Educational and cultural institutions; Recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; requirements; task force. Recognizes and restores the status of Hampton University as an 1862 and 1890 land-grant university of the Commonwealth, in accordance with the provisions of applicable federal law, and (i) enumerates the funding and programs Hampton University shall be eligible for as a land-grant university and (ii) provides for the establishment of an evaluation task force by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on appropriations upon federal recognition of Hampton University as an institution eligible to receive federal funding and participate in federal and state programs established under applicable law relating to land-grant universities for the purpose of evaluating the status of Hampton University and the feasibility of recognizing the institution as a land-grant university of the Commonwealth in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Retail sales and use tax; firearm and ammunition tax. Imposes a firearm and ammunition tax equal to 11 percent of the gross receipts from the sale and distribution of any firearm or ammunition by a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill provides that proceeds from such tax shall be distributed to the general fund with the intent that such proceeds are used for gun violence prevention efforts and community safety in the Commonwealth. The bill contains a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Land records; certain financing statements; recording and indexing fees. Sets forth the fees that a clerk of the circuit court shall charge for recording and indexing a multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage, described in the bill as a deed of trust or mortgage, whether or not commercial, that serves multiple purposes and contains two or more components that may serve as independent legal instruments for independent legal purposes. The bill provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for such multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; proceedings for enforcement; petition for mandamus or injunction. Specifies that service of process or a summons for a hearing shall not be required when a petition for mandamus or injunction to enforce rights granted under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act has been filed.
Marine Resources Commission; prohibition of commercial electrofishing in the Rappahannock River; report. Directs the Marine Resources Commission to temporarily prohibit commercial electrofishing in the portion of the Rappahannock River north of the Downing Bridge in Tappahannock until January 1, 2027, and to examine the practice of commercial electrofishing in the waters of the Commonwealth and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than January 1, 2027.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000. The bill defines first-time home buyer, and includes that term in the definition of qualified beneficiary.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information. Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to assess the feasibility of implementing a protocol upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), as defined in the bill. Such protocol would require the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to refer cases of SUDEP to certain public or private institutions and publish resources with information on SUDEP on its website.
A BILL to amend and reenact the second enactment of Chapter 525 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020, as amended and reenacted by Chapter 146 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I, by Chapter 137 of the Acts of Assembly of 2022, and by Chapter 298 of the Acts of Assembly of 2023, relating to GO Virginia Grants; matching funds.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.0125 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities.
Fees for vehicles designed and used for transportation of passengers; funds returned to a locality; permitted uses. Expands the permitted use of funds returned to a locality from certain vehicle fees to include the purchase or maintenance of necessary equipment, supplies, facilities, and vehicles permitted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and other operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical services in such locality by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies. Under current law, such funds may be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for use in the locality for emergency medical services provided by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies.
Department of Environmental Quality; carbon market participation; coastal and marine resources. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to participate in any carbon market for the preservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the Commonwealth's coastal and marine resources on state-owned bottomlands and property and enter into agreements necessary to facilitate such participation. The bill requires the Department to hold exclusive title to such credits until such credits are sold. Any revenues resulting from the sale of such credits are required to be distributed as follows: 75 percent to the Oyster Replenishment Fund and 25 percent to the qualifying leaseholder.
Nursing homes; periodic medical visits and resident assessments. Requires all nursing homes to notify the resident of a nursing home, the resident's family, and the Department of Health if a federally required physician visit does not take place. The bill also requires each nursing home to conduct a comprehensive assessment on an annual basis to determine each resident's needs and describe each resident's capability to perform daily life functions. Such assessments must be reviewed at least once every 92 days, and more frequently in the event of a significant change in the resident's physical or mental condition.
