Financial institutions; regulation of moneytransmitters; penalty. Replaces existing state law regulatingmoney transmitters with comprehensive provisions aimed at standardizingthe regulation of money transmitters across the 50 states. The billincludes provisions for the licensure of money transmitters, supervision and implementation by the State Corporation Commission, acquisitionof control of a licensee, mandatory disclosures, reporting and recordsrequirements, authorized delegates, mandatory disclosures, prudentialstandards, and enforcement.
Public institutions of higher education; admissionsapplications; legacy admissions and admissions based on donor status prohibited. Prohibits any public institution of higher educationfrom providing any manner of preferential treatment in the admissionsdecision to any student applicant on the basis of such student'slegacy status, defined in the bill, or such student's familial relationshipto any donor to such institution. This bill was incorporated into SB 46.
Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees; temporary foreign workers. Eliminates the exemptions from Virginia's minimum wage requirements for (i) persons employed as farm laborers or farm employees and (ii) certain temporary foreign workers. This bill was incorporated into HB 157.
Felony homicide; certain drug offenses; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutessecond degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not lessthan five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious actthat resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture,sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substanceto another person and such other person's use of the controlled substanceresults in his death, regardless of the time or place death occurredin relation to the commission of the underlying felony. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in thelocality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of thecontrolled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The billalso provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I orII controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individualwho is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, localcorrectional facility, or state correctional facility, or in thecustody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit therebyfrom any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipientof the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependentupon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony.
Annual retail sales and use tax holiday.Establishes an annual retail sales and use tax holiday that takesplace on the first full weekend in August beginning on August 1,2025. During such weekend, state retail sales and use tax will notapply to certain (i) school supplies, (ii) clothing and footwear,(iii) qualified products designated as Energy Star or WaterSense,(iv) portable generators, or (v) hurricane preparedness equipment.
State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations;low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. Repeals theState Air Pollution Control Board's authority to implement low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards that apply for vehicles witha model year of 2025 and later.
Elections; voter identification; identificationcontaining a photograph required. Requires presentation of aform of identification containing a photograph in order to vote.The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who doesnot have one of the required forms of identification to vote aftersigning a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements,that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, thebill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisionalballot.
Constitutional amendment (first reference);qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled tovote. Provides that every person who meets the qualificationsof voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have thefundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such rightshall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convictedof a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacityto understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted ofa felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarcerationfor such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration forthat felony conviction and without further action required of him,such person shall be invested with all political rights, includingthe right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote aperson convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restoredby the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdictionas lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall notbe entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacityhas been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitutionof Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to bementally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competencyis reestablished.
State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicleemissions standards. Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution 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 compliant with model year standards related to the control of emissions adoptedby California for which a waiver has been granted pursuant to thefederal Clean Air Act.
Constitutional amendment (first reference);fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that everyindividual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom andthat the right to make and effectuate one's own decisions about allmatters related to one's pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, orotherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified bya compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictivemeans. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individualfor exercising the individual's right to reproductive freedom orfor aiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unlessjustified by a compelling state interest.
Board of Conservation and Recreation; Cave Board;repeal. Repeals provisions relating to the establishment of theCave Board and transfers the duties of the Cave Board to the Boardof Conservation and Recreation. The bill also changes from 12 membersto 13 members the membership of the Board of Conservation and Recreationand requires at least one appointment made by the Governor to theBoard of Conservation and Recreation to be based on a person's knowledgeof and activity in the conservation, exploration, study, and managementof caves.
Annual retail sales and use tax holiday.Establishes an annual retail sales and use tax holiday that takesplace on the first full weekend in August beginning in 2025. Duringsuch weekend, state retail sales and use tax will not apply to certain(i) school supplies, (ii) clothing and footwear, (iii) qualifiedproducts designated as Energy Star or WaterSense, (iv) portable generators, or (v) hurricane preparedness equipment.
