Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices; source of funds. Adds discrimination on the basis of a person's source of funds to the list of unlawful discriminatory housing practices. The bill creates an exemption for an owner or owner's managing agent, provided that such owner does not own more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units in the Commonwealth at the time of the alleged discriminatory housing practice. The bill allows an owner or owner's managing agent to deny or limit a person's rental or occupancy of a rental dwelling unit based on the person's source of funds for that unit if such source is not approved within 15 days of the person's submission of the request for tenancy approval. The bill defines "source of funds" as any source that lawfully provides funds to or on behalf of a renter or buyer of housing, including any assistance, benefit, or subsidy program, whether such program is administered by a governmental or nongovernmental entity. This bill incorporates HB 357.
Carnal knowledge of pretrial or posttrial offender;bail bondsmen; penalty. Increases