SJR154 - Commending the Reverend Dr. Harold James Cobb, Jr.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB320 - WIC applicants; DH to provide information to food banks regarding providing assistance.

2 Co-Sponsors

Department of Health; WIC applications; information. Directs the Department of Health to provide information, resources, and education to food banks regarding providing assistance to individuals completing a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) application. The bill also directs the Department of Health to explore strategies to support the outreach and education efforts for food banks pursuant to the bill and report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services by November 1, 2024.

SJR9 - Teacher retention, etc.; JLARC to study effect of salaries, employment benefits, etc.

1 Co-Sponsor

Study; JLARC; effect of salaries, employment benefits, and other relevant factors on teacher recruitment and retention; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the effect of salaries, employment benefits, and other relevant factors on recruiting and retaining high-quality, fully licensed teachers, including (i) examining salaries, employment benefits, and other financial benefits and incentives available to teachers in relation to teacher recruitment and retention in each local school division; (ii) identifying disparities in salaries, employment benefits, and other financial benefits and incentives available to teachers in relation to teacher recruitment and retention rates between high-poverty and rural school divisions, high-income school divisions, and the Commonwealth on average; (iii) reviewing salaries, employment benefits, and other financial benefits and incentives available to teachers in relation to the rates of teacher recruitment and retention and the numbers of fully licensed teachers in adjoining states and the District of Columbia; and (iv) identifying factors that positively impact the recruitment and retention of high-quality, fully licensed teachers.

SB346 - Net energy metering; solar interconnection, cost recovery.

3 Co-Sponsors

Net energy metering; solar interconnection; cost recovery. Provides that an electric distribution company shall pay $1 per kilowatt per day for the costs of lost electricity production for any and all delays beyond the regulatory notice period required by State Corporation Commission related to net energy metering. The bill requires that, for the purposes of net energy metering, an eligible customer-generator shall bear all reasonable costs of equipment required at the eligible customer-generator's side of the meter for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system, including reasonable and prudent costs of additional controls, tests, or liability insurance. Additionally, the bill allows for cost recovery by Phase I and Phase II Utilities for electric distribution grid transformation projects that support the interconnection of generating facilities using energy derived from sunlight that are owned or contracted by eligible customer-generators, subject to the Commission finding those costs to be reasonable and prudent in accordance with existing law.

SJR59 - Commending Pohick Episcopal Church.

1 Co-Sponsor

Commending Pohick Church.

SB735 - Health insurance; denial of referral by direct primary care provider prohibited.

1 Co-Sponsor

Health insurance; denial of referral by direct primary care provider prohibited. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from (i) denying payment for any health care service covered under an enrollee's health benefit plan based solely on the basis that such enrollee's referral was made by a direct primary care provider or (ii) imposing a cost-sharing requirement greater than the applicable cost-sharing requirement that would apply to the same health care service if the service was referred by a participating provider. The bill provides that a health insurance carrier may require a direct primary care provider to provide information demonstrating that such provider has entered into a direct primary care agreement with the enrollee.

SB446 - Environmental Resources, Board of; created.

1 Co-Sponsor

State Air Pollution Control Board, State Water Control Board, and Virginia Waste Management Board consolidated; Board of Environmental Resources established. Consolidates the State Air Pollution Control Board, State Water Control Board, and Virginia Waste Management Board and transfers the duties of such boards into a new Board of Environmental Resources. The bill establishes membership, term, meeting, and recording requirements for the Board and also establishes the position, powers, and duties of the Executive Director of the Board.

SB713 - Public service companies; pole attachments to accommodate cable TV systems & telecommunications.

5 Co-Sponsors

Public service companies; pole attachments; cable television systems and telecommunications service providers. Requires a public utility, as defined in the bill, to establish and adhere to pole attachment practices and procedures that comply with certain requirements, including determining whether an attachment request is complete before reviewing such request on its merits, complying with certain timelines, and providing notice of a rearrangement to affected existing attachers. The bill provides that a public utility shall not apportion to a telecommunications service provider or cable television system the cost of replacing a red-tagged pole, as defined in the bill, provided that such utility may apportion to such provider or system the incremental cost of a taller or stronger pole that is necessitated solely by the new facilities of such provider or system. The bill authorizes the State Corporation Commission to enforce its provisions and requires the Commission to resolve disputes involving pole access within 90 days and concerning certain other matters within 120 days.

SB724 - Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses.

1 Co-Sponsor

Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses; on-and-off premises wine and beer licenses. Defines performing arts facility and sports facility and standardizes the eligibility criteria for annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses and on-and-off-premises wine and beer licenses for performing arts food concessionaires. Under current law, the eligibility criteria for such licenses varies by location and includes inconsistent ownership, lease, capacity, and seating requirements. The bill also removes provisions that allow the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to grant annual mixed beverage motor sports facility licenses and motor car sporting event facility licenses and creates an annual mixed beverage sports facility license, which may be granted to persons operating a sports facility or food concessions at a sports facility and would authorize the licensee to sell mixed beverages during any event and immediately subsequent thereto to patrons within all seating areas, concourses, walkways, concession areas, and additional locations designated by the Board (i) in closed containers for off-premises consumption or (ii) in paper, plastic, or similar disposable containers or in single original metal cans for on-premises consumption.

SB722 - Enterprise zones; renewal periods.

1 Co-Sponsor

Enterprise zones; renewal periods. Authorizes the Governor, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, to renew enterprise zones for up to four five-year renewal periods for zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, and for up to two five-year renewal periods for zones designated before July 1, 2005. Under current law, zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, may be renewed for up to three such periods and zones designated before July 1, 2005, may be renew for up to one such period.

SB623 - Firefighters and emergency medical services; collective bargaining by providers.

5 Co-Sponsors

Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved. Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved.

SJR227 - Commending Daniel G. "Bud" Oakey.

38 Co-Sponsors

SJR238 - Commending Yvonne Bunn.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB725 - Drug Treatment Court Act; renames the Act as the Recovery Court Act.

1 Co-Sponsor

Drug Treatment Court Act; name change. Renames the Drug Treatment Court Act as the Recovery Court Act. The bill also directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to rename the state Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee as the Recovery Court Advisory Committee.

SB311 - Violence prevention services benefits; DMAS to investigate programs in other states.

3 Co-Sponsors

Board of Medical Assistance Services; investigate violence prevention services benefit programs. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to (i) investigate violence prevention services benefits in other states, including evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive preventative services provided to reduce the incidence of violent injury or reinjury, trauma, and related harms and to promote trauma recovery, stabilization, and improved health outcomes; (ii) evaluate best practices for the establishment and application of such a program, considering the costs and effectiveness of such programs in other states; and (iii) consider the practicalities of amending the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for such violence prevention services. DMAS shall report its findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024. Board of Medical Assistance Services; investigate violence prevention services benefit programs. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to (i) investigate violence prevention services benefits in other states, including evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive preventative services provided to reduce the incidence of violent injury or reinjury, trauma, and related harms and to promote trauma recovery, stabilization, and improved health outcomes; (ii) evaluate best practices for the establishment and application of such a program, considering the costs and effectiveness of such programs in other states; and (iii) consider the practicalities of amending the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for such violence prevention services. DMAS shall report its findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024.