Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention; Virginia Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund; creation. Creates the Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention (the Center) within the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund, to be administered by the Center, to replace the existing Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.
Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure or that expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independent expenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allows such reports to be filed either electronically or in writing.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; work group to study recruitment and professional development of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel; report. Requires the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, to convene a work group to (i) study the recruitment and professional development of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, (ii) make recommendations to ensure the uniformity of training for firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, and (iii) examine whether the state regulation of firefighters and emergency medical services personnel should be consolidated under a single secretariat and if a new secretariat should be created to oversee such regulation. The bill requires the work group to submit a report to the relevant General Assembly committees by November 1, 2024.
Department of Energy; work group on critical infrastructure sectors; report. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors' usage of fuel for energy and feedstock and impact on jobs, capital investments, and state and local revenue. The bill requires the work group to also assess (i) the impact of the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors on natural gas service or retail natural gas supply choice as provided in relevant law and individually metered propane service or non-utility gas service in accordance with relevant law and (ii) the impact of any public entity enacting an ordinance, building code, contractual provision, fee, permit, or other requirement that limits, prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting, or prevents critical infrastructure sectors within their boundaries from acquiring fuel. The bill requires the work group to complete its evaluation and submit its findings and any recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 1, 2024.
Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission. Establishes a procedure under which an electric utility or independent power provider (applicant) is able to obtain approval for a certificate from the State Corporation Commission for the siting of an energy facility rather than from the governing body of a locality. Under the bill, applicants are authorized to submit an application to the Commission if (i) the locality fails to timely approve or deny an application; (ii) the application complies with certain requirements for Commission approval, but a host locality denies the application; or (iii) the locality amends its zoning ordinance after it has notified the applicant that its requirements are compatible with the requirements for Commission approval, and the amendment imposes additional requirements that are more restrictive. The bill provides that an applicant who is issued a certificate by the Commission for an energy facility is exempt from obtaining approvals or permits, including any land use approvals or permits under the regulations and ordinances of the locality. The bill applies to any solar energy facility with a capacity of 50 megawatts or more, any wind energy facility with a capacity of 100 megawatts or more, and any energy storage facility with a nameplate capacity of 50 megawatts or more and an energy discharge capability of 200 megawatt hours or more.
Electric utilities; customer energy choice; notice required for customer return to service. Removes certain restrictions on the ability of individual retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth, regardless of customer class, to purchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energy from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth. The bill also decreases the required written notice period from five years to six months for certain electric energy customers to return to service by Dominion Energy Virginia after purchasing electric energy from other suppliers.
Department of Fire Programs; statewide contract language for procurement of fire and emergency medical services apparatuses and equipment; work group; report. Directs the Department of Fire Programs, the Department of Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services, and the Department of General Services to establish a work group to prepare statewide contract language for the procurement of fire and emergency medical services apparatuses and equipment. The bill requires the Department of Fire Programs to report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Virginia Fire Services Board and State EMS Advisory Board on or before October 1, 2024, and to make such report available to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology, upon request.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; noncompliance by certain landlords; tenant remedies. Allows a tenant to bring a civil cause of action for compensatory damages against a housing authority when there is a material noncompliance by such housing authority with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with any provision of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act that materially affects the health and safety of the tenant.
Family caregiver tax credit. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for expenses incurred by an individual in caring for an eligible family member, defined in the bill, who requires assistance with one or more activities of daily living, also defined in the bill. The credit equals 50 percent of eligible expenditures incurred by the caregiver up to $1,000. In order to qualify for the credit, the family caregiver must (i) not receive any compensation or reimbursement for the eligible expenditures and (ii) have federal adjusted gross income that is no greater than $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for married persons. The bill requires the Tax Commissioner to establish guidelines for claiming the credit and provides that any unused credit may be carried forward by the taxpayer for five taxable years following the taxable year for which the credit was issued.
Income taxes. Creates a new income tax bracket for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2024, for income in excess of $600,000, which is to be taxed at seven percent. The bill also creates two new tax credits: a child and dependent care tax credit and a family caregiver tax credit. Both tax credits would be refundable for Virginia residents and would be available for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2029. The child and dependent care tax credit would equal 50 percent of the federal tax credit allowed for employment-related expenses for household and dependent care services. A similar income tax deduction for employment-related expenses would be sunsetted by the bill. The family caregiver tax credit would apply to expenses incurred by an individual in caring for an eligible family member, defined in the bill, who requires assistance with one or more activities of daily living, also defined in the bill. The family caregiver tax credit equals 50 percent of eligible expenditures incurred by the caregiver up to $1,000. The family caregiver tax credit shall be available only to taxpayers that have federal adjusted gross income that is no greater than $100,000 for individuals or $200,000 for married persons.
Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher on or after July 1, 2025, but allows an employer, as that term is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher before July 1, 2025, in addition to service earned on or after that date. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.
Electric utilities; integrated resource plans; grid-enhancing technologies and advanced conductors. Requires an electric utility to include in an integrated resource plan a comprehensive assessment of the application of grid-enhancing technologies and advanced conductors, as those terms are defined in the bill, and, if applicable, to include in such plan a detailed explanation of why such technologies or conductors are not included in such plan.
