VEA Initiated Bills

In addition to the budget amendments mentioned in yesterday’s posting, VEA initiated the bills summarized below, which are on our legislative agenda.  We hope to have one more bill to list shortly. I'll follow in the days ahead with other bills on our agenda initiated by coalition partners.  I hope the bill numbers prove helpful to you as you lobby from afar.  We are most thankful to our bill sponsors.

HB 463 State health plan; participation by employees of local school divisions.

Chief patron: Delegate Joseph Yost

Summary:  State health plan; participation by local school divisions. Provides for the participation by employees of a school division in the state employee health plan. After a period of three plan years, the local school board shall be required to make an irrevocable election whether to participate in the state employee health plan. The total cost of participation shall be borne by the local school board and the employee of the school division.

HB 720 School board policy; employee lactation support.

Chief patron: Delegate Jennifer McClellan

Summary:  School board policy; employee lactation support. Requires each local school board to adopt a policy to set aside, in each school in the school division, a non-restroom location that is shielded from the public view to be designated as an area in which any mother who is employed by the local school board may take breaks of reasonable length during the school day to express milk to feed her child until the child reaches the age of one.

HB 977 Teachers; dismissal.

Chief patron: Delegate Thomas Rust

Summary:  Teachers; dismissal. Extends from five business days to 10 business days the deadline for a teacher to request a hearing after receiving written notice of a recommendation of dismissal.

SB 420 Virginia Retirement System; impact statements.

Chief patron: Senator Emmett Hanger

Summary:  Virginia Retirement System; impact statements. Requires VRS impact statements to detail the financial impact of a proposed bill on members and beneficiaries.