Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services. Requires each managed care health insurance plan licensee (licensee) to (i) provide a sufficient number and mix of services, specialists, and practice sites to meet covered persons' mental health care needs; (ii) ensure that covered persons have telephone access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to responsible and knowledgeable mental health care practitioners capable of assessing the covered persons' conditions and, as necessary, providing for appropriate services; and (iii) incorporate strategies into its access procedures to facilitate utilization of the licensee's mental health care services by covered persons with physical, mental, language, or cultural barriers. The bill requires a licensee to cover out-of-network mental health care services to a covered person if (a) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within its network capable of providing mental health care services to the covered person; (b) the majority of the licensee's mental health care providers within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who have experience treating the general age group of a covered person are no longer accepting new patients or have wait-lists to receive care; or (c) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who (1) has experience or expertise in treating patients who share the emotionally distressing experiences, defined in the bill, or demographics of the covered person seeking care and (2) is capable of providing care within the next 31 days. The bill provides that a licensee may require certain verification that the mental health care services are related to an emotionally distressing experience but is prohibited from requiring proof of a criminal proceeding. Managed care health insurance plan licensees; network adequacy for mental health care services. Requires each managed care health insurance plan licensee (licensee) to (i) provide a sufficient number and mix of services, specialists, and practice sites to meet covered persons' mental health care needs; (ii) ensure that covered persons have telephone access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to responsible and knowledgeable mental health care practitioners capable of assessing the covered persons' conditions and, as necessary, providing for appropriate services; and (iii) incorporate strategies into its access procedures to facilitate utilization of the licensee's mental health care services by covered persons with physical, mental, language, or cultural barriers. The bill requires a licensee to cover out-of-network mental health care services to a covered person if (a) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within its network capable of providing mental health care services to the covered person; (b) the majority of the licensee's mental health care providers within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who have experience treating the general age group of a covered person are no longer accepting new patients or have wait-lists to receive care; or (c) the licensee does not have a mental health care provider within 25 miles of a covered person or, if appropriate for the covered person, available via telemedicine who (1) has experience or expertise in treating patients who share the emotionally distressing experiences, defined in the bill, or demographics of the covered person seeking care and (2) is capable of providing care within the next 31 days. The bill provides that a licensee may require certain verification that the mental health care services are related to an emotionally distressing experience but is prohibited from requiring proof of a criminal proceeding. The bill requires a licensee, for any covered person seeking mental health care services that has self-harm or suicidal ideation, to cover any associated out-of-network care such that the covered person shall not be responsible for any additional costs incurred by the licensee for such services, other than any applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. The bill requires a licensee to accept verification from the associated out-of-network provider that the mental health care services provided were related to the covered person's self-harm or suicidal ideation and prohibits a licensee from imposing any additional requirements to verify that the covered person was seeking care related to self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Celebrating the lives of Randall Blevins, Fernando Chavez-Barron, Lorenzo Gamble, Tyneka Johnson, Brian Pendleton, and Kellie Pyle.

Special license plates; UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. Authorizes the issuance of special license plates for supporters of the University of Texas bearing the legend UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

Transit Ridership Incentive Program; funds; improving accessibility and safety. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to use up to 30 percent of available funds in the Transit Ridership Incentive Program to support local, regional, and state entities in improving the accessibility of transit bus passenger facilities and improving crime prevention and public safety for transit passengers, operators, and employees. The bill directs the Board to develop guidelines for applications for grants to any local, regional, or state public entity that supports a transit system.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); charter schools. Grants to the Board of Education the authority, subject to criteria and conditions as the General Assembly may prescribe, to establish charter schools within the school divisions of the Commonwealth.

