Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure; conditions. Changes from mandatory to permissive the filing of certain statements and documentary evidence and the establishment and implementation of certain procedures by child day centers operated by religious institutions that are exempt from licensure but permits the Superintendent of Public Instruction to perform on-site inspections of any such center to investigate complaints and at the conclusion of such investigation to require any such center to provide such statements and documentary evidence or establish and implement such procedures.
Tax credit for vehicle emissions testing equipment; certain vehicles and refueling property. Allows a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine that is principally garaged in Virginia to a corporation, individual, or public service corporation. Current law allows such a credit only for certain clean-fuel vehicles. The provisions of the bill shall apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025.
Crimes against nature; taking indecent liberties with children; penalties. Adds "nephew or niece" and "uncle or aunt" to the offense of crimes against nature and adds "uncle or aunt" as the perpetrator and "nephew or niece" as the victim to the offense of taking indecent liberties with children.
Limitation of prosecutions; false entries or destruction of records by officers. Extends the statute of limitations for prosecution of the offense of false entries or destruction of records by officers to within (i) five years of the commission of the offense or (ii) two years after the existence of the illegal act and the identity of the offender are discovered by the Commonwealth, whichever is later. The current statute of limitations is one year from the date of the offense.
Education and workforce data ecosystem in the Commonwealth; Virginia Education and Workforce Data Governing Board and Office of Virginia Education and Workforce Data established. Establishes in the executive branch of state government the 10-member Virginia Education and Workforce Data Governing Board and establishes with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency a supporting Office of Virginia Education and Workforce Data to (i) govern, administer, and support the ecosystem of education and workforce data collection and analysis systems in the Commonwealth, defined in the bill as the Commonwealth Data Trust, the Virginia Longitudinal Data System, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, and the Virginia Workforce Data Trust, and (ii) replace several separate data system governance and administration structures established in current law. The bill renames the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment as the Virginia Office of Education Economics and directs its governance by the Board. The bill establishes several powers and duties for such Board and Office, certain of which are subject to delayed implementation dates.
Insurance; Fire Programs Fund; purposes; Aid to Localities Grant Program. Increases the assessment on certain insurance companies from one percent to 1.5 percent. The bill provides that the portion of the Fire Programs Fund allocated to localities may be used for the additional purposes of (i) constructing, improving, or expanding fire station facilities; (ii) providing mental health resources for fire personnel; or (iii) hiring additional fire personnel and funding recruitment and retention programs. The bill also prohibits such funds from being used, except as provided, for the purposes of investments, operating expenses, debt repayment, taxes, or fees. The bill also establishes the Aid to Localities Grant Program, to be funded by 0.25 percent of the assessments on insurance companies, for the purposes of providing assistance to local fire departments that are at risk of closing or facing major violations due to the lack of funds needed to be in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Zoning ordinances; residential district classifications; affordable housing. Authorizes a locality, within the residential district classifications of its zoning ordinance, to include districts specifically designated for affordable housing.
School boards; employment of school resource officers in each public elementary and secondary school. Requires each school board to enter into a collaborative agreement with the local law-enforcement agency to employ at least one school resource officer in each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division and provides that no school board shall be granted any full or partial waiver from such staffing requirements. The bill contains a contingent effective date that states that the foregoing requirement shall become effective beginning with the fiscal year in which funding has been provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to fully fund such requirement.
Early childhood care and education; Child Care Subsidy Program; income-based eligibility for assistance; development and implementation of phased reduction model. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to develop and implement a phased reduction model for the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) that provides for an assistance phase-out period during which the assistance for which a given family is eligible is incrementally reduced in proportion to the increase in such family's income for the purpose of ensuring that no family receiving child care assistance under the Program experiences a sudden loss in eligibility for assistance as a result of an increase in family income. The bill requires the phased reduction model developed and implemented by the Department to consist of incremental income tiers, with each increase in income tier corresponding to a proportional reduction in the percentage of assistance for which a given family is eligible under the Program. The bill directs the Board of Education to (i) promulgate regulations for the development and implementation of the phased reduction model in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (ii) submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services any amendments to the current Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Virginia as are necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.
Income tax; energy efficient homes tax credits. Authorizes an eligible contractor, defined in the bill, to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit, during taxable years 2025 through 2029, in an amount equal to $1,000 per construction of a qualified new energy efficient home and $2,000 per construction of a zero energy ready home, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill establishes a maximum credit amount that an eligible contractor may claim per taxable year of $250,000.
Possession of controlled substances unlawful; second or subsequent conviction; mandatory minimum. Provides that the sentence of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act for (i) a second offense within less than five years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (ii) a second offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (iii) a third offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500, unless the three offenses were committed within a five-year period, in which case the sentence shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of six months and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000; and (iv) a fourth or subsequent offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000. The bill also provides that the driver's license of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act (a) may be suspended for a period of up to 30 days for the first offense and (b) shall be suspended for a period of 30 days for a second or subsequent offense.
Line of Duty Act; Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; enhanced benefits for certain fire personnel. Adds the State Fire Marshal and personnel of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs who, as a regular component of their official duties, are exposed to hazards or threats to their life and health to the lists of those eligible for benefits under the Line of Duty Act and for membership in the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System.
