Charter; City of Falls Church; qualifications of members of boards and commissions. Removes the requirement in the City of Falls Church charter that board and commission members be qualified voters, replacing it with an age requirement of at least 18 years old while leaving the city residence requirement.

Civil actions; standing. Provides that a person in a civil action shall be deemed to have standing if that person has a cognizable interest in the outcome of the matter, which may be represented by the ownership of an affected property interest or the suffering of an injury unique to that individual.

Safe haven protections; newborn safety device. Provides an affirmative defense in certain criminal prosecutions and civil proceedings regarding child abuse or neglect to a parent who safely delivers his child within the first 30 days of the child's life to a newborn safety device located at a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or at an attended emergency medical services agency that employs emergency medical services personnel. The bill also provides civil and criminal immunity to such hospitals and emergency medical services agencies for injuries to children received through such newborn safety devices, provided that (i) the injuries are not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct and (ii) the hospital or emergency medical services agency meets certain requirements regarding the establishment, functioning, and testing of the device. Current law requires the child to be delivered within the first 14 days of the child's life at such hospital or emergency medical services agency.

Public auction of personal property to satisfy lien; advertisement requirement alternative contact. Removes the provisions regarding the content of and publishing requirements for an advertisement for a public auction of personal property for the purposes of satisfying a lien. The bill also permits a rental agreement for an individual storage space in a self-service storage facility to provide the occupant with the option to designate an alternative contact to receive any notices required by law and provides that no alternative contact shall have any right to access the leased space or any personal property stored within unless expressly stated otherwise in the rental agreement. Public auction of personal property to satisfy lien; advertisement requirement alternative contact. Removes the provisions regarding the content of and publishing requirements for an advertisement for a public auction of personal property for the purposes of satisfying a lien. The bill also permits a rental agreement for an individual storage space in a self-service storage facility to provide the occupant with the option to designate an alternative contact to receive any notices required by law and provides that no alternative contact shall have any right to access the leased space or any personal property stored within unless expressly stated otherwise in the rental agreement.

Hospitals; financial assistance; payment plans. Requires hospitals to make reasonable efforts to screen every uninsured patient, defined in the bill, to determine whether the individual is eligible for medical assistance pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance or for financial assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy and to inform every uninsured patient who receives services at the hospital and who is determined to be eligible for assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy of the option to enter into a payment plan with the hospital. The bill also prohibits hospitals from engaging in extraordinary collection actions to recover a debt for medical services against any patient unless the hospital has made all reasonable efforts to determine whether the patient qualifies for medical assistance pursuant to the state plan for medical assistance or is eligible for financial assistance under the hospital's financial assistance policy and requires hospitals to annually report data and information regarding the amount of charity care, discounted care, and financial assistance provided under the hospital's financial assistance policy and the amount of uncollected bad debt.

Emergency Services and Disaster Law; limitation on duration of executive orders. Limits the duration of any executive order issued by the Governor pursuant to his powers under the Emergency Services and Disaster Law to no more than 30 days from the date of issuance. The bill provides that if the General Assembly does not take any action on the rule, regulation, or order within the 30 days during which the rule, regulation, or order is effective, the Governor may once again issue the same rule, regulation, or order but shall thereafter be prohibited from issuing the same or a similar rule, regulation, or order relating to the same emergency. Under current law, once issued, such executive orders are effective until June 30 following the next adjournment of the regular session of the General Assembly.

Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Emergency custody and temporary detention; transportation; transfer of custody. Makes clear that, in cases in which transportation of a person subject to an emergency custody order or temporary detention order is ordered to be provided by an alternative transportation provider, the primary law-enforcement agency that executes the order may transfer custody of the person to the alternative transportation provider immediately upon execution of the order, and that the alternative transportation provider shall maintain custody of the person from the time custody is transferred to the alternative transportation provider by the primary law-enforcement agency until such time as custody of the person is transferred to the community services board or its designee that is responsible for conducting the evaluation or the temporary detention facility, as is appropriate. The bill also adds employees of and persons providing services pursuant to a contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to the list of individuals who may serve as alternative transportation providers.

Elections; lists of persons voting at elections; disclosure of individual voting history prohibited. Prohibits certain persons in receipt of a list of persons voting at elections from disclosing the voting history of any individual on such list to a third party.

Compensation of experts in criminal cases. Increases from $750 to $1,200 the maximum fee that the court may pay for professional services rendered by each psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or other expert appointed by the court to render professional service in a criminal case other than for aggravated murder cases.

