SB704 - Rural Virginia, Center for; renames Center the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia.

40 Co-Sponsors

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia.

SB614 - Xylazine; penalty for manufacturing, selling, etc., for human consumption.

2 Co-Sponsors

Xylazine; manufacturing; selling; giving; distributing; possessing; veterinary use exemption; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture xylazine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell xylazine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense xylazine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer xylazine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

SJR67 - Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.

40 Co-Sponsors

SB726 - Public schools; opioid antagonist administration, etc.

2 Co-Sponsors

Public schools; opioid antagonist procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal instruction; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans, policies, and procedures for (i) providing at each public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 a program of instruction on opioid overdose prevention and reversal and for encouraging each student to complete such program of instruction prior to graduation; (ii) the procurement, placement, and maintenance in each public elementary and secondary school of a supply of opioid antagonists in an amount equivalent to at least two unexpired doses for the purposes of opioid overdose reversal; and (iii) the possession and administration of an opioid antagonist by any employee of the school board who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of an opioid antagonist, including policies (a) requiring each public elementary and secondary school to ensure that at least one employee is authorized by a prescriber and trained and certified in the administration of an opioid antagonist, (b) for partnering with a program administered or approved by the Department of Health to provide such training and certification, and (c) for maintaining records of each such trained and certified employee. Public schools; opioid antagonist procurement, possession, and administration; school board employee training and certification; opioid overdose prevention and reversal instruction; guidelines and requirements. Requires each local school board to develop, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Department of Education, plans, policies, and procedures for (i) providing at each public secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 a program of instruction on opioid overdose prevention and reversal and for encouraging each student to complete such program of instruction prior to graduation; (ii) the procurement, placement, and maintenance in each public elementary and secondary school of a supply of opioid antagonists in an amount equivalent to at least two unexpired doses for the purposes of opioid overdose reversal; and (iii) the possession and administration of an opioid antagonist by any employee of the school board who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of an opioid antagonist, including policies (a) requiring each public elementary and secondary school to ensure that at least one employee is authorized by a prescriber and trained and certified in the administration of an opioid antagonist, (b) for partnering with a program administered or approved by the Department of Health to provide such training and certification, and (c) for maintaining records of each such trained and certified employee. The bill provides for the disciplinary, civil, and criminal immunity of any employee of a public school, school board, or local health department, regardless of whether such employee was trained or certified in opioid antagonist administration, for any act or omission made in connection with the good faith administration of an opioid antagonist for the purposes of opioid overdose reversal during regular school hours, on school premises, or during a school-sponsored activity, unless such act or omission was the result of gross neglect or willful misconduct. The bill requires each school board to adopt and each public elementary and secondary school to implement policies and procedures in accordance with the provisions of the bill and, in doing so, to utilize to the fullest extent possible programs offered by the Department of Health for the provision of opioid antagonist administration training and certification and opioid antagonist procurement. In addition, the bill modifies the school board employees who are authorized to administer opioid antagonists to include any school board employee who has completed training and is certified in the administration of an opioid antagonist by a program administered or authorized by the Department of Health. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Health and the Department of Education to collaborate to develop guidelines and policies for the implementation of the provisions of the bill and requires each school board to implement the provisions of the bill by the beginning of the 2025–2026 school year.

SB678 - Intercollegiate athletics; student-athletes, compensation and representation for name, image, etc.

2 Co-Sponsors

Intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes; compensation and representation for name, image, or likeness.

SB553 - Nursing education programs; out-of-state clinical sites.

2 Co-Sponsors

Board of Nursing; certain nursing education programs; out-of-state clinical sites. Directs the Board of Nursing to amend its regulations to permit nursing education programs in the Commonwealth located within 60 miles of a bordering state or the District of Columbia to contract for an unlimited number of required clinical hours at out-of-state clinical sites. The bill requires the regulations to specify that the Board must accept such hours for licensure. Board of Nursing; certain nursing education programs; out-of-state clinical sites. Directs the Board of Nursing to amend its regulations to permit nursing education programs in the Commonwealth located within 60 miles of a bordering state or the District of Columbia to contract for an unlimited number of required clinical hours at out-of-state clinical sites. The bill requires the regulations to specify that the Board must accept such hours for licensure.

SB728 - Cumberlands Airport Commission; establishes a new charter, repeals current charter.

1 Co-Sponsor

Cumberlands Airport Commission. Establishes a new charter for the Cumberlands Airport Commission and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1958. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the Commission and contains powers and duties typically granted for authorities. The bill also removes the Town of Lebanon and the Counties of Lee and Russell from the Commission.

SB727 - Russell County Industrial Development Authority; appointments.

1 Co-Sponsor

Russell County Industrial Development Authority; appointments. Clarifies that the board of supervisors of Russell County may appoint nine members to its industrial development authority, which shall consist of two members from the governing body of a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial development and such other members as the board of supervisors shall agree upon. Under current law, two of the members must come from a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial development.

SB621 - Artificial Intelligence, Commission on; established, report, sunset provision.

2 Co-Sponsors

Commission on Artificial Intelligence; report; sunset. Creates the Commission on Artificial Intelligence to advise the Governor on issues related to artificial intelligence and make advisory recommendations based on its findings. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.

SB487 - Artificial intelligence by public bodies; Joint Commission on Technology & Science to examine use.

3 Co-Sponsors

Joint Commission on Technology and Science; analysis of the use of artificial intelligence by public bodies; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS), in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to conduct an analysis of the use of artificial intelligence by public bodies in the Commonwealth and the creation of a Commission on Artificial Intelligence. JCOTS shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Communications, Technology and Innovation and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024.