Bills & Legislation

Retail Sales and Use Tax; exemption for certain baby products.

Sales tax exemption; certain baby products.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

JLARC; Department of Human Resource Management's Grievance Procedure Manual, report.

JLARC; Department of Human Resource Management; Grievance Procedure Manual; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a review of the Department of Human Resource Management's Grievance Procedure Manual as it relates to the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires that JLARC evaluate the effectiveness of such procedures and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committee on General Laws by November 1, 2024.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Data centers; sales and use tax exemption for certain equipment or enabling software.

Sales and use tax; exemption for data centers.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Health insurance; cost-sharing, pharmacy benefits managers' compensation and duties, civil penalty.

Health insurance; cost-sharing; pharmacy benefits managers' compensation and duties: civil penalty. Amends provisions related to rebates provided by carriers and health benefit plans to health plan enrollees by defining "defined cost-sharing," "price protection rebates," and "pharmacy benefits management services." The bill requires that an enrollee's defined cost-sharing for each prescription drug be calculated at the point of sale based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to at least 80 percent of all rebates received or expected to be received in connection with the dispensing or administration of the prescription drug. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from deriving income from pharmacy benefits management services provided to a carrier or health benefit plan except for income derived from a pharmacy benefits management fee. The bill requires the amount of any pharmacy benefits management fees to be set forth in the agreement between the pharmacy benefits manager and the carrier or health benefit plan and that such fee not be based on the acquisition cost or any other price metric of a drug; the amount of savings, rebates, or other fees charged, realized, or collected by or generated based on the activity of the pharmacy benefits manager; or the amount of premiums, deductibles, or other cost-sharing or fees charged, realized, or collected by the pharmacy benefits manager from enrollees or other persons on behalf of an enrollee. The bill requires a pharmacy benefits manager to annually certify to the State Corporation Commission that it has met certain requirements. The bill establishes a pharmacy benefits manager duty, which includes the duties of care and good faith and fair dealing, owed to any enrollee, provider, or health benefit plan that receives pharmacy benefits management services from the pharmacy benefits manager or that furnishes, covers, receives, or is administered a unit of a prescription drug for which the pharmacy benefits manager has provided pharmacy benefits management services. The bill requires the Commission to define by regulation the scope of such duty and provides for a private cause of action for any person aggrieved by the breach of such duty.

Israel D. O'QuinnRepublican

Firefighters and emergency medical services personnel; recruitment and professional development.

Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; work group to study recruitment and professional development of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel; report. Requires the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, to convene a work group to (i) study the recruitment and professional development of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, (ii) make recommendations to ensure the uniformity of training for firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, and (iii) examine whether the state regulation of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel should be consolidated under a single secretariat and if a new secretariat should be created to oversee such regulation. The bill requires the work group to submit a report to the relevant General Assembly committees by November 1, 2024.

Amanda E. BattenRepublican

Public education; dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment, high school graduation.

Public education; dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment; high school graduation. Makes several changes relating to graduation from a public high school in the Commonwealth, including (i) eliminating the requirement for a student to complete one virtual course in order to graduate from high school and (ii) specifying that various options and requirements relating to earning career and technical education credentials for the purpose of satisfying high school graduation requirements are required to be high-demand career and technical education credentials. The bill also defines and thereby distinguishes the concepts of dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment in the context of high school students' participation in college-level coursework and requires the agreements for postsecondary attainment between school boards and comprehensive community colleges to specify the credit available for dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment courses.

Amanda E. BattenRepublican

Vegetative growth on certain property; maintenance.

Maintenance of vegetative growth on certain property. Provides that a locality may require the owner of property that (i) was formerly used as a golf course but where such use has been discontinued and (ii) abuts an area zoned for residential purposes to maintain the vegetative growth on the former golf course property in a manner that (a) prevents such property from becoming a detriment to the health, safety, or welfare of the residents of the abutting residential area and (b) does not change the character of the former golf course property so as to be incompatible with the surrounding residential area. The bill further provides that whenever the locality deems it necessary, after reasonable notice as determined by the locality, the locality may have its agents or employees cut or maintain the vegetative growth, in which event the cost and expenses thereof shall be chargeable to and paid by the owner of such property and may be collected by the locality as taxes are collected. An enactment clause states that the provisions of the bill are declarative of existing law.

Barry D. KnightRepublican

Nursing homes; application requirements.

