SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2024 SESSION

  • print version
Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor

Chair: R. Creigh Deeds

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Andrew Horton
Staff: Thomas Stevens
Date of Meeting: March 4, 2024
Time and Place: 15 mins after Senate adjourns / Senate Room A, 3rd Floor, GAB
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

H.B. 109

Patron: Sullivan

Electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report. Requires each incumbent electric utility that is a member of or has established a regional transmission entity for purposes of management and control of its transmission system as required under current law to submit an annual report by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include all recorded votes cast by the utility during the immediately preceding calendar year, all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility, and a brief description explaining how each vote cast by the utility or its affiliate is in the public interest.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-577 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 56-579.1, relating to electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report.

24101050D

H.B. 275

Patron: Helmer

Public utilities; delay of termination of service for certain residential customers; serious medical condition; report. Requires the State Corporation Commission to conduct a proceeding to establish limitations on the authority of public utilities and cooperatives that provide electric, gas, or water or wastewater services to terminate service to any residential customer who provides certification that the customer has a serious medical condition or the customer resides with a family member with a serious medical condition. The bill directs the Commission to adopt regulations to implement such limitations after consulting with certain stakeholders. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report by November 1, 2026, and every three years thereafter, on the effectiveness of the serious medical condition policy after implementation of the regulations and include any suggested changes to such policy for residential utility and cooperative customers.

A BILL to require utilities and cooperatives to limit service termination for residential electric, gas, water, and wastewater utility customers with a serious medical condition; report.

24100938D

H.B. 474

Patron: Coyner

Restroom Access Act. Requires a retail establishment that does not have a public restroom but has an employee toilet facility to allow any customer with an eligible medical condition, as defined in the bill, to use such employee toilet facility during normal business hours if certain conditions are met. A customer who suffers loss as a result of a violation may bring an action to recover damages not to exceed $100.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 59.1 a chapter numbered 57, consisting of sections numbered 59.1-603 through 59.1-606, relating to Restroom Access Act.

24106961D

H.B. 714

Patron: Webert


Electric utilities; pilot program for underground transmission lines; additional project. Adds one project to the existing pilot program for underground transmission lines. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to approve one additional application filed between January 1, 2024, and October 1, 2024, as a qualifying project to be constructed in whole or in part underground, as a part of the pilot program. The bill requires that the added qualifying project be a newly proposed 230-kilovolt underground line and that (i) an engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to place the proposed line, in whole or in part, underground; (ii) the governing body of each locality in which a portion of the proposed line will be placed underground indicates, by resolution, general community support for the project and that the governing body supports the transmission line to be placed underground; (iii) a project has been filed with the Commission or is pending issuance of a certificate of public convenience and necessity by October 1, 2024; (iv) the estimated additional cost of placing the proposed line, in whole or in part, underground does not exceed $40 million or, if greater than $40 million, the cost does not exceed 2.5 times the cost of placing the same line overhead, assuming accepted industry standards for undergrounding to ensure safety and reliability; if the public utility, the affected localities, and the Commission agree, a proposed underground line whose cost exceeds 2.5 times the cost of placing the line overhead may also be accepted into the pilot program; (v) the public utility requests that the project be considered as a qualifying project under the pilot program; and (vi) the primary need of the project is for purposes of grid reliability or grid resiliency or to support economic development priorities of the Commonwealth, including the economic development priorities and the comprehensive plan of the governing body of the locality in which at least a portion of line will be placed, and not to address aging assets that would have otherwise been replaced in due course.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-585.1:5 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electric utilities; pilot program for underground transmission lines; additional project.

24101674D

H.B. 736

Patron: Sewell

Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 59.1-200 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 59.1 a chapter numbered 57, consisting of sections numbered 59.1-603, 59.1-604, and 59.1-605, relating to Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty.

24106152D

H.B. 1019

Patron: Wilt

Health insurance for local employees. Permits any locality to allow participation in its group health insurance program by any non-benefitted employee, including members of governing bodies, if such non-benefitted employee or governing body member is not otherwise entitled to participate, provided that such non-benefitted employees reimburse the locality for the full cost of their participation. The bill provides that reimbursement may include foregoing all or a part of a local government salary.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-1517 of the Code of Virginia, relating to health insurance for local employees.

