Board of Psychology; psychological practitioners; licensure. Establishes a licensing procedure by the Board ofPsychology for a psychological practitioner as defined in the bill.The bill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implementthe provisions of the bill.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exclusions; apprenticeship programs; minors. Excludes from the mandatorydisclosure requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Actany information in a public record regarding the participation ofa minor in a program run by a state body, such as an internship,externship, or apprenticeship, except as otherwise prescribed by law.
Virginia Museum of Transportation; established. Establishes the Virginia Museum of Transportation as a public entityand educational institution under the Commonwealth. The bill providesthat the Museum is governed by a 15-member board of trustees.
Students who receive home instruction; participationin interscholastic programs. Prohibits public schools from joiningan organization governing interscholastic programs that does notdeem eligible for participation a student who (i) receives home instruction;(ii) has demonstrated evidence of progress for two consecutive academicyears; (iii) is in compliance with immunization requirements; (iv)is a person of school age for whom public school is free; (v) hasnot reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current academic year;(vi) is an amateur who receives no compensation but participatessolely for the educational, physical, mental, and social benefitsof the activity; (vii) complies with all disciplinary rules and issubject to all codes of conduct applicable to all public high schoolathletes; and (viii) complies with all other rules governing awards, all-star games, maximum consecutive semesters of high school enrollment, parental consents, physical examinations, and transfers applicableto all high school athletes. The bill provides that no local schoolboard is required to establish a policy to permit students who receivehome instruction to participate in interscholastic programs. Thebill permits reasonable fees to be charged to students who receivehome instruction to cover the costs of participation in such interscholasticprograms, including the costs of additional insurance, uniforms,and equipment.
Elected officials; Internet publication ofpersonal information; definition of public official. Adds to the definition of "public official" any elected official for the purposes of prohibiting the Commonwealth from publishing on the Internet thepersonal information of any public official if a court has ordered that such official's personal information is prohibited from publication and the official has made a demand in writing to the Commonwealth,accompanied by the order of the court, that the Commonwealth notpublish such information. The bill provides that such written demandmade by an elected official is effective for four years if such electedofficial continuously serves throughout the four-year period.
Teacher compensation; at or above national average;various annual salary adjustments. Requires that public schoolteachers be compensated at a rate that is at or above the nationalaverage for each step or level on a years of experience-based payscale. Under current law, compensation at such rate is aspirational,and such aspirational rate is silent on compensation variations basedon experience. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayedeffective date of July 1, 2025. The bill also provides that (i) effectivefor the 2024-2025 school year, each teacher in each school division,Academic Year Governor's School, and Regional Alternative EducationProgram shall be awarded a cost-of-living compensation adjustmentin an amount or percentage to be determined in the general appropriationact and (ii) effective beginning with the 2025-2026 school year,state funding shall be provided pursuant to the general appropriationact in a sum sufficient to fund a 12 percent annual increase forteacher salaries in each school division, Academic Year Governor'sSchool, and Regional Alternative Education Program.
Public schools; threat assessment teams; duties;annual meeting with chief law-enforcement officer of locality ora designee from the local law-enforcement agency. Requires thethreat assessment team established by the division superintendentfor each public elementary or secondary school to meet at least annuallyon school grounds with the chief law-enforcement officer of the localityor a designee from the local law-enforcement agency to determinepotential safety hazards or points of vulnerability on such groundsor in the school building and to discuss and promote active shooterprevention and natural disaster preparedness.
Local sales tax entitlement; blighted retaildistrict. Entitles a blighted retail district in Stafford Countythat undergoes a major reconstruction or renovation involving a capitalinvestment of at least $15 million to the one percent local salestax revenue generated on the premises of the project to be used towardsdebt service to bridge the gap between available debt and equityand the expected costs of the project. The bill states that in orderto qualify for the entitlement, the project must have at least 70percent of the funding for the project in place. The bill specifiesthat the blighted retail project must provide a match for the onepercent local sales tax revenue.
Health education and family life education;certain videos and animations relating to human development insidethe uterus. Requires health education instruction to includean oral, written, or digital lesson, lecture, or presentation abouthuman biology relating to pregnancy and human development insidethe uterus, including (i) a high-definition ultrasound video, atleast three minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain,heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal developmentand (ii) a high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth andorgan development for each significant marker of pregnancy untilbirth. The bill requires any family life education curriculum orsimilar curriculum offered by a local school division that includesany oral, written, or digital lesson, lecture, or presentation aboutsexual activity and pregnancy in the context of student health orhealthy relationships to also include such a video and renderingor animation.
Photo speed monitoring device; civil penalty;default process. Establishes a default process for the collectionof civil penalties from residents of the Commonwealth who fail torespond to a summons for a speed violation issued based on evidencecollected from a photo speed monitoring device. Current law requirespersonal service on such person who fails to respond.
Organized retail theft; repeal. Repealsthe crime of organized retail theft and the Organized Retail CrimeFund.
Protective order in case of family abuse; parents;minors. Prohibits the parent of a minor from filing a petitionfor a family abuse protective order against such minor, providedthat the minor has not otherwise been emancipated pursuant to law.
