Health insurance; employee welfare benefit plans; pharmacy audit protections. Requires contracts and provider contracts between an entity providing or administering self-insured or self-funded employee welfare benefit plans and an intermediary or a participating pharmacy provider or its contracting agent, pursuant to which such entity or intermediary has the right or obligation to conduct audits of participating pharmacy providers, to contain certain terms and provisions relating to such audits.

Certificate of public need program; phased elimination. Creates a three-phase process to eliminate the certificate of public need requirements for many categories of medical care facilities and projects, with elimination of the requirement for a certificate of public need (i) for all medical care facilities other than nursing homes or specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician's office developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery, cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, certain stereotactic radiotherapy, or proton beam therapy effective July 1, 2024; (ii) for all such services as described in clause (i) at any existing medical care facility other than nursing homes or specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician's office developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery, cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, certain stereotactic radiotherapy, or proton beam therapy located outside of a metropolitan statistical area or in a rural census tract within a metropolitan statistical area effective July 1, 2025; and (iii) for all medical care facilities effective July 1, 2026.

Environmental Justice Task Force; report. Establishes the Environmental Justice Task Force for the purpose of furthering environmental justice in the Commonwealth, consisting of the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Secretary of Transportation, or their designees. The bill requires the Task Force to advise the Governor and state agencies of the Commonwealth on environmental justice issues, particularly as such issues relate to minority and low-income communities. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1, 2024, regarding its activities.

Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election for a local or constitutional office that is not shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted on the same day as other results are canvassed by the local electoral board and that final tabulation for and election for a local or constitutional office that is shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted at a centralized facility under the supervision of the Department of Elections. The bill specifies that ranking data is required to be made publicly available by the Department and requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also limits a risk-limiting audit of an election conducted using ranked choice voting to the first choice rankings reported on voting systems. Finally, the bill directs the Department to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election for a local or constitutional office that is not shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted on the same day as other results are canvassed by the local electoral board and that final tabulation for and election for a local or constitutional office that is shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted at a centralized facility under the supervision of the Department of Elections. The bill specifies that ranking data is required to be made publicly available by the Department and requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also limits a risk-limiting audit of an election conducted using ranked choice voting to the first choice rankings reported on voting systems. Finally, the bill directs the Department to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Board of Pharmacy; use of automated dispensing systems and remote dispensing systems in certain facilities. Defines "remote dispensing system" as a profile-driven automated drug dispensing system that performs operations or activities relative to the storage, packaging, labeling, or dispensing of medications employing bidirectional and audio-visual technology to facilitate pharmacist communication with a patient, an authorized agent of a patient, or a person licensed to administer drugs, and collects, controls, and maintains all transaction information. The bill allows for the use of remote dispensing systems in hospitals, state facilities licensed pursuant to Title 37.2, services licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as a site-based crisis stabilization unit, and any other facility authorized by the Board of Pharmacy in regulation wherein drugs are administered only by persons licensed to administer drugs and where the pharmacist-in-charge can ensure the security and environmental integrity of the drugs and devices. The bill extends the use of automated drug dispensing systems from use only in hospitals to use in each such facility listed above.

State Department of Social Services; Home Energy Assistance Program. Authorizes the State Department of Social Services to allow applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program to be submitted over an application period that provides adequate time for individuals to apply and is extended beyond the current application period subject to the availability of adequate funding. State Department of Social Services; Home Energy Assistance Program. Authorizes the State Department of Social Services to allow applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program to be submitted over an application period that provides adequate time for individuals to apply and is extended beyond the current application period subject to the availability of adequate funding.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined in the bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training in the investigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Exception to stopping requirement; bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter. Authorizes the person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter to yield instead of stop at an intersection controlled by a stop sign if (i) each intersecting highway has no more than three motor vehicle travel lanes; (ii) the person is at least 15 years of age or accompanied by an adult; (iii) the person slows to a reasonable speed based on existing conditions; and (iv) before proceeding into the intersection, the person stops for any pedestrian within the crosswalk and for any other vehicle approaching or entering such intersection from another direction. Exception to stopping requirement; bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter. Authorizes the person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter to yield instead of stop at an intersection controlled by a stop sign if (i) each intersecting highway has no more than three motor vehicle travel lanes; (ii) the person is at least 15 years of age or accompanied by an adult; (iii) the person slows to a reasonable speed based on existing conditions; and (iv) before proceeding into the intersection, the person stops for any pedestrian within the crosswalk and for any other vehicle approaching or entering such intersection from another direction.

Department of Health; local government; alternative and conventional onsite sewage systems. Requires localities to review the Department of Health's database prior to notifying the owners of an alternative or conventional onsite sewage system about their maintenance responsibility. Department of Health; local government; alternative and conventional onsite sewage systems. Requires localities to review the Department of Health's database prior to notifying the owners of an alternative or conventional onsite sewage system about their maintenance responsibility.

Study; Board of Veterinary Medicine; shortage of large animal veterinarians; report. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, to complete a two-year study of the shortage of large animal veterinarians, with technical assistance provided by relevant stakeholders, including a member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, respectively. Study; Board of Veterinary Medicine; shortage of large animal veterinarians; report. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, to complete a two-year study of the shortage of large animal veterinarians, with technical assistance provided by relevant stakeholders, including a member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, respectively.

Department of Education; establishment of Farm to School Program Task Force. Requires the Department of Education to establish and appoint such members as it deems necessary or appropriate to the Farm to School Program Task Force for the purpose of increasing student access throughout the Commonwealth to high-quality farm to school programs, defined in the bill as programs (i) whereby public schools purchase and feature prominently in school meals locally produced food or (ii) that involve experiential student learning opportunities relating to local food and agriculture, including school and community garden programs and local farm visits. The bill requires the Task Force to collaborate with local school boards, community-based organizations, farmers, relevant state and local agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to (a) assess existing farm to school programs within the Commonwealth to identify and disseminate to each local school board best practices for implementing and sustaining such programs, (b) establish and distribute to each local school board a guidance document for the establishment and operation of school garden programs, (c) provide information and resources to each local school board to assist it in leveraging grant funds to support farm to school programs, and (d) collect such data and make such policy recommendations to local school boards, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly as it deems appropriate.

Department of Motor Vehicles; highway use fee; tiered flat rate system; work group; report. Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group to determine the feasibility of implementing a tiered flat rate system to accurately determine the correct amount of highway use fee to be charged at the point of sale of a motor vehicle. The bill directs the work group to complete its work and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Transportation no later than November 15, 2024.

Planning districts; King George County. Moves King George County from Planning District 16 (George Washington Regional Commission) to Planning District 17 (Northern Neck Planning District Commission). The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to assist with this transition.

6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day. Designates September 16, in 2024 and in each succeeding year, as 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day in Virginia.

Affordable housing; assisted living facilities. Allows localities that have adopted an affordable housing program to require that in an application for a special exception or special use permit affordable rental units be included for any proposed development of an assisted living facility. Such ordinance shall apply to newly licensed assisted living facilities and permit applications approved on or after January 1, 2025. Affordable housing; assisted living facilities. Allows localities that have adopted an affordable housing program to require that in an application for a special exception or special use permit affordable rental units be included for any proposed development of an assisted living facility. Such ordinance shall apply to newly licensed assisted living facilities and permit applications approved on or after January 1, 2025.