Public institutions of higher education; debt collection; transcripts and diplomas. Prohibits public institutions of higher education from (i) refusing to provide a transcript or diploma for a current or former student on the grounds that the student owes a debt; (ii) conditioning the provision of a transcript or diploma for a current or former student on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript or diploma; (iii) charging a higher fee to a current or former student for obtaining a transcript or diploma, or providing less favorable treatment of a transcript or diploma request because a current or former student owes a debt; or (iv) using transcript or diploma issuance as a tool for debt collection. The bill states that any violation of these provisions constitutes a prohibited practice and is subject to any and all of the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; meetings held through electronic communication means; local advisory boards and commissions. Allows a local public body that serves in an advisory capacity to gather through electronic communication means without a quorum of the public body physically assembled at one primary or central meeting location if certain conditions, outlined in the bill, are met.

Human donor milk bank licensing; payment of medical assistance and health insurance coverage. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to include a provision for the payment of medical assistance for pasteurized human donor milk acquired from a licensed human donor milk bank and provides for the licensure and regulation of human donor milk banks by the Department of Health. The bill requires health insurers, corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for expenses incurred in the provision of pasteurized human donor milk, provided that certain conditions are met.

Study; Joint Commission on Health Care; Commonwealth's public health system; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to complete a two-year study of the Commonwealth's public health system and develop recommendations for its improvement. The Commission's study shall include examining the structure, operations, oversight, and funding of the existing public health system and the effectiveness of the current public health system in meeting ongoing public health needs as well as public health needs resulting from public health emergencies and shall identify areas of success and areas for improvement in preparation for and response to future public health emergencies.

Employer medical mandates; cause of action. Provides for a cause of action for any employee who suffers any adverse reaction or injury sustained by reason of a medical mandate, defined in the bill, issued by the employer as a condition of employment. The bill provides that in any such action the employee may recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. Employer medical mandates; cause of action. Provides for a cause of action for any employee who suffers any adverse reaction or injury sustained by reason of a medical mandate, defined in the bill, issued by the employer as a condition of employment. The bill provides that in any such action the employee may recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.

Nursing home standards of care and staff requirements; regulations. Requires the State Board of Health to establish staffing and care standards in nursing homes to require a minimum of direct care services to each resident per 24-hour period as follows: (i) a minimum of 2.8 direct care hours provided by a nurse aide per resident, per day; (ii) a minimum of 1.3 direct care hours provided by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse per resident, per day; and (iii) a minimum of 0.75 hours out of total 4.1 required direct hours provided by a registered nurse per resident, per day. The bill requires nursing homes to provide quarterly staff training on first aid, medication administration, and compliance with nursing home policies and procedures. Additionally, the bill removes language requiring that each hospital, nursing home, and certified nursing facility establish protocols for patient visits from a rabbi, priest, minister, or clergy of any religious denomination or sect during a declared public health emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat.

Misuse of power of attorney; financial exploitation; incapacitated adults; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for an agent under a power of attorney to knowingly or intentionally engage in financial exploitation of an incapacitated adult who is the principal of that agent. The bill also provides that the agent's authority terminates upon such conviction. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

Support orders; income withholding order; employer fees. Clarifies that a fee of up to a maximum of $5 for each reply or remittance on account of a support obligor may be charged by an employer and withheld from the obligor's income in addition to the support amount to be withheld pursuant to an income withholding order. Currently, such amount is described only as a $5 fee.

State park fees; active duty military and veterans. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a policy that entitles any veteran or person on active duty military service to pay no fee for access, entry, or parking at a state park, and to receive a 50 percent discount for various park services and amenities.

