Virginia Retirement System; plan credits and accounts. Allows members of the Virginia Retirement System to purchase service credit for prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in any federally established branch of the armed services. Under current law, such purchases are restricted to prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. The bill also provides that any funds or other property held in a Virginia Retirement System defined contribution plan, deferred compensation plan, or cash match plan remaining unclaimed for more than five years shall be presumed abandoned under the Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act and may escheat to the state treasury. Under current law, the Act does not apply to any Virginia Retirement System defined benefit plan funds or other property. This bill is identical to SB 458.
Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. Modifies aspects of the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board by adding a fourth Secretary to the Board's membership, to be appointed by the Governor, and providing that the Secretary of Labor may be one of the Secretaries appointed to the Board. The bill also reduces the amount of matching funds required for any grant awarded from the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund by requiring such funds to be equal to at least half of the grant awarded until July 1, 2028.
Child Care Subsidy Program; categorical eligibility for certain families. Provides that any family that receives public assistance through Medicaid or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children shall be deemed to categorically satisfy income eligibility requirements to receive assistance through the Child Care Subsidy Program.
Department of Education; background checks for child day program employees and volunteers; dissemination of information in certain circumstances. Requires the Department of Education, upon receiving a written request for a written certification from an individual, to provide written certification to an entity designated by the Department that provides staffing for child day programs that such individual satisfies all requirements set forth in relevant law and is eligible to serve as an employee, temporary employee, or volunteer in a child day program. The bill further provides that (i) each such written certification shall also state the date by which the individual is required to complete a new background check in accordance with the periodic requirement for such background checks, (ii) no such written certification shall reveal the nature of any disqualifying barrier crime committed by or founded complaint of child abuse or neglect against the individual, and (iii) any such written certification may be shared among child day programs for the purpose of facilitating the creation and maintenance of a child day program substitute staff pool system.
Certain powers of attorney; transfer on death deeds. Provides that an agent under a power of attorney shall not have the authority to create, change, or revoke a transfer on death deed unless specifically granted the power to create or change a beneficiary designation as otherwise provided by law. This bill is identical to SB 471.
Charter; Town of Smithfield. Amends the charter for the Town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County to reflect the town's shift from May to November municipal elections. The bill also updates or repeals outdated provisions of the town's charter. This bill is identical to SB 309.
Commission on Updating Virginia Law to ReflectFederal Recognition of Virginia Tribes; sunset. Extends fromJuly 1, 2024, to July 1, 2026, the sunset date of the Commissionon Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of VirginiaTribes.
Enrollment of students transitioning into, between,and out of foster care and kinship care placements. Requiresthe school division in which a student who has transitioned into,between, or out of a foster care or kinship care placement by a localsocial services agency last attended school prior to such transitionand the school division in which such a student resides after suchtransition to cooperate in facilitating the enrollment of any suchstudent for the purpose of enhancing continuity of instruction. Thebill provides that any such student shall be allowed to continueto attend the school in which he was enrolled prior to his placement transition upon the joint determination of the placing social servicesagency and the local school division that such attendance is in thebest interest of the student. Current law contains similar provisionsbut is limited to students who have transitioned into foster careplacements.
Casino gaming; limits on required local referendums. Provides that the governing body of any eligible host city that holdsa local referendum on the question of whether casino gaming shouldbe permitted in such city that subsequently fails shall be prohibitedfrom holding another referendum on the same question for a periodof three years from the date of the last referendum.
Family or household member; definition; penalty. Adds to the definition of family or household member, for the purposes of definitions relating to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and multiple criminal and procedural statutes, an individual who is a legal custodian of a juvenile.
Voter registration; protected voter status;elections officials. Adds to the list of protected voters anyperson serving as a member of a local electoral board, a generalregistrar, a deputy registrar or employee in an office of a generalregistrar, or an officer of election. Protected voters are permittedby law to provide on the application for voter registration, inaddition to the voter's residence street address, a post office boxaddress located within the Commonwealth to be included on (i) listsof registered voters and persons who voted, (ii) voter registration records made available for public inspection, and (iii) lists ofabsentee voter applicants.
Charter; Town of Pulaski. Amends the charter for the Town of Pulaski in Pulaski County to reflect the town's shift from May to November municipal elections. The bill clarifies that the town council's membership consists of seven members, including the mayor, and provides that the mayor may vote in the council. The bill also changes the time of the election of the vice-mayor from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years at the first meeting of the council. This bill is identical to SB 475.
