Assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth; Compensation Board. Provides that the Compensation Board shall provide foremploying at least one compensated assistant to the attorney forthe Commonwealth in every county and city where the attorney forthe Commonwealth devotes his full time to his duties and does notengage in the private practice of law. Under current law, the CompensationBoard has discretion in determining if a county or city needs toemploy any compensated assistants to the attorney for the Commonwealth.
Certificate of public need program; phased elimination. Creates a three-phase process to eliminate the certificate of publicneed requirements for many categories of medical care facilitiesand projects, with elimination of the requirement for a certificateof public need (i) for all medical care facilities other than nursinghomes or specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician'soffice developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery,cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magneticresonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning,radiation therapy, certain stereotactic radiotherapy, or proton beamtherapy effective July 1, 2024; (ii) for all such services as describedin clause (i) at any existing medical care facility other than nursinghomes or specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician'soffice developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery,cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magneticresonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning,radiation therapy, certain stereotactic radiotherapy, or proton beamtherapy located outside of a metropolitan statistical area or ina rural census tract within a metropolitan statistical area effectiveJuly 1, 2025; and (iii) for all medical care facilities effectiveJuly 1, 2026.
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act; local government ordinances; criteria for local governments; Resource Protection Area exceptions. Amends the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to requirethe State Water Control Board, in developing criteria for local governmentsto use as they consider development in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, to allow use and development of land that is reasonable inthe circumstances and does not deprive the owner of all economicallyviable use of the property. The bill also requires a locality subjectto the Act to provide exclusive authority in its implementing ordinanceto the local governing body and certain boards and commissions ofthe locality to grant exceptions to any land development within aResource Protection Area, as defined by the State Water Control Board,or expanded by the locality in accordance with such rules of theBoard. The bill allows any adjacent or otherwise affected propertyowner to seek certain equitable remedies against the locality inthe appropriate circuit court.
Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority;health workforce development program. Directs the Virginia HealthWorkforce Development Authority to establish a program to strengthenthe health and health sciences workforce.
State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicleemissions standards. Repeals the requirement that the State AirPollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissionsvehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 andlater. The bill prohibits the Board from adopting or enforcing anymodel year standards related to control of emissions from new motorvehicles or new motor vehicle engines, including low-emission vehicleand zero-emission vehicle standards pursuant to the federal CleanAir Act and prohibits the Commonwealth from requiring any new motorvehicle or new motor vehicle engine to be certified as compliantwith model year standards related to the control of emissions adoptedby California for which a waiver has been granted pursuant to thefederal Clean Air Act. The bill has a delayed effective date thatis contingent upon the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association certifyingto the Virginia Code Commission that total annual sales of zero-emissionvehicles have not met the annual standards adopted by regulation by the California Air Resources Board.
Eligible educator income tax deduction; homeschool instruction income tax credit. Increases from $500 to$1,500 for tax years 2024 through 2026 the amount of income tax deductioncertain eligible educators may deduct for qualifying expenses. The bill also creates a nonrefundable taxcredit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for amounts paid by anindividual or married couple filing jointly for their child receivinghome instruction for (i) instruction-related materials, includingtextbooks, workbooks, and supplies, or (ii) courses or programs used in home instruction. The bill provides that the credit equalsthe lesser of the amount actually paid during the year for such costsor $3,000.
Law-enforcement officers; Internet publicationof personal information; exemption. Prohibits publication ofthe personal information of active and retired law-enforcement officerson the statewide geographic information system (GIS) if a requestto redact such information is made by the officer to the entity that manages the GIS in the officer's locality. Current law prohibitsthe Commonwealth from publishing personal information on the Internetof public officials only if a petition has been granted by the circuitcourt.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;electric vehicle battery suppliers; certification; penalty. Requireseach supplier of electric vehicle batteries operating in the Commonwealthto certify under penalty of perjury to the Commissioner of the Departmentof Agriculture and Consumer Services that no electric vehicle batteries sold in consumer transactions, as defined in the bill, are manufacturedin or sourced from African cobalt mines and that the manufactureor sourcing of such electric vehicle batteries involves no childor slave labor. Certification is required by suppliers by July 1,2025, and annually thereafter. Under the bill, it is unlawful foran electric vehicle battery supplier to sell, lease, or license anyelectric vehicle battery without first obtaining a certificate ofcompliance from the Commissioner, and a violation of this requirement constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Alcoholic beverage control; mixed beverage performingarts facility license; Pulaski County. Amends certain provisionsrelated to the granting of a mixed beverage performing arts facilitylicense by the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic BeverageControl Authority to allow certain facilities in Pulaski County tobe eligible for such license.
State parks; procurement exemption; NaturalArea Preservation Funds created. Exempts the Department of Conservationand Recreation from competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiationfor the purchase of items for resale at retail outlets and food servicesoperations at state parks. The bill also establishes the Natural Areas Preservation Projects Fund and the Natural Areas Preservation Acquisitionand Development Fund.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; publicbody; revenue from public funds. Adds to the definition of "publicbody" any organization, corporation, or agency that received morethan 50 percent of its annual revenue, within any of the three precedingyears, from public funds.
Fees for resident concealed handgun permits.Eliminates the fees that may be charged for the processing of anapplication for or issuing of a resident concealed handgun permit, including any costs associated with the clerk's consultation withlaw-enforcement agencies, which under current law is $10; a fee notto exceed $35 to the law-enforcement agency conducting the backgroundinvestigation; and a fee not to exceed $5 to the State Police tocover its costs associated with processing the application.
