketing standards, and complaint procedures; and (vi) ensure reliability and compliance with federal and state environmental laws and regulations.The bill provides that incumbent electric utilities will continue to provide distribution services within their exclusive service territories and the Commission will continue to regulate the distribution of retail electric energy to retail customers and, to the extent permitted under federal law, the transmission of electric energy. Additionally, the bill requires that the Commission promulgate regulations requiring all suppliers of electric energy, including providers of last resort, to obtain at least 25 percent of their retail energy sales in the Commonwealth from renewable energy by January 1, 2025; 50 percent of their retail energy sales in the Commonwealth from renewable energy by January 1, 2030; and 100 percent of their retail energy sales in the Commonwealth from renewable energy by January 1, 2050.
Dismissal of action by court without prejudice. Provides that, for good cause shown or upon agreement of all parties,the court may dismiss an action without prejudice and the plaintiffmay recommence such action within the original period of limitation.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist insurancepolicies; bad faith. Provides that if an insurance company denies,refuses, or fails to pay its insured, or refuses a reasonable settlementdemand within the policy's coverage limits, for a claim for uninsuredor underinsured motorist benefits within a reasonable time afterbeing presented with a demand for such benefits and it is subsequentlyfound that such denial, refusal, or failure was not in good faith, then the insurance company shall be liable to the insured for thefull amount of the judgment and reasonable attorney fees, expenses,and interest from the date the initial settlement demand was presentedto the insurance company.
Virginia Higher Education Funding Review Commission established; duties. Directs the Secretary of Education to convenethe Virginia Higher Education Funding Review Commission as an advisorycommission to provide advice and make recommendations on higher educationcosts, funding needs, and appropriations in Virginia, as specifiedin the bill, with the Secretary of Education serving ex officio withoutvoting privileges. The bill directs the Commission to consult withnational and state policy experts and institutional innovators inother states and consider trends in the implementation of variousoutcomes-based funding models and to account for institutional differences.The Commission shall also seek input from within the Commonwealth,including industry leaders, consumer advocacy groups, and representativesof public doctoral institutions, comprehensive institutions, andcomprehensive community colleges. The Commission shall submit a preliminaryreport and any related recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmenof the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committeeon Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2020, with a final reportby July 1, 2021.
Corporal punishment of a child with an object;penalty. Provides that any parent, guardian, or other personresponsible for the care of a child under 18 years of age who usesan inanimate object to subject a child to corporal punishment, asdefined in the bill, is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. The billalso provides that a defendant not previously convicted of corporalpunishment of a child with an object may have his charge deferredto enter a treatment program. The charge may be dismissed upon successfulcompletion of the treatment program.
Health care provider panels; vertically integrated carriers; providers. Requires any vertically integrated carrier to offer participation in each provider panel or network established for each of the vertically integrated carrier's policies, products, and plans, including all policies, products, and plans offered to individuals, employers, and enrollees in state and federal government benefit programs, to every provider in the Commonwealth under the same terms and conditions that apply to providers under common control with the vertically integrated carrier. The measure requires that the offered participation (i) be without any adverse tiering or other financial incentives that may discourage enrollees from utilizing the services of the provider, (ii) include all sites and services offered by the provider, and (iii) take into account the different characteristics of different providers with regard to the range, nature, cost, and complexity of services offered. The measure prohibits an officer or director of a vertically integrated carrier from simultaneously serving as an officer or director of an entity that owns, operates, manages, or controls an acute care hospital located, in whole or in part, in the Commonwealth. The measure defines "vertically integrated carrier" as a health insurer or other carrier that owns an interest in, is owned by, or is under common ownership or control with an acute care hospital facility, excluding an entity that is under the ultimate control of or under common control with a public hospital.
Virginia Urban Agriculture AdvisoryCouncil created; report. Creates the Virginia Urban AgricultureAdvisory Council as an advisory council in the legislative branchof state government to encourage urban agriculture and contributeto building a local food economy. The bill has an expiration dateof July 1, 2023.
Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder; law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Provides that post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act if a mental health professional examines a law-enforcement officer or firefighter and diagnoses the individual as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the individual's undergoing a qualifying event, which includes an event occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2020, in which a law-enforcement officer or firefighter views a deceased minor, witnesses the death of a person or an incident involving the death of a person, witnesses an injury to a person who subsequently dies, has physical contact with and treats an injured person who subsequently dies, transports an injured person who subsequently dies, or witnesses a traumatic physical injury that results in the loss of a vital body part or a vital body function that results in permanent disfigurement of the victim. Other conditions for compensability include (i) if the post-traumatic stress disorder resulted from the law-enforcement officer or firefighter acting in the line of duty and, in the case of a firefighter, such firefighter complied with certain federal Occupational Safety and Health Act standards; (ii) if the law-enforcement officer's or firefighter's undergoing a qualifying event was a substantial factor in causing his post-traumatic stress disorder; (iii) if such qualifying event, and not another event or source of stress, was the primary cause of the post-traumatic stress disorder; and (iv) if the post-traumatic stress disorder did not result from any disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, promotion, termination, retirement, or similar action of the officer or firefighter. The measure establishes procedural requirements on employers that contest a claim for such benefits. The measure also establishes requirements for resilience and self-care technique training.