Time zone of the Commonwealth. Providesthat the Commonwealth shall observe Eastern Daylight Time (EasternStandard Time, advanced one hour) year-round upon the enactment byCongress of a law allowing states to observe Eastern Daylight Timeyear-round.
Administrative Process Act; emergency regulationsfor economic development projects. Provides that an agency mayreceive a waiver, defined in the bill as the approval for the promulgationof emergency regulations or suspension of current regulations, forthe creation of qualifying economic development projects, also definedin the bill, upon consultation with and receipt of the approval ofthe Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia InnovationPartnership Authority and the approval of the Governor that suchregulations are necessary for the achievement of such qualifyingeconomic development project. The bill exempts from such waiver thepromulgation of regulations pursuant to the Virginia OccupationalSafety and Health Program of the Virginia Department of Labor andIndustry and by the Department of Environmental Quality.
Prohibiting purchase or possession of tobaccoproducts, etc.; persons under 21 years of age; civil penalties. Increases the civil penalty from $100 to $500 for a first violation, $200 to $1,000 for a second violation, and $500 to $2,500 for a thirdor subsequent violation by an individual or by a separate retailestablishment that, for products other than a bidi, (i) sells to,distributes to, purchases for, or knowingly permits the purchaseby any person less than 21 years of age, knowing or having reasonto believe that such person is less than 21 years of age, any tobacco product, nicotine vapor product, alternative nicotine product, orhemp product intended for smoking or (ii) sells a tobacco product,nicotine vapor product, alternative nicotine product, or hemp productintended for smoking to any individual who does not demonstrate,by producing a driver's license or similar photo identification issuedby a government agency, that the individual is at least 21 yearsof age.
Elections; conduct of election; ascertainmentof results; random hand count audits. Requires the electoralboard of each locality to randomly select one polling place withinits jurisdiction in which votes were cast using a voting system fora full hand count audit.
Enhanced earned sentence credits; exemptions; firearm-related offense; felony conviction while a prisoner. Removes any person convicted of a felony offense involving a firearmfrom eligibility for enhanced earned sentence credits and restricts any person convicted of a felony for an offense that occurred whilea prisoner in a local, state, or community correctional facilityfrom receiving any further earned sentence credits.
Environmental Justice Task Force; report.Establishes the Environmental Justice Task Force for the purposeof furthering environmental justice in the Commonwealth, consisting of the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, the Secretaryof Health and Human Resources, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Secretary of Transportation, or their designees. The bill requires the Task Force to advise theGovernor and state agencies of the Commonwealth on environmentaljustice issues, particularly as such issues relate to minority andlow-income communities. The bill directs the Task Force to reportits findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assemblyby November 1, 2024, regarding its activities.
Study; Department of Transportation; bridgefrom Surry County to James City County; report. Requests theDepartment of Transportation to study the need and options for constructinga bridge from Hog Island in Surry County to James City County andto submit a report of its finding no later than the first day ofthe 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
E-bike rebate program. Creates the ElectricPower-Assisted Bicycle Rebate Program for the purchase of new electricpower-assisted bicycles, as defined in the bill, to be administeredby the Department of Energy. Under the bill, a purchaser of a newelectric power-assisted bicycle would receive a $500 rebate appliedtoward payment for the purchase, and a purchaser with an annual householdincome that does not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty levelwould be entitled to an additional $600 rebate for a new electricpower-assisted bicycle. The bill provides for both rebates beginningJanuary 1, 2025. Additional rebates are provided for in amounts of(i) up to $100 for related equipment, (ii) $300 for an electric power-assistedbicycle designed for carrying cargo, defined in the bill, and (iii)$250 for an adaptive electric power-assisted bicycle, also definedin the bill.
Virginia Social Media Regulation Act established;penalties. Establishes the Virginia Social Media Regulation Actfor the purpose of prohibiting minors in Virginia from possessingan account on any social media platform, defined in the bill, withoutthe express consent of a parent or guardian. The bill requires asocial media company to provide a minor's parent or guardian withaccess to the minor's account and all posts and information on suchaccount. The bill also places prohibitions on the type of data andpersonal information a social media platform may collect from a minoraccount holder and prohibits the use of any practice, design, or feature on a social media company's platform that the company knows,or should reasonably know, could cause a minor account holder tohave an addiction to the social media platform. Lastly, the billprovides that any violation of the Virginia Social Media RegulationAct shall constitute a prohibited practice and be subject to theenforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Petition for modification of a sentence; eligibility;procedures. Provides a process for a person serving a sentencefor any conviction or a combination of any convictions who remainsincarcerated in a state or local correctional facility or securefacility and meets certain criteria to petition the circuit courtthat entered the original judgment or order to (i) suspend the unservedportion of such sentence or run the unserved portion of such sentence concurrently with another sentence, (ii) place such person on probationfor such time as the court shall determine, or (iii) otherwise modifythe sentence imposed.
Nonfamily adoption tax credit. Creates a$4,000 nonrefundable tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028for an individual or married persons who, during the taxable year,finalize a legal nonfamily adoption as defined in the bill.
Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing paymentsfor prescription drugs under certain plans. Requires each carrier that offers a health plan in either the individual or small groupmarket to ensure that at least 50 percent of all health plans offeredby the carrier, or at least one health plan if the carrier offersfewer than two health plans, in each rating area and in each of thebronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of coverage in the individualand small group market conform with the following: (i) a plan thatoffers a silver, gold, or platinum level of coverage limits a person'scost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the planto an amount that does not exceed $100 per 30-day supply of the prescriptiondrug and (ii) a plan that offers a bronze level of coverage limitsa person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered underthe plan to an amount that does not exceed $150 per 30-day supplyof the prescription drug. The bill provides that such limits applyat any point in the benefit design, including before and after any applicable deductible is reached. The bill requires that any plansoffered to meet its requirements are (a) clearly and appropriatelynamed to aid the consumer or plan sponsor in the plan selection processand (b) marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by thehealth insurance carrier. The provisions of the bill apply with respectto health plans entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on orafter January 1, 2025.