Nursing homes; application requirements. Requires all applicants for a nursing home license to complete and submit an application on a form approved by the Department of Health. Under the bill, the applicant is required to provide certain information in the application form, including information on (i) ownership interests in nursing homes, (ii) pending litigation, (iii) real property related to the nursing home, (iv) secured notes, (v) the financial history of persons mentioned in the application, and (v) contact information for certain persons. The bill requires the Department of Health to publish written notice of all applications for nursing home licensure on its website, including a copy of the application form completed by the applicant and information about the public input and comment process. Under the bill, all applications for nursing home licensure are subject to a 30-day public comment period. The bill allows individuals to request a public hearing on an applicant's suitability for nursing home licensure. The bill sets forth the factors that the Department of Health is required to consider in determining whether to approve or deny an application to operate a nursing home.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; powers.

Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; powers. Provides for the Attorney General to provide legal services in civil matters upon the request of the executive director or board of directors of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority. The bill also provides for the board of the Authority to adopt policies for the procurement of goods and services and requires such policies to incorporate certain provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. In addition, the bill (i) makes the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act and the policies of the Department of Human Resource Management applicable to employees of the Authority, (ii) authorizes the Director of the Department of General Services to lease vehicles and construction and forestry equipment to the Authority, and (iii) authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to lease construction or forestry vehicles to the Authority.

James W. MorefieldRepublican

Family caregiver; creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028.

Family caregiver tax credit. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for expenses incurred by an individual in caring for an eligible family member, defined in the bill, who requires assistance with one or more activities of daily living, also defined in the bill. The credit equals 50 percent of eligible expenditures incurred by the caregiver up to $1,000. In order to qualify for the credit, the family caregiver must (i) not receive any compensation or reimbursement for the eligible expenditures and (ii) have federal adjusted gross income that is no greater than $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for married persons. The bill requires the Tax Commissioner to establish guidelines for claiming the credit and provides that any unused credit may be carried forward by the taxpayer for five taxable years following the taxable year for which the credit was issued.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Public elementary schools; incorporation of career & technical education into curricula.

Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education; recommendations, guidelines, and best practices for incorporation of career and technical education into public elementary school curricula; report. Requires the Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education established by the Board of Education to develop and submit to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2024, recommendations, guidelines, and best practices for the incorporation of career and technical education into public elementary school curricula.

Delores OatesRepublican

Uniform Statewide Building Code; amending Code, local building officials.

Board of Housing and Community Development; Uniform Statewide Building Code; local building officials. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code and corresponding regulations to remove any authority for local building departments to appoint local building officials for permanent terms. The bill requires the Board to require local building departments to appoint such officials for a term not to exceed 10 years and to only reappoint such officials after holding a performance evaluation.

Delores OatesRepublican

Unfunded mandates; delay of implementation.

Unfunded mandates; delay of implementation. Allows a county, city, or town, in its discretion, to delay implementing an unfunded mandate until the next fiscal year after the fiscal year in which any unfunded mandate became effective. The locality shall do so by ordinance that states with specificity the unfunded mandate that the locality seeks to delay implementing and the date on which the unfunded mandate shall become effective after the delay. The bill defines "unfunded mandate" as an act that imposes on a locality the responsibility of providing funding for new programs or increased levels of service under existing programs and for which the Commonwealth does not provide sufficient funding to cover the required costs of such new programs or increased services, whether by appropriation or other means.

Delores OatesRepublican

Housing opportunity; increases tax credit.

Housing opportunity tax credit. Increases, for calendar years 2023 through 2025, the amount of housing opportunity tax credits that may be claimed from $60 million per calendar year to $100 million per calendar year.

Joshua E. ThomasDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; adds to definition of professional services.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; professional services; definition. Adds to the definition of "professional services," for use throughout the Virginia Public Procurement Act, services of an investment and financial advisor procured by the Department of the Treasury.

Bill WileyRepublican

Online educational courses; DOC to establish, etc., an educational program for prisoners.

Department of Corrections; online educational courses. Requires the Director of the Department of Corrections to establish, develop, and implement an educational program with the Online Virginia Network Authority for the purposes of providing a means for prisoners to earn degrees and postsecondary education credentials through accessing online degree and credential programs that are offered by George Mason University, Old Dominion University, James Madison University, and comprehensive community colleges.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Affordable housing; City of Richmond has authority to provide.

Affordable housing; City of Richmond. Adds the City of Richmond to the list of localities with authority to provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act; construction of affordable housing.

Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act. Permits a religious organization, defined in the bill, to construct affordable housing on real estate owned by such religious organization (i) on or before January 1, 2024, or for a period of not less than five years, and (ii) for which the religious organization retains a majority ownership interest.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Grandparent; petition for visitation.

