Sen. Lionell Spruill

Prescription drug disposal program; methods to enhance public awareness. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to enhance public awareness of proper drug disposal methods by assembling a group of stakeholders to develop strategies to increase the number of permissible drug disposal sites and options for the legal disposal of drugs, including requirements that pharmacies, or in-house pharmacies of hospitals or clinics, provide such information to customers. The bill directs the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 15, 2020.

Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children; membership. Adds two nonlegislative citizen members to the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, one of whom is a parent of a military child, to be appointed by the Governor, and one of whom is a military spouse serving on the Department of Education's Military Student Support Process Action Team, to be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This bill incorporates SB 47.

Dangerous captive animal exhibits; penalty. Prohibits a keeper of dangerous captive animals, defined in the bill, from providing or offering to provide to any member of the public, for free or for a cost, direct contact with such dangerous captive animal. The bill provides that a violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor and that the keeper is subject to a fine of not more than $500. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021.

Specialty dockets; veterans docket. Providesthat any veterans docket authorized and established as a local specialtydocket in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginiashall be deemed a "Veterans Treatment Court Program," as that termis used under federal law or by any other entity, for the purposesof applying for, qualifying for, or receiving any federal grants,other federal money, or money from any other entity designated toassist or fund such state programs. The bill contains an emergencyclause.

Charter; City of Norfolk; employees of officers; vagrants. Amends the charter for the City of Norfolk by changing from "election" to "appointment" the term used to describe the selection of certain officers by the city council and clarifying that employees of such officers serve at will. The bill also removes a provision authorizing the City to prevent persons having no visible means of support, paupers, and persons who may be dangerous to the peace or safety of the City from coming to the City and authorizing the City to expel such persons who have been in the City less than 90 days. This bill is identical to HB 749.

Holding handheld personal communications devices while driving a motor vehicle. Prohibits any person from holding a handheld personal communications device while driving a motor vehicle. Current law prohibits (i) the reading of any email or text message and manually entering letters or text in such a device as a means of communicating and (ii) holding a personal communications device while driving in a work zone. The bill expands the exemptions to include handheld personal communications devices that are being held and used (a) as an amateur radio or a citizens band radio or (b) for official Department of Transportation or traffic incident management services. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates SB 136 and SB 944 and is identical to HB 874.

Public elementary and secondary school students;topical sunscreen. Permits any public elementary or secondaryschool student to possess and use topical sunscreen in its originalpackaging on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsoredevent without a note or prescription from a licensed health careprofessional if the topical sunscreen is approved by the U.S. Foodand Drug Administration for nonprescription use for the purpose oflimiting damage to skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet light.

Workers' compensation; presumption of compensability for certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefighters or certain employees develop the cancer. The presumption shall not apply for any individual who was diagnosed with one of the conditions before July 1, 2020. The measure removes the compensability requirement that the employee who develops cancer had contact with a toxic substance encountered in the line of duty. The bill also reduces the number of years of service needed to qualify for the presumption from 12 to five for various types of cancer. For hypertension or heart disease, the bill adds a requirement that an individual complete five years of service in his position in order to qualify. This bill incorporates SB 58, SB 381, and SB 531 and is identical to HB 783.

Voting restrictions on the basis of race. Repeals several Acts of Assembly that implemented and enforced a state poll tax and provided for separate registration records on the basis of race. This bill is identical to HB 1086.

Commending the Chesapeake Bay Commission.