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2023 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor

Chair: Richard L. Saslaw

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Hannah Dockery
Staff: Thomas Stevens, Marvi Ali
Date of Meeting: February 6, 2023
Time and Place: 15 mins after adjourn / Senate Room A
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

S.B. 1083

Patrons: Edwards, Surovell

Shared solar programs; Phase I Utility; report. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program that allows customers of a Phase I Utility, defined in the bill, to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility, defined in the bill as a facility that, among other criteria, generates electricity by means of a solar photovoltaic device with a nameplate capacity that does not exceed 5,000 kilowatts. Under the program, a subscriber receives a bill credit for the proportional output of a shared solar facility attributable to that subscriber. Subscribers are required to pay a minimum bill, established by the Commission, when the bill credit reduces the subscriber's bill below the minimum bill threshold; low-income customers are exempt from the minimum bill. The bill provides that the Commission shall approve a shared solar program of 10 percent of the peak load for customers of a Phase I Utility, and a program facility shall allocate at least 30 percent of its capacity, or savings equivalent, to low-income customers or low-income service organizations. The bill directs the Department of Energy to convene a stakeholder work group for the purposes of developing incentives for certain shared solar projects and report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 30, 2023.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 56-594.4, relating to shared solar programs; Phase I Utility; report.

23104218D

S.B. 1217

Patron: Mason

Financial institutions; earned wage access services; licensure requirements; penalties. Prohibits any person from providing earned wage access services without first obtaining a license from the State Corporation Commission. The bill defines "earned wage access services" as the business of delivering proceeds to consumers prior to the date on which an obligor is obligated to pay such consumer's salary, wages, compensation, or other income to the consumer. The bill provides for qualifications for licensure, posting of a bond, annual fees, recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure requirements. The bill authorizes the Commission to investigate and examine applicants and licensees, to suspend and revoke licenses, and to impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for violations of the earned wage access services provisions. The bill provides that any person who engages in earned wage access services without having first obtained a license from the Commission is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill licensure requirements have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025 and the bill requires any person required to be licensed by the Commission to engage in earned wage access services to submit an application for licensure no later than October 1, 2024.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 6.2 a chapter numbered 22.2, consisting of sections numbered 6.2-2239 through 6.2-2260, relating to financial institutions; earned wage access services; licensure requirements; penalties.

23103912D

S.B. 1301

Patron: Deeds


Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services. Requires each managed care health insurance plan licensee (licensee) to (i) provide a sufficient number and mix of services, specialists, and practice sites to meet covered persons' mental health care needs; (ii) ensure that covered persons have telephone access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to responsible and knowledgeable mental health care practitioners capable of assessing the covered persons' conditions and, as necessary, providing for appropriate services; and (iii) incorporate strategies into its access procedures to facilitate utilization of the licensee's mental health care services by covered persons with physical, mental, language, or cultural barriers. The bill requires a managed care health insurance plan licensee to cover out-of-network mental health care services to a covered person if (a) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within its network capable of providing mental health care services to the covered person; (b) the majority of the managed care health insurance plan licensee's mental health care providers within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who have experience treating the general age group of a covered person are no longer accepting new patients or have wait-lists to receive care; or (c) the managed care health insurance plan licensee does not have a mental health care provider within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who (1) has experience or expertise in treating patients who share the emotionally distressing experiences, defined in the bill, or demographics of the covered person seeking care and (2) is capable of providing care within the next 31 days. The bill provides that a licensee may require certain verification that the mental health care services are related to an emotionally distressing experience but is prohibited from requiring proof of a criminal proceeding.

The bill requires a managed care health insurance plan licensee, for any covered person seeking mental health care services that has self-harm or suicidal ideation, to cover any associated out-of-network care such that the covered person shall not be responsible for any additional costs incurred by the managed care health insurance plan licensee for such services, other than any applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. The bill requires a licensee to accept verification from the associated out-of-network provider that the mental health care services provided were related to the covered person's self-harm or suicidal ideation and prohibits a licensee from imposing any additional requirements to verify that the covered person was seeking care related to self-harm or suicidal ideation.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 32.1-137.2:1, relating to managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health services.

23104175D

S.B. 1347

Patron: Cosgrove

Health insurance; mental health benefits; coverage for mobile crisis response services and residential crisis stabilization units. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for mobile crisis response services, defined in the bill, and support and stabilization services provided in a residential crisis stabilization unit, defined in the bill.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 38.2-3412.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to health insurance; coverage for mental health benefits; mobile crisis response services and residential crisis stabilization units.

23103355D

S.B. 1441

Patron: Locke

Development of offshore wind capacity; cost recovery. Provides that the State Corporation Commission shall give preference to requests for cost recovery by a Phase II Utility for generating facilities utilizing energy derived from offshore wind that maximize economic benefits to the Commonwealth. The bill also accelerates the timeline for public utilities to construct or purchase one or more offshore wind generation facilities located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth from 2034 to 2024.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-585.1:11 of the Code of Virginia, relating to development of offshore wind capacity; cost recovery.

23102981D