Sen. Barbara Favola

Public middle schools and high schools; student organizations; career and technical education organizations permitted.Permits each public middle school and high school to establishcareer and technical education student organizations, regardlessof whether such school offers career and technical education courses.

Forest Sustainability Fund; fund allocation. Provides that moneys from the Forest Sustainability Fund must be allocated proportionally among localities that forgo tax revenues as a result of the use value assessment and taxation for real estate devoted for forest use. The bill specifies that no locality shall receive an allocation of more than four percent or less than one-half of one percent of available funds from the Fund. This bill is identical to SB 129.

Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; dissemination and availability of online transition resources. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in partnership with relevant entities, to ensure that online resources are readily available and disseminated to all individuals of age to transition from school to post-school activities and their families. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.

Health insurance provider panels; incentivesfor mental health services. Allows a provider panel contract between a carrier and a primary care provider to include provisions that promote comprehensive screening using evidence-based tools for mental health needs and appropriate referrals by primary care providers to mental health services that may be provided on-site, via telehealth on site, or through an off-site referral.

Financial institutions; reporting financial exploitation of elderly or vulnerable adults. Permits a financial institution to allow an elderly or vulnerable adult, as defined in the bill, to submit and periodically update a list of trusted persons whom such financial institution or financial institution staff, as defined in the bill, may contact in the case of the suspected financial exploitation of such adult. The bill also permits a financial institution to conduct a training to instruct its staff on how to identify and report the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult internally at such financial institution, to a designated trusted contact, and to various other authorities. The bill directs the Bureau of Financial Institutions of the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish guidelines for such training by January 1, 2026. The bill provides that no financial institution staff that have received such training shall be liable in any civil or administrative proceeding for disclosing the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult pursuant to the bill's provisions if such disclosure was made in good faith and with reasonable care. The bill provides that no financial institution that has provided such training shall be liable for any such disclosure by financial institution staff. This bill is identical to HB 692.

Local government powers; regulation of tobacco, nicotine, and hemp product retail sale locations. Allows a locality to regulate the retail sale locations of tobacco products, nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, or hemp products intended for smoking for any such retail sale location and may prohibit a retail sale location on property within 1,000 linear feet of a child day center or a public, private, or parochial school.

Search warrants, subpoenas, court orders, or other process; menstrual health data prohibited. Prohibits the issuance of a search warrant, subpoena, court order, or other process for the purpose of the search and seizure or production of menstrual health data, as defined in the bill, including data stored on a computer, computer network, or other device containing electronic or digital information. This bill is identical to HB 78.

Civil commitments and temporary detention orders; definition of mental illness neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities; Secretary of Health and Human Resources to evaluate placements for certain individuals; workgroup; report. Specifies that for the purpose of civil commitments and temporary detention orders, behaviors and symptoms that manifest from a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability are excluded from the definition of mental illness and are, therefore, not a basis for placing an individual under a temporary detention order or committing an individual involuntarily to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The bill provides that if a state facility has reason to believe that an individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability, the state facility may require that a licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional reevaluate the individual's eligibility for a temporary detention order before the individual is admitted. Under the bill, if the licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional determines the individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disorder, the state facility shall promptly authorize the release of the person held under a temporary detention order and the local community services board shall provide a discharge plan. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a workgroup to evaluate, identify, and develop placements for individuals with neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities, specify any statutory or funding changes needed to prevent inappropriate placements for such individuals, as well as provide recommendations for training of magistrates and community services boards related to the implementation of the bill, and to report the findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Behavioral Health Commission.

Towing violations; enforcement; fuel surcharge fee. Authorizes localities in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed and regulate the monitoring practices that may be used by towing and recovery operators. Current law authorizes localities other than those in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed. The bill changes the penalty for certain trespass towing offenses in Planning District 8 from $150 per violation paid to the Literary Fund to 10 times the total amount charged for such removal, towing, and storage to be paid to the victim of the unlawful towing. The bill also changes the expiration date of the authorization for towing and recovery operators to charge a fuel surcharge fee of no more than $20 for each vehicle towed or removed from private property without the consent of its owner and the prohibition on local governing bodies limiting or prohibiting such fee from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.

Behavioral Health Commission; membership. Changes the composition of the Behavioral Health Commission by increasing from two to three the number of House appointees who are required to be members of the House Committee on Appropriations. This bill is identical to SB 125.