SB76 - Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure.

1 Co-Sponsor

Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure by Superintendent of Public Instruction. Exempts fully from the statutory requirement to be licensed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction any child day center that is operated or conducted under the auspices of a religious institution that (i) has tax exempt status as a nonprofit religious institution in accordance with § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, or (ii) owns and exclusively occupies real property that is exempt from local taxation. Under current law, such child day centers are exempt from licensure but are still subject to several enumerated requirements. The bill, however, preserves the requirement for such child day centers to conduct background checks for employees and volunteers and prohibits the employment or service at such child day centers of any such individual who has been convicted of any barrier crime as defined in relevant law or who is the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect.

SB486 - Natural gas; certain pipeline expansion unlawful in Planning District 19 (Crater Region).

1 Co-Sponsor

Certain natural gas pipeline expansion unlawful; Planning District 19. Prohibits the increase or expansion of any natural gas pipeline capacity in Planning District 19 (Crater Region), whether in new or existing pipelines, that uses existing compressors powered by natural gas-fired combustion turbines, diesel motors, or other technology using fossil fuels. Such prohibition shall apply to all proposed or existing compressors in Planning District 19 associated with natural gas pipelines, including those serving interstate and intrastate pipelines, regardless of size for the purpose of air pollution reduction. The bill requires the State Air Pollution Control Board to ensure that the provisions of the bill are incorporated into the Commonwealth's state implementation plan enacted pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act.

SB404 - Certificate of public need; hospitals licensed by DBHDS psychiatric beds.

1 Co-Sponsor

Certificate of public need; hospitals licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; psychiatric beds. Excludes from the list of medical care facilities for which a certificate of public need is required hospitals licensed as a provider by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The bill excludes the following from the list of projects for which a certificate of public need is required for certain medical care facilities: (i) an increase or relocation of psychiatric beds licensed by the Department, (ii) the introduction of any psychiatric service when such medical care facility has not provided such service in the previous 12 months, and (iii) the conversion of beds to psychiatric beds. The bill also modifies the list of projects for which a certificate of public need is required for certain medical care facilities by requiring a certificate for the conversion of any psychiatric inpatient beds to nonpsychiatric inpatient beds. Under current law, a certificate is required for the conversion of a psychiatric bed to a nonpsychiatric bed only when the psychiatric bed was approved pursuant to a Request for Applications (RFA).

SJR102 - Commending New Calvary Baptist Church.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB463 - Accountancy, Board of; powers and duties, repeals requirement for an annual audit of the Board.

2 Co-Sponsors

Board of Accountancy; powers and duties. Repeals the requirement for an annual audit of the Board of Accountancy and amends several Code provisions relating to the Board. The bill changes the Secretariat of the Board from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to the Secretary of Finance. The bill authorizes the Board to initiate complaints against (i) individuals or firms claiming to hold a Virginia license, as defined in the bill, and (ii) unlicensed individuals or firms using the certified public accountant title in Virginia, as defined in the bill. The bill also grants the Executive Director of the Board the power to request and receive reports from the Central Criminal Records Exchange in conjunction with the Executive Director's investigative and enforcement powers. Finally, the bill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

SB709 - Assessment of omitted taxes; erroneous payments.

1 Co-Sponsor

Assessment of omitted taxes; erroneous payments. Provides that any retail sales tax payment erroneously remitted by a taxpayer to the Department of Taxation shall be applied to the taxpayer's delinquent use tax accounts. The taxpayer must provide evidence of the erroneous sales tax collected and remitted in each transaction. The provisions of this bill do not apply in the case of (i) the taxpayer already applying for and receiving the relief described in this bill or (ii) a false or fraudulent action by the taxpayer with the intention of evading the payment of the tax. Further, the taxpayer must show that the erroneous retail sales tax has been refunded to the purchaser or credited to the purchaser's account prior to receiving a refund from Department of Taxation.

SB737 - Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs, on-bill tariff program.