Owners of firearms; use of firearm by minor in commission of crime or to cause bodily injury; penalty. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for an owner of a firearm, as defined in the bill, who (i) allows a minor to possess such firearm and such minor uses such firearm (a) in the commission of a crime or (b) to intentionally or with gross negligence cause bodily injury to himself or another person, or (ii) knows or reasonably should know that a minor is in close proximity, as defined in the bill, to such firearm as to allow such minor to possess or transport such firearm in violation of law and the minor uses such firearm (a) in the commission of a crime or (b) to cause bodily injury to himself or another person. The bill elevates the penalty to a Class 5 felony if such owner of a firearm knows or reasonably should have known that such minor has been charged with or convicted of or adjudicated delinquent of a violent crime or has been the subject of a school-initiated threat assessment.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation; pilot program. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a pilot program to make electroencephalogram combined transcranial magnetic stimulation available for veterans, first responders, and law-enforcement officers. The bill requires the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish regulations for the pilot program. Transcranial magnetic stimulation; pilot program. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a pilot program to make electroencephalogram combined transcranial magnetic stimulation available for veterans, first responders, and law-enforcement officers. The bill requires the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish regulations for the pilot program.

Virginia local journalism sustainability credits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible local newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensation paid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to: (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employees for certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a local newspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station. The credit is equal to: (a) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or $4,000 and (b) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2028. Virginia local journalism sustainability credits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible local newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensation paid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to: (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employees for certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a local newspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station. The credit is equal to: (a) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or $4,000 and (b) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2028.

Standards of Quality; funding to support achievement of at-risk students. Requires, in addition to the positions supported by basic aid, state funding to be provided to support the achievement of at-risk students, based upon the concentration of students identified as eligible for federal free or reduced lunch, as provided in the general appropriation act, in each school division.

Temporary detention in hospital for testing, observation, or treatment; mental or physical conditions resulting from intoxication. Clarifies that when a mental or physical condition appears to be a result of intoxication, a licensed physician who has attempted to obtain informed consent of an adult person for treatment of such mental or physical condition appearing to be a result of intoxication may seek an order from the magistrate or court in the jurisdiction where the respondent is located authorizing temporary detention of the adult person in a hospital emergency department or other appropriate facility for testing, observation, or treatment, provided that certain conditions are met.

Virginia Small Estate Act; payment or delivery of small asset; disposition and funeral expenses. Requires any person having possession of a small asset belonging to a decedent, upon presentation of an affidavit by the funeral service establishment handling the disposition of the decedent and any related funeral service, to pay or deliver to such funeral service establishment so much of the small asset as does not exceed the amount given priority and has not already been paid. Under current law, such payment is discretionary and made to the undertaker or mortuary. The bill also provides for the discharge and release of a person paying or delivering a small asset in accordance with the provisions of the bill to the same extent as if such person dealt with the personal representative of the decedent. The bill provides that if any person to whom an affidavit is presented refuses to pay or deliver any small asset, such small asset may be recovered, payment or delivery compelled, and damages recovered, on proof of rightful claim, unless such refusal was made in good faith.

Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Disease; established; report. Establishes the Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Disease to advise the State Health Commissioner on the efforts to improve awareness of sickle cell disease and the needs of individuals with sickle cell disease. The bill requires the Board of Health to report annually by December 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its activities and recommendations. Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Disease; established; report. Establishes the Advisory Council on Sickle Cell Disease to advise the State Health Commissioner on the efforts to improve awareness of sickle cell disease and the needs of individuals with sickle cell disease. The bill requires the Board of Health to report annually by December 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its activities and recommendations.

Study; Joint Commission on Technology and Science; extreme differences in life expectancy; use of technology for monitoring and resolving. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (Commission) to study potential technological approaches to monitoring and resolving extreme differences in life expectancy in Virginia, including by examining (i) data sources for life expectancy variation, drivers of such variation, and technological solutions for monitoring efforts to reduce variation; (ii) technological and policy solutions for areas that are most affected; (iii) remedies, mitigation, and their cost; (iv) the degree of certainty that exists regarding data on impacts on life expectancy and alternative actions; and (v) necessary technical resources and their cost. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to provide technical assistance to the Commission and directs the Commission to accept scientific and technical assistance provided by the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Conveyance of easement; Shenandoah River State Park. Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to grant and convey an easement at Shenandoah River State Park (Park) to Front Royal Parcel 1, LLC (Grantee) for the purpose of conveying a right-of-way on the location of the existing State Route 737 (Thunderbird Road) to the Grantee to provide access to the lands of the Grantee bisected by the Park.

Comprehensive community colleges; education preparation programs. Permits comprehensive community colleges to offer four-year bachelor's degree programs in teacher education, subject to the requirements for accreditation and education preparation program approval prescribed by the Board of Education in its regulations.