Public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; designation of interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, and club athletic teams and sports based on biological sex; identification of biological sex on Preparticipation Physical Evaluation and athletics eligibility forms required; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public elementary or secondary school or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex: (i) for "males," "men," or "boys"; (ii) for "females," "women," or "girls"; or (iii) for "coed" or "mixed." The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females, women, or girls from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill amends provisions of current law requiring each public middle or high school student to submit a Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form in order to be a participant on or try out for any interscholastic athletic team or squad by (a) expanding the scope of the requirement to apply to any public elementary or secondary school student in order to participate on or try out for any interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic team or sport and (b) requiring each Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form to identify and attest to each such student's biological sex. The bill also requires each student enrolled at a public institution of higher education seeking to participate on or try out for any intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public institution of higher education to submit by the start of his first year of participation on such team or sport an athletics eligibility form signed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant verifying such student's biological sex and meeting such other criteria as set forth in the bill. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, athletic association, or athletic organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a public school or institution of higher education based on compliance with the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any public school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a public school or institution of higher education or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a public school, institution of higher education, athletic association, or athletic organization.
Public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; student participation in women's sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public school or any other school that is a member of the Virginia High School League or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on the biological sex of the students who participate on the team or in the sport: (i) males, men, or boys; (ii) females, women, or girls; or (iii) coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both males and females. The bill requires that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician's statement. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against any such school or institution of higher education on the basis of the school's or institution's compliance with the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the provisions of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or institution or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, institution, athletic association, or organization.
Public schools; bathrooms, changing facilities, and other facilities located in public schools; reasonable accommodation based on biological sex required; civil cause of action. Requires any public school to, to the extent practicable, provide reasonable accommodation, as defined by the bill, to any student, teacher, or other employee of such public school who (i) desires greater privacy when using a multi-occupancy bathroom or changing facility located within a public school building that is designated for such student's, teacher's, or employee's sex, as defined by the bill, or when using multi-occupancy sleeping quarters while attending a public school-sponsored activity that are designated for such student's, teacher's, or employee's sex and (ii) provides a written request for reasonable accommodation to the school principal or, in the case of a student who is younger than 18 years of age, has his parent provide such written request to the school principal. The bill requires a school principal, upon receiving a written request for reasonable accommodation, to evaluate the request and, to the extent practicable, provide reasonable accommodation. The bill also requires such school principal to issue a written decision approving or denying the request for reasonable accommodation and, if denying the request, state the grounds for such denial in the written decision. The bill also provides (a) an opportunity for any student, teacher, or employee whose written request for reasonable accommodation is denied by a school principal to appeal the denial to the school board in accordance with the procedures set forth in the bill and (b) an opportunity for any student, teacher, or employee whose appeal of the principal's denial is denied by the school board to request an impartial hearing conducted by an impartial hearing officer to appeal the school board's decision in accordance with the procedures set forth in the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student, teacher, or employee who (1) as a result of the school or school board intentionally allowing a member of the opposite sex to enter a multi-occupancy bathroom or changing facility designated for such student's, employee's, or teacher's biological sex while other persons are present, encounters a member of the opposite sex while in such bathroom or facility or (2) is required by the public school to share sleeping quarters during a school-sponsored activity with a member of the opposite sex, unless such member of the opposite sex is a family member.
Kei vehicles; operation and requirements. Prohibits kei vehicles, as defined in the bill, from being operated on any limited access highway, interstate highway, or highway with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour or more. The bill provides for the licensing and registration of kei vehicles by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill prohibits localities from placing certain restrictions on kei vehicles and prohibits the imposition of liability for motor vehicle dealers for any damages that are directly or indirectly attributable to the sale of a kei vehicle that was not manufactured in accordance with federal safety standards. The bill directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to develop and adopt emissions inspection standards for kei vehicles and directs the Superintendent of State Police to promulgate any regulations necessary for conducting safety inspections of kei vehicles.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of "small business"; direct procurement; set-asides. Amends the definition of "small business," for purposes of provisions related to the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and the Virginia Public Procurement Act, to mean a business that is at least 51 percent independently owned and controlled by one or more individuals, or in the case of a cooperative association, is at least 51 percent independently controlled by one or more members, who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens and, together with affiliates, has 50 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $5 million or less averaged over the previous three years and for which the individual owners do not have a combined net worth exceeding $1.5 million. Current law defines a small business as such, but with 250 or fewer employees and average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years, with no limit on the combined net worth of individual owners. The bill allows any public body to directly solicit or award a contract of less than $200,000 to a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business, or to a business identified by a public body as a service disabled veteran-owned or military family-owned business, without engaging in the competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation process. The bill also provides that purchases made by a public body for goods, services, and construction up to $100,000 that are not directly awarded shall be set aside for award to small businesses.
Reports of fetal death; miscarriage; personally identifiable information not required. Provides that any fetal death report relating to a miscarriage shall not include a patient's name or any other personally identifiable information. The bill further directs the Department of Health to update its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices; local regulation; Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, defined in the bill as a nationally certified, plug-in solar photovoltaic device with a maximum power output of no more than 1,200 watts that is intended primarily to offset part of the customer's electricity consumption. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility or electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device. Small portable solar generation devices are excluded under the bill from the provisions of net metering programs applicable to eligible agricultural customer-generators, eligible customer-generators, or small agricultural generating facilities. The bill also restricts landlords owning more than four rental dwelling units from prohibiting a tenant from installing a small portable solar generation device on the exterior of the tenant's premises, provided that reasonable restrictions may be established concerning size, manner, and placement.
Emergency medical services personnel; requirements for personnel without commercial driver's license. Requires the Board of Health to include in regulations pertaining to emergency medical services personnel the requirement that any emergency medical services personnel who administer patient care or who operate emergency medical services vehicles without a commercial driver's license comply with the provisions of federal law prohibiting the use of controlled substances by commercial driver's license holders. The bill also requires the State Health Commissioner, when issuing a license or permit to an emergency medical services agency, to require that any personnel of such agency who administer patient care or who operate emergency medical services vehicles without a commercial driver's license comply with the provisions of federal law prohibiting the use of controlled substances by commercial driver's license holders.
Tow truck drivers; temporary registration. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to offer a temporary registration or driver authorization document to tow truck drivers that is effective upon submission of an application for registration and that expires upon issuance or denial of permanent registration. Under current law, the Department is authorized, but not required, to offer such temporary registration or driver authorization document.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definitions; meetings; quorum and electronic communication. Amends the definition of "meeting" for purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act such that any assemblage of a quorum of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. Under current law, as many as three members or a quorum, if less than three, of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. The bill additionally authorizes members of a public body participating through electronic communication in a meeting in which other members are participating in person to count toward the quorum as if the individual were physically present, should such member's physical absence be due to an approved cause of absence.
Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices. Permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, defined in the bill as a nationally certified, plug-in solar photovoltaic device with a maximum power output of no more than 1,200 watts at a single premise that is not designed to be interconnected with the electric grid and is intended primarily to offset part of the customer's electricity consumption. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility or electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device.
Public utilities; reopening rate case in certain instances. Provides that if an application is filed with the State Corporation Commission for approval of the acquisition or disposition of control involving a public utility and such application is filed within 24 months after the entry of a final order in a rate increase proceeding, the Commission may, on its own initiative or upon petition of any interested person, reopen such rate increase proceeding.
