Appointment of counsel for accused; feloniespunishable by a mandatory minimum term of confinement for life.Provides that in any case in which an indigent defendant is chargedwith any felony punishable by a mandatory minimum term of confinementfor life, the court shall appoint two competent, qualified, and experiencedattorneys, one of whom shall be the public defender in a jurisdictionin which a public defender office is established, for the defendant.Under current law, the court is required to appoint two such attorneysin cases in which an indigent defendant is charged with a Class 1felony. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal JusticeConference.
Public institutions of higher education; tuitionand financial aid; dependency override application form. Requireseach public institution of higher education to develop, maintain,and post publicly on the financial aid page of such institution's website informational materials relating to the dependency overrideapplication process and to review and update such materials as necessaryto reflect current federal law and guidance on such process. Thebill requires such informational materials to include, in a languageand format accessible to students enrolled at and potential applicantsfor admission to such institution, (i) an explanation of the purposeof and eligibility requirements for a dependency override, (ii)an explicit list of the circumstances on which a student may basea dependency override application, (iii) an explanation of the dependencyoverride application process at such institution, and (iv) links torelevant federal guidance on the dependency override process.
Taxation; secrecy of information; taxpayer waiver.Allows a taxpayer to waive confidentiality and secrecy of informationprovisions of Virginia law with respect to tax information upon executinga written acknowledgement waiver.
Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacynotice; cookies; consumer consent. Requires the privacy noticethat a controller must provide to consumers to include a method bywhich a consumer may opt out of the automatic placement of a datafile, commonly referred to as a "cookie," on the consumer's computeror web browser and a disclosure of the purposes for which the datafiles are used. The bill prohibits controllers from using cookies,except those that are strictly necessary, without the prior expressconsent of the consumer and prohibits controllers from preventingaccess to their services if such consent is not granted. The billalso requires controllers to document and store proof of such consent and make available an easily accessible method by which consumersmay withdraw such consent.
Online Children's Safety Protection Act established;civil penalties. Creates the Online Children's Safety ProtectionAct, which requires certain duties of covered entities, defined inthe bill, to protect the best interests of children who use onlineservices, products, or features. The bill requires any covered entitythat provides an online service, product, or feature likely to beaccessed by a child to complete a data protection impact assessment,the details of which are described in the bill, within two yearsbefore any new online service, product, or feature is offered tothe public on or after July 1, 2024. The bill also prohibits certainactions by covered entities and authorizes the Attorney General toimpose penalties and initiate actions against any covered entitythat violates the provisions of the bill.
Pet shops; notice of deceased animals; report.Requires pet shops to annually submit a summary of records indicatingany time a dog or cat in their possession dies or is euthanized tothe State Veterinarian in a format prescribed by him.
Sales tax exemption; certain baby products.
Board of Education; procedure for adjustinggrievances; definition of "classified instructional support staff."Requires the Board of Education, for the purpose of its regulationsthat establish the procedure for adjusting grievances, to define"classified instructional support staff" to mean any nonlicensedteacher, both nonexempt and exempt, who is employed in a local schooldivision and involved in classroom instruction and any other full-time or part-time employee who works more than 90 days total in a 200-dayschool year and to include teaching assistants, long-term substitutes,site-based substitutes, temporary teachers, and other nonlicensedinstructors who substitute in the place of licensed teachers.
In-state tuition eligibility; certain membersof National Guard or Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United Statesunits in the Commonwealth. Declares eligible for in-state tuitioncharges at public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealthregardless of domicile any member of the National Guard or the Reservesof the Armed Forces of the United States who is not a resident ofthe Commonwealth but who is an active member of a unit of the NationalGuard or the Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States in the Commonwealth.
Institutions of higher education; tuition grants;Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makesseveral changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition AssistanceProgram, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under theProgram subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General,(ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligationswith the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academicperformance and good standing, and (iv) providing that any grantawarded shall be in an amount equivalent to the difference betweenthe full cost of tuition and fees at the institution of higher educationless any other educational benefits for which an individual is eligibleas a member of the National Guard.
Paid sick leave; home health workers providing agency-directed services. Requires employers to provide paidsick leave to home health workers who provide agency-directed services.Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sickleave to home health workers who provide consumer-directed services.The bill provides that "employer" includes the Commonwealth, anyof its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, and anypublic body.
Stormwater management regulations; enterprisedata center operations. Directs the State Water Control Boardto adopt regulations that require certain stormwater management techniquesfor land disturbances related to the construction, expansion, oroperation of an enterprise data center operation, as defined in thebill, that is located within one mile of any land owned or operatedas a unit of the National Park Service or designated as a VirginiaState Park or state forest.