24102504D

H.B. 1060

Patron: Tran

Long-term care insurance; rate increases; notice requirements. Requires an insurer providing long-term care insurance policies to issue a written notice to each policyholder of the insurer's filing for a rate increase with the State Corporation Commission within 60 days of making such filing. Additionally, the bill requires the insurer to (i) if the Commission denies the rate increase, issue a written notice to each policyholder of the Commission's final decision to deny the rate increase within 90 days of such decision or (ii) if the Commission approves the rate increase, issue a written notice to each policyholder of the rate increase at least 90 days before its effective date that includes certain information listed in the bill. The bill requires the Commission, in reviewing requests to increase long-term care insurance rates, to consider, to the extent practicable, how the rate increase will impact policyholders.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 38.2-5206.1, relating to long-term care insurance; rate increases; notice requirements.

24100708D

H.B. 1103

Patron: Wyatt

Virginia Employment Commission; provision of certain confidential information to the Virginia Port Authority. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to provide certain employment information to the Virginia Port Authority as may be necessary to facilitate the administration and enforcement by the Authority of performance agreements with businesses that have received incentive awards. The bill provides that any information provided to the Authority is confidential, requires that the information only be disclosed to members of the Authority who are public officials or employees of the Authority for the performance of their official duties, and prohibits redisclosure of any such confidential information to nonlegislative citizen members of the Authority or to the public.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 60.2-114 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Virginia Employment Commission; provision of certain confidential information to the Virginia Port Authority.

24103575D

H.B. 1215

Patron: Higgins

Department of Labor and Industry; asbestos and lead project permit; usage of licensing fees. Provides that fees collected by the Department of Labor and Industry paid by licensed asbestos and certified lead contractors for obtaining asbestos and lead project permits are to be used by the Department in carrying out its mission under the Virginia Asbestos NESHAP Act.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 40.1-51.20 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Labor and Industry; asbestos and lead project permit; usage of licensing fees.

24102780D

H.B. 1257

Patron: Milde

Insurance; coverage for the diminished value of personal property. Requires any insurer who issues or delivers a new or renewal homeowner's insurance policy or a stand-alone policy that covers scheduled personal property in the Commonwealth to offer in writing a provision providing coverage for the diminution in the value of any such scheduled personal property, if the schedule provides for the repair of such property. Under the bill, the diminution in value of the personal property is the amount, if any, by which the market value of the personal property immediately following the completion of repair of the damage to the personal property is less than the market value of the personal property immediately prior to the damage and the change in market value is a direct result of damage from the covered loss. The provisions of the bill shall apply to every such policy that is issued, delivered, or renewed by an insurer licensed in the Commonwealth on or after July 1, 2025.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 38.2-2120 of the Code of Virginia, relating to insurance; optional coverage for the diminished value of personal property.

24106334D

H.B. 1286

Patron: Hayes


Uniform Commercial Code; amendments. Makes a number of amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as adopted in Virginia. The bill amends the definitions of "money" and "conspicuous" for purposes of the UCC and makes extensive amendments throughout provisions related to UCC Article 9 to accommodate emerging technologies. Such amendments include updating the traditional rules for attachment and perfection to apply to digital assets, such as controllable electronic records, and changes to several definitions, including "chattel paper," which is reconfigured to reflect the concept that chattel paper is a secured party's or lessor's right to payment that is secured by specific goods or owned by a lessee under an agreement that includes specific goods, if evidenced by a tangible or electronic record. Under current law, UCC Article 9 provides that perfection of money is through possession; however, since the definition of "money" is amended by this bill to include intangible assets, the amended provisions related to UCC Article 9 describe perfection by control, requiring the electronic money to either be in a deposit account or evidenced through a controllable electronic record. Further amendments to provisions related to UCC Article 9 include updates to governing law provisions for perfection and priority of security interests in chattel paper and in controllable electronic records, controllable accounts, and controllable payment intangibles.

