Labor and employment; misclassification of workers. Establishes criteria for classifying the difference between employees and independent contractors based on either (i) the common law 20-factor test established in Internal Revenue Service Ruling 87-41, (ii) an applicable determination of the Internal Revenue Service, or (iii) satisfaction of specific criteria for classifying a person as an independent contractor as described in the bill.

Indexing of wills; pilot program in Rockingham County. Permits the clerk of the Rockingham County Circuit Court to establish a pilot project for an index of wills lodged for safekeeping, with a searchable database available to the public. Indexing of wills; pilot program in Rockingham County. Permits the clerk of the Rockingham County Circuit Court to establish a pilot project for an index of wills lodged for safekeeping, with a searchable database available to the public.

Freestanding emergency departments. Requires the Board of Health to promulgate regulations related to freestanding emergency departments, defined in the bill as facilities located in the Commonwealth that (i) provide emergency services, (ii) are owned and operated by a licensed hospital and operate under the hospital's license, and (iii) are located on separate premises from the primary campus of the hospital. The bill also requires freestanding emergency departments to make certain disclosures to patients, in advertisements, and on any online platforms associated with such emergency department.

Health insurance; retail community pharmacies. Requires a carrier to administer its health benefit plans in a manner consistent with certain requirements and to include such requirements in its provider contracts addressing the provision of pharmacy benefits management. The bill provides that (i) a covered individual is permitted to fill any mail order-covered prescription, at the covered individual's option, at any mail order pharmacy or network participating retail community pharmacy under certain conditions; (ii) the carrier or pharmacy benefits manager is prohibited from imposing a differential copayment, additional fee, rebate, bonus, or other condition on any covered individual who elects to fill his prescription at an in-network retail community pharmacy that is not similarly imposed on covered individuals electing to fill a prescription from a mail order pharmacy; and (iii) the pharmacy benefits manager is required to expressly disclose to the carrier in the contract if the pharmacy benefits manager retains all or a greater portion of a drug manufacturer's rebate amount or any additional direct or indirect remuneration from any third party for drugs dispensed through the pharmacy benefits manager-owned mail order pharmacy than the pharmacy benefits manager does for drugs dispensed through a retail community pharmacy. The bill also removes the exemption for a self-insured or self-funded employee welfare benefit plan under provisions regulating pharmacy benefits managers.

Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act. Codifies the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, which replaces the prior uniform act to reflect modern trust investment practices in the allocation of principal and income. The bill provides procedures for trustees administering estates and gives them additional flexibility to administer discretionary trusts to ensure that the intention of the creator of the trust is accomplished. The bill includes provisions for converting a traditional trust into a "unitrust" to allow for total-return investing.

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure or expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors or individuals representing a contributor that is not an individual. Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure or expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors or individuals representing a contributor that is not an individual.

Zoning; wireless communications infrastructure; application process. Provides that in its consideration of certain communications infrastructure applications, a locality shall not disapprove an application if (i) the proposed new structure provides additional wireless coverage or capacity for first responders or (ii) the proposed tower is not within a four-mile radius of an existing tower that is part of the applicant's network. Additional changes in the bill provide that a locality shall not be prohibited from disapproving certain applications for any zoning approval required for non-administrative review-eligible projects on the basis of the fact that the proposed height of any wireless support structure, wireless facility, or wireless support structure with attached wireless facilities exceeds 200 feet above ground level. Current law sets the limit at 50 feet above ground level.

Cemeteries; interment rights; proof of kinship. Allows a family member or descendant of a deceased person buried in a cemetery that is located on private property to petition the circuit court of the county or city where the property is located for interment rights upon such property. The bill provides that such family member or descendant may prove kinship to the court through official documentation or nonofficial documentation, such as obituaries, family Bibles or other documents with family signatures, journals or letters of the deceased person interred on the private property, family photographs, or other documentation deemed by the court to be reliable. The bill requires, upon satisfactory showing of proof of kinship, a private property owner to allow such family member or descendant access to the property for the purpose of interment.

