Sen. Jennifer Boysko

Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; transit equity and modernization; report. Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth,with emphasis on transit services and engagement opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities.

Nurse practitioners; practice without a practice agreement. Reduces from five to two the number of years of full-time clinical experience a nurse practitioner must have to be eligible to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2022.

Elections; preservation of order at the polls;powers of officers of election. Removes the power of officersof election, in the event that no law-enforcement officer is in attendance, to appoint a person who is not a law-enforcement officer to haveall the powers of a law-enforcement officer within the polling placeand the prohibited area.

Student driver education program; parent participation exemption. Exempts students who are (i) at least 18 years old,(ii) emancipated minors, or (iii) unaccompanied minors who are notin the physical custody of their parent or guardian from the requirementthat the student's parent participate in the parent/student componentof a school's driver education program. This parent/student componentis required in Planning District 8, where the component must be in-persontraining. In the other school divisions that choose to offer thisoptional parent/student component, the parent/student component maybe administered either in person or online.

Casino gaming; requirements for issuance ofoperator's license; human trafficking training. Requires applicantsfor operator's licenses to have established a policy requiring alllicense and permit holders who interact directly with the publicin the casino gaming establishment to complete a training courseacceptable to the Virginia Lottery Department in how to recognizeand report suspected human trafficking in order to be eligible forthe issuance of an operator's license.

Teachers and other licensed school board employees; cultural competency. The bill requires teacher, principal, anddivision superintendent evaluations to include an evaluation of cultural competency. The bill requires every person seeking initiallicensure or renewal of a license from the Board of Education (i)to complete instruction or training in cultural competency and (ii)with an endorsement in history and social sciences to complete instructionin African American history, as prescribed by the Board. The billalso requires each school board to adopt and implement policies thatrequire each teacher and any other school board employee holdinga license issued by the Board to complete cultural competency training,in accordance with guidance issued by the Board, at least every twoyears.

Study; JLARC; impact of COVID-19 on Virginia's public schools, students, and school employees; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the impact of COVID-19 on Virginia's public schools, students, and school employees, including (i) examining and determining reasons for barriers to student success in virtual and hybrid models as well as the overall impact of COVID-19 face-to-face learning restrictions on previously existing student achievement gaps, student achievement, and student well-being, including any disproportionate impact on at-risk populations; (ii) determining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on staffing levels, including the impact of teacher and school employee retirements and resignations on delivery of instruction and the ability of local school boards to fully staff their needs, employment levels, and local budgets; (iii) determining the short-term and projected long-term changes in student enrollment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of such changes on funding levels; (iv) determining the impact of implementing COVID-19 health and safety measures in public schools; (v) evaluating public schools' level of emergency preparedness to face another pandemic or statewide crisis and making recommendations to help guide planning for such events and (vi) examining programs that can address learning loss and identifying barriers to implementing those programs, including resource gaps.

Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. DesignatesSeptember, in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month in Virginia.