Cemetery Board; appointment of receiver upon revocation or surrender of license to operate cemetery in Virginia. Requires the Cemetery Board to petition a court of record having equity jurisdiction over the licensee or any of the funds held by him if the Board has reason to believe that (i) the licensee is not able to adequately protect the interest of the person involved; (ii) the licensee has had his license suspended, revoked, or surrendered; and (iii) the conduct of the licensee or the operation of the cemetery threatens the interests of the public. Current law allows, but does not require, the Board to file such petition upon a showing of at least one of the three requirements. If a receiver is appointed, the bill provides that the expenses of such receivership and a reasonable fee, as determined by the court, shall be paid from the assets of the cemetery company. Cemetery Board; appointment of receiver upon revocation or surrender of license to operate cemetery in Virginia. Requires the Cemetery Board to petition a court of record having equity jurisdiction over the licensee or any of the funds held by him if the Board has reason to believe that (i) the licensee is not able to adequately protect the interest of the person involved; (ii) the licensee has had his license suspended, revoked, or surrendered; and (iii) the conduct of the licensee or the operation of the cemetery threatens the interests of the public. Current law allows, but does not require, the Board to file such petition upon a showing of at least one of the three requirements. If a receiver is appointed, the bill provides that the expenses of such receivership and a reasonable fee, as determined by the court, shall be paid from the assets of the cemetery company.

Public schools; English language learners. Requires state funding to be provided to support, in the 2022-2023 school year and thereafter, a new divisionwide ratio of English learner students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions of 22 full-time equivalent instructional positions for each 1,000 students identified as having limited English proficiency. Public schools; English language learners. Requires state funding to be provided to support, in the 2022-2023 school year and thereafter, a new divisionwide ratio of English learner students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions of 22 full-time equivalent instructional positions for each 1,000 students identified as having limited English proficiency.

Exhaust systems; excessive noise. Prohibits any individual from operating a motor vehicle with a gross weight of 6,500 pounds or less with an exhaust system that emits noise in excess of 85 decibels. The bill also allows the governing body of any county, city, or town located within the Northern Virginia Planning District to provide by ordinance that no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a highway or on public or private property within 500 feet of any residential district unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an exhaust system of a type installed as standard equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on that particular vehicle or device as standard factory equipment, in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive noise.

Health care provider panels; vertically integrated carriers; reimbursements to providers. Requires any vertically integrated carrier, upon written request, to offer participation in each requested provider panel or network established for each of the vertically integrated carrier's policies, products, and plans, including all policies, products, and plans offered to individuals, employers, and enrollees in government benefit programs, to the requesting provider under the same terms and conditions that apply to providers under common control with the vertically integrated carrier. The measure requires that the offered participation (i) be without any adverse tiering or other financial incentives that may discourage enrollees from utilizing the services of the provider, (ii) include all sites and services offered by the provider, and (iii) take into account the different characteristics of different providers with regard to the range, nature, cost, and complexity of services offered. The measure prohibits an officer or director of a vertically integrated carrier from simultaneously serving as an officer or director of an entity that owns, operates, manages, or controls an acute care hospital located, in whole or in part, in the Commonwealth. The measure defines "vertically integrated carrier" as a health insurer or other carrier that owns an interest in, is owned by, or is under common ownership or control with an acute care hospital facility, excluding an entity that is under the ultimate control of or under common control with a public hospital. Health care provider panels; vertically integrated carriers; reimbursements to providers. Requires any vertically integrated carrier, upon written request, to offer participation in each requested provider panel or network established for each of the vertically integrated carrier's policies, products, and plans, including all policies, products, and plans offered to individuals, employers, and enrollees in government benefit programs, to the requesting provider under the same terms and conditions that apply to providers under common control with the vertically integrated carrier. The measure requires that the offered participation (i) be without any adverse tiering or other financial incentives that may discourage enrollees from utilizing the services of the provider, (ii) include all sites and services offered by the provider, and (iii) take into account the different characteristics of different providers with regard to the range, nature, cost, and complexity of services offered. The measure prohibits an officer or director of a vertically integrated carrier from simultaneously serving as an officer or director of an entity that owns, operates, manages, or controls an acute care hospital located, in whole or in part, in the Commonwealth. The measure defines "vertically integrated carrier" as a health insurer or other carrier that owns an interest in, is owned by, or is under common ownership or control with an acute care hospital facility, excluding an entity that is under the ultimate control of or under common control with a public hospital.

Competitive compensation for certain positions in public elementary and secondary schools. Declares it the goal of the Commonwealth that its public school teachers and all other individuals employed in Standards of Quality-funded positions be compensated at a rate that is competitive, defined as at or above the national average salary for the position, in order to attract and keep highly qualified individuals in such positions. The bill requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficient to fund a five percent annual pay increase for each such position, effective from the 2023%9624 school year through the 2027%9628 school year, provided that such five percent annual pay increase (i) is subject to a local matching requirement in accordance with each local school board's composite index of local ability-to-pay and (ii) shall be adjusted annually as necessary to account for rebenchmarking and to yield a rate of compensation percentage increase for all Standards of Quality-funded positions that is pegged to providing a competitive average teacher salary in the Commonwealth. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.