Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§23-4.3:2, 23-9.2:3.2, 23-38.93, and 23-220.01 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 22.1-290.02 as follows:

§22.1-290.02. Traineeships for education of special education personnel.

A. There are hereby established traineeships that shall be awarded to persons who are interested in working in programs for the education of handicapped children for either part-time or full-time study in programs designed to qualify them as special education personnel in the public schools. Applicants for such traineeships shall be graduates of a recognized college or university.

B. The award of such traineeships shall be made by the State Board, and the number of awards during any one year shall depend upon the amounts appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose. The amount awarded for each traineeship shall be $450 for a minimum of six semester hours of course work in areas relating to special education to be taken by the applicant during a single semester or summer session.

C. This program shall be administered by the Department of Education under rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board.

§23-4.3:2. Policies addressing student loan vendors.

A. No employee at a Virginia public institution of higher education shall demand or receive any payment, loan, advance, deposit of money, services, or anything, present or promised, as an inducement for promoting any student loan vendor.

B. No public institution of higher education shall enter into any agreement with any student loan vendor that states or implies an exclusive relationship between the school and vendor regarding student loans.

C. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, with the advice and input of the governing boards of each public institution of higher education, shall develop policies and procedures for disclosing certain information to students on student lending practices. This information shall include (i) the criteria used to determine which lenders, if any, are recommended or endorsed by the school, or included on a preferred lender list made available to students, and (ii) explicit notification that students are free to borrow from any lender of their choosing and are not limited to any lender or lenders suggested by the school.

§23-9.2:3.2. Education program on human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Virginia public colleges and universities institutions of higher education, in cooperation with the State Council of Higher Education and the Department of Health, shall develop and implement education programs for college students on the etiology, effects, and prevention of infection with human immunodeficiency virus. The Council shall also encourage private colleges and universities to develop such programs.

§23-38.93. Educational policies of the Commonwealth; other requirements.

A. For purposes of §§2.2-5004, 23-1.01, 23-1.1, 23-2, 23-2.1, 23-2.1:1, 23-3, 23-4.2, 23-4.3, 23-4.4, 23-7.1:02, 23-7.4, 23-7.4:1, 23-7.4:2, 23-7.4:3, 23-7.5, 23-8.2:1, 23-9.1, 23-9.2, 23-9.2:3, 23-9.2:3.1 through 23-9.2:5, 23-9.6:1.01, Chapter 4.9 (§23-38.75 et seq.), and §23-38.87:17, each covered institution shall remain a public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth following its conversion to a covered institution governed by this chapter, and shall retain the authority granted and any obligations required by such provisions. In addition, each covered institution shall retain the authority, and any obligations related to the exercise of such authority, that is granted to institutions of higher education pursuant to Chapter 1.1 (§ 23-9.3 et seq.); Chapter 3 (§23-14 et seq.); Chapter 3.2 (§23-30.23 et seq.); Chapter 3.3 (§23-30.39 et seq.); Chapter 4 (§23-31 et seq.); Chapter 4.01 (§ 23-38.10:2 et seq.); Chapter 4.1 (§23-38.11 et seq.); Chapter 4.4 (§ 23-38.45 et seq.); Chapter 4.4:1 (§23-38.53:1 et seq.); Chapter 4.4:2 (§23-38.53:4 et seq.); Chapter 4.4:3 (§23-38.53:11); Chapter 4.4:4 (§23-38.53:12 et seq.); Chapter 4.5 (§23-38.54 et seq.); Chapter 4.7 (§23-38.70 et seq.); Chapter 4.8 (§ 23-38.72 et seq.); and Chapter 4.9 (§23-38.75 et seq.).

B. State government-owned or operated and state-owned teaching hospitals that are a part of a covered institution as of the institution's effective date of the initial Management Agreement shall continue to be characterized as state government-owned or operated and state-owned teaching hospitals for purposes of payments under the State Plan for Medicaid Services adopted pursuant to §32.1-325 et seq., provided that the covered institution commits to serve indigent and medically indigent patients, in which event the Commonwealth, through the Department of Medical Assistance Services, shall, subject to the appropriation in the appropriation act in effect, continue to reimburse the full cost of the provision of care, treatment, health-related and educational services to indigent and medically indigent patients and continue to treat hospitals that were part of a covered institution and that were Type One Hospitals prior to the institution's effective date of the initial Management Agreement as Type One Hospitals for purposes of such reimbursement.

§23-220.01. Apprenticeship program for employees of ship manufacturing and ship repair companies; fund.

A. For purposes of this section:

"Apprenticeship program" means a three-year program combining educational instruction and on-the-job training that is established for the purpose of enhancing the education and skills of shipyard workers.

"College" means the Tidewater Community College.

"Industrial applied sciences" may include applied sciences such as welding, burning, blasting, and other applied sciences.

"Shipyard worker" means any employee employed full time on a salaried or wage basis, whose tenure is not restricted as to temporary or provisional appointment, at a ship manufacturing or ship repair company located in the Commonwealth.

B. Subject to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's authority to approve or disapprove all new academic programs as provided in subdivision 5 of §23-9.6:1, the college may offer a three-year program of educational instruction that incorporates instruction in industrial applied sciences. An Associate in Applied Science Degree shall be conferred on any person successfully completing such academic program. The college may coordinate such academic program with an apprenticeship program offered to shipyard workers by their employers.

C. Beginning in the calendar year that the Council approves such academic program and for calendar years thereafter, shipyard workers who are (i) domiciled residents of Virginia as described in §23-7.4 and (ii) enrolled as full- or part-time students in such academic program, shall be eligible for scholarships for such program. Renewal of the scholarships of such shipyard workers shall be contingent upon maintaining (a) enrollment in such academic program, (b) a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent at the completion of each academic year, and (c) full-time employment as a shipyard worker.

D. Before any scholarship is awarded in accordance with the provisions of this section, the scholarship recipient shall sign a promissory note under which he agrees (i) to continue full-time employment as a shipyard worker until his graduation and (ii) upon graduation, to work continuously as a shipyard worker for the same number of years that he was the beneficiary of such scholarship. The State Council may The college shall recover the total amount of funds awarded as a scholarship, or the appropriate portion thereof, including any accrued interest, if the scholarship recipient fails to honor such requirements.

E. There is hereby created the Virginia Vocational Incentive Scholarship Program for Shipyard Workers to provide scholarships to shipyard workers enrolled at the college either in such academic program or in the apprenticeship program.

F. From such funds as are appropriated for this purpose and from such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be received on its behalf, there is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Virginia Vocational Incentive Scholarship Program for Shipyard Workers Fund, hereafter referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Funds may be paid to the college on behalf of shipyard workers who have been awarded scholarships pursuant to subsection C and shipyard workers in the apprenticeship program. Funds may also be used for the administration and implementation of such academic program and/or the apprenticeship program.

Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia President of Tidewater Community College.

G. The Council shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this section and the college shall award scholarships to eligible students for no more than three academic years. Scholarship amounts shall not exceed full tuition and required fees relating to such academic program or the apprenticeship program.

2. That §§23-9.13:1 and 23-38.10:1 and Article 2 (§§ 23-38.19:1 and 23-38.19:2) of Chapter 4.1, Chapter 4.4 (§§23-38.45 through 23-38.53), and Chapter 4.8 (§§23-38.72, 23-38.73, and 23-38.74) of Title 23 of the Code of Virginia are repealed.