Careless driving; vulnerable road users. Provides that a person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if he operates a vehicle in a careless or distracted manner and causes the death or serious bodily injury of a vulnerable road user. Current law only imposes the penalty if such careless or distracted operation causes serious bodily injury to the vulnerable road user. The bill also allows a court to suspend the driver's license or restrict the driver's license of a person convicted of careless driving for up to six months.

Local Food and Farming Infrastructure Grant Program. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the amount of a grant that may be made to a political subdivision for projects that support local food production and sustainable agriculture.

Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (the Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of at least two but not more than three existing school divisions in any case in which (i) each such local school division is in close proximity and has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and (ii) at least two such local school divisions have grades three through eight math and English reading Standards of Learning assessment performance in the bottom quartile of the Commonwealth. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires that the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the student resides be transferred to such school. Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (the Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of at least two but not more than three existing school divisions in any case in which (i) each such local school division is in close proximity and has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and (ii) at least two such local school divisions have grades three through eight math and English reading Standards of Learning assessment performance in the bottom quartile of the Commonwealth. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires that the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the student resides be transferred to such school.

Inclusionary housing; zoning. Requires cities and towns in the Commonwealth to develop and promulgate housing plans that address the supply of safe, sanitary, and affordable shelter for all current and anticipated residents of their communities. Such plans must connect economic development efforts that bring new jobs to the supply of safe, sanitary, and affordable shelter for all who will fill those jobs; the location of housing and the location of mobility resources; and the availability of accredited high-quality affordable education, parks, indoor and outdoor recreation, libraries, health care, and healthy living resources, including the availability of fresh food. Such housing plans shall be reviewed and revised no less frequently than every five years. Cities and towns that promulgate a housing plan may create, implement, and enforce inclusionary housing programs applicable to new housing development and conversions of previously nonresidential uses into residential uses. Counties utilizing the urban county executive form of government (Fairfax County) or the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) may also follow and use these provisions to provide inclusionary housing.

Transportation network companies; cash fares. Authorizes the collection of cash fares by a transportation network company partner if the ride is arranged through a transit system for an eligible paratransit passenger. The bill sets certain receipt and accounting requirements.

Charitable institutions and associations; local appropriations to faith-based organizations. Allows localities to make appropriations to nonprofit faith-based organizations that provide community services in the locality for nonreligious purposes and regardless of recipients' faith affiliation. Charitable institutions and associations; local appropriations to faith-based organizations. Allows localities to make appropriations to nonprofit faith-based organizations that provide community services in the locality for nonreligious purposes and regardless of recipients' faith affiliation.

Violation of ordinances; schedule of civil penalties. Allows localities to create schedules of fines and penalties for violations of designated ordinances. The bill establishes limits on fine amounts and frequency, as well as guidance on separate offenses. The bill precludes prosecution as a criminal misdemeanor for aggregate penalties of all offenses from the same operative set of facts totaling less than $5,000. The bill allows prosecution as a criminal misdemeanor for violations arising from the same operative set of facts for penalties totaling $5,000 or more. The bill provides for civil summons, waiver of trial, admitting liability, and payment of the penalty. The bill provides trial procedure and abatement of the offense and it creates liens for unpaid penalties and enforcement guidelines for such liens. Violation of ordinances; schedule of civil penalties. Allows localities to create schedules of fines and penalties for violations of designated ordinances. The bill establishes limits on fine amounts and frequency, as well as guidance on separate offenses. The bill precludes prosecution as a criminal misdemeanor for aggregate penalties of all offenses from the same operative set of facts totaling less than $5,000. The bill allows prosecution as a criminal misdemeanor for violations arising from the same operative set of facts for penalties totaling $5,000 or more. The bill provides for civil summons, waiver of trial, admitting liability, and payment of the penalty. The bill provides trial procedure and abatement of the offense and it creates liens for unpaid penalties and enforcement guidelines for such liens.