School boards; parental notification of certainthreats, behavior, and unlawful acts; panic alarms. Requires,within four hours of receiving notification of (i) a preliminary determination by the threat assessment team that a student poses athreat of violence or physical harm to self or others; (ii) threateningor aberrant behavior that may represent a threat to the school; or (iii) unlawful acts committed on school property, on a school bus,or at a school-sponsored activity that involve the unlawful use orpossession of a weapon, homicide, criminal sexual assault, or trespassing,each division superintendent to notify the parent of each studentenrolled in the relevant school of such threat, threatening or aberrantbehavior, or unlawful act. The bill requires each school board toequip each public elementary and secondary school building in thelocal school division with at least one panic alarm that adheresto nationally recognized industry standards, including the standardsof the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories,and is installed by a licensed and qualified professional. The billdefines "panic alarm" as a silent security system by which the usermanually activates a device that sends a non-audible signal to thelocal law-enforcement agency that indicates a school security emergency,including a non-fire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation,that requires immediate response and assistance from such agency.
Marijuana presumption; driving or operatinga motor vehicle, etc., while intoxicated; penalty. Establishesa presumption of intoxication if a person has a blood concentration equal to or greater than 0.003 milligrams of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolper liter of blood.
Funding for deputy sheriffs. Provides thatthe minimum number of deputies funded by the Compensation Board shallbe one deputy per 1,500 persons or one deputy for every 25 squaremiles, whichever is greater. Under current law, the funding is fixedat one deputy per 1,500 persons only. The provisions of the billapply to counties and cities without a police force.
Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources;coastal resilience policy; research university collaborative.Requires the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and all relevantagencies, when setting coastal resilience policies, issuing permits,and evaluating grant proposals to seek input and consultation fromthe Commonwealth's research university collaborative. Current lawpermits the Secretary to seek input and consultation from such collaborativewhen setting coastal resilience policies. The bill removes the VirginiaCoastal Policy Center from such collaborative and provides that suchcollaborative may include any other institution in the Commonwealth conducting coastal resilience research. The bill also requires theSecretary to utilize such collaborative's expertise, research, and data analysis for the implementation of water management techniquesand coastal resilience strategies. Under current law, such requirementsby the Secretary are permissive.
State parks; First Responder and Veteran Passport;discounted entry and parking. Establishes a First Responder andVeteran Passport that entitles a first responder or a veteran ofthe Armed Forces of the United States or other military service toreceive a 50 percent discount on parking and admission fees at stateparks in the Commonwealth.
Release of developer performance guarantees.Provides that no governing body or administrative agency shall refuseto make a periodic partial or final release of a bond, escrow, letterof credit, or other performance guarantee for the actions of anyonenot under contractual agreement with a subdivider or developer orunder the direct supervision and control of the subdivider or developer.
Ignition interlock systems; penalty.
Collective bargaining by public employees; labor organization representation. Repeals the existing prohibitionon collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates thePublic Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriatebargaining units and provide for certification and decertificationelections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employeesand local government employees. The bill requires public employersand employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representativesto meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respectto wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. Thebill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providingfor the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organizationto represent employees, the right of an individual employee to voteby secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement.
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. DesignatesApril 24, in 2024 and in each succeeding year, as Armenian GenocideRemembrance Day in Virginia.
Income tax subtraction; military retirementbenefits; uniformed services. Expands the definition of "militarybenefits" to include an income tax subtraction of retirement incomereceived for service in the uniformed services of the United States,which includes the United States Armed Forces, the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissionedcorps of the United States Public Health Service. Under current law,the subtraction is only allowed for military retirement income receivedfor service in the United States Armed Forces.
Public school funds; state share for basic aid;basic aid and supplemental basic aid payment limit. Removes thecap on an adjustment of the state share of aid provided to a schooldivision, which limited such adjustment to the sum of the basic aidpayment and any supplemental basic aid payment appropriated to suchlocality by the 2007 Session of the General Assembly.
Public institutions of higher education; diversity,equity, and inclusion initiatives; annual certification. Requiresthe chief executive officer of each public institution of higher education to annually submit to the State Council of Higher Educationfor Virginia, the Governor, and the Chairmen of the House Committeeon Education and the Senate Committee on Education of Health no laterthan August 1 a written, signed certification that no diversity, equity, and inclusion-related program, instruction, or initiative providedor sponsored by such institution promotes anti-Semitism.