Grandparent; petition for visitation. Provides that in any case or proceeding in which a grandparent has petitioned the court for visitation with a minor grandchild, the court may consider whether (i) the marriage of the parents of such child has been dissolved, (ii) a parent of the child has abandoned such child, (iii) the child was born while the parents were not married, or (iv) a parent of the child has prevented the grandparent from visitation at any hearing in such a case or proceeding held to determine the best interest of the child.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Prescription Monitoring Program; overdose information.

Board of Health; Department of Health Professions; Prescription Monitoring Program; overdose information. Directs the Board of Health to report Admit, Transfer, and Discharge data elements on patients who overdose on opioids to the Department of Health Professions for use in the Prescription Monitoring Program. The bill requires practitioners to obtain such data when prescribing opioids.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

State debt collection; establishes statute of limitations.

State debt collection; statute of limitations. Establishes a seven-year statute of limitations on the commencement of any action by a state agency or institution to collect past due accounts receivable due to the Commonwealth.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

County manager plan of government; broadens powers available to counties.

County manager plan of government; powers. Broadens several powers available to counties that have adopted the county manager plan of government by giving such counties the option of following general law rather than the provisions specified in this optional form of county government. The bill also allows for the direct election of the board chairman if approved by referendum, rather than having the board chairman chosen by other members of the county board. Currently, only Arlington County has adopted the county manager plan of government.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by firefighters, etc.

Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Removes the provision in the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act requiring that benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty be provided for a maximum of 52 weeks from the date of diagnosis.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Unpaved secondary highway funds; improvements, enhanced maintenances, report.

Unpaved secondary highway funds; improvements; report. Provides that improvements to nonsurface treated secondary highways may, at the discretion of the locality, include changes other than paving, including enhanced maintenance and capital improvements to such highway. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to review and consider methods of improving unpaved secondary highways other than paving such highways and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation by November 1, 2024.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Concealed handguns; protective orders.

Carrying concealed handguns; protective orders. Authorizes any person 21 years of age or older who is not prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm and is protected by an unexpired protective order to carry a concealed handgun for 45 days after the protective order was issued. The bill provides that if the person issued the protective order applies for a concealed handgun permit during such 45-day period, such person will be authorized to carry a concealed handgun for an additional 45 days and be given a copy of the certified application, which shall serve as a de facto concealed handgun permit. During the period such person is authorized to carry a concealed handgun, the bill provides that the person may carry a handgun any place a law-enforcement officer may carry a firearm. The bill requires such person to have the order or certified application and photo identification on his person when carrying a concealed handgun and to display them upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; failure to do so is punishable by a $25 civil penalty.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Unaccompanied homeless youth; consent to surgical or medical care.

Unaccompanied homeless youth; consent to surgical or medical care. Provides that except for the purposes of sexual sterilization or abortion, a minor who is 14 years of age or older and who is an unaccompanied homeless youth shall be deemed an adult for the purpose of consenting to surgical or medical examination or treatment, including dental examination and treatment, for himself or his minor child. The bill describes evidence sufficient to determine that a minor is an unaccompanied homeless youth and provides that no health care provider shall be liable for any civil or criminal action for providing surgical or medical treatment to an unaccompanied homeless youth or his minor child without first obtaining the consent of his parent or guardian provided in accordance with the law, with the exception of liability for negligence in the diagnosis or treatment of such unaccompanied homeless youth.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Affordable dwelling unit ordinances; accessible units for persons with a physical disability.

Affordable dwelling unit ordinances; accessible units. Provides that any locality that has adopted an affordable dwelling unit ordinance may require under such ordinance that a set percentage of the units built by a developer are compliant with the appropriate requirements of the American National Standards for Building and Facilities for Type A units or with any other standards adopted as part of regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development providing accessibility and usability for persons with a physical disability.

Adele Y. McClureDemocrat

Emergency medical services personnel; career fatigue and wellness program, report.

Department of Health; emergency medical services personnel; career fatigue and wellness program; report. Directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to study the viability of establishing or contracting for a professional program for emergency medical services personnel, both professional and volunteer, that addresses career fatigue and wellness, including the costs of such program and recommendations for funding. The bill requires the Department to report its findings to the Governor and relevant committees of the General Assembly by October 1, 2024.

Irene ShinDemocrat

Abolition of juvenile fines and fees; criminal offenses.

Abolition of juvenile fines and fees; criminal offenses. Abolishes court costs, fines, and fees assessed to a juvenile or his parent or other persons responsible for his care in circuit court and juvenile and domestic relations district court related to prosecutions of criminal offenses.

