Reproductive health services. Requireshealth benefit plans to cover the costs of specified health care services, drugs, devices, products, and procedures related to reproductive health. The health benefit plan requirements become effective whena plan is delivered, issued for delivery, reissued, or extended inthe Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2021, or at any time thereafterwhen any term of the health benefit plan is changed or any premiumadjustment is made. The measure also requires the Board of MedicalAssistance Services to include in the state plan for medical assistanceservices a provision for the payment of the costs of a reproductivehealth care program providing reimbursement for medically necessary reproductive health care services, drugs, devices, products, andprocedures for eligible individuals.
Sponsored bills
Juvenile community correctional centers andfacilities; establishment; placement of juveniles. Changes theterm "juvenile correctional centers and facilities" to "juvenile community correctional centers and facilities." The bill furtherprovides that any juvenile community correctional center establishedafter July 1, 2020, shall (i) be located within a locality in whichat least five percent of all juvenile commitments occur statewide,using an average of the rate of commitments of the three most recentconsecutive years, and (ii) be designed to confine 30 juveniles orfewer. The bill also states that the Department of Juvenile Justiceshall place children at the juvenile community correctional centerlocated closest to their primary residence and within one hour ofsuch residence via motor vehicle and within one and one-half hoursof such residence via public transportation. If such placement isnot available, the Department shall use an alternative placementthat is closest to the juvenile's primary residence, such as a localjuvenile detention center. Under current law, the Department may place such children at such facilities as are available.
Commending the Loudoun South Little Leaguebaseball team.
Virginia Equal Pay Act; civil penalties. Prohibitspublic and private employers from discriminating between employees on the basisof membership in a protected class in the payment of wages or other compensation,including benefits, by paying wages or other compensation to employees who aremembers of a protected class at a rate less than the rate at which it payswages or other compensation to employees who are not members of the protectedclass for substantially similar work. The measure also prohibits an employerfrom (i) discriminating between employees by providing less favorableemployment opportunities on the basis of membership in a protected class, (ii)limiting an employee's right to discuss wages, (iii) relying on the wagehistory of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee foremployment or determining the wages that the prospective employee is to be paidby the employer upon hire, or (iv) taking certain retaliatory actions againstan employee. The measure also establishes criteria for when wage differentialsbetween employees are permitted. The measure requires employers to (a) providea prospective employee with the wage range for the position for which theprospective employee is applying upon request or prior to inquiring about theprospective employee's wage expectations or providing an offer of compensationand (b) maintain records of the wages and wage rates, job classifications, andother terms and conditions of employment for a period of three years. Themeasure gives an employee who is the subject of a violation a right of actionto recover, for certain violations, the greater of compensatory damages or$10,000, liquidated damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. Violationsare also subject to civil penalties.
Constitutional amendment (second resolution);personal property tax exemption; motor vehicle owned by a veteranwho is disabled. Provides that one motor vehicle of a veteranwho has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disabilityshall be exempt from state and local taxes. The amendment provides that only automobiles and pickup trucks qualify for the exemption. Additionally, the exemption is only applicable on the date the motorvehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whicheveris later, and is not applicable for any period of time prior to theeffective date of the amendment.
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.
Abolition of the death penalty. Abolishesthe death penalty, including for those persons currently under adeath sentence.
Animal testing; breeding. Prohibits anyperson from breeding a dog or cat for the express purpose of producingoffspring for (i) use in research, experimentation, or testing thatis not required pursuant to federal law or regulation or (ii) saleto a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testingfacility outside the United States.
Redistricting; role of Supreme Court of Virginia. Directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to enact rules and proceduresfor implementing the constitutional requirement that the Court establishcongressional or state legislative districts in the event districts fail to be enacted. The rules and procedures enacted by the Courtare required to allow public participation in the Court's redistrictingdeliberations, to provide for the Division of Legislative Servicesto provide staff support and technical assistance to the Court, andto ensure districts established by the Court adhere to constitutional and statutory criteria. The bill directs the Court to appoint aspecial master to assist in the establishment of districts and authorizesthe Court to adjust the date of the primary election and various related deadlines as may be necessary to allow for the establishmentof districts. The bill has a contingent effective date of November15, 2020, provided that the voters approve the amendments to ArticleII of the Constitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A, at the November 2020 general election.
Transit funding. Raises the existing regional transportation fee, a grantor's tax, from $0.15 per $100 to $0.20per $100 for localities in the Northern Virginia Transportation Authoritythat are also members of the Northern Virginia Transportation District.The bill requires half of the revenues to be deposited in the NorthernVirginia Transportation Authority Fund and half to be deposited inthe Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) CapitalFund. The rate of tax in the other localities will remain at $0.15per $100, with one-third of the revenues to be retained by the locality to be used for transportation purposes and the other two-thirds tobe deposited in the Northern Virginia Transportation District Fund.The bill also raises the existing transient occupancy tax in thelocalities located in the Northern Virginia Transportation Districtfrom $2 to $3, with all of the revenues from the tax being used tosupport WMATA.