Standards for attorneys appointed to represent parents or guardians; child dependency cases; compensation; multidisciplinary law offices or programs; report. Requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar, beginning July 1, 2026, to adopt standards for the qualification and performance of attorneys appointed to represent a parent or guardian of a child when such child is the subject of a child dependency case, as defined in the bill. The bill also requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2026, to maintain a list of attorneys admitted to practice law in Virginia who are qualified to be appointed to represent indigent parents involved in a child dependency case. Prior to July 1, 2026, counsel must be appointed from the list of attorneys qualified to serve as guardians ad litem. The bill provides that beginning January 1, 2025, court-appointed counsel for a parent, guardian, or other adult in a child dependency case will be compensated in an amount no greater than $330, or in a case for the termination of residual parental rights, $680.The bill authorizes the establishment of up to two multidisciplinary law offices or programs in localities, jurisdictions, or judicial districts that affirm they have met specified criteria for the purpose of representing parents in a child dependency court proceeding or in a child protective services assessment or investigation prior to such proceeding. During any calendar year that such an office or program is in effect for at least six months, the office or program must submit a report on program outcomes, expenses, recommendations, and other pertinent information to the Office of the Children's Ombudsman and the Chairmen of the House Committees for Courts of Justice and on Health and Human Services and Appropriations and the Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations by November 1.
Places of public accommodation; possessionand administration of epinephrine. Permits every place of publicaccommodation, defined in relevant law as all places or businessesoffering or holding out to the general public goods, services, privileges,facilities, advantages, or accommodations, to make epinephrine availablefor administration and permits any employee of such place of publicaccommodation who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in theadministration of epinephrine to possess and administer epinephrineto a person present in such place of public accommodation believedin good faith to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Current law limitssuch permission to every public place, defined in relevant law asany enclosed, indoor area used by the general public, and any employeeof such public place.
Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers. Requires a supplier making automatic renewal or continuous service offers that automatically renew after more than 30 days and extend the automatic renewal or continuous service offer for more than a period of 12 months to notify the consumer, as defined in the bill, of the option to cancel no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline or the end of the current contract term.
Nurse practitioners; autonomous practice. Lowers from five years to three years the amount of full-time clinical experience required before an advanced practice registered nurse may practice without a practice agreement and permits qualified nurse practitioners to attest that a nurse practitioner may be qualified to practice without a practice agreement. The bill permits advanced practice registered nurses to practice without a practice agreement when a patient care team physician is no longer able to serve if such advanced practice registered nurse provides evidence that he meets the requirements to practice without a practice agreement as established by the bill. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Health Professions to collect data on the implementation of the bill and make such data publicly available on its website.
Local government employee insurance programs. Authorizes any locality to include in its group life, accident, andhealth insurance programs any person to whom coverage could be extendedunder the provision of current law that sets out who may be coveredunder a private group accident and sickness insurance policy.
Historic rehabilitation tax credit; maximum amount of tax credit. Increases from $5 million to $10 million the maximum amount of the historic rehabilitation tax credit, including amounts carried over from prior taxable years, that may be claimed by a taxpayer in any taxable year beginning in taxable year 2024. Beginning July 1, 2024, the aggregate amount of credits available shall not exceed $75 million per fiscal year.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; definition of a real estate broker. Adds to the definition of "real estate broker" any individual or business entity who sells or offers to sell, buys or offers to buy, negotiates, or otherwise deals in real estate contracts, including assignable contracts, on two or more occasions in any 12-month period for compensation or valuable consideration. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to SB 358.
Virginia Business Ready Expedited Permitting Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Business Ready Expedited Permitting Program and directs the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority to designate up to two sites and four projects for participation in the Program. Sites and projects eligible for the Program shall include only (i) sites eligible for a site development grant under the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program or (ii) projects with significant local, regional, or statewide economic impact that the governing body of the locality in which the project is located has either (a) approved following a public meeting or hearing or (b) submitted, by resolution, for consideration to be included in the Program. No more than two eligible sites or projects shall be designated as part of the Program within any locality annually. The Authority shall complete a review process within 45 days of designating a site to reduce permitting conflicts and provide relevant guidance to applicants. The bill also provides that no project shall be considered eligible to enter the Program after December 31, 2027, and requires annual reporting from the Authority. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025, and expires on June 30, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 217.
Virginia Verified Meat certification. Prohibitsany person from labeling any product as Virginia Verified Meat ifit does not meet the definition of that term in the bill and requiresthe Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establisha licensing protocol and auditing process whereby persons and businessesnot employed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesare eligible to certify Virginia Verified Meat claims.
Department of Corrections; Maternal MortalityReview Team; access to medical records. Directs the Departmentof Corrections to provide the Maternal Mortality Review Team withaccess to medical records of formerly incarcerated decedents fromall medical facilities operated or under contract to the Department.
Subpoenas; release of witness. Makes the provisions governing a release of a witness from a subpoena applicable to a subpoena issued at the request of a party or by or at the request of an attorney representing a party. Under current law, these provisions apply to the release of a witness from an attorney-issued subpoena only. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; local public bodies; electronic submissions of bids or proposals. Mandates that all local public bodies provide an option to submit bids or proposals for procurement contracts through the Commonwealth's statewide electronic procurement system, known as eVA, or other electronic means. Current law only encourages local public bodies to use eVA for such submissions. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
