Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank; created.Creates the Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank, an authorityto promote and catalyze investment in qualified projects that reducegreenhouse gas emissions, assist climate-impacted communities, andpromote environmental justice. The bill requires the Bank to be governedby a board of directors with the authority to hire a president and create a nonstock corporation to carry out the powers and dutiesof the bank.
The Virginia African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous Education Advisory Board; establishment.
Elections; times for special elections; heldon the same day as a primary election. Permits a special electionto be held on the same day as a primary election.
Department of Criminal Justice Services; law-enforcement agencies; use of generative artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. Provides that the Department of Criminal Justice Servicesshall have the power and duty to establish a comprehensive frameworkfor the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machinelearning systems, both defined in the bill, by law-enforcement agencies,which shall include (i) developing policies and procedures for theuse of generative AI and machine learning systems in law-enforcementactivities; (ii) establishing and publishing a model policy for the use of generative AI and machine learning systems to serve as a guidelinefor criminal justice agencies in the Commonwealth; and (iii) establishing compulsory minimum training standards for basic training and recertificationof law-enforcement officers on the use of generative AI and machinelearning systems. The bill provides that the Department shall establishand publish such model policy by January 1, 2025, and that all criminaljustice agencies shall adopt a policy consistent with such modelpolicy by July 1, 2025. The bill requires any person employed asa law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2024, to complete thetraining required by the bill by January 1, 2026.
Renewable energy portfolio standard; eligibilityof hydrogen and nuclear resources. Provides that, for the purposesof the renewable energy portfolio standard, eligible sources include(i) hydrogen resources that are produced from zero-carbon generatingfacilities located in the Commonwealth and (ii) zero-carbon nucleargenerating facilities located in the Commonwealth that were placedinto service after July 1, 2024.
Consumer Data Protection Act; enforcement bythe Attorney General; civil penalty. Permits the Attorney Generalto prohibit TikTok from being available to known minors in the Commonwealth.The bill provides that a civil penalty of $7,500 may be assessedfor violations by TikTok unless such website or application couldnot have reasonably known or have had reason to know of such operationin the Commonwealth.
Timing of local elections. Allows a cityor town by majority vote of the local governing body to hold itsmunicipal elections on the first Tuesday in May for terms to commenceJuly 1, in which case the terms of council members shall be extendedby six months in order to implement the transition. Currently, citiesand towns must hold their municipal elections at the time of theNovember general election.
Health insurance; cost-sharing requirementsfor the treatment of cancer; prohibited for individuals 18 years of age or younger. Prohibits any (i) insurer proposing to issueindividual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providinghospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverage on an expense-incurredbasis; (ii) corporation providing individual or group accident andsickness subscription contracts; and (iii) health maintenance organizationproviding a health care plan for health care services from imposing(a) any cost-sharing requirement for the treatment of cancer and(b) if the policy, contract, or plan, including any certificate orevidence of coverage issued in connection with such policy, contract,or plan, includes coverage for medicines, any cost-sharing requirement for a covered prescription drug for the treatment of cancer in anenrollee who is 18 years of age or younger under such policy, contract,or plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth.The bill applies with respect to health plans and provider contractsentered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1,2025.
Children alleged to be abused or neglected;preliminary removal hearing; appointment of counsel for parent ofsuch child. Provides that at a preliminary removal hearing in cases in which a child is alleged to have been abused or neglected,the court shall appoint an attorney-at-law to represent such child's parent, guardian, or other adult standing in loco parentis if thecourt determines that such parent, guardian, or other adult standingin loco parentis is indigent, unless he has waived his right to representationor otherwise employed counsel. Under current law, any such appointmentis made at an adjudicatory hearing on such removal after a preliminaryremoval order is issued.
Action establishing boundaries to land; attorneyfees. Provides that in an action to establish boundary lines the court may award attorney fees to any prevailing party when the needto ascertain the true boundary lines arose from the action of anotherparty, and where such action was in willful disregard of the rightsof another. The bill also provides that a claim of damages may bejoined with any proceeding to establish boundary lines. This billis a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Income tax; Foreign Service retirement benefits subtraction. Establishes for certain individuals receiving ForeignService retirement benefits an income tax subtraction of such benefitsup to $5,000 in taxable year 2024, up to $10,000 in taxable year2025, up to $15,000 in taxable year 2026, and up to $20,000 in taxableyear 2027 and each taxable year thereafter. The bill defines ForeignService retirement benefits as any retirement income received byan individual for employment in the Foreign Service of the UnitedStates and as an eligible member of the Foreign Service Retirementand Disability System or the Foreign Service Pension System.
Vehicle exhaust systems; operation in certainlocations. Expands the locations for which operation of a motor vehicle, moped, or motorized skateboard or foot-scooter that doesnot comply with requirements for mufflers and a vehicle that doesnot comply with the requirements for exhaust systems is prohibitedto include any driveway or premises of a church, school, recreationalfacility, or business; any governmental property open to the public;any industrial establishment providing parking space for customers,patrons, or employees; and any highway under construction or not yetopen to the public.
