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2024 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health

Chair: L. Louise Lucas

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Madison Odallo
Staff: Julia Carlton
Date of Meeting: January 11, 2024
Time and Place: 8 AM / Senate Room A, 3rd floor of the General Assembly Building
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

S.B. 5

Patron: Stanley

STEM+C Competition Team Grant Program and Fund; established. Establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing (STEM+C) Competition Team Grant Program and Fund to encourage interest in STEM+C-related subject areas and support STEM+C-related extracurricular team-building activities in public schools in the Commonwealth by providing grants to qualified schools, as defined in the bill, for use in establishing or supporting STEM+C competition teams.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 22.1 a chapter numbered 28, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-381 through 22.1-384, relating to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing (STEM+C) Competition Team Grant Program and Fund; established.

24100492D

S.B. 15

Patron: Favola

Reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves the receipt of or assistance with reproductive health care services within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that such limit on extradition shall not apply when the person who is subject to such demand for extradition by another state was physically present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged offense and thereafter fled from such state.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 19.2-87.1, relating to reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes.

24100481D

S.B. 16

Patron: Favola

Search warrants; menstrual health data prohibited. Prohibits the issuance of a search warrant for the search and seizure of menstrual health data, as defined in the bill, stored on a computer, computer network, or other device containing electronic or digital information.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 19.2-53 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 5 of Title 19.2 a section numbered 19.2-60.2, relating to search warrants; menstrual health data prohibited.

24100007D

S.B. 59

Patron: Favola

Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid Works access and utilization work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study and make recommendations to improve access to and successful utilization of the federal Medicaid Works program. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.

A BILL to direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group to study and make recommendations to improve access to and successful utilization of the Medicaid Works program.

24103254D

S.B. 104

Patron: Lucas

Teacher compensation; at or above national average. Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate that is at or above the national average. Under current law, compensation at such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficient to fund a three percent increase for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions, effective for the 2025-2026 school year and to fund an additional seven percent increase, effective for the 2026-2027 school year, for each school division, Academic Year Governor's School, and Regional Alternative Education Program. The bill contains provisions relating to eligibility to receive a prorated share of such state funding for any school division that fails to provide the required increases. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-289.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to teacher compensation; at or above national average.

24103010D

S.B. 105

Patron: Lucas

National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-299.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards.

24103015D

S.B. 111

Patron: Peake

Drug Control Act; Schedule I; Schedule II; Schedule IV; Schedule V. Adds certain chemicals to Schedules I, II, IV, and V of the Drug Control Act. The Board of Pharmacy has added these substances in an expedited regulatory process. A substance added via this process is removed from the schedule after 18 months unless a general law is enacted adding the substance to the schedule.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 54.1-3446, 54.1-3448, 54.1-3452, and 54.1-3454 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Drug Control Act; Schedule I; Schedule II; Schedule IV; Schedule V.

24102045D

S.B. 367

Patron: DeSteph


Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement established; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide.

The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, heroin, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances.

Additionally, the bill creates the Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement whose purpose is to study ways to enhance the ability of law-enforcement officers throughout the Commonwealth to combat the illegal manufacturing, importation, and distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and other similar controlled substances. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least annually and to report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and any recommendations.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-33, 18.2-248, and 32.1-283 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1 a section numbered 9.1-116.9, relating to manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement established; penalties.

24101341D