Irene ShinDemocrat

VA Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements, delayed effective date.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any capital outlay project, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs, maintain records of compliance with applicable laws, and participate in approved apprenticeship training programs. The bill provides exemptions from such requirements for reasons related to lack of availability of apprentices and high costs. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

Paul E. KrizekDemocrat

Consumer protection; failure to honor service warranty.

Consumer protection; failure to honor service warranty. Prohibits a supplier in connection with a consumer transaction from failing to honor a service warranty of another supplier after acquiring the business of such other supplier. A violation of the provisions of the bill constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Phil M. HernandezDemocrat

Income tax, state; decreases certain taxes, increases amount of tax credit.

Taxation. Decreases, beginning in taxable year 2025, the income tax imposed (i) on income less than $3,000, from two percent to 1.75 percent; (ii) on income in excess of $3,000 but less than $5,000, from three percent to 2.65 percent; (iii) on income in excess of $5,000 but less than $17,000, from five percent to 4.4 percent; and (iv) on income in excess of $17,000, from 5.75 percent to 5.1 percent. The bill increases from 20 to 25 percent, beginning in taxable year 2025, the amount of credit eligible taxpayers may claim pursuant to the income tax credit for low-income taxpayers. The bill also increases the annual aggregate amount of Education Improvement Scholarships tax credits that are available from $25 million to $30 million beginning fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter. The bill defines "digital personal property," "streaming," and "taxable service" for the purposes of the retail sales and use tax. The bill increases the sales and use tax from 4.3 percent to 5.2 percent. Amendments are made throughout the bill to impose the sales and use tax on taxable services in addition to tangible personal property. The bill requires that one half of the additional sales and use tax revenues generated by taxable services and digital personal property that is deposited in the Commonwealth Transportation Fund be distributed to the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund, and the additional one half of such revenues be distributed to the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Fund until June 30, 2031, or until $400 million has been deposited in the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Fund. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Firefighters and emergency medical services; collective bargaining by providers, definitions.

Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Public utilities; classification of customers.

Public utilities; classification of customers. Requires that a public electric utility or a public utility authorized to furnish water or water and sewer service include a separate classification for data centers when satisfying the existing requirement that any rate, toll, charge, or schedule of a public utility is only considered to be just and reasonable by the State Corporation Commission if the public utility has demonstrated that such rates, tolls, charges, or schedules contain reasonable classifications of customers.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Income tax, state; subtraction for professional firefighter pension.

Income tax subtraction; professional firefighter pension. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of firefighter benefits in taxable year 2024, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2025, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2026 and each year thereafter. The bill defines firefighter benefits to include retirement income related to firefighting services and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a firefighter whose death occurred in the line of duty.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Behavioral health and nursing; revision of policies that hinder, etc., health care workforce.

Behavioral health; nursing; work group; report. Directs the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority to convene a work group to identify and propose revisions to current regulations and policies that hinder the development, retention, and productivity of the health care workforce in behavioral health and nursing.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Drinking water; maximum contaminant levels, water treatment systems.

Drinking water; maximum contaminant levels; water treatment systems; Rural Water Supply Program and Fund established. Directs the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to utilize point-of-use or point-of-entry drinking water treatment or filtration to remove or significantly reduce concentrations of contaminants of concern that meet or exceed any maximum contaminant level or health advisory for the same contaminant adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also establishes the Rural Water Supply Program and Fund to allow the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water to test and treat contaminated drinking water for individuals on private wells and small rural public water systems.

Ellen H. McLaughlinRepublican

Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund; created.

Virginia College Savings Plan; Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund. Directs the board of the Virginia College Savings Plan to deposit $250 million per year of surplus moneys from the Plan's fund into the Virginia College Opportunity Fund, established by the bill. The bill provides that such deposit shall not be made or shall be reduced in any year in which the College Opportunity Investment Advisory Committee determines that certain conditions relating to the Plan's funded status are not met. The Committee is established by the bill as an advisory committee for the Plan, for the purpose of determining the amount of deposits to be made to the Fund. The bill provides that financial management of the Fund is the responsibility of the board of the Plan but authorizes the board of the Virginia College Opportunity Endowment, also established by the bill, to manage a scholarship program funded by the Fund. The bill establishes an individual and corporate income tax subtraction for donations to the Fund. Under the bill, the Endowment provides scholarships to students who attend or plan to attend one of 12 eligible universities named in the bill. The bill provides that only such students who meet the eligibility requirements for a Federal Pell Grant and commit to being employed in Virginia, or being enrolled in postgraduate education in Virginia, for at least eight years after graduation from an eligible university are eligible for such scholarships.

