HB1375 - Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers.

15 Co-Sponsors

Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers. Provides that any locality wishing to participate in the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) must submit a proposal by May 15 of each year identifying a lead VPI agency responsible for developing a local plan for the delivery of preschool services to at-risk children. A local match based on the composite index of local ability to pay is required to fund such a proposal. The proposal must include the number of at-risk four-year-olds and three-year-olds to be served and eligibility criteria for participation. Upon acceptance, the Department will disburse state VPI funds to the lead VPI agency in such localities, which may be used with local matching funds to provide preschool education, health services, social services, parental involvement services, and transportation. The Department must establish academic standards for VPI programs that prepare students to successfully enter kindergarten. Full day VPI programs must operate for a minimum of five and a half instructional hours per day, while half day VPI programs operate for a minimum of three instructional hours per day. The bill requires the Department of Education to collect information from VPI and the Mixed Delivery Grant Program to compile a comprehensive report on the use of state funds, including the number of slots and funding allocated to each local program or provider and the number of slots that have been filled. Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers. Provides that any locality wishing to participate in the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) must submit a proposal by May 15 of each year identifying a lead VPI agency responsible for developing a local plan for the delivery of preschool services to at-risk children. A local match based on the composite index of local ability to pay is required to fund such a proposal. The proposal must include the number of at-risk four-year-olds and three-year-olds to be served and eligibility criteria for participation. Upon acceptance, the Department will disburse state VPI funds to the lead VPI agency in such localities, which may be used with local matching funds to provide preschool education, health services, social services, parental involvement services, and transportation. The Department must establish academic standards for VPI programs that prepare students to successfully enter kindergarten. Full day VPI programs must operate for a minimum of five and a half instructional hours per day, while half day VPI programs operate for a minimum of three instructional hours per day. The bill requires the Department of Education to collect information from VPI and the Mixed Delivery Grant Program to compile a comprehensive report on the use of state funds, including the number of slots and funding allocated to each local program or provider and the number of slots that have been filled. The bill codifies the Child Care Subsidy Program, which is currently established pursuant to regulations of the Board of Education, for the purpose of assisting families who meet certain eligibility criteria with the cost of child care provided by approved vendors. The bill requires the Child Care Subsidy Program to be overseen by the Department of Education and permits the Department to contract with state and local agencies to administer the Program. The bill requires the Department and Board of Education, as applicable, to establish rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and standards for the Program. The bill also codifies the Mixed Delivery Grant Program, which is currently established pursuant to the general appropriation act, for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to local public entities that enter into partnerships with local private early childhood care and education entities and other community organizations, as applicable, to provide, under the direction and leadership of a lead agency identified in the grant proposal, high-quality care and education, either part time or full time, for at-risk infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children who reside in the locality. The bill requires the Mixed Delivery Grant Program to be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation in partnership with the Department of Education and, consistent with any provisions relating to the Program in the general appropriation act, requires the Foundation and the Department to establish policies, procedures, and standards for the Program.

HB179 - Imprisonment; consecutive terms.

7 Co-Sponsors

Consecutive terms of imprisonment. Eliminates the required imposition of mandatory consecutive sentences of imprisonment.

HB988 - Correctional facilities; behavioral health services in facilities, report.

6 Co-Sponsors

Behavioral health services in correctional facilities; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to report to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before October 1 of each year certain population statistics regarding the provision of behavioral health services to persons incarcerated in state correctional facilities. The bill also requires local correctional facilities to report to the State Board of Local and Regional Jails on or before October 1 of each year certain population statistics regarding the provision of behavioral health services to persons incarcerated in local correctional facilities and for the Board to report such statistics to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before December 1 of each year.

HB282 - Highway work zones; creates a traffic infraction for any moving violation in a work zone.

6 Co-Sponsors

Moving violations; highway work zones. Creates a traffic infraction for any moving violation in a highway work zone punishable by a fine of not less than $300 for the first offense and not less than $500 for any subsequent offense. The bill provides that for any subsequent offense that occurs within the same 12-month period as another such offense such fine shall be not less than $750.

HB1490 - Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices, days and hours of operation.

19 Co-Sponsors

Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; days and hours of operation. Authorizes the governing body of any county or city establishing voter satellite offices for absentee voting in person to prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices. The bill prohibits any reduction in the dates or hours of operation of such offices to be enacted within 60 days of any general election. Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; days and hours of operation. Authorizes the governing body of any county or city establishing voter satellite offices for absentee voting in person to prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices. The bill prohibits any reduction in the dates or hours of operation of such offices to be enacted within 60 days of any general election.

HB173 - Plastic firearms & unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties.

19 Co-Sponsors

Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The portions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025; however, the portions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

HB1244 - Restorative housing and isolated confinement; restrictions on use.

6 Co-Sponsors

Restorative housing and isolated confinement; restrictions on use. Prohibits the use of isolated confinement, defined in the bill, in state correctional facilities, subject to certain exceptions. The bill requires that before placing an incarcerated person in restorative housing or isolated confinement for his own protection, the facility administrator shall place an incarcerated person in a less-restrictive setting, including by transferring such person to another institution or to a special-purpose housing unit for incarcerated persons who face similar threats. The bill requires that if an incarcerated person is placed in restorative housing or isolated confinement, such placement shall be reviewed every 48 hours and the facility administrator shall ensure that the incarcerated person receives a medical and mental health evaluation from certified medical and mental health professionals within one working day of placement in restorative housing or any form of isolated confinement. The bill also requires the facility administrator to notify the regional administrator in writing that an incarcerated person was placed in restorative housing or isolated confinement within 24 hours of such placement. Finally, the bill requires that formal reviews of an incarcerated person's placement in any form of isolated confinement shall be held in such person's presence, inform him of any reason or reasons administrative officials believe isolated confinement remains necessary, and give the incarcerated person an opportunity to respond to those reasons, and a formal ruling shall be provided to the incarcerated individual within 24 hours.

HR27 - Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

20 Co-Sponsors

HB1405 - Prisoners; Department of Corrections- and jailer-issued identification.

6 Co-Sponsors

Prisoners; Department of Corrections-issued and jailer-issued identification. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a procedure for securing a government-issued identification card, birth certificate, or Social Security card through the Department of Motor Vehicles and that the Department of Motor Vehicles shall expedite the processing of an application submitted by a prisoner for such government-issued identification card and the issuance of such identification. The bill also requires the Department of Corrections, in coordination with the State Board of Local and Regional Jails, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the State Registrar of Vital Records, to (i) review the processes involved in assisting a prisoner in applying for and obtaining a government-issued identification card, birth certificate, or Social Security card; (ii) identify any obstacles that may interfere with a prisoner obtaining such identification or documents prior to such prisoner's release or discharge; and (iii) issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2024. Prisoners; Department of Corrections-issued and jailer-issued identification. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a procedure for securing a government-issued identification card, birth certificate, or Social Security card through the Department of Motor Vehicles and that the Department of Motor Vehicles shall expedite the processing of an application submitted by a prisoner for such government-issued identification card and the issuance of such identification. The bill also requires the Department of Corrections, in coordination with the State Board of Local and Regional Jails, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the State Registrar of Vital Records, to (i) review the processes involved in assisting a prisoner in applying for and obtaining a government-issued identification card, birth certificate, or Social Security card; (ii) identify any obstacles that may interfere with a prisoner obtaining such identification or documents prior to such prisoner's release or discharge; and (iii) issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2024.

HB33 - Public drinking water; Commissioner of Health's work group to study occurrence of microplastics.

25 Co-Sponsors

Commissioner of Health; work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.