Nursing home standards of care and staff requirements; regulations. Requires the State Board of Health to establishstaffing and care standards in nursing homes to require a minimumof direct care services to each resident per 24-hour period as follows:(i) a minimum of one registered nurse or licensed practical nurseper 15 patients and one certified nursing assistant per eight patientsduring the daytime; (ii) a minimum of one registered nurse or licensedpractical nurse per 20 patients and one certified nursing assistantper 12 patients during the evening; and (iii) a minimum of one registerednurse or licensed practical nurse per 30 patients and one certifiednursing assistant per 15 patients during the nighttime. Such requirementsmay not apply during a health crisis, emergency, or during an outbreakof a communicable disease of public health threat. The bill requires nursing homes to complete a criminal background check on each employeeprior to the start of employment and every five years thereafterthat the employee remains employed. The bill also requires nursinghomes to provide quarterly staff training on first aid, medicationadministration, and compliance with nursing home policies and procedures.
Sponsored bills
Nursing professional tax credit. Establishesa nonrefundable individual income tax credit of $500 for certifiednurse aides, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses whowork for at least 42 weeks during a taxable year in a licensed nursinghome or certified nursing facility in the Commonwealth for taxableyears 2021 through 2025. The credit may be carried over for fivetaxable years, and the Department of Taxation is directed to workwith the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Licensure andCertification to determine the eligibility of taxpayers claimingthe credit.
Income tax subtraction; veteran retirement income. Provides an income tax subtraction for the military retirement incomereceived by certain veterans for their service of $2,500 for veteransunder the age of 65 and $5,000 for veterans 65 years of age and older,who earn no more than $82,000 in annual military retirement income.
Special license plates; NOT FORGOTTEN. Authorizesthe issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supportersof Americans listed as prisoners of war or missing in action bearingthe legend NOT FORGOTTEN. The bill requires that the design of suchplate incorporate the POW/MIA Flag as designated by the federal NationalPOW/MIA Flag Act. The bill exempts these special license plates fromthe requirement to obtain 450 prepaid applications for such plate.The bill provides that some of the license plate fees will be depositedin the POW/MIA Fund, established within the Department of Accounts,and paid annually to the National League of Families of American Prisonersand Missing in Southeast Asia and used to support its operation andprograms in Virginia.
Department of Health; Department of EnvironmentalQuality; pilot program; engineered septic systems. Requires theDepartment of Health and Department of Environmental Quality, inpartnership with the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission,to initiate a three-year pilot program designed to study the useof engineered septic systems that house and treat sewage effluentin an elevated, self-contained unit suitable for areas with highwater tables and susceptible to flooding in Coastal Virginia.
Voter registration; list maintenance; listsof decedents transmitted by State Registrar of Vital Records.Requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit to theDepartment of Elections a weekly list of decedents from the previousweek. Currently, this list is transmitted monthly. The bill requiresthe general registrars to use this information to conduct list maintenanceand to promptly cancel the registration of a person on the list.
Constitutional amendment (first reference);executive power; state of emergency; special session. Limitsthe authority of the Governor to issue an executive order declaringa state of emergency that restricts, limits, or prohibits otherwiselawful action by a private business, nonprofit entity, or individualfor a period more than 45 days in duration without approval by theGeneral Assembly. The Governor is required to convene a special sessionfor the purpose of the General Assembly approving the extension ofsuch executive order beyond the forty-fifth day after its originalissuance and if the General Assembly does not approve such extension,the Governor is prohibited from issuing a subsequent executive orderin the same form for the same declared emergency. The General Assemblyis permitted to extend the executive order to a date requested bythe Governor or to a date of the General Assembly's choosing, butit shall not approve the extension to a date beyond the first fullweek of the next regular session of the General Assembly, unlesssuch date is requested by the Governor.
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts established.Permits the parents of certain children to apply to the schooldivision in which the child resides for a one-year, renewable EmpowermentScholarship Account that consists of an amount that is equivalentto a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Qualityper pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes andapportioned to the resident school division in which the studentresides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education fundingfor which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent touse the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition and fees at a private elementaryschool or secondary school that is located in the Commonwealth. Thebill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, andreviewing expenses made from such accounts.
State parks; discounted rental and service fees; military and veterans. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a policy that entitles any veteran or person on active duty military service, and the accompanying spouse and children of such person, to a 50 percent discount on rental and service fees.
Conduct of elections; vote counting; requiredlive video recording. Requires the general registrar of each county and city to provide for a live video recording of each pollingplace while absentee ballots are cast, votes are counted, and returnsare completed, and of each central absentee precinct while ballots are handled and returns are completed. The general registrars arerequired to ensure the video coverage is recorded and retained untilthe deadline to request a recount has passed and, if any contestor recount is pending thereafter, until it has been concluded. The bill provides that each live video recording must include date andtime indicators and be linked to the official website of the countyor city. The Department of Elections is required to post links onits official website to the video coverage for viewing by the public.The bill provides that any disruption in video coverage shall notaffect or prevent the continued casting of absentee ballots, countingof votes, or completion of returns, and is not grounds for an electioncontest.