Board of Education; standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. Requires the Board of Education to make recommendations to the General Assembly for amendments to the Standards of Quality to establish standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. The bill requires such recommendations to include standards for the percentage of the current replacement value of a public school building that a school board should budget for the maintenance and operations of the building and such other standards as the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to solicit the input of relevant stakeholders and the public in developing such recommendations. Finally, the bill requires the Board to submit its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than December 1, 2023. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

Local and regional correctional facilities; provision of medical services; waiver of sovereign immunity. Waives sovereign immunity for health care providers employed by localities or by local or regional correctional facilities to provide medical services to prisoners for a claim of wrongful death or injury resulting from a negligent or wrongful act or omission in the provision of such medical services. This bill is in response to Patterson v. City of Danville, 875 Va. S.E.2d 65 (2022).

Medicare supplement policies for certain individuals under age 65. Requires each insurer issuing Medicare supplement policies or certificates in the Commonwealth to offer the opportunity of enrolling in at least one of its issued Medicare supplement policies or certificates to any individual under age 65 who resides in the Commonwealth, is enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, and is eligible for Medicare by reason of disability, including individuals with end-stage renal disease. Effective January 1, 2024, the bill also prohibits an insurer from charging individuals who become eligible for Medicare by reason of disability and who are under 65 years of age premium rates for any Medicare supplement plan or certificate offered by the issuer that exceed the premium rates charged for such plan to individuals who are 65 years of age.

Uniform Statewide Building Code; stop work orders; appeals of State Building Code Technical Review Board decisions; recovery of costs. Defines stop work orders for the purposes of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. The bill provides that if, during an appeal pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Process Act of the State Building Code Technical Review Board's decision with respect to the issuance of a stop work order by a local building official, the court finds in favor of the party that was issued the stop work order, such party shall be entitled to recover its actual costs of litigation, including court costs, attorney fees, and witness fees, from the locality responsible for issuing the stop work order. The bill contains technical amendments.

Health insurance; mental health benefits; coverage for mobile crisis response services and residential crisis stabilization units. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for mobile crisis response services, defined in the bill, and support and stabilization services provided in a residential crisis stabilization unit, defined in the bill, to the extent that such services are covered in other settings or modalities, regardless of any difference in billing codes. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, to convene a stakeholder work group to examine network standards for mobile crisis response services and the current availability of mobile crisis response services in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to make recommendations regarding (i) the definition and standards of care for mobile crisis response services and short-term residential crisis stabilization services as they apply to the commercial insurance market, including balance billing protections; (ii) the licensure or accreditation required for such services in the Commonwealth; and (iii) how cost-sharing and deductibles will be addressed as part of accessing such services for commercially insured individuals. The bill requires the Commission to report the findings of the work group to the Health Insurance Reform Commission and the Governor no later than September 1, 2023.

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

Alcoholic beverage control; slotting fees. Requires retail licensees to keep complete, accurate, and separate records of all slotting fees, as defined in the bill, received from a manufacturer of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, including a manufacturer that licenses its nonalcoholic products brand to another manufacturer for use with an alcoholic product.

Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by the public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building.

Virginia Petroleum Products Franchise Act; definition of refiner. Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Petroleum Products Franchise Act, "refiner" includes a supplier of motor fuel or any affiliate of such supplier.

Department of Education; statewide strategic plan; speech-language pathologists. Requires the Department to develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan for recruiting and retaining speech-language pathologists that, at a minimum, (i) analyzes data to determine the specific staffing needs of local school divisions on an ongoing basis; (ii) evaluates the potential effectiveness of strategies for addressing recruitment and retention challenges, including tuition assistance, differentiated pay for speech-language pathologists, and the expansion of speech-language pathologist mentorships; and (iii) estimates the costs of implementing each such strategy, including the extent to which federal funds could be used to support implementation. The bill requires the Department, no later than November 1 of each year, to update the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education on its progress in implementing such plan. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2024. The bill also directs the Department of Education and the Board of Education, in consultation with each local school board, to (a) examine the caseloads and compensation of speech-language pathologists in each local school division, (b) compare such caseloads and compensation to those of speech-language pathologists in contiguous states, and (c) make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2023, for such amendments to relevant law and the general appropriation act as may be necessary to effectuate a reduction in caseloads and increase in compensation that would facilitate stronger recruitment and retention of speech-language pathologists in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth. Department of Education; statewide strategic plan; speech-language pathologists. Requires the Department to develop and maintain a statewide strategic plan for recruiting and retaining speech-language pathologists that, at a minimum, (i) analyzes data to determine the specific staffing needs of local school divisions on an ongoing basis; (ii) evaluates the potential effectiveness of strategies for addressing recruitment and retention challenges, including tuition assistance, differentiated pay for speech-language pathologists, and the expansion of speech-language pathologist mentorships; and (iii) estimates the costs of implementing each such strategy, including the extent to which federal funds could be used to support implementation. The bill requires the Department, no later than November 1 of each year, to update the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education on its progress in implementing such plan. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2024. The bill also directs the Department of Education and the Board of Education, in consultation with each local school board, to (a) examine the caseloads and compensation of speech-language pathologists in each local school division, (b) compare such caseloads and compensation to those of speech-language pathologists in contiguous states, and (c) make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2023, for such amendments to relevant law and the general appropriation act as may be necessary to effectuate a reduction in caseloads and increase in compensation that would facilitate stronger recruitment and retention of speech-language pathologists in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth.

