Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund created. Creates the Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund to assist privatedevelopers with non-utility costs associated with the installationof electric vehicle charging stations. The bill provides that a privatedeveloper is eligible to receive grants of 70 percent of such non-utilitycosts for electric vehicle charging stations installed in a historicallyeconomically disadvantaged community or a rural community, as thoseterms are defined in the bill, and 50 percent of such non-utilitycosts for electric vehicle charging stations installed in any otherarea of the Commonwealth. The bill caps the total amount of grantsawarded in any fiscal year at $20 million.
Synthetic media; penalty. Expands the applicabilityof provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to includesynthetic media, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1misdemeanor for any person to generate, create, or use or cause tobe generated, created, or used any deceptive audio or visual media,defined in the bill, for the purpose of committing a criminal offenseinvolving fraud. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that suchdeceptive audio or visual media was generated or created for thepurpose of committing such criminal offense if such deceptive audioor visual media is subsequently used as part of a plan or courseof conduct to commit such criminal offense. The bill also authorizesthe individual depicted in the deceptive audio or visual media tobring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such otherrelief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directsthe Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendationson the current enforcement of laws related to the use of deceptive audio or visual media, including deepfakes, and any further actionneeded to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts.
Spoliation of evidence. Clarifies that,where evidence that should have been preserved in anticipation oflitigation is lost, disposed of, altered, concealed, destroyed, ornot preserved, and cannot be restored or replaced, no finding ofintent that a party lost or destroyed evidence to prevent its use in litigation shall be required for the court to order remedial measuresas provided by law.
Abortion; use of public funds prohibited.Provides that no agency of the Commonwealth shall enter into anycontract with or make any grant of public funds, as defined in thebill, to any entity or any affiliate of any entity that providesabortion services or operates a facility at which abortion servicesare provided. The bill also repeals provisions authorizing the Boardof Health to use state general funds appropriated to the Department of Health to pay the cost of abortions for women who otherwise meetthe financial eligibility criteria for services through the stateplan for medical assistance services in cases in which (i) a pregnancyoccurs as a result of rape or incest that is reported to a law-enforcementor public health agency or (ii) a physician certifies in writingthat he believes the fetus will be born with a gross and totallyincapacitating physical deformity or with a gross and totally incapacitatingmental deficiency.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol;information; training. Requires the Office of the Chief MedicalExaminer to take certain actions upon the finding that an individualdied from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined inthe bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examinerto publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation formon its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief MedicalExaminer and local medical examiners to complete training in theinvestigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis. The bill has a delayedeffective date of January 1, 2025.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; competitivesealed bidding; required criteria in invitations to bid. Requiresall public bodies to include in any Invitation to Bid criteria thatwill be used in determining whether a bidder who is not prequalifiedby the Virginia Department of Transportation is a responsible bidder.Current law authorizes, but does not require, localities to includesuch criteria in Invitations to Bid.
Surplus line broker taxes. Provides thatany surplus lines broker or any person required to be licensed asone shall not be subject to the annual taxes, license taxes, or penaltiesunder current law for any policy of insurance procured during thepreceding calendar year on behalf of a commuter rail system jointlyoperated by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and thePotomac and Rappahannock Transportation District.
Virginia College Savings Plan; Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund. Directs the board of the Virginia College Savings Plan to deposit $250 million per year of surplus moneys from the Plan's fund into the Virginia College Opportunity Fund, established by the bill. The bill provides that such deposit shall not be made or shall be reduced in any year in which the College Opportunity Investment Advisory Committee determines that certain conditions relating to the Plan's funded status are not met. The Committee is established by the bill as an advisory committee for the Plan, for the purpose of determining the amount of deposits to be made to the Fund.The bill provides that financial management of the Fund is the responsibility of the board of the Plan but authorizes the board of the Virginia College Opportunity Endowment, also established by the bill, to manage a scholarship program funded by the Fund. The bill establishes an individual and corporate income tax subtraction for donations to the Fund.Under the bill, the Endowment provides scholarships to students who attend or plan to attend one of 12 eligible universities named in the bill. The bill provides that only such students who meet the eligibility requirements for a Federal Pell Grant and commit to being employed in Virginia, or being enrolled in postgraduate education in Virginia, for at least eight years after graduation from an eligible university are eligible for such scholarships.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting. Limits the use of construction management or design-build contracts by state public bodies and covered institutions for complex projects. The bill requires state public bodies, covered institutions, and local public bodies to provide documentation of the processes used for the final selection of a contract to all the unsuccessful applicants upon request. The bill adds certain requirements for covered institutions, including posting all documents exchanged between the Department of General Services and the covered institution on the central electronic procurement website eVA and requires approval by the covered institution's board of visitors or governing board if the covered institution chooses to proceed with construction management or design-build against the recommendation of the Department. The bill requires a local public body to adopt a resolution or motion to use construction management or design-build prior to issuing a Request for Qualifications and to publish notice of such resolution or motion on its website or eVA. Finally, the bill provides that the Department shall report annually, for any construction management or design-build project, on the qualifications that made such project complex. This bill was incorporated into SB 18.
Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrumdisorder; cost-sharing requirements prohibited for certain individuals.Prohibits a health carrier from imposing any copayment, coinsurance,or deductible for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and thetreatment of autism spectrum disorder for individuals who are age18 or younger.
Local electoral boards; certification and abstractof results; deadline. Extends the deadline for local electoralboards to meet after an election for the purpose of certifying theelection results and submitting the abstract of results to the StateBoard of Elections from seven days after the date of the electionto 10 days after such date.
Elections; form of ballot; party identificationof candidates. Provides that any candidate nominated by a politicalparty or at a primary election shall be identified on the ballotby the name of his political party. Currently, only candidates forfederal, statewide, and General Assembly offices are so identified.