1 Co-Sponsor

Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, energy efficiency programs include electrification, including measures that electrify space heating, water heating, cooling, drying, cooking, industrial processes, and other building and industrial end uses that would otherwise be served by onsite, nonelectric fuels, provided that the electrification measures reduce site energy consumption and that, to the maximum extent practical, seek to combine with federally authorized customer rebates for heat pump technology. The bill provides that electricity consumption increases that result from State Corporation Commission-approved electrification measures shall not be considered as a reduction in energy savings under the energy savings requirements and that utilities may apply verified total site energy reductions that are attributable to Commission-approved electrification measures to the energy savings requirements. The bill specifies that energy efficiency programs and energy efficiency measures do not include electrification of any process or activity primarily fueled by natural gas. Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, energy efficiency programs include electrification, including measures that electrify space heating, water heating, cooling, drying, cooking, industrial processes, and other building and industrial end uses that would otherwise be served by onsite, nonelectric fuels, provided that the electrification measures reduce site energy consumption and that, to the maximum extent practical, seek to combine with federally authorized customer rebates for heat pump technology. The bill provides that electricity consumption increases that result from State Corporation Commission-approved electrification measures shall not be considered as a reduction in energy savings under the energy savings requirements and that utilities may apply verified total site energy reductions that are attributable to Commission-approved electrification measures to the energy savings requirements. The bill specifies that energy efficiency programs and energy efficiency measures do not include electrification of any process or activity primarily fueled by natural gas.

SJR233 - Celebrating the life of Barbara Berry Jenkins.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB575 - Discharge plans; copies to public elementary and secondary schools.

1 Co-Sponsor

Discharge plans; copies to public elementary and secondary schools. Provides that, prior to the discharge of any minor admitted to inpatient treatment (i) who is a student at a public elementary or secondary school and (ii) for whom the facility deems (a) such discharge poses a threat of violence or physical harm to self and others or (b) additional educational services are needed, such facility is required to provide to the school's mental health professional or school counselor the portions of such discharge plan relevant to the threat of violence or harm or the necessary additional educational services. The bill requires such facility to, prior to providing any such portions of any minor's discharge plan, provide to the parent of such minor student reasonable notice of the types of information that would be included in any portions of the discharge plan being provided and of the parent's right to, upon written request, refuse the provision of any such information.

SB705 - Insurance; adds member to continuing education board.

1 Co-Sponsor

Insurance; continuing education board; membership. Adds a member of the Virginia chapter of the National African American Insurance Association to the insurance continuing education board. Additionally, the bill amends the name of the association of one existing required member, from the Virginia Association of Health Underwriters to the Virginia chapter of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, to reflect such association's current name.

SB280 - Health care; decision-making, definitions, medical aid in dying, penalties.

2 Co-Sponsors

Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life must be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life. Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life must be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.

SB166 - Financial institutions; consumer has option of completing certain payments electronically.

1 Co-Sponsor

Financial institutions; certain payments required electronically. Requires any financial institution that initiates an electronic fund transfer as payment for the sale to a consumer of a security issued by such financial institution to make available to the consumer the option of completing any payment of principal, interest, dividend, or other distribution related to the security via an electronic fund transfer. Financial institutions; certain payments required electronically. Requires any financial institution that initiates an electronic fund transfer as payment for the sale to a consumer of a security issued by such financial institution to make available to the consumer the option of completing any payment of principal, interest, dividend, or other distribution related to the security via an electronic fund transfer.

SB8 - Notary public or electronic notary public; application for recommission.

1 Co-Sponsor

Notary public or electronic notary public; application for recommission. Removes the requirement that a person applying for recommission as a notary public or electronic notary public include in his application an applicant oath, provided that such person is in good standing as a notary public or electronic notary public, is not subject to any investigation or proceeding, and has never been removed from office. Under current law, persons applying for recommission are required to include such oath. Notary public or electronic notary public; application for recommission. Removes the requirement that a person applying for recommission as a notary public or electronic notary public include in his application an applicant oath, provided that such person is in good standing as a notary public or electronic notary public, is not subject to any investigation or proceeding, and has never been removed from office. Under current law, persons applying for recommission are required to include such oath.

SR182 - Commending Physician-Parent Caregivers.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB62 - New College Institute; duties.

1 Co-Sponsor

New College Institute; duties. Requires the New College Institute to design and implement, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, and other relevant agencies and organizations, any workforce development programs necessary to support the initiatives of the Office of the Governor, including adult education and workforce training programs.