Individual income tax; distribution of revenues;local school construction. Requires distribution of one percentof the individual income tax revenues collected from residents ofa locality to be distributed to that locality. The bill requiressuch funds to be used for school construction or renovation purposesand to be repaid to the state if used for any other purpose. Thebill provides that a locality shall be required to maintain its levelof expenditure for public school purposes as a condition of receivingthe income tax revenues; however, a locality may reduce its levelof expenditure to account for a loss of revenues resulting from areduction in machinery and tools taxes or license taxes.
Interference with commercial fishing vessel;penalties. Provides that a person who comes within 50 feet ofa commercial fishing vessel without the consent of the owner or personin charge of such vessel with the intent to coerce, intimidate, orharass the captain or crew of such vessel or interfere with the operationsof such vessel is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill makesit a Class 6 felony to communicate to another person by any meansany threat to (i) kill or do bodily injury to a person or personsengaged in the activity of commercial fishing on the waters of the Commonwealth or (ii) bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damageany commercial fishing vessel, and increases this penalty to a Class5 felony if such threat places the captain or crew in reasonable apprehension of death or bodily injury. The bill makes it a Class6 felony to intentionally or recklessly damage, injure, tamper with,deface, or destroy a commercial fishing vessel or any associatedgear. The bill provides that a law-enforcement officer may, withor without a warrant, arrest any person for an alleged violation of these offenses and seize any motorboat, personal watercraft, or vesselused or employed in violation of these offenses and that such propertyseized is subject to forfeiture proceedings. The bill also deems a person to be ineligible for any hunting or fishing license for acertain period of time if such person is found guilty of an offenseset out in the bill.
Nonresident pharmacies; pharmacy benefits administrators. Removes a provision permitting a registered nonresident pharmacythat provides services as a pharmacy benefits administrator fromoperating without designating a Virginia licensed pharmacist in charge.
Commissioner of Highways; Highway CorporationAct to Public-Private Transportation Act. Directs the Commissionerof Highways to evaluate ways to reduce tolls and implement distance-basedtolling by transferring any roadway within the Commonwealth operatedpursuant to the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988 to the Public-PrivateTransportation Act of 1995. The bill establishes a process wherebythe Commissioner may execute a new comprehensive agreement with the operator of the roadway to operate under the PPTA, if such transferwould be in the public interest, as defined in the bill. The billexpires on December 31, 2025.
Fossil fuel projects moratorium; transitioningenergy workers; environmental justice protections. Establishesa moratorium, effective January 1, 2025, on any approval by any state agency or political subdivision required for (i) electric generatingfacilities that generate fossil fuel energy through the combustionor use of a fossil fuel resource, (ii) import or export terminalsfor fossil fuel resources, (iii) modification of an import or export terminal for a fossil fuel resource, (iv) gathering lines or pipelinesfor the transport of any fossil fuel resource that requires the useof public land or eminent domain on private property, (v) modificationof such gathering lines or pipelines, (vi) refineries of a fossilfuel resource, (vii) facilities that change the physical state offossil fuels for the purposes of transporting such fuels, and (viii)exploration for any type of fossil fuel, unless preempted by applicablefederal law. The measure requires the establishment of job training programs and energy worker protections, transitional assistancefor workers in the fossil fuel industry and affected communities,and environmental justice protections.
Alcoholic beverage control; confectionery mixedbeverage retail license. Creates a confectionery mixed beverageretail license that authorizes the licensee to prepare and sell onthe licensed premises for on-and-off premises consumption confectionerythat contains five percent or less alcohol by volume. The bill providesthat any alcohol contained in such confectionery shall not be inliquid form at the time of sale, unless such confectionery is a frozendessert, as defined in the bill. The bill also sets the state andlocal license fee for such confectionery license and repeals the provisions of alcoholic beverage control law that created an off-premiseswine and beer confectionery license.
Virginia Code Commission; work group to recommend exemptions from the Dam Safety Act; low hazard potential impoundingstructures. Directs the Virginia Code Commission to convene awork group to recommend exemptions from the requirements of the DamSafety Act for low hazard potential impounding structures where failureis not expected to cause loss of human life or material economicdamage. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report to theChairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committeeon General Laws and Technology summarizing the work and any recommendationsof the work group by November 1, 2024.
Income tax deduction; union dues. Providesan income tax deduction beginning in taxable year 2024 for the amount paid by an individual for union dues for participation in a labor organization.
Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure by Superintendent of Public Instruction.Exempts fully from the statutory requirement to be licensed by theSuperintendent of Public Instruction any child day center that is operated or conducted under the auspices of a religious institutionthat (i) has tax exempt status as a nonprofit religious institutionin accordance with § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954,as amended, or (ii) owns and exclusively occupies real property thatis exempt from local taxation. Under current law, such child daycenters are exempt from licensure but are still subject to severalenumerated requirements. The bill, however, preserves the requirementfor such child day centers to conduct background checks for employeesand volunteers and prohibits the employment or service at such child day centers of any such individual who has been convicted of anybarrier crime as defined in relevant law or who is the subject ofa founded complaint of child abuse or neglect.
Additional local sales and use tax to supportschools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to imposean additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed onepercent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the constructionor renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum.Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg,Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danvilleare authorized to impose such a tax.
Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimumsentences; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a secondor subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentences for use ordisplay of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.
Absentee voting in person; available beginningon the fourteenth day prior to election; hours of operation.Limits absentee voting in person to the two weeks immediately precedingan election. During these two weeks, the bill requires that absentee voting in person be available Monday through Saturday, from 7:00a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.
