Virginia Assembly – Week One

Highlights of some of the bills proposed.

Del. Mark Sickles (D-43) introduced HB 901 Health insurance; payment to out-of-network providers. The bill provides that when a covered person receives covered emergency services from an out-of-network health care provider or receives out-of-network services at an in-network facility, the covered person is not required to pay the out-of-network provider any amount other than the applicable cost-sharing requirement.

Del. Ibraheem Samirah (D-86) introduced HB 152 Single-family residential use; middle housing allowed on lots zoned for units. The bill requires all localities to allow development or redevelopment of "middle housing" residential units upon each lot zoned for single-family residential use.

Del. David Bulova (D-37) introduced HB 1012 Early childhood care and education; establishment of system, licensure. He said, “According to statistics from the Virginia Department of Education, 40 percent of students entering kindergarten lack the key literacy, math, and social emotional skills that predict success.”

Del. Karrie Delaney (D-67) introduced HB 547 Virginia Energy and Economy Transition Council; established, report. The bill establishes the Virginia Energy and Economy Transition Council, consisting of 28 members, to develop plans to assist the Commonwealth in transitioning from the use of fossil fuel energy to renewable energy by 2050

Del. Ken Plum (D-36) introduced HB 615 Minimum wage; increases to $10.10 per hour effective January 1, 2021, etc. The bill increases the minimum wage from its current federally mandated level of $7.25 per hour to $10.10 per hour effective January 1, 2021, unless a higher minimum wage is required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49) introduced HB 260 Firearms; transfer, criminal history record check delay. The bill increases from the end of the next business day to within five business days the time in which State Police must advise a dealer if its records indicate that a firearms buyer or transferee is prohibited from possessing or transporting a firearm and the time after which a dealer may complete the sale or transfer without a response from the State Police.

Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34) introduced HB 209 Absentee voting; no excuse required. The bill permits any registered voter to vote by absentee ballot in any election in which he is qualified to vote.

Del. Marcus Simon (D-53) introduced HB 255 Charges and convictions, certain; expungement. The bill allows a person to petition for expungement of convictions and deferred disposition dismissals for marijuana possession, underage alcohol possession, and using a false ID to obtain alcohol when the offense occurred prior to the person's twenty-first birthday; all court costs, fines, and restitution have been paid; and five years have elapsed since the date of completion of all terms of sentencing and probation.

Del. Mark Keam (D-35) introduced HB 706 Offshore drilling; prohibition on leases, policy. The bill prohibits the granting of a lease, easement, or permit on the beds of the waters of the Commonwealth that would allow any infrastructure for conveying oil or gas associated with offshore drilling and removes any oil or gas lease granted on such beds from the mandate that such lease include a royalty payment requirement.

Del. Richard "Rip" Sullivan (D-48), Caucus Chair, introduced HB 461 Renewable energy property; tax credit established. The bill establishes, beginning in taxable year 2020, a tax credit for renewable energy property placed in service.

Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-33) introduced SB 666 Voter registration; notification of denial. The bill requires notice of a denial of an application for voter registration to be provided by the general registrar to the applicant within five days of the denial. Such notice may be made by all available means, including by telephone and email.

Sen. Janet Howell (D-32), Chair Senate Finance and Appropriations, introduced SB 581 Minors; allowing access to firearms, Class 6 felony which provides that any person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person under the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

Sen. J. Chapman Peterson (D-34) introduced SB 26 Plastic bags; tax in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed which imposes a five-cent per bag tax on plastic bags provided to customers by certain retailers in localities located wholly within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and directs revenues to be used to support the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan.

Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36) introduced SB 436 Establishment of the Virginia Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms List; penalty. The bill creates the Virginia Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms List (the List) that prohibits the possession, transportation and sale of firearms to any person who voluntarily registers himself to be enrolled into the List.

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), Speaker of the House, introduced HB 1414 Transportation. According to her legislative aide, “This bill will (i) restructure how we fund transportation, (ii) transform passenger and commuter rail in Virginia, and (iii) make Virginia's roads safer.”

Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) introduced HB 15 Public school buses seat belts. The bill requires the Board of Education to make regulations to require each new public school bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equipped with a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder strap or harness in every seat. He also introduced HB 16 Safety belt system; all occupants of motor vehicles to utilize.