Commending Mark Werblood.
Jurors; compensation. Increases the dailycompensation for jurors from $30 to $100.
Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund. Establishes the Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund to assist developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations. A developer is eligible to receive grants of 50 to 70 percent of the non-utility costs, depending on where the charging station is located in the Commonwealth. The total amount of grants awarded in a fiscal year is capped at $20 million, with at least $5 million in grants reserved for charging stations located in historically economically distressed communities.
Commending William C. Baker.
Public schools; English language learners. Requires state funding to be provided to support new divisionwide ratiosof English learner students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions, as follows: (i) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level one, one position per 25students; (ii) for each English language learner identified as proficiencylevel two, one position per 30 students; (iii) for each English languagelearner identified as proficiency level three, one position per 40 students; and (iv) for all other English language learners, one positionper 50 students. Under the bill, in order to provide additional supportfor instruction of English language learners, $150 shall be appropriatedin year one to divisions for each English learner student to supportprofessional development of instructional and support staff, purchaseresources developed for students learning English, and offer grantsto community-based organizations that offer support services to Englishlanguage learners in school settings.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; schoolhealth services information; survey. Requires the Superintendentof Public Instruction to, at least annually, survey all local schooldivisions and use such data to strengthen the comprehensive availabilityof school health services information. The bill provides that informationto be collected in the survey shall include: (i) staffing levelsof school health personnel, (ii) the prevalence of students with chronichealth conditions, (iii) the percentage of students with healthservices written in their records, (iv) the number of visits to theschool health office and dispositions, (v) health services providedby each school, and (vi) any other information deemed appropriate.The bill requires each local school division to complete each survey.
Department of Education; School Quality Profiles;teacher data. Requires the Department of Education to includeon each School Quality Profile data on teachers' race and proficiencyin any language other than English.
Study; OES to study feasibility of establishinga uniform electronic filing system for all state circuit, generaldistrict, and juvenile and domestic relations courts and provide aplan for the establishment of such system; report. Requests the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginiato (i) determine the cost of the creation and implementation ofa uniform filing system for all state circuit, general district,and juvenile and domestic relations district courts; (ii) identifyany potential challenges of and concerns relating to establishinga statewide electronic filing system, such as Internet availabilityin certain parts of the state, balancing accessibility and transparencywhile maintaining confidentiality as required for certain cases, security concerns, system failure or outages, and training for usersof the system, and determine possible solutions for identified concerns;(iii) analyze the current federal electronic filing system and plansimplemented in other states to determine best practices for developingand implementing a statewide system for all circuit and districtcourts in the Commonwealth; and (iv) develop a plan for the establishmentof a uniform electronic filing system in all circuit and districtcourts in the Commonwealth.
Behavioral Health Commission; membership.Adds two nonlegislative citizen members who have received or are receiving services from the Commonwealth's behavioral health system,one nonlegislative citizen member who is a local law-enforcementofficer serving a jurisdiction located in the Commonwealth, one nonlegislativecitizen member who is a behavioral health services provider providingservices in the Commonwealth, and one nonlegislative citizen memberwho is a certified peer recovery specialist or registered peer recoveryspecialist to the membership of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; feasibility study; Catawba Hospital; substance abuse treatment and recovery services. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to study the feasibility of transforming Catawba Hospital into a state-of-the-art facility at which a continuum of substance abuse treatment and recovery services, including long-term, short-term, acute, and outpatient services, is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to geriatric individuals in need of mental health care, and to identify state hospitals in other regions of the Commonwealth that may be appropriate for transformation into facilities at which a continuum of such services is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to individuals in need of mental health care. The Department shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions by December 1, 2022.
Elections; removal of officers; recall elections; petition. Provides for the removal of certain elected officers and officers appointed to elected offices by recall referendum. The bill requires a petition for recall be signed by 30 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last election for the office for which a recall is sought.
Commending the Reverend Daniel Webster Edwards.
