Summary: Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stressdisorder incurred by dispatchers. Allows dispatchers, as definedin the bill, to claim workers' compensation benefits relating topost-traumatic stress disorder under the Virginia Workers' CompensationAct. Currently, only law-enforcement officers and firefighters mayclaim such benefits.

Summary: Prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure works by public service companies. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to determine and make available the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work. Under the bill, each public service company shall ensure that its bid specifications or other contracts applicable to underground infrastructure works require payment at the prevailing wage rate. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. The bill also requires each public service company, contractor, or subcontractor subject to the provisions of the bill to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements. Provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2024.

Summary: Local departments of social services; agreements with local workforce development boards; coordinated workforce development services. Directs each local department of social services (local department) to develop and enter into a written agreement with the local workforce development board serving the jurisdiction served by the local department. The bill requires that such agreement (i) provide for the coordinated provision of workforce development services to participants in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training and (ii) comply with any other requirements established by the Department of Social Services.

Summary: Unpaid family bereavement leave; required; remedies. Requires that an employer that employs 50 or more employees provide eligible employees, defined in the bill, with up to 10 days of unpaid family bereavement leave in any 12-month period to (i) attend the funeral or funeral equivalent of a covered family member; (ii) make arrangements necessitated by the death of a covered family member; (iii) grieve the death of a covered family member; or (iv) be absent from work due to (a) a miscarriage, (b) an unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an assisted reproductive technology procedure, (c) a failed adoption match or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested by another party, (d) a failed surrogacy agreement, (e) a diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility, or (f) a stillbirth. The bill requires the employee to provide notice of his intent to take the leave if reasonable and practicable and provides that an employer may require reasonable documentation of the death or event. The bill requires the employer to restore the employee's position following the leave, to continue to provide coverage for the employee under any health benefit plan, and to pay the employee any commission earned prior to the leave. The bill prohibits the employer from taking retaliatory action against the employee for taking family bereavement leave and provides that, if an employer fails to provide unpaid family bereavement leave or engages in such prohibited retaliatory action, an employee may bring an action against the employer in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Summary: Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Removes the provision in the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act requiring that benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty be provided for a maximum of 52 weeks from the date of diagnosis.

Summary: Employee protections; discipline for politicalactivity or affiliations prohibited. Prohibits an employer from(i) directing the political activity or affiliations of an employee;(ii) discharging, disciplining, or discriminating against an employeefor such employee's lawful engagement or refusal to engage in anypolitical activity or affiliations; and (iii) refusing to hire, employ,or license an individual on the basis of such individual's politicalactivity or affiliations. The bill provides exceptions to these requirementswhere an employer believes that such actions are required by statute,regulation, or other mandate, where a professional services contractpermits an employer to limit the off-duty activities of an individual, and in the case of a religious exemption. A violation of the provisionsof the bill may be subject to a civil action within one year of theemployer's prohibited retaliatory action.

Summary: Unemployment compensation; continuation of benefits; repayment of overpayments. Reinstates provisions of the Code that expired on July 1, 2022, relating to unemployment compensation. The bill provides that when a claimant has had a determination of initial eligibility for unemployment benefits, as determined by the issuance of compensation or waiting-week credit, payments shall continue, subject to a presumption of continued eligibility, until a determination is made that provides the claimant notice and an opportunity to be heard. The bill requires the Virginia Employment Commission to waive the obligation to repay any overpayment if (i) the overpayment was made without fault on the part of the individual receiving benefits and (ii) requiring repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience. Conditions for when overpayments are considered "without fault on the part of the individual" are outlined in the bill. The bill further provides that the Commission shall notify each person with an unpaid overpayment of benefits that he may be entitled to a waiver of repayment and provide 30 days to request such a waiver. This applies to outstanding overpayments established for claim weeks commencing on or after March 15, 2020. Finally, the bill adds overpayments that the Commission has waived the requirement to repay to the list of situations where specific employers are not responsible for benefit charges. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 536.

Summary: Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved.

Summary: Reporting of medical debt to consumer reporting agencies by certain health care providers; prohibited. Prohibits certain medical care facilities, certain health care professionals, and emergency medical services agencies from reporting any portion of a medical debt, defined in the bill, to a consumer reporting agency. The bill prohibits collection entities collecting or attempting to collect a medical debt from reporting such collection or attempts to collect to a consumer reporting agency. The bill provides that a willful violation of such provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Summary: Virginia Employment Commission; appeals proceedings; appeal tribunals and Board of Review; repeal. Specifies that any determination made by the Virginia Employment Commission in regard to any amount required to be deducted and withheld from unemployment compensation for purposes of child support obligations is final. The bill contains a number of technical amendments related to the Commission's appeals proceedings. The bill also repeals provisions related to appeal tribunals and the Commission-appointed Board of Review and contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to SB 655.

Summary: Electric utilities; regional transmission entities;annual report. Requires each incumbent electric utility thatis a member of or has established a regional transmission entity for purposes of management and control of its transmission system asrequired under current law to submit an annual report by February1 of each year. Such report shall include all recorded votes castby the utility during the immediately preceding calendar year, allvotes cast by an affiliate of the utility, and a brief descriptionexplaining how each vote cast by the utility or its affiliate isin the public interest.