Driver training. Authorizes governmental entities, including comprehensive community colleges in the Virginia Community College System, certified as third party testers to test and train drivers employed by another governmental entity or enrolled in a commercial driver training course offered by a community college. The bill repeals the prohibition on applicants 18 years of age and older retaking skills tests within 15 days. Current law authorizes such reexamination upon payment of a $2 fee. The bill makes immediate instead of contingent on federal regulations the repeal of certain provisions requiring an applicant to, after failing the behind the wheel examination for a third time, take a course prior to reexamination. The bill clarifies that no law or regulation safeguarding driver testing information shall be construed to prohibit (i) the possession, use, or provision of the Department of Motor Vehicles' driver's license examination questions by or to any person for the purpose of administering a knowledge examination or (ii) the Department from making sample examination questions available to the public or the public from possessing sample examination questions. Driver training. Authorizes governmental entities, including comprehensive community colleges in the Virginia Community College System, certified as third party testers to test and train drivers employed by another governmental entity or enrolled in a commercial driver training course offered by a community college. The bill repeals the prohibition on applicants 18 years of age and older retaking skills tests within 15 days. Current law authorizes such reexamination upon payment of a $2 fee. The bill makes immediate instead of contingent on federal regulations the repeal of certain provisions requiring an applicant to, after failing the behind the wheel examination for a third time, take a course prior to reexamination. The bill clarifies that no law or regulation safeguarding driver testing information shall be construed to prohibit (i) the possession, use, or provision of the Department of Motor Vehicles' driver's license examination questions by or to any person for the purpose of administering a knowledge examination or (ii) the Department from making sample examination questions available to the public or the public from possessing sample examination questions.

Group violence intervention; establishment of Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund. Creates the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund (the Fund) to be managed by the Office of the Attorney General. The bill provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used to implement violent crime reduction strategies, to provide training for law-enforcement officers and prosecutors, to provide equipment for law-enforcement agencies, and to award grants to organizations that are involved in group violence intervention efforts. The bill defines "group violence intervention" as comprehensive law-enforcement, prosecutorial, and community-based initiatives, substantially similar to Operation Ceasefire as implemented in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Gang Reduction Programs implemented in Los Angeles, California, and Richmond.

Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocery store workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to health care providers and grocery store workers. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain health care providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for certain other health care providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries to provide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1, 2022. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act. Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocery store workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to health care providers and grocery store workers. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain health care providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for certain other health care providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries to provide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1, 2022. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

STEM+C; Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board. Adds science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computing (STEM+C), which includes real-world, interdisciplinary, and computational instruction and preparation of students in STEM+C, to the list of topics that shall be included in the Standards of Learning for the Commonwealth. The bill also directs the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board to develop and submit to the Board of Education (i) a rubric that shall be used by the Board of Education in setting out what factors permit a school to be defined as a STEM school and (ii) recommendations for the Board to create a measurement for quality of STEM programming in general education instruction. The bill also directs the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board to draft and report to the Department of Education proposed common language and terminology that better defines the basic literacies employed in STEM+C as methodological approaches to solving universal human challenges and, as essential, generalizable and transferable literacy toward the application of skills and content needed to solve those challenges. The bill also directs the Department of Education, based on such proposed language and terminology and no later than December 1, 2022, to recommend finalized language and terminology to the Board of Education.

Chief Resilience Officer. Clarifies the designation and role of the Chief Resilience Officer by moving the position from under the responsibility of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and adding provisions related to the role of the Chief Resilience Officer in creating and overseeing the implementation of a Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and a Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. Under current law, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources is designated the Chief Resilience Officer. This bill is a Chesapeake Bay Commission initiative. Chief Resilience Officer. Clarifies the designation and role of the Chief Resilience Officer by moving the position from under the responsibility of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and adding provisions related to the role of the Chief Resilience Officer in creating and overseeing the implementation of a Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and a Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. Under current law, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources is designated the Chief Resilience Officer. This bill is a Chesapeake Bay Commission initiative.

Certain GO Virginia Grants; matching funds; sunset. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, the sunset of the provision that allows a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants. Certain GO Virginia Grants; matching funds; sunset. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, the sunset of the provision that allows a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants.