Sen. Lynwood Lewis

Changes the name of guidance counselors to school counselors and requires school boards to employ school counselors in accordance with the following ratios: (i) effective with the 2019-2020 school year, in elementary schools, one hour per day per 75 students, one full-time at 375 students, one hour per day additional time per 75 students or major fraction thereof; in middle schools, one period per 65 students, one full-time at 325 students, one additional period per 65 students or major fraction thereof; in high schools, one period per 60 students, one full-time at 300 students, one additional period per 60 students or major fraction thereof; (ii) effective with the 2020-2021 school year, in elementary schools, one hour per day per 60 students, one full-time at 300 students, one hour per day additional time per 60 students or major fraction thereof; in middle and high schools, one period per 55 students, one full-time at 275 students, one additional period per 55 students or major fraction thereof; and (iii) effective with the 2021-2022 school year, in elementary, middle, and high schools, one hour per day per 50 students, one full-time at 250 students, one additional hour per day per 50 students or major fraction thereof.

Codifies an amendment to Article X, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia that was adopted by the voters on November 6, 2018, which enables a locality to provide by ordinance a partial exemption from real property taxes for flooding abatement, mitigation, or resiliency efforts for improved real estate that is subject to recurrent flooding. The bill provides that exemptions may only be granted for qualifying flood improvements. Qualifying flood improvements are defined in the bill as improvements that do not increase the size of any impervious area and are made to qualifying structures or to land. Qualifying structures are defined as structures that were completed prior to July 1, 2018 or were completed more than 10 years prior to the completion of the improvements. For improvements made to land, the improvements must be made primarily for the benefit of one or more qualifying structures. No exemption shall be granted for any improvements made prior to July 1, 2018.

Authorizes licensed physician assistants and licensed nurse practitioners to issue a written certification for use of cannabidiol oil and THC-A oil. The bill requires the Board to promulgate regulations establishing dosage limitations, which shall require that each dispensed dose of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil not exceed 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to convene a work group to review and recommend an appropriate structure for an oversight organization for the medical marijuana program in Virginia and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health and the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions by November 1, 2019.