Hampton Roads Regional Arena Authority created; financing of a Hampton Roads arena and facility. Creates the Hampton Roads Regional Arena Authority and grants it certain powers relating to construction of an arena and facility. Among those powers is the authority to (i) issue bonds to construct the arena and facility, (ii) receive state sales and use tax revenue that is attributable to the arena and facility, (iii) use such revenue to repay such bonds, and (iv) distribute any excess revenue to any Hampton Roads locality that elects to contribute to the financing of the construction of an arena and facility. The bill provides that the Authority's entitlement to state sales and use tax revenue will expire on the earlier of the maturity date of any bonds it issues related to constructing the arena and facility or July 1, 2060. The powers granted by the bill to the Authority are similar to those granted to the City of Virginia Beach with respect to a sports or entertainment project. The bill repeals existing provisions related to a Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority. This bill is identical to SB 787.
Political campaign advertisements; applicability of disclosure requirements to advertisements placed or promoted for a fee on an online platform; identification and certification requirements. Subjects any message that is placed or promoted for a fee on an online platform to the same disclosure requirements to which print media, television, and radio advertisements are subject. The bill adds definitions for purposes of the political advertisement disclosure requirements for "online platform," "online political advertisement," and "online political advertiser." The bill expands the definition of "print media" to include any non-video or non-audio message placed or promoted for a fee on an online platform, subjects advertisements in video format that are placed or promoted for a fee on an online platform to the same disclosure requirements to which television advertisements are subject, and subjects advertisements in audio format that are placed or promoted for a fee on an online platform to the same disclosure requirements to which radio advertisements are subject. The bill also requires online platforms to establish reasonable procedures to enable online political advertisers to identify themselves as online political advertisers and to certify to the online platform that they are permitted to lawfully purchase or promote for a fee online political advertisements.
Vocational rehabilitation and employment services for former law-enforcement officers with a disability. Requires the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to make available to law-enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth information regarding vocational rehabilitation programs and employment services available to assist former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service with preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining suitable employment, including information on the types of programs available and the process by which former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service can access such programs and services, and provides that every law-enforcement agency in the Commonwealth shall provide to every law-enforcement officer who separates from the agency due to a disability resulting from his service information regarding vocational rehabilitation programs and employment services available to assist former law-enforcement officers who have a disability as a result of their service with preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining suitable employment, including information on the types of programs available and the process by which such law-enforcement officers may access such programs and services.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; public institutions of higher education; dyslexia and literacy; multisensory structured language education. Directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to facilitate the development of a statewide coalition of public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to gather and share information on the latest evidence-based methods and approaches to effectively educate K-12 students in reading, including multisensory structured language education to instruct students with dyslexia. The bill states that each public institution's school of education, education department, or relevant department for the career paths of K-12 reading specialists and teachers may collect such information and collaborate with other public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth regarding the latest reliable research for reading instruction to all K-12 students, with an emphasis on improving reading instruction to students with dyslexia. Each public institution of higher education may implement information learned through the coalition in the institution's undergraduate and graduate degree programs in education.
Collection of debts by hospitals affiliated with public institutions of higher education. Prohibits the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority and the University of Virginia Medical Center from participating in debt collection efforts pursuant to the Virginia Debt Collection Act or the Setoff Debt Collection Act unless all reasonable efforts have been made to determine if the individual with delinquent debt is eligible for financial assistance. The bill requires both hospitals to develop debt collection policies that adhere, at a minimum, to Internal Revenue Service policies regarding financial assistance by tax-exempt hospitals as they were in effect on January 1, 2020.
Credit unions; director compensation. Provides that compensation of members of a credit union's board of directors and members of the credit and supervisory committees shall be determined by a written policy approved by the board of directors, provided that annual compensation for an individual member does not exceed $6,000. The measure removes the existing prohibition on compensating members of a credit union's board of directors for services as a member of the board. This bill is identical to HB 813.
Conduct of charitable gaming. Removes restrictions regarding (i) the number of calendar days that charitable gaming may be conducted, (ii) the number of bingo sessions that may be played in any calendar day and the number of bingo games that may be played during each session, and (iii) the locations at which games may be played.
Driver's license designation; traumatic braininjury. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon the requestof the applicant and presentation of a signed statement by a licensedphysician confirming the applicant's condition, to designate a traumaticbrain injury on the applicant's driver's license.
Charter; Town of Blackstone; advisory referendums. Authorizes the Town of Blackstone to hold advisory referendums regarding the use by the Town of Blackstone of town funds to construct, repair, remodel, or improve (i) the Harris Memorial Armory or (ii) a community center. This bill is identical to HB 1565.
Department of Education; Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices Advisory Committee; report. Requires the Department of Education to establish and appoint such members as it deems appropriate to a Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Education Practices Advisory Committee for the purpose of providing (i) standards recommendations to the Department of Education that shall be considered by the Board of Education during the 2021-2022 review of the history and social science Standards of Learning and (ii) recommendations on meaningful professional development with school personnel related to culturally relevant and inclusive education practices. The bill requires the Committee to report its recommendations to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than July 1, 2021. This bill is identical to HB 916.
Department of Motor Vehicles; sex designation. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to offer any applicant the option to mark "male," "female," or "non-binary" when designating the applicant's sex on an application for a driver's license or special identification card.
Utility Transfers Act; water and sewer utilities. Authorizes a water or sewer public utility acquiring a water or sewersystem to elect to have its rate base established by using the fairmarket value of the system assets instead of the system's depreciatedoriginal cost. Under the procedure established in this bill, thefair market value of the system is the average of three appraisalsconducted by accredited and impartial utility valuation experts,who shall determine the fair market value of the system in compliancewith the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice, employingcost, market, and income approaches to assessment of value. The billprovides that the rate base value of the acquired system assets isthe authorized fees and costs plus the lesser of the purchase pricenegotiated between the acquiring utility and the selling utilityor the fair market value.
