MEI Project Approval Commission. Makes several changes to the membership and operation of the MEI Project Approval Commission. The bill expands the membership from 10 to 14 members by adding two additional House appointments and two additional Senate appointments. The bill also clarifies the scope of the review required by the Commission to include not only economic development projects, but also potential film and episodic television projects, while providing that projects only involving existing tax incentives currently available to any qualified tax payer shall not require review. Materials regarding the potential project shall be provided to the staff of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations five business days in advance of the Commission's review meeting. This bill incorporates SB 970.
Persons permitted to work in mines; age requirements. Removes the provision prohibiting persons under 18 years of age from working around any mine and requires the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to conform its regulations to federal law with respect to such age requirements. The bill does not affect the existing provision prohibiting persons under 18 years of age from working in any mine.
Emergency Shelters Upgrade Assistance GrantFund. Establishes the Emergency Shelters Upgrade Assistance GrantFund administered by the Department of Emergency Management to providematching funds to localities to install, maintain, or repair infrastructurefor backup energy generation for emergency shelters, including solarenergy generators, and improve the hazard-specific structural integrityof shelter facilities owned by the locality.
Northern Virginia Transportation Commission;report date. Changes from November 1 to December 15 the annualreporting date of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commissionto the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the performanceof the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Advanced recycling; incentives in income tax,sales tax, and machinery and tools tax. Postpones from 2020 to2025 the sunset date of the income tax credit for purchase of equipmentfor processing recyclable materials and makes eligible for the creditpurchases of equipment used in advanced recycling, defined in thebill. The bill increases the dollar value of the credit from 20 percentto 100 percent of the purchase price of such equipment, eliminatesthe requirement that a taxpayer may only claim up to 40 percent ofhis tax liability in credit per year, and makes the credit refundableand transferable for credits issued starting in taxable year 2020.The bill provides that certain machinery,tools, and materials used in advanced recycling shall be exempt fromsales tax. The bill provides that such machinery, tools, and materialsshall be segregated and classified as machinery and tools, which aretaxed at a lower rate than the generally applicable personal propertytax rate.
Possession and administration of epinephrine; restaurant employee. Authorizes any employee of a licensed restaurant to possess and administer epinephrine on the premises of the restaurant at which the employee is employed, provided that such employee is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of epinephrine. The bill also requires the Department of Health, in conjunction with the Department of Health Professions, to develop policies and guidelines for the recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis in restaurants.
Voter registration; notice and public accessnot required for certain voter registration events. Providesthat voter registration conducted in a high school or at the locationof a naturalization ceremony and voter registration events sponsoredor conducted by an entity or organization that the general registraror an assistant registrar attends as an invitee are not requiredto be open to the public. Currently, opportunities for voter registrationare required to be provided at sites open to the public. The billalso provides that notice is not required for voter registrationevents that are not open to the public that the general registraror an assistant registrar attends or voter registration events thatthe general registrar or an assistant registrar attends as an invitee.
Stormwater and erosion and sediment control;acceptance of plans in lieu of plan review. Authorizes the StateWater Control Board or the Department of Environmental Quality, inits administration of a Virginia Stormwater Management Program, VirginiaErosion and Stormwater Management Program, or Virginia Erosion andSediment Control Program, to choose to accept a set of plans andsupporting calculations for any land-disturbing activity determined to be de minimus using a risk-based approach established by the Board.The bill provides that such plans and supporting calculations shallsatisfy the requirement that the Board or the Department retain acertified plan reviewer or conduct a plan review. The bill also directsthe Board to adopt implementing regulations and provides requirementsfor the process of adoption.
Assisted living facilities; audio-visual recordingof residents. Directs the Board of Social Services (the Board)to promulgate regulations by July 1, 2021, governing audio-visual recording of residents in assisted living facilities and requiresthe Department of Social Services to convene a workgroup of stakeholdersto make recommendations on such regulations. The workgroup shall report its recommendations to the Board and the General Assembly byDecember 1, 2020.
Department of Environmental Quality; carbon market participation. Authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality to participate in any carbon market for which submerged aquatic vegetation restoration qualifies as an activity that generates carbon offset credits and to enter into agreements necessary to effect such participation, including with private entities for assistance with registration and sale of offset credits. The bill requires any revenue resulting from the sale of such credits to be used to implement additional submerged aquatic vegetation monitoring, restoration, and research or to cover any administrative costs of participation in the credit market. The bill also requires the Department to hold exclusive title to credits until sold.
Voluntary Registry for People with Special Communication Needs; vehicle registration. Directs the Department of MotorVehicles to include on the application for registration of a motorvehicle an option for the owner to indicate and provide evidence thathe or a member of his immediate family has a disability that canimpair communication. The bill directs the Superintendent of StatePolice to keep and maintain the Voluntary Registry for People withSpecial Communication Needs (the Registry). The bill provides thatthe Department of State Police shall make the Registry informationavailable to law-enforcement agencies through the Virginia CriminalInformation Network (VCIN) and ensure that any search of motor vehicleinformation includes an indication that the registered owner or amember of his immediate family is included in the Registry. The billexempts any information provided on such completed form and in theRegistry from being subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Eminent domain; written offer to purchase property. Requires a condemnor's written offer to purchase property prior toinstituting a condemnation proceeding, and its written statementof the amount established as just compensation, to be on such condemnor's letterhead and signed by an authorized employee of such condemnor.
