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2012 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor

Chairman: John C. Watkins

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Bonnie Shelhorse
Staff: Frank Munyan
Date of Meeting: February 27, 2012
Time and Place: 1/2 hr. after adjournment/Senate Room B

H.B. 129

Patron: Kilgore

Electric utilities; retail competition; purchases from net metering sellers.  Authorizes individual retail customers who are eligible customer-generators under Virginia's net energy metering program to purchase electricity provided 100 percent from renewable energy exclusively for their own consumption from a net metering seller. A net metering seller is a person, other than a utility or licensed supplier, that owns or operates a renewable energy electricity generation source on premises that is owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by an eligible customer-generator and sells the electricity generated from the renewable generation source exclusively to the eligible customer-generator under a power purchase agreement. This exception to the incumbent electric utility's exclusive service territory applies even if the utility offers an approved tariff for electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energy.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 56-576 and 56-577 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electric utility regulation; exemption for purchases from net metering sellers.

12101947D

H.B. 137

Patron: Habeeb

Workers' compensation; injuries presumed to be in course of employment.  Revises the provision enacted in 2011 that created a presumption, in the absence of a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, that an injury is work related if an employee is physically or mentally unable to testify and there is unrebutted prima facie evidence that the injury was work related. This measure substitutes the phrase "arose out of and were in the course of employment" for "were work related."

A BILL to amend and reenact § 65.2-105 of the Code of Virginia, relating to workers' compensation; presumption; injuries in course of employment.

12101417D

H.B. 313

Patron: Ware, R.L.

Life insurance and annuities agents; licensing examination. Requires the State Corporation Commission annually to review whether the pass rate for the licensing examination for life insurance and annuities agents is consistent with the 2011 National Association of Insurance Commissioners State Licensing Handbook, or any successor publication adopted by the NAIC. The bill also directs the Commission to report to the General Assembly by the second quarter of the following year on its findings and any related changes it has implemented.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 38.2-1815 of the Code of Virginia, relating to insurance; agent licensing.

12104522D

H.B. 1169

Patron: Habeeb

Workers' compensation; medical fees. Provides that the Workers' Compensation Commission shall retain jurisdiction for employees to pursue payment of charges for medical services notwithstanding that bills or parts of bills for health care services may have been paid by a source other than an employer, workers' compensation carrier, guaranty fund or uninsured employer's fund.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 65.2-714 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Workers' Compensation Commission; charges for medical services.

12104874D

H.B. 1177

Patron: Watson

Virginia Energy Plan; objectives. Adds to the list of the Commonwealth's energy objectives the following: (i) ensuring an adequate energy supply and a Virginia-based energy production capacity; and (ii) minimizing the Commonwealth's long-term exposure to volatility and increases in world energy prices through greater energy independence.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 67-101 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Virginia Energy Policy; objectives.

12103932D

H.B. 1200

Patron: Bulova

Human trafficking hotline; posted notices.  Provides that any employer who operates a business that provides entertainment commonly called stripteasing or topless entertaining or entertainment that has employees who are not clad above or below the waist and who fails to post a specific notice in a clearly visible place on the premises thereof is subject to a $500 civil penalty. The notice provides the telephone number of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline.

 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 1 of Title 40.1 a section numbered 40.1-11.3, relating to human trafficking hotline; posted notices.

12105391D

H.B. 1202

Patron: Johnson

Fire insurance; coverage for costs of services by volunteer fire departments. Requires fire insurance policies to provide coverage, with limits not less than $250, for the cost charged by a volunteer fire department that is not fully funded by property taxes in certain instances when the fire department is called in to save or protect property insured under the policy. Higher coverage limits may be offered for an additional premium. The amount billed shall not exceed the limit of coverage.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 21 of Title 38.2 a section numbered 38.2-2129, relating to fire insurance; coverage for costs of services by volunteer fire departments.

12104707D

H.B. 1261

Patron: Ware, R.L.

Landlord and tenant law; energy submetering.  Provides that energy submetering equipment, energy allocation equipment, water and sewer submetering equipment, or a ratio utility billing system may be used in a campground if clearly stated in the rental agreement or lease for the leased premises or dwelling unit. The bill defines campground and campsite.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 55-226.2, 56-245.2, and 56-245.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to energy submetering.

12105156D

H.B. 1273

Patron: Peace

Access to oral chemotherapy medications. Provides that each health insurer, health care subscription plan, and health maintenance organization whose policies, contracts or plans include coverage for intravenously administered, injected and orally administered anticancer drugs shall provide that the durational limits, deductibles, coinsurance factors and copayments for orally administered anticancer drugs shall have consistently applied criteria within the same plan as those for cancer chemotherapy drugs that are administered intravenously or by injection. This requirement will apply to the state employees' health insurance plan and to the local choice health program.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 38.2-4214 and 38.2-4319 of the Code of Virginia, and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 38.2 a section numbered 38.2-3407.18, relating to requirements for orally administered cancer chemotherapy drugs.

12105415D