State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; definition of gift; certain tickets and registration or admission fees. Exempts from the definition of gift tickets and registration or admission fees to an event that are provided by an agency to its own officers or employees for the purposes of performing official duties related to the officer's or employee's public service.

Department of Planning and Budget; Regulatory Budget Program; report. Directs the Department of Planning and Budget, under the direction of the Secretary of Finance, to establish a continuous Regulatory Budget Program with the goal of setting a two-year target for each executive branch agency subject to the Administrative Process Act to (i) reduce regulations and regulatory requirements, (ii) maintain the current number of regulations and regulatory requirements, or (iii) allow regulations and regulatory requirements to increase by a specific amount over a two-year period. The bill requires the Secretary of Finance to report to the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October 1 of each odd-numbered year. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall, by March 1, 2023, issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how an agency can comply with the requirements of the Program. Department of Planning and Budget; Regulatory Budget Program; report. Directs the Department of Planning and Budget, under the direction of the Secretary of Finance, to establish a continuous Regulatory Budget Program with the goal of setting a two-year target for each executive branch agency subject to the Administrative Process Act to (i) reduce regulations and regulatory requirements, (ii) maintain the current number of regulations and regulatory requirements, or (iii) allow regulations and regulatory requirements to increase by a specific amount over a two-year period. The bill requires the Secretary of Finance to report to the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October 1 of each odd-numbered year. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall, by March 1, 2023, issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how an agency can comply with the requirements of the Program.

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; recovery of fraudulent payments; report. Directs the Attorney General to report annually (i) the number of investigations conducted of providers of medical assistance services under the state plan for medical assistance alleged to have fraudulently obtained or attempted to obtain payments; (ii) the number of cases in which it is determined that a provider has fraudulently obtained or attempted to obtain payments and the total amount of any payments obtained or sought to be obtained; (iii) the number of cases in which the Attorney General sought to recover payments fraudulently obtained by a provider and the total amount of payments determined to have been made in such cases; (iv) the number of cases in which recovery of payments fraudulently obtained by a provider was not sought and the total amount of payments determined to have been made in such cases; and (v) for each case in which recovery of payments fraudulently obtained by a provider is sought, the total amount of such payments and the amount of such payments actually recovered. Such report shall also be made available to the public on a website maintained by the Office of the Attorney General.

School boards and local governing bodies; unexpended local funds; school maintenance, renovation, and construction. Encourages each school board to enter into a collaborative agreement with the local governing body to set aside in a separate fund any sums appropriated to the school board by the local governing body that are unexpended by the school board in any year in order to use such sums to finance school maintenance, renovation, or construction in the local school division. The bill declares any school board that fails to enter into such a collaborative agreement ineligible to participate in any state grant, loan, or bond program that supports school maintenance, renovation, or construction. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

Local taxes; surplus revenues. Grants localities permissive authority to return surplus personal property tax revenues to taxpayers. Under current law, localities may return only surplus real property tax revenues.

Health care data report; carriers. Directs the Department of Health, through its contract with the nonprofit organization that compiles and evaluates health care data on behalf of the Commonwealth and in consultation with the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission (the Bureau), to (i) develop and implement a methodology to review and measure the efficiency and productivity of health care providers and carriers other than limited scope dental or vision plans and managed care health insurance plans and (ii) make available to the public on a website maintained by the nonprofit organization such data and information and other reports collected or produced as a result of implementation of such methodology by July 1, 2023. The bill also requires the Bureau to convene a stakeholder work group to (a) provide input on the development of the methodology required by the act; (b) identify additional measures to increase the transparency of information provided to the Bureau by carriers, managed care health insurance plans, and health care providers; and (c) determine what additional information should be provided to the nonprofit organization by carriers, managed care health insurance plan providers, and health care providers to foster transparency and competition among both carriers and health care providers and assist consumers in making educated decisions regarding options for health care coverage and access. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2022. Health care data report; carriers. Directs the Department of Health, through its contract with the nonprofit organization that compiles and evaluates health care data on behalf of the Commonwealth and in consultation with the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission (the Bureau), to (i) develop and implement a methodology to review and measure the efficiency and productivity of health care providers and carriers other than limited scope dental or vision plans and managed care health insurance plans and (ii) make available to the public on a website maintained by the nonprofit organization such data and information and other reports collected or produced as a result of implementation of such methodology by July 1, 2023. The bill also requires the Bureau to convene a stakeholder work group to (a) provide input on the development of the methodology required by the act; (b) identify additional measures to increase the transparency of information provided to the Bureau by carriers, managed care health insurance plans, and health care providers; and (c) determine what additional information should be provided to the nonprofit organization by carriers, managed care health insurance plan providers, and health care providers to foster transparency and competition among both carriers and health care providers and assist consumers in making educated decisions regarding options for health care coverage and access. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2022.