C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.Democrat

Higher educational institutions, baccalaureate public; student application fees, report.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; survey; baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; student application fees; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to survey each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to determine, for the 2023–2024 academic year, (i) the median, average, and full per-student application fee charged by the institution; (ii) the total number and percentage of student applicants who receive an application fee waiver from the institution; (iii) the total number and percentage of student applicants who were charged the full student application fee by the institution; (iv) the total and per-student applicant revenue generated by the institution through student application fees; and (v) the total and per-student applicant cost to the institution to process student applications, including fully reviewing and acting upon such applications, disaggregated by each cost category deemed relevant by the Council and the institution. The bill requires each baccalaureate public institution of higher education to conduct such internal audits as it deems necessary to fully comply with and respond to such survey. The bill requires the Council to report its findings and any associated recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2024.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Zoning; enhanced civil penalties for violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses.

Zoning; civil penalties; commercial uses. Allows enhanced civil penalties for zoning violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses. The bill also requires that for any violation involving nonpermitted commercial uses, a person who admits liability shall be required to abate or remedy the nonpermitted commercial use violation within a period of time specified by the locality that is no less than 30 days but no more than 24 months from the date of admission of liability.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment.

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment; divorce from bed and board. Eliminates the one-year waiting period for being decreed a divorce on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment by either party. The bill also repeals the provision allowing for a divorce from bed and board on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment. The provisions of the bill apply to suits for divorce filed on or after July 1, 2024.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Political campaign advertisements; advertisements sponsored by a person or nonparty committee.

Elections; political campaign advertisements; advertisements sponsored by a person or political committee that is not a party committee.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Va. State Crime Commission; benefits of violence interrupters, impact of barrier crime statutes.

Virginia State Crime Commission; benefits of violence interrupters; impact of barrier crime statutes; report. Directs the Virginia State Crime Commission, in consultation with stakeholders, to assess (i) the benefits of violence interrupters and (ii) the impact barrier crimes statutes have on the recruitment and retention rates of violence interrupters in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Crime Commission to report its findings and any recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2024.

Jeion A. WardDemocrat

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, mandatory fees disclosure.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; mandatory fees disclosure. Prohibits a supplier in connection with a consumer transaction from advertising, displaying, or offering any pricing information for goods or services without prominently displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or charges other than taxes imposed.

Adele Y. McClureDemocrat

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; elimination of supervision requirement.

Certified registered nurse anesthetist; elimination of supervision requirement. Eliminates the requirement that certified registered nurse anesthetists practice under the supervision of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry. The bill provides that certified registered nurse anesthetists shall practice in consultation with a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry and in accordance with regulations jointly promulgated by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing.

Mark D. SicklesDemocrat

Employee protection; prohibited retaliation, prohibited nondisclosure & nondisparagement provisions.

Employee protection; prohibited retaliation; prohibited nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions; civil action. Prohibits the inclusion of a provision in any employment contract that has the purpose or effect of concealing illegal activity or activity an employee believes to be unlawful, including unlawful sexual harassment, discrimination, wage theft, and protected whistleblowing, as those terms are described in existing law. Under the bill's provisions, no employer shall discharge or otherwise retaliate against an employee, prospective employee, or independent contractor for disclosing or discussing conduct that such employee reasonably believes to be discrimination, including harassment, retaliation, a wage or hour violation, sexual assault, fraud against taxpayers, shareholders, the government, consumers, or other employees, or other conduct that is against a clear mandate of public policy. An employer that violates the provisions of the bill shall be liable for the greater of actual damages or statutory damages of $10,000, as well as reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill also requires employers to include in any settlement agreement or employment agreement with an employee a disclaimer that such agreement does not prohibit an employee from disclosing conduct as protected under the bill. The provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into, renewed, modified, or amended on or after July 1, 2024.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder, cost-sharing requirements prohibited.

Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder; cost-sharing requirements prohibited for certain individuals. Prohibits a health carrier from imposing any copayment, coinsurance, or deductible for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and the treatment of autism spectrum disorder for individuals who are age 18 or younger.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Pharmaceutical Services, Office of; establishes in Department of General Services, report.

Department of General Services; Office of Pharmaceutical Services; report. Establishes in the Department of General Services an Office of Pharmaceutical Services to develop and execute a plan to consolidate state agency prescription drug purchasing and pharmacy benefit management programs to increase efficiency in prescription drug purchasing and constrain spending on prescription drugs. The bill directs the Department to provide to the Governor and the General Assembly an interim report on the development of the plan by November 1, 2024, and a final report on the plan by November 1, 2025.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat