Permit applications for natural gas pipelines; State Water Control Law. Requires applicants for federal licenses or permits for natural gas transmission pipelines with an inside diameter of at least 24 inches to submit a separate application, erosion and sediment control plan, and stormwater management plan to the Department of Environmental Quality concurrently with a Joint Permit Application. Current law requires such application standards for pipelines with an inside diameter of greater than 36 inches. The provisions of the bill apply to any natural gas transmission pipeline project of at least 24 inches in inside diameter that is subject to a certificate of public convenience and necessity under the federal Natural Gas Act and that has not commenced construction by July 1, 2024, notwithstanding any previous certification previously issued or waived by the Department of Environmental Quality or the State Water Control Board.
Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Programand Fund established. Establishes the Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund to reimburse participating veterinarians for the surgical sterilizations they perform on eligible cats ordogs. The bill provides that a surcharge of $50 per ton of pet fooddistributed in the Commonwealth be deposited in the Fund and suchpet food be exempted from the existing litter tax. An animal willbe eligible for sterilization under the Program if it is a feralor free-roaming cat or is owned by a low-income individual or a releasingagency such as an animal shelter.
Marine Resources Commission; certain permitsin the Lynnhaven River and its tributaries prohibited. Prohibitsthe Marine Resources Commission from issuing any permit for any floating oyster cage in a water column, rack-and-bag, or other similar apparatus for oyster aquaculture in the Lynnhaven River or its tributaries.
Department of Planning and Budget; RegulatoryBudget Program established; report. Directs the Department ofPlanning and Budget to establish a Regulatory Budget Program underwhich each executive branch agency subject to the AdministrativeProcess Act shall reduce overall regulatory requirements by 30 percentby January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Department to report tothe Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the SenateCommittee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October1 of each year, beginning October 1, 2025. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Governor,shall issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how anagency can comply with the requirements of the Program. The billhas an expiration date of January 1, 2027.
Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses. Allows the Board of Directorsof the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue annualmixed beverage performing arts facility licenses to persons operatingfood concessions at any performing arts amphitheater, arena, or similarfacility that has a total capacity in excess of 3,000 patrons andis located in the City of Virginia Beach.
Nonliving shoreline stabilization structures;regulations; Marine Resources Commission. Directs the MarineResources Commission to promulgate regulations regarding the typesof repairs or maintenance to nonliving shoreline stabilization structuresin existence prior to July 1, 2020, that are exempt from or requirepermits.
Electric utilities; retail competition; aggregated competitive purchasers. Creates a limited exception to the requirementthat the State Corporation Commission must find that a petition forcertain competitive purchasers to aggregate their demands to becomequalified to purchase retail electric energy is consistent with thepublic interest in order for the Commission to approve such petition. The bill provides that a customer seeking such approval may remunerate the utility for any adverse effects to the incumbent utility or itsremaining utility customers contrary to the public interest as determinedby the Commission. The bill also provides that such customers shallnot be denied permission to procure retail electric energy from acompetitive supplier and that such remuneration fee shall be recalculatedby the Commission on a triennial basis from when a customer commencesa competitive service agreement.
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Allowsland trusts that have been accredited by the Land Trust AccreditationCommission or a similar set of standards and practices adopted bythe Virginia Land Conservation Board of Trustees (the Board) to hold an interest in land other than a fee simple interest as a resultof a grant or transfer from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation(the Foundation) without a co-holder. Current law requires thatcertain interests in land as a result of a grant or transfer from the Foundation be held jointly by a holder and a public body. Thebill also allows, whenever a holder acquires fee simple interestin land as a result of a grant or transfer from the Foundation, theBoard to accept a reversionary interest in such land as an alternativeto a public body holding an open space easement in such land.
Simon's Law; health care; life-sustaining treatmentfor minors; exceptions. Requires a physician to obtain the written permission from at least one parent or legal guardian of a minor,defined in the bill as an unemancipated individual who is youngerthan 18 years of age and not under juvenile court supervision or on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, before instituting a Do Not Resuscitate order or similar physician's order.The bill creates an exception for when a physician is unable tocontact a parent or legal guardian of such minor within 72 hoursof the initial contact attempt. The bill also prevents a physicianfrom interfering with such parent's or legal guardian's efforts toobtain other medical opinions, hindering or delaying the necessarymeasures to facilitate a transfer of such minor to another medicalfacility, or refusing to continue providing life-sustaining treatmentto such minor when such a transfer is imminent. Under the bill, suchparent or legal guardian maintains all rights to determine whetherlife-sustaining treatment and cardiopulmonary resuscitation are used on such minor unless a court of law or equity determines that thereis destruction of the circulatory system, respiratory system, andthe entire brain. A parent or legal guardian may also request disclosureof the physician's policies involving cardiopulmonary resuscitationand life-sustaining treatment.
Local wetlands boards; permit applicationapproval. Changes the standard for approval of a wetlands permitapplication from three members of a five-member wetlands board orfour members of a seven-member wetlands board to a simple majorityof those board members present and voting. The bill also changes the standard for approval of a coastal primary sand dune permit applicationfrom three members of a five-member wetlands board or four membersof a seven-member wetlands board to a simple majority of a quorumof such board. The bill requires certain localities to amend therelated ordinances to conform to the provisions of the bill no laterthan January 1, 2025.
Vehicle inspections; new motor vehicles.Extends the timeframe following the first inspection of a new motorvehicle in which such vehicle must be inspected from 12 months afterthe first inspection to either 36 months after the first inspectionor within such time as such new motor vehicle reaches a mileage of36,000 miles. The bill provides that the inspection approval sticker provided by the Department of State Police for such new motor vehicleshall designate its validity period and directs the Department todevelop, create, and distribute such new stickers.
Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.