Virginia Employment Commission; administrative reforms; reporting requirements; electronic submissions; Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman established; emergency. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to calculate and report the (i) average unemployment insurance benefit levels, (ii) average income replacement of unemployment insurance benefits, and (iii) recipiency rate for unemployment insurance benefits in the Commonwealth as part of the Commission's annual balance sheet. The bill also requires the Commission, as part of its biennial strategic plan submitted to the Department of Planning and Budget, to develop and maintain an unemployment insurance Resiliency Plan that describes the specific actions the agency would take, depending on the level of increase in unemployment insurance (UI) claims, to address staffing, communications, and other relevant aspects of operations to ensure continued efficient and effective administration of the UI program. Virginia Employment Commission; administrative reforms; reporting requirements; electronic submissions; Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman established; emergency. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to calculate and report the (i) average unemployment insurance benefit levels, (ii) average income replacement of unemployment insurance benefits, and (iii) recipiency rate for unemployment insurance benefits in the Commonwealth as part of the Commission's annual balance sheet. The bill also requires the Commission, as part of its biennial strategic plan submitted to the Department of Planning and Budget, to develop and maintain an unemployment insurance Resiliency Plan that describes the specific actions the agency would take, depending on the level of increase in unemployment insurance (UI) claims, to address staffing, communications, and other relevant aspects of operations to ensure continued efficient and effective administration of the UI program. The bill creates within the Commission on Unemployment Compensation a subcommittee that shall be responsible for monitoring the Virginia Employment Commission's management of the unemployment insurance program. The subcommittee shall meet at least once each quarter and shall report annually, beginning on December 1, 2022, to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Commerce and Energy, the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations. The bill also directs the Commission to convene an advisory committee composed of stakeholders and subject matter experts to review information related to UI claims. The bill requires employers to submit claim-related forms and separation information electronically, as well as other information and electronic tax payments upon the Commission's request, unless the employer has received a waiver by the Commission. The bill provides that a claim for unemployment benefits that has been determined invalid by the Virginia Employment Commission as a result of the claimant's monetary ineligibility shall first be reviewed upon a request for redetermination prior to filing an appeal. The bill also creates an Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman position for the purpose of providing information and assistance to persons seeking assistance in the unemployment compensation process and exempts confidential case files of the Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill directs the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management to lead a multiagency work group to discuss strategies for staffing assistance and support for agencies that might need staffing assistance during emergencies. Additionally, the Virginia Employment Commission is directed to task its internal audit division to review and revise documents and online resources related to unemployment compensation.

Wetland and stream mitigation banks; use of credits from secondary service area. Allows any applicant for a Virginia Water Protection Permit to purchase or use credits from the secondary service area of a mitigation service provider.

Public education; student education accounts. Permits any school board to establish a program to create savings accounts for students to be used for alternative educational programs. The bill requires the Department of Education to establish policies and procedures under which the parent of each student may use such funds on public or private educational programs.

Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; marketing. Requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to prepare an annual marketing plan that includes consumer outreach, licensed health insurance agents, and navigator programs. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy; evidence-based literacy instruction; science-based reading research. Makes several changes relating to early student literacy, including requiring (i) each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any individual seeking initial licensure with an endorsement in a certain area, including as a reading specialist, to demonstrate mastery of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as such terms are defined in the bill; (ii) the literacy assessment required of individuals seeking initial teacher licensure with endorsements in certain areas to include a rigorous test of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction; (iii) each local school board to establish a divisionwide literacy plan; (iv) each local school board to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three; and (v) each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction whereby, among other things, (a) the program provides reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; (b) a reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan; and (c) each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024–2025 school year.

Foster care; housing support for persons between ages 18 and 21. Directs local departments of social services (local department) to provide housing support to any person who (i) is 18 years of age or older but less than 21 years of age, (ii) was in foster care under the custody of a local department on or after July 1, 2022, (iii) was in foster care under the custody of a local department (a) upon turning 18 years of age or (b) immediately prior to commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice and is transitioning from such commitment to self-sufficiency, and (iv) declines to participate in the Fostering Futures program. The bill requires that such housing support shall be equal to the room and board portion of the maintenance payment that such person would otherwise receive for housing support through participation in the Fostering Futures program. Foster care; housing support for persons between ages 18 and 21. Directs local departments of social services (local department) to provide housing support to any person who (i) is 18 years of age or older but less than 21 years of age, (ii) was in foster care under the custody of a local department on or after July 1, 2022, (iii) was in foster care under the custody of a local department (a) upon turning 18 years of age or (b) immediately prior to commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice and is transitioning from such commitment to self-sufficiency, and (iv) declines to participate in the Fostering Futures program. The bill requires that such housing support shall be equal to the room and board portion of the maintenance payment that such person would otherwise receive for housing support through participation in the Fostering Futures program.

Termination of parental rights of person who committed sexual assault; clear and convincing evidence standard. Provides that the parental rights of a person who has been found by a clear and convincing evidence standard to have committed rape, carnal knowledge, or incest, which act resulted in the conception of a child, may be terminated without the need for the person to have been charged with or convicted of such offense. The bill further provides that the consent of a person found to have committed such an offense is not necessary for the validity of an adoption of such a child.

Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases. Removes the prohibition on any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a violation of this provision, subject to certain exemptions.

Charter; City of Norfolk; council; elections. Makes various changes to reflect the City of Norfolk's upcoming shift in municipal elections from May to November.