Broadband service; new residential and commercial development; stakeholder advisory group. Provides that the Department of Housing and Community Development shall convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purpose of evaluating local and state policies, procedures, or ordinances to facilitate the expansion of high-speed broadband service and associated infrastructure in new residential and commercial development. The stakeholder advisory group shall be composed of representatives from the commercial and residential land development and construction industry, local government, high-speed broadband providers, and other stakeholders as determined by the Department and shall report its findings and recommendations to the Broadband Advisory Council no later than September 30, 2022. This bill is identical to HB 445.
Sponsored bills
Early childhood care and education entities; administration of epinephrine. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulations to require each early childhood care and education entity to implement policies for the possession and administration of epinephrine in every such entity to be administered by any nurse at the entity, employee at the entity, or employee of a local health department who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of epinephrine to any child believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. The bill mandates that such policies shall require that at least one school nurse, employee at the entity, or employee of a local health department who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of epinephrine has the means to access at all times during regular facility hours any such appropriate weight-based dosage of epinephrine that is stored in a locked or otherwise generally inaccessible container or area. This bill shall be known as Elijah's Law. This bill is identical to HB 1328.
Calculation of gross income for determination of child support; rental income. Provides that for the calculation of gross income for the purposes of determining child support, rental income shall be subject to the deduction of reasonable expenses. The bill further provides that the party claiming any such deduction has the burden of proof to establish such expenses by a preponderance of the evidence. This bill is in response to Ellis v. Sutton-Ellis, Va. App. No. 0710-20-1 (June 22, 2021).
School boards; student home broadband access; annual report. Requires, beginning in the 2022 school year and in each school year thereafter through the 2025 school year, each school board to submit an annual report to the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development listing each student's 9-1-1 address that does not have broadband access, as defined by the broadband guidelines set out by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for its Virginia Telecommunication Initiative.
Local Food and Farming Infrastructure GrantProgram. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the amount of a grantthat may be made to a political subdivision for projects that supportlocal food production and sustainable agriculture.
Information Technology Advisory Council; membership; powers and duties; report. Redefines the purpose and powers and duties of the Information Technology Advisory Council (the ITAC). The bill increases the membership of the ITAC from not more than 16 to not more than 20 members and allows for legislative members to be appointed to the ITAC. The bill also directs the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the work of the ITAC and any subcommittees. Finally, the bill provides that the ITAC may appoint advisory subcommittees consisting of individuals with expertise in particular subject areas and information technology to advise the ITAC on the utilization of nationally recognized technical and data standards in such subject, and repeals the provision that allows for the ITAC to create and appoint persons to a Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee. This bill is identical to HB 1304.
Elections; voting systems; reporting absentee results by precinct. Includes in the definition of "voting system" on-demand ballot printing systems and ballot marking devices used to manufacture or mark ballots to be cast by voters on electronic voting and counting machines. The bill also requires general registrars to report to the Department of Elections the number and results of absentee ballots cast by voters assigned to each precinct in the registrar's locality. The Department is directed by the bill to establish standards for ascertaining and reporting such information. This bill incorporates SB 306 and is identical to HB 927.
Private family leave insurance. Establishes family leave insurance as a class of insurance. The bill defines "family leave insurance" as an insurance policy issued to an employer related to a benefit program provided to an employee to pay for the employee's income loss due to (i) the birth of a child or adoption of a child by the employee; (ii) placement of a child with the employee for foster care; (iii) care of a family member of the employee who has a serious health condition; or (iv) circumstances arising out of the fact that the employee's family member who is a service member is on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty. Under the bill, family leave insurance may be written as an amendment or rider to a group disability income policy, included in a group disability income policy, or written as a separate group insurance policy purchased by an employer. The bill prohibits delivery or issue for delivery of a family leave insurance policy unless a copy of the form and the rate manual showing rates, rules, and classification of risks have been filed with the State Corporation Commission. The bill prohibits an individual certificate and enrollment form from being used in connection with a group family leave insurance policy unless the form for the certificate and enrollment form have been filed with the Commission. The bill provides that "life and annuities insurance agent" means an agent licensed in the Commonwealth to sell, solicit, or negotiate, among other types of insurance, family leave insurance on behalf of insurers licensed in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 1156.
Dealers; sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes. Prohibits a dealer or commercial dog or cat breeder, as defined in the bill, from importing for sale, selling, or offering for sale a dog or cat bred by a person who has received certain citations pursuant to the federal Animal Welfare Act. Current law only prohibits such activities related to the sale of dogs. The bill also clarifies that selling includes selling the dog or cat for experimental purposes. Certain provisions of the bill apply only to violations occurring on or after March 1, 2023.
Animal cruelty; companion animals; penalty. Clarifies that dogs and cats in the possession of a person who or an entity that breeds dogs or cats for sale or transfer to an animal research facility are considered companion animals for the purposes of animal cruelty statutes. The bill also provides that breeding dogs or cats for sale or transfer to a research facility, or breeding dogs or cats within a research facility, does not constitute bona fide scientific or medical experimentation for purposes of animal cruelty statutes. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act and do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2023 Session of the General Assembly.