SEE LATEST
SPONSORED LEGISLATION
HB1088 - Climate change and environmental literacy; instructional materials, model policies.
Betsy B. Carr, Joshua G. Cole, Richard C. Sullivan
Last updated 6 months ago
8 Co-Sponsors
Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection. Requires the Board of Education to make available to each local school board instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, adopt, and make available to each local school board model policies and procedures, based on peer-reviewed scientific sources, pertaining to the selection of instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy, including a requirement for any such selected material to accurately portray changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the impacts of human activity on changes in weather and climate patterns, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.
STATUS
Vetoed
HB538 - Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program; established.
Joshua G. Cole, Atoosa R. Reaser
Last updated 9 months ago
2 Co-Sponsors
Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program established. Requires the Office of Environmental Education within the Department of Conservation and Recreation, in conjunction with the Department of Education and any other stakeholder that it deems appropriate, to implement the Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Program and Fund for school districts to develop local student environmental literacy plans and, with consultation from the Department of Education, to maintain a state environmental literacy plan. The bill establishes the Program and Fund, to be administered by the Office, for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to any local school board that seeks assistance to initiate, expand, or improve teacher professional development opportunities or student environmental education programs that align with the content and objectives of the bill. Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program established. Requires the Office of Environmental Education within the Department of Conservation and Recreation, in conjunction with the Department of Education and any other stakeholder that it deems appropriate, to implement the Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Program and Fund for school districts to develop local student environmental literacy plans and, with consultation from the Department of Education, to maintain a state environmental literacy plan. The bill establishes the Program and Fund, to be administered by the Office, for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to any local school board that seeks assistance to initiate, expand, or improve teacher professional development opportunities or student environmental education programs that align with the content and objectives of the bill.
STATUS
Introduced
HB177 - Federal Early Intervention Program for Infants & Toddlers w/Disabilities; reimbursement rates.
Debra D. Gardner, Bonita Grace Anthony, Alex Q. Askew
Last updated 9 months ago
20 Co-Sponsors
Department of Medical Assistance Services; reimbursement rates for Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to assess and make recommendations related to reimbursement rates for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities. The bill requires the work group to report its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024.
STATUS
Introduced
HB737 - Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements, civil action.
Briana D. Sewell, Charniele L. Herring, Kathy K.L. Tran
Last updated 9 months ago
26 Co-Sponsors
Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.
STATUS
Introduced
HJR14 - Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia; General Assembly to extend state recognition.
Delores L. McQuinn, Nadarius E. Clark, Joshua G. Cole
Last updated 9 months ago
17 Co-Sponsors
Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.
STATUS
Introduced
HB255 - Adult wellness screening; sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait.
Candi Mundon King, Bonita Grace Anthony, Alex Q. Askew
Last updated 6 months ago
17 Co-Sponsors
Adult wellness screening; sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait. Provides that every adult resident of the Commonwealth may be offered screening tests for sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait and requires that the health care professional in charge of an adult's annual health examination provide education and appropriate counseling regarding the results of any such test that is performed. Adult wellness screening; sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait. Provides that every adult resident of the Commonwealth may be offered screening tests for sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait and requires that the health care professional in charge of an adult's annual health examination provide education and appropriate counseling regarding the results of any such test that is performed.
STATUS
Passed
HB257 - Sickle cell anemia; prescription of opioids for pain management.
Candi Mundon King, Bonita Grace Anthony, Nadarius E. Clark
Last updated 6 months ago
13 Co-Sponsors
Prescription of opioids; sickle cell anemia. Exempts prescribers from certain requirements of the Prescription Monitoring Program related to prescribing opioids if the opioid is prescribed to a patient for pain management related to sickle cell anemia.
STATUS
Passed
HB102 - Court-appointed counsel; raises the limitation of fees.
Atoosa R. Reaser, Jason S. Ballard, Patrick A. Hope
Last updated 6 months ago
33 Co-Sponsors
Compensation of court-appointed counsel. Raises the limitation of fees that court-appointed counsel can receive for representation on various offenses in district and circuit courts. The bill also limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
STATUS
Passed
HB163 - Higher educational institutions, public; student identification cards, emergency services website.
Joshua G. Cole, Adele Y. McClure
Last updated 6 months ago
2 Co-Sponsors
Public institutions of higher education; student identification cards; emergency services website page and telephone numbers. Requires each public institution of higher education to maintain and annually update as necessary to ensure accuracy and currency a website page that includes telephone numbers for certain emergency services enumerated in the bill and to include (i) the URL of such website page on each new digital student identification card and any replacement digital student identification card issued by the institution beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year and (ii) the URL of or a QR Code that directs to such website page on each new physical student identification card and any replacement physical student identification card issued by the institution beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year.
STATUS
Passed
HB1369 - Criminal justice training academies; curriculum.
Debra D. Gardner, Nadarius E. Clark, Joshua G. Cole
Last updated 6 months ago
8 Co-Sponsors
Criminal justice training academies; curriculum. Provides that an approved criminal justice training academy may utilize an alternative curriculum and lesson plans that meet or exceed the compulsory minimum training standards without seeking a waiver from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Under current law, the Department is required to develop a uniform curriculum to be used at all criminal justice training academies unless a waiver to the uniform curriculum is granted by the Department. Criminal justice training academies; curriculum. Provides that an approved criminal justice training academy may utilize an alternative curriculum and lesson plans that meet or exceed the compulsory minimum training standards without seeking a waiver from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Under current law, the Department is required to develop a uniform curriculum to be used at all criminal justice training academies unless a waiver to the uniform curriculum is granted by the Department.
STATUS
Passed
BIOGRAPHY
INCUMBENT
Representative from Virginia district HD-028
COMMITTEES
Virginia House
BIRTH
--
ABOUT
Joshua G. Cole is a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 29. He assumed office on December 1, 2018. Cole attended West Virginia University where he earned his B.S. in Business Administration in 2015. Cole serves on the Natural Resources, Small Business - Entrepreneurship - Economic Development, and Technology and Infrastructure committees. Prior to his election, Cole worked for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.read less
OFFICES HELD
Virginia House from Virginia
NEXT ELECTION
