Charter; Town of New Market. Establishes a new charter for the Town of New Market in Shenandoah County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to HB 376.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; methods of procurement; certain construction projects. Allows a public body to establish purchase procedures, if adopted in writing, not requiring competitive sealed bids or competitive negotiation for single or term contracts for non-transportation-related construction projects if the aggregate or the sum of all phases is not expected to exceed $300,000. Current law places the limit at $200,000.
Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; provision of physical evidence recovery kits. Requires each baccalaureate public institution of higher education to either (i) staff its on-campus student health center with at least one on-campus certified sexual assault forensic examiner for the purpose of administering a physical evidence recovery kit to any student who is in need of such a kit or (ii) enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local organization or entity that is capable of providing the services of a certified sexual assault forensic examiner for the purpose of administering a physical evidence recovery kit to any student who is in need of such a kit.
Property tax exemption; surviving spouses ofarmed forces members who died in the line of duty. Expands thereal property tax exemption that is currently available to the survivingspouses of soldiers killed in action to the surviving spouses ofsoldiers who died in the line of duty with a Line of Duty determinationfrom the U.S. Department of Defense. This bill is enabling legislationfor a constitutional amendment to be presented during the November2024 general election.
Virginia Tourism Authority; powers; historically accurate advertising. Requires the Virginia Tourism Authority, in consultation with The Library of Virginia and the Virginia African American Advisory Board, to (i) create standards for the Authority's publications and advertising material to ensure all such materials accurately identify parcels of real property in the Commonwealth with a history linked to slave ownership and accurately depict the contributions of Black Virginians to any such parcel of real property; and (ii) acknowledge the horrors of slavery in the Commonwealth by publishing a list of slave-owning properties in the Commonwealth.
Motor sports facilities; local incentives. Allows a locality that is home to a motor sports facility, as defined in relevant law, in the Commonwealth to propose local incentives that address the economic conditions within such locality and will help stimulate real property improvements and new job creation. The bill allows a locality to establish eligibility criteria for local incentives that are different from the current criteria required by relevant law.
Towing without consent of vehicle owner; fee.Decreases the maximum hookup and initial towing fee of any passengercar towed without the consent of its owner from $150 to $50. Thebill also prohibits an ordinance made by a governing body of anylocality for limiting towing fees from setting such limit for hookupand initial towing fee higher than statewide limits and removes theminimum fee limit for hookup and initial towing fees for such ordinancemade by localities in Planning District 8 and Planning District 16.
Creation of local historic district. Allowsa locality to, by ordinance, establish one or more historic districtsfor the purpose of increasing awareness and support for historicconservation in the locality. The locality may in each historic districtprovide incentives for the conservation and renovation of certifiedhistoric structures, as defined in the bill, and grant tax incentivesand provide certain regulatory flexibility within the limits of theConstitutions of Virginia and of the United States.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote ultrasound procedures; remote fetal non-stress tests. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to modify the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision allowing for payment under certain conditions for remote ultrasound procedures and remote fetal non-stress tests.
Protected information in administrative andcivil proceedings; newspersons engaged in journalism. Expandsthe protected information privilege for newspersons to administrativeand civil proceedings. Under current law, a newsperson engaged injournalism shall not be compelled by the Commonwealth or a localityto testify about, disclose, or produce protected information, withcertain exceptions, in criminal proceedings only.
Civil commitments and temporary detention orders; definition of mental illness neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities; Secretary of Health and Human Resources to evaluate placements for certain individuals; workgroup; report. Specifies that for the purpose of civil commitments and temporary detention orders, behaviors and symptoms that manifest from a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability are excluded from the definition of mental illness and are, therefore, not a basis for placing an individual under a temporary detention order or committing an individual involuntarily to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The bill provides that if a state facility has reason to believe that an individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability, the state facility may require that a licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional reevaluate the individual's eligibility for a temporary detention order before the individual is admitted. Under the bill, if the licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional determines the individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disorder, the state facility shall promptly authorize the release of the person held under a temporary detention order and the local community services board shall provide a discharge plan. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a workgroup to evaluate, identify, and develop placements for individuals with neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities, specify any statutory or funding changes needed to prevent inappropriate placements for such individuals, as well as provide recommendations for training of magistrates and community services boards related to the implementation of the bill, and to report the findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Behavioral Health Commission.
Virginia investment performance grants; Virginia economic development incentive grants. Requires, for any Virginia investment performance grant award determination that includes a job creation requirement, an eligible manufacturer or research and development service to pay an average wage, excluding fringe benefits, that is no less than the prevailing average wage for such new jobs. Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2024, (i) the aggregate amount of Virginia investment performance grants payable to all grant recipients in any fiscal year shall not exceed $7 million and (ii) grants shall be payable in amounts up to $5 million per eligible manufacturer or research and development service in five equal, annual installments of up to $1 million, beginning in the first year after verification of capital investment and pledged employment. The bill also provides that eligible companies shall be eligible to receive Virginia economic development incentive grants in the first year after verification that requirements applicable to such grant are satisfied. The bill contains an enactment clause clarifying that no existing agreement entered into prior to the effective date of the bill shall be impacted by the bill.
