Charter; City of Richmond. Makes extensiveupdates to the charter for the City of Richmond. Many changes inthe bill have the effect of removing outdated or duplicative provisionsand more closely aligning the city's powers with those set out ingeneral law. Other changes include authorizing compensation to individualcouncil members as may be set by the city council by resolution ascompensation for attending meetings of standing committees or othermeetings of the city council, in addition to the sums permitted by general law. In addition, the bill authorizes the city council tofix an additional sum to be paid to the president and vice presidentof the city council, notwithstanding the limitations set out in generallaw. The bill makes the city's chief administrative officer, ratherthan the mayor, responsible for making certain recommendations tothe council concerning the personnel system. Further changes in thebill provide for additional protected classes to include all of theprotected classes recognized under general law. The bill also removesthe requirement that the mayor annually submit a capital budget programto the city council and authorizes the city's chief administrativeofficer, not the mayor, to make transfers between completed projectsand projects that are incomplete. The bill contains numerous technicalamendments.
Assistance for certain voters outside of thepolling place; definition of disability. Expands the definitionof disability for purposes of providing assistance outside of a pollingplace to voters with disabilities to include any permanent or temporary disability. Under current law, the disability is limited to a permanentor temporary physical disability.
Adult protective services; central registry.Creates a central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse,neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements for local departments of social services related toreports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retentionand disclosure requirements for the Department for Aging and RehabilitativeServices and local departments of social services; (iii) notice requirementsrelated to findings by local departments and central registry entries;and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findings of a local departmentrelated to substantiated reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill directs the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Servicesto adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill andexempts the Commissioner's initial adoption of such regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has adelayed effective date of July 1, 2026.
County manager plan of government; powers.Broadens several powers available to counties that have adopted thecounty manager plan of government by giving such counties the optionof following general law rather than the provisions specified inthis optional form of county government. The bill also allows forthe direct election of the board chairman if approved by referendum,rather than having the board chairman chosen by other members of the county board. Currently, only Arlington County has adopted thecounty manager plan of government.
Assistance for certain voters outside of thepolling place; definition of disability. Expands the definition of disability for purposes of providing assistance outside of a pollingplace to voters with disabilities to include developmental disabilities.
Study; joint subcommittee; Dillon Rule; report.Creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a one-year study of theDillon Rule and its impact on Virginia's localities.
Department of Corrections; online educationalcourses. Requires the Director of the Department of Correctionsto establish, develop, and implement an educational program withthe Online Virginia Network Authority for the purposes of providinga means for prisoners to earn degrees and postsecondary education credentials through accessing online degree and credential programsthat are offered by George Mason University, Old Dominion University,James Madison University, and comprehensive community colleges.
Elections; absentee voting; electronic ballot return. Requires that the Department of Elections establish an electronic transmission system through which a military or overseas voter or voter with a disability may request, receive, and return a ballot. The bill also requires a general registrar to offer an applicant for an absentee ballot who indicates that he will require assistance to vote the option to have a blank absentee ballot, the form for the envelope for returning the marked ballot, and instructions sent to him by electronic transmission. A voter with a disability who receives a ballot by electronic transmission may print and return the ballot or may return the ballot by electronic transmission if the voter affirms that he is an individual who, regardless of any other disability, (i) is blind; (ii) has a visual impairment or perceptual or reading disability that cannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent to that of a person who has no such impairment or disability and so is unable to read or mark a ballot to substantially the same degree as a person without an impairment or disability; or (iii) is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold, mark, or manipulate a ballot or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that would be normally required for reading or marking a ballot. Additionally, the bill requires a general registrar to send any voter who indicates that he will require assistance due to a disability a voter assistance form. Under current law, voters who opt to receive a ballot marking tool are not sent a voter assistance form. The bill also allows a military or overseas voter who requested and received ballot materials by electronic transmission to return the ballot by electronic transmission in circumstances where another more secure method, such as returning the ballot by mail, is not available or feasible.
Affordable housing; City of Richmond. Addsthe City of Richmond to the list of localities with authority toprovide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program.
Elections; voting equipment and systems; StateBoard approval process; printed receipt for cast ballot. Requires voting systems approved by the State Board of Elections to producea printed receipt for each voter who has cast a ballot that showsthe date and time the voter's ballot was cast, the voter's numbercorresponding to the order in which ballots were cast, and a listof all the voter's selections on the ballot as recorded by the votingsystem.
Carrying concealed handguns; protective orders. Authorizes any person 21 years of age or older who is not prohibitedfrom purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm and is protectedby an unexpired protective order to carry a concealed handgun for45 days after the protective order was issued. The bill providesthat if the person issued the protective order applies for a concealedhandgun permit during such 45-day period, such person will be authorizedto carry a concealed handgun for an additional 45 days and be givena copy of the certified application, which shall serve as a de factoconcealed handgun permit. During the period such person is authorizedto carry a concealed handgun, the bill provides that the person maycarry a handgun any place a law-enforcement officer may carry a firearm.The bill requires such person to have the order or certified applicationand photo identification on his person when carrying a concealed handgun and to display them upon demand by a law-enforcement officer;failure to do so is punishable by a $25 civil penalty.
Grandparent; petition for visitation. Providesthat in any case or proceeding in which a grandparent has petitionedthe court for visitation with a minor grandchild, the court may considerwhether (i) the marriage of the parents of such child has been dissolved,(ii) a parent of the child has abandoned such child, (iii) the childwas born while the parents were not married, or (iv) a parent ofthe child has prevented the grandparent from visitation at any hearingin such a case or proceeding held to determine the best interestof the child.
