Sen. Jennifer L McClellan

Lottery Board; regulation of casino gaming. Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill limits casino gaming to certain cities that meet the criteria outlined in the bill and requires that, prior to the establishment of casino gaming operations in such city, the voters of the city approve a referendum on the question of allowing casino gaming in the city. The bill creates the Virginia Indigenous People's Trust Fund, from which a portion of the Commonwealth's share of certain casino gaming tax revenues shall be disbursed to six Virginia Indian tribes. This bill was incorporated into SB 36.

State plan for medical assistance; doulas. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for the payment of medical assistance for antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum services provided to a pregnant person by a doula, including services for labor and delivery support and at least four visits during the antenatal period and seven visits during the postpartum period. The bill also directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to conduct a rate study to determine appropriate reimbursement rates for doula services provided to Medicaid recipients and to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2020.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.

Collective bargaining for public employees.Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by publicemployees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board,which will determine appropriate bargaining units and provide forcertification and decertification elections for exclusive bargainingrepresentatives of state employees and local government employees.The measure requires public employers and employee organizationsthat are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonabletimes to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, andother terms and conditions of employment. The measure repeals a provisionenacted in 2013 that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organizationto represent employees, the right of an individual employee to voteby secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteedfrom infringement.

Application of parole statutes. Repealsthe abolition of parole. The bill also provides that the Virginia Parole Board shall establish procedures for consideration of parolefor persons who were previously ineligible for parole, because parolewas abolished, to allow for an extension of time for reasonable cause.

Virginia Revolutionary 250 Commission; report. Establishes the Virginia Revolutionary 250 Commission to plan, develop, and perform programs and activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the independence of the United States. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027. This bill was incorporated into SB 407.

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. This bill was incorporated into HB 177.

Suspension of driver's license for nonpayment of fines or costs. Repeals the requirement that the driver's license of a person convicted of any violation of the law who fails or refuses to provide for immediate payment of fines or costs be suspended. The bill also removes a provision allowing the court to require a defendant to present a summary prepared by the Department of Motor Vehicles of the other courts in which the defendant also owes fines and costs. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to return or reinstate any person's driver's license that was suspended prior to July 1, 2020, solely for nonpayment of fines or costs. Such person does not have to pay a reinstatement fee. This bill was incorporated into HB 1196.

Department of Motor Vehicles; issuance of certain documents; citizenship requirement. Removes the citizenship and legal presence requirements for obtaining a driver's license or special identification card. The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel any (i) REAL ID-compliant driver's license or special identification card and (ii) commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit if the Department is notified by a federal agency that the individual to whom such document was issued is not in compliance with the citizenship and lawful residency requirements for such license, card, or permit. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 2, 2020, and contains technical amendments. This bill was incorporated into SB 34.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; failure topay unemployment taxes. Prohibits state agencies from contractingfor goods and services from a nongovernmental source if that source,or any affiliate of the source, is required to remit unemployment taxes but fails or refuses to do so. The measure requires the Virginia Employment Commission to make a determination of whether a sourceis a prohibited source for failure or refusal to remit unemploymenttaxes and permits any aggrieved source to apply to the Commissionerof the Virginia Employment Commission for correction of the determination.The measure also provides that any source that fails to remit unemploymenttaxes for more than 10 covered employees shall be a prohibited sourcefor a period of two years.