School boards; teachers; planning time and planning periods. Requires each local school board to ensure that each elementary school teacher has an average of one 45-minute period per school day of planning time and that each middle and high school teacher is provided an average of one planning period per school day or the equivalent, which shall be at least 45 minutes or one class period, whichever is longer. The bill permits local school boards and teachers to enter into an appropriate contractual arrangement providing for compensation in lieu of such planning time or period. Under current law, public elementary school teachers are guaranteed at least an average of 30 minutes of planning time per school day during a school week. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Sponsored bills
Uyghurs; human rights crisis. Recognizesthe human rights crisis related to the internment of Uyghurs andother Central Asian ethnic minorities.
Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority; membership. Decreases from five to four the number of members of the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority appointed by the Mayor of the City of Richmond and adds to the Authority one member of the City Council of the City of Richmond appointed by the president of the Council. This bill is identical to HB 538.
Board of Counseling; licensure of art therapists and art therapist associates. Requires the Board of Counseling to adopt regulations establishing a regulatory structure to license art therapists and art therapist associates, as those terms are defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth and establishes an advisory board to assist the Board in this process. Under the bill, no person shall engage in the practice of art therapy or hold himself out or otherwise represent himself as an art therapist or art therapist associate unless he is licensed by the Board.
Employee misclassification; retaliatory actions prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening, discriminating against, or penalizing an employee or independent contractor because the employee or independent contractor reported or plans to report that an employer or any officer or agent has failed to properly classify an individual as an employee and failed to pay required benefits or other contributions. The measure also prohibits such actions against an employee or independent contractor who is requested or subpoenaed by an appropriate authority to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry by an appropriate authority or in a court action. These prohibitions apply only if an employee or independent contractor acts in good faith and upon a reasonable belief that the information is accurate. The measure authorizes the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to institute proceedings against an employer who has taken such prohibited retaliatory action. Available remedies include reinstatement of the employee and recovery of lost wages. An employer that violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty equal to the employee's lost wages. This bill is identical to HB 1199.
Misdemeanor sexual offenses where the victim is a minor; statute of limitations. Increases the statute of limitations for prosecuting misdemeanor violations where the victim is a minor from one year after the victim reaches the age of majority to five years after the victim reaches the age of majority if the offender was an adult at the time of the offense and more than three years older than the victim for the following misdemeanor violations: carnal knowledge of detainee by employee of bail bond company, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, infected sexual battery, sexual abuse of a child age 13 or 14 by an adult, and tongue penetration by adult of mouth of child under age 13 with lascivious intent. This bill is identical to HB 298.
Virginia sexual assault forensic examiner coordination program. Establishes the Virginia sexual assault forensic examinercoordination program within the Department of Criminal Justice Services.The bill provides that the program shall create and coordinate anannual statewide sexual assault forensic nurse examiner trainingprogram; coordinate the development and enhancement of sexual assaultforensic examiner programs across the Commonwealth; coordinate thedevelopment of hospital protocols and guidelines for treatment ofsurvivors of sexual assault; coordinate and strengthen communicationsamong sexual assault nurse examiner medical directors, sexual assaultresponse teams, and hospitals for existing and developing sexualassault nurse examiner programs; provide technical assistance forexisting and developing sexual assault forensic examiner programs;establish best practices for billing and reimbursement for medicalservices provided to survivors of sexual assault; create and maintaina statewide list, updated biannually, that includes pertinent informationregarding sexual assault forensic examiners and nurse examiners;create sexual assault nurse examiner recruitment materials for universitiesand colleges with nursing programs; and support and coordinate communityeducation and public outreach, when appropriate, relating to sexualassault nurse examiner issues for the Commonwealth.
Taxes on income, wills, and administrations; exemption for victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting and for payments to such victims; emergency. Establishes an income tax exemption for relief payments paid to a victim of the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting or a parent, guardian, child, or spouse of a victim. The bill also establishes an exemption from probate tax for a person killed or injured in the shooting. The bill provides that if, prior to its enactment, a person eligible for a tax exemption pursuant to the bill paid tax to the Commonwealth or a locality for a will or grant of administration of a victim's estate, either the Commonwealth or the locality shall refund the tax. The bill establishes a deduction for a taxpayer's relief payment, whether directly or indirectly, to a victim of the Virginia Beach mass shooting, provided the taxpayer coordinates with the City of Virginia Beach to identify victims and distribute payments. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Marriage records; divorce and annulment reports; identification of race. Eliminates the requirement that the race of married parties be included in marriage records, divorce reports, and annulment reports filed with the State Registrar. The bill also removes the requirement that the State Registrar include race data in the compilation and posting of marriage, divorce, and annulment data. This bill incorporates SB 19 and is identical to HB 180 and SB 1066.
Study; JLARC; legalization and regulation of growth, sale and possession of marijuana; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study and make recommendations for how Virginia should go about legalizing and regulating the growth, sale, and possession of marijuana by July 1, 2022, and address the impacts of marijuana prohibition.