The bill includes amendments to provisions governing sales and leases to provide clarification regarding hybrid or bundled transactions and adds definitions for "hybrid transaction" and "hybrid lease." The bill provides the following approach to the application of provisions related to sales or leases in hybrid or bundled transactions: if the goods aspect of the hybrid transaction predominates, then the provisions that relate to sales or leases apply, but if other aspects predominate, then the provisions that relate primarily to the goods but not the transaction as a whole apply.

The bill also adds a new title that parallels UCC Article 12, relating to controllable electronic records, as defined in the bill, and explaining the payment rights of a purchaser of an electronic record when such record is transferred. To fall within the scope of these provisions, the bill specifies that an electronic record must be controllable. The bill provides that to transfer the economic value associated with the controllable electronic record, or to receive the benefits associated with the controllable electronic record free of competing property interests, a person must have control of the controllable electronic record, which depends on requirements as described in the bill. The new title that parallels UCC Article 12 also describes qualifying purchasers of controllable electronic records, debtor security interests in relation to the person identified as in control of the controllable electronic record, and how to demonstrate control for purposes of priority and order of payment rights. These new provisions also include choice of law provisions to determine jurisdiction of a controllable electronic record.

The bill includes a number of transition provisions to address perfection and priority issues that may arise after the effective date of the bill. Under the transition provisions of the bill, the Commonwealth may provide an adjustment date of one year after the effective date of the bill to allow persons with established perfection or priority to perfect their interests that may otherwise be affected or lost after the adjustment date based on the UCC amendments in the bill. Finally, the bill makes technical amendments throughout the UCC.

This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commissioners to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.1A-201, 8.1A-204, 8.1A-301, 8.1A-306, 8.2-102, 8.2-106, 8.2-201, 8.2-202, 8.2-203, 8.2-205, 8.2-209, 8.2A-102, 8.2A-103, 8.2A-107, 8.2A-201, 8.2A-202, 8.2A-203, 8.2A-205, 8.2A-208, 8.3A-104, 8.3A-105, 8.3A-401, 8.3A-604, 8.4A-103, 8.4A-201, 8.4A-202, 8.4A-203, 8.4A-207, 8.4A-208, 8.4A-210, 8.4A-211, 8.4A-305, 8.5A-104, 8.5A-116, 8.7-102, 8.7-106, 8.8A-102, 8.8A-103, 8.8A-106, 8.8A-110, 8.8A-303, 8.9A-102, 8.9A-104, 8.9A-105, 8.9A-203, 8.9A-204, 8.9A-207 through 8.9A-210, 8.9A-301, 8.9A-304, 8.9A-305, 8.9A-310, 8.9A-312, 8.9A-313, 8.9A-314, 8.9A-316, 8.9A-317, 8.9A-323, 8.9A-324, 8.9A-330, 8.9A-331, 8.9A-332, 8.9A-334, 8.9A-341, 8.9A-404, 8.9A-406, 8.9A-408, 8.9A-509, 8.9A-513, 8.9A-601, 8.9A-605, 8.9A-608, 8.9A-611, 8.9A-613 through 8.9A-616, 8.9A-619, 8.9A-620, 8.9A-621, 8.9A-624, and 8.9A-628 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 8.9A-105.1, 8.9A-107.1, 8.9A-107.2, 8.9A-306.1, 8.9A-306.2, 8.9A-314.1, and 8.9A-326.1, by adding a title numbered 8.12, consisting of sections numbered 8.12-101 through 8.12-107, and by adding a title numbered 8.13, consisting of sections numbered 8.13-101 through 8.13-401, relating to Uniform Commercial Code; amendments.

24102847D

H.B. 1376

Patron: Reid

Submetering or energy allocation equipment; billing requirements; unit owners. Provides that for the purposes of rules promulgated by the State Corporation Commission related to billing requirements and all other rules related to submetering or energy allocation equipment, those rules applicable to tenants will be applicable to residential and nonresidential unit owners.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-245.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to submetering or energy allocation equipment; billing requirements; unit owners.

24100117D

H.B. 1392

Patron: Jones

Local government employee insurance programs. Authorizes any locality to include in its group life, accident, and health insurance programs any person to whom coverage could be extended under the provision of current law that sets out who may be covered under a private group accident and sickness insurance policy.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-1517 of the Code of Virginia, relating to local government employee insurance programs.

24105127D