Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent, and states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year. The bill requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality adopting an anti-rent gouging ordinance to establish an anti-rent gouging board to establish rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance or delegate such duties and functions to an existing local board, department, or agency. The bill also requires the anti-rent gouging board to establish a fair return on investment rent increase exemption to the annual anti-rent gouging allowance where necessary to offset increased operating expenses. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.
Sponsored bills
Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to SB 1105.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; pregnancy mobile application. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to partner with a mobile pregnancy application to promote awareness of state government maternal and infant health programs and information available to prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum individuals who are eligible for Medicaid. The bill requires the Department to submit a request for proposal within 180 days of the bill's effective date.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance services; postpartum doula care; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment for up to 10 doula visits, with up to four doula visits during pregnancy and up to six doula visits during the 12 months after the individual gives birth. The bill requires the Department to report to the Governor and General Assembly annually on the implementation and outcomes of the provision, and requires the first such report to be submitted by December 31, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 1418.
Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1 of each year regarding its activities. The bill directs the Task Force to conclude its work by November 1, 2026. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023.
Health insurance; reimbursement for services rendered by certain practitioners other than physicians. Requires health insurers and health service plan providers whose policies or contracts cover services that may be legally performed by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to provide equal coverage for such services. The bill requires the reimbursement for a service provided by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to be in the same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a certified nurse midwife performing such service in the area served, subject to certain conditions.
Baby Food Protection Act; testing and labeling requirements for toxic heavy metals. Prohibits a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a baby food product that contains certain toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill requires a manufacturer of a baby food product to meet certain testing requirements and include certain information related to toxic heavy metals on the manufacturer's website and on the baby food product. The bill requires a consumer to report a baby food product to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services if the consumer reasonably believes that the baby food is being sold in the Commonwealth with toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the FDA. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the presence of toxic heavy metals in baby food products and any further action needed to address the issue of toxic heavy metals in baby food products. The bill requires the work group to report on its findings and recommendations by the first day of the 2026 Regular Session.
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the board of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) adding demonstrated experience or expertise in finance or commercial real estate as options for satisfying the required qualifications for certain appointed members and requiring each enumerated area of demonstrated experience or expertise to be represented amongst such appointed members at any given time; (v) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (vi) prohibiting rather than permitting, as under current law, the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences of the University from serving as chief executive officer of the Authority but requiring the Senior Vice-President for Health Sciences to regularly communicate and collaborate with such chief executive officer to support the mutual interests and success of the University and the Authority; (vii) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (viii) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to SB 1259.
Postpartum Depression Education Act; report. Directs the Department of Health to establish a public awareness campaign, develop and distribute educational materials, and create an online resource hub focused on perinatal and postpartum depression. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the implementation of the bill, with the first annual report due by November 1, 2026.
Virginia military forces; Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program established. Establishes the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program (the Program) within the Department of Military Affairs. The bill also establishes the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer (the Officer) to perform victim advocacy services, including helping victims of certain criminal sexual assault offenses make either a restricted report or an unrestricted report, as those terms are defined in the bill. Restricted and unrestricted reports may be made (i) by a person who is a member of the Virginia military forces, defined in the bill as the Virginia National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force, or (ii) against a member of the Virginia military forces. The bill directs the Adjutant General, in coordination with the Officer, to submit an annual report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and the chairmen of both the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. The annual report shall include relevant information enumerated in the bill, including implementation and effectiveness of the Program's policies and procedures, as well as statistical information about restricted reports and unrestricted reports.