Virginia Creative Economy Grant Fund and Program. Establishes the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Program and the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Fund, to be administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, for the purpose of awarding grants to independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs for the purpose of developing and expanding the creative economy in Virginia. The bill provides for the award of grants of no more than $20,000 to any recipient. Virginia Creative Economy Grant Fund and Program. Establishes the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Program and the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Fund, to be administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, for the purpose of awarding grants to independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs for the purpose of developing and expanding the creative economy in Virginia. The bill provides for the award of grants of no more than $20,000 to any recipient.

Medical marijuana program; product requirements; certifications; reporting. Requires cannabis product and botanical cannabis labels to be complete, accurate, easily discernable, and uniform among different products and brands and that each label, which shall be included on the product and on the pharmaceutical processor's website, (i) include (a) the product name, (b) all active and inactive ingredients, (c) the total percentage and milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the product and the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving, (d) the amount of product that constitutes a single serving and the amount recommended for use by the practitioner or dispensing pharmacist, (e) information regarding the product's purpose and detailed usage directions, and (f) child and safety warnings in a conspicuous font and (ii) comply with any requirements imposed by the Board of Pharmacy. The bill also requires that a pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility shall maintain an adequate supply of cannabis products that (1) contain cannabidiol as their primary cannabinoid and (2) have low levels of or no tetrahydrocannabinol. The bill provides that a patient's registered agent is not required to register with the Board of Pharmacy when such registered agent is listed on the patient's written certification pursuant to the patient's request and in the discretion of the practitioner based on medical need. The bill also modifies the information that must be included in the Prescription Monitoring Program for cannabis products. Medical marijuana program; product requirements; certifications; reporting. Requires cannabis product and botanical cannabis labels to be complete, accurate, easily discernable, and uniform among different products and brands and that each label, which shall be included on the product and on the pharmaceutical processor's website, (i) include (a) the product name, (b) all active and inactive ingredients, (c) the total percentage and milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the product and the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving, (d) the amount of product that constitutes a single serving and the amount recommended for use by the practitioner or dispensing pharmacist, (e) information regarding the product's purpose and detailed usage directions, and (f) child and safety warnings in a conspicuous font and (ii) comply with any requirements imposed by the Board of Pharmacy. The bill also requires that a pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility shall maintain an adequate supply of cannabis products that (1) contain cannabidiol as their primary cannabinoid and (2) have low levels of or no tetrahydrocannabinol. The bill provides that a patient's registered agent is not required to register with the Board of Pharmacy when such registered agent is listed on the patient's written certification pursuant to the patient's request and in the discretion of the practitioner based on medical need. The bill also modifies the information that must be included in the Prescription Monitoring Program for cannabis products.

Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission; surety bonds for membership. Removes the requirement that each member of the Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission give a surety bond in the sum of $10,000 that is executed by a surety company, payable to the Governor and his successors in office, and conditioned upon the member's faithful performance of his duties.

Commending Karen Pallansch.

Provisional teacher licensure; permissive extension; filed satisfactory performance evaluations during years of actual employment. Requires the Board of Education to extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher upon receiving from the division superintendent (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year during the original three-year provisional license that such teacher was actually employed and received a filed performance evaluation. Current law requires satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license in order to be eligible for such an extension. Provisional teacher licensure; permissive extension; filed satisfactory performance evaluations during years of actual employment. Requires the Board of Education to extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher upon receiving from the division superintendent (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year during the original three-year provisional license that such teacher was actually employed and received a filed performance evaluation. Current law requires satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license in order to be eligible for such an extension.