Election of certain governing bodies; conversionto single-member districts. Allows the governing body of a localitythat has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial electionsystem under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convertone or more at-large members of such body to single-member districts.The bill provides that members of such governing body in office onthe effective date of such ordinance shall complete their terms ofoffice.
Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Centers;licensure; regulation. Authorizes the Board of Health to license prescribed pediatric extended care centers. The bill establishesthe scope of services offered by such centers and requirements foroperation, management, staffing, facilities, and maintenance anddirects the Board to promulgate regulations to implement the provisionsof the bill.
Parking Lot Solar Development Program and Fund; report. Directs the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to establish by January 1, 2025, a Parking Lot Solar Development Program for the purpose of encouraging development of distributed parking lot solar projects up to one megawatt in size in the Commonwealth. The bill also creates the Parking Lot Solar Development Fund for the purposes of (i) funding solar renewable energy credit values at an updated 10-year levelized incentive level through the renewable energy certificate market using a solar financing model as described in the bill, (ii) implementing and administering the Parking Lot Solar Development Program, and (iii) implementing and administering an alternative auction site that sets a fixed price for solar renewable energy credits not sold in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to engage in a stakeholder consultation to evaluate the current costs of solar installations and incentive levels across market segments and study benefits to grid security and reliability, ratepayers, and environmental goals of the Commonwealth by December 1, 2024, and every five years thereafter. The bill also directs the Commission to consult with agencies and stakeholders to develop an online mapping database of potential parking lot solar sites for development in the Commonwealth by December 1, 2024. Finally, the bill requires the Department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding the implementation of the Parking Lot Solar Development Program for the preceding fiscal year by November 1, 2025.
Timing of local elections. Provides thata locality may by ordinance shift the timing of the election of membersof the local governing body from an even year to an odd year by extendingthe existing terms of local governing body members by one year. Suchchange may occur only after a public hearing and a majority voteof the governing body.
State agencies; electronic information breach.Requires every state agency to promptly notify affected citizensof the Commonwealth in the event of a breach of such state agency'selectronic information system from unauthorized uses, intrusions,or other security threats, which breach compromises such citizens'personal information. The bill requires the Chief Information Officerto provide requirements for such notifications.
Golf carts and utility vehicles; certain ruralcommunities. Authorizes localities located within the Rural CoastalVirginia Community Enhancement Authority to authorize by ordinancethe operation of golf carts or utility vehicles on designated publichighways where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.Existing law authorizes such operation on designated public highwayswhere the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less.
Disclosure in land use proceedings; statewideapplication. Alters certain land use disclosure requirementsapplicable to officials in any county with the urban county executiveform of government (Fairfax County) by replacing "relationship ofemployee-employer, agent-principal, or attorney-client" with thebroader phrase of "business or financial interest." The bill makesthe same change to existing provisions that currently apply onlyto Loudoun County and applies the change statewide.
Transient occupancy taxes; administration.Makes changes to the administration of transient occupancy taxesby requiring the Department of Taxation, instead of the locality,to collect such taxes. The bill directs accommodations intermediariesto file aggregated returns with the Department, which shall includethe gross receipts, applicable tax rates, amounts due to each locality,and other information. The bill provides that the Department shallthen distribute such tax revenues to the applicable locality. Thebill also directs the Department to contract with a third-party providerfor development of an electronic interface that enables accommodationsintermediaries, beginning on July 1, 2025, to provide a single filingand remittance system for transient occupancy taxes due for all localities.
Local government powers; regulation of tobacco,nicotine, and hemp product retail sale locations. Permits localitiesto regulate by ordinance the location of retail sale locations establishedafter July 1, 2024, that sell tobacco, nicotine, and hemp products.The bill provides that such ordinance may prohibit such retail sale locations within 1,000 linear feet of a public, private, or parochialschool.
Virginia Human Rights Act; dual-filed civilactions. Clarifies timelines for dual-filing complaints allegingunlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act and theU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The bill allows eitherthe complainant or the respondent for any charge of discriminationto request a notice of the right to file a civil action after theCommission has closed its file on such charge of discrimination.
Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing,etc., of fentanyl; weight-based penalties. Creates a penaltystructure based on the weight of fentanyl, its salts, isomers, orsalts of its isomers, or of a mixture or substance containing a detectableamount of fentanyl, its salts, isomers, or salts of its isomers.
Sale of nicotine vapor product, alternativenicotine product, hemp product intended for smoking, or tobacco product;civil penalties. Increases the civil penalties for the sale,distribution, purchase for, or permitting of the purchase by personsless than 21 years of age and the sale to an individual who does not demonstrate he is at least 21 years of age of any nicotine vaporproduct, alternative nicotine product, hemp product intended forsmoking, or tobacco product other than a bidi from $100 to $500 fora first violation, from $200 to $1,000 for a second violation, andfrom $500 to $2,500 for a third or subsequent violation.
