Department of Education; development and distribution of fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet; requirements. Requires the Department of Education to develop, in collaboration with the Department of Health, a fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with and the prevalence of fentanyl and provide essential information on fentanyl overdose prevention and preparedness among high school-age students. The bill requires the Department of Education to make available to each school board and post in a publicly accessible location on its website such informational one-sheet and to annually review and update such informational one-sheet in collaboration with the Department of Health to ensure its currency and accuracy. The bill requires each public high school or secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 to annually distribute such informational one-sheet to each student in grades nine through 12 within the first two weeks of the school year. This bill incorporates HB 1007.
RPS eligible sources; falling water generation facilities. Provides that, notwithstanding contrary provisions of law, any falling water generation facility, as defined in the bill, located in the Commonwealth and commencing commercial operations prior to July 1, 2024, shall be considered a renewable energy portfolio standard eligible source.
Renewable energy portfolio standard; geothermal heating and cooling systems; Strategic Energy Investment Fund and Program established; Geothermal Energy Work Group established; reports. Provides that geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill, located in the Commonwealth are eligible for compliance with renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) requirements. The bill requires that certain percentages of the RPS requirements be derived from post-2019 geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill, in accordance with the schedule prescribed in the bill. The bill also requires that at least 25 percent of the required RPS required percentages be derived from post-2019 geothermal systems in historically economically disadvantaged communities and includes information for the State Corporation Commission to use in calculating the amount of renewable energy credits attributable to geothermal heating and cooling systems. The bill includes certain labor and employment requirements for large (360,000 BTU or greater generating capacity) geothermal heating and cooling systems and authorizes the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate related regulations and enforce compliance with the requirements. The bill adds additional noncompliance fees for Phase I and Phase II Utilities that are unable to meet the RPS compliance obligations that must be derived from a post-2019 geothermal heating or cooling system, and requires that such RPS noncompliance fees be paid into a new fund called the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. The Fund shall be administered by the Department of Energy and used to implement the Strategic Energy Investment Program, with the purpose of implementing job training programs in historically economically disadvantaged communities, energy efficiency measures for public facilities, and renewable energy programs in historically economically disadvantaged communities. The bill also creates a Geothermal Energy Work Group for the purposes of studying the status and impact of increasing the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth, among other factors. The bill directs the Work Group to submit an annual report of its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor and the House Committee on Commerce and Energy. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Energy to conduct a comprehensive technical study on the status of geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth and the potential impacts of expanding and incentivizing the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth. The Department of Energy, in consultation with the Geothermal Energy Work Group, is also directed to develop recommendations by December 1, 2024, for an incentive structure to increase the deployment of geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
Protective orders; respondent to notify court of change of address. Requires the respondent against whom a protective order has been issued to notify the court in writing within seven days of any change of residence while such order is in effect, provided that such order has been properly served upon the respondent. In a proceeding involving a preliminary protective order, the bill provides that the court may require the respondent to notify the court in writing within seven days of any change of residence while such preliminary protective order is in effect. The bill also provides that any failure of a respondent to make such required notification shall be punishable by contempt.
Trustees; settlement of accounts; notice andstatements to beneficiaries; requirements. Provides that when(i) a trust terminates pursuant to the terms of the trust, (ii) atrust terminates early, (iii) a trustee resigns or is removed, or(iv) a trustee is seeking discharge of an interim account periodwhen the trust is continuing, a trustee may obtain a settlement of accounts if the trustee sends the beneficiary notice and certainrequired accounting statements and the beneficiary does not objectwithin 45 days after the trustee sends such notice. The bill provides that if a beneficiary or other party who received such notice andstatements properly objects, the trustee or qualified beneficiaryor other party shall either submit such objection in writing to thecourt for resolution or resolve the objection by a nonjudicial settlement agreement or other written agreement. The bill also provides thatwhen a qualified beneficiary has failed to object within the 45-dayperiod or consents to such action of the trustee, the beneficiary or other party is prohibited from bringing a claim against the trusteefor challenging the validity of (i) the trust or (ii) the periodof such interim accounts.
Board of Veterinary Medicine; powers and duties; veterinary satellite offices. Requires the Board of Veterinary Medicine to regulate, inspect, and register all satellite offices where veterinary medicine is practiced. The bill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Unemployment compensation; collection of overpayments; limitations. Provides that collection activities for an overpayment, provided that such overpayment was not caused by fraud on the part of the claimant, shall be suspended and that the Virginia Employment Commission shall determine as uncollectable and discharge the overpayment if it remains unpaid after the earliest of the following: (i) after the expiration of five years from the last day of the benefit year in which the overpayment was made, (ii) immediately upon the death of the claimant, (iii) upon the claimant's discharge in bankruptcy occurring subsequently to the determination of payment; or (iv) at any time where the Commission finds such overpayment to be uncollectible or the recovery of such overpayment to be administratively impracticable. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.
Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit. Increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twentieth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the First, Ninth, Fifteenth, and Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuits. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill incorporates SB 686 and is identical to HB 310.
Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, energy efficiency programs include electrification, including measures that electrify space heating, water heating, cooling, drying, cooking, industrial processes, and other building and industrial end uses that would otherwise be served by onsite, nonelectric fuels, provided that the electrification measures reduce site energy consumption and that, to the maximum extent practical, seek to combine with federally authorized customer rebates for heat pump technology. The bill provides that electricity consumption increases that result from State Corporation Commission-approved electrification measures shall not be considered as a reduction in energy savings under the energy savings requirements and that utilities may apply verified total site energy reductions that are attributable to Commission-approved electrification measures to the energy savings requirements. The bill specifies that energy efficiency programs and energy efficiency measures do not include electrification of any process or activity primarily fueled by natural gas.
Funeral services; transportation protectionagreements. Defines "transportation protection agreement" asan agreement that provides for the coordination and arranging of all professional services related to transportation of human remainsor cremated remains beyond the distance stated in the preneed funeralcontract. The bill clarifies that transportation protection agreementsare not considered preneed funeral contracts.
Vested rights; building permits. Provides that if a locality has issued a building permit, despite nonconformance with the zoning ordinance, and a property owner, relying in good faith on the issuance of the building permit, incurs extensive obligations or substantial expenses in diligent pursuit of a building project that is in conformance with the building permit and the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the locality shall not treat such building as an illegal use but rather as a legal nonconforming use. Current law requires that such project be completed and a certificate of occupancy issued in order to receive such protection.
Behavioral Health Commission; behavioral health and crisis response services; civil admissions laws and processes; work group; report. Directs the Behavioral Health Commission to convene a work group to study how to effectively align current civil admissions laws and processes with new behavioral health and crisis response services and resources in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Behavioral Health Commission to make recommendations for any statutory, regulatory, licensing, training, and reimbursement changes related to Virginia's current civil admissions process and to report such recommendations by July 1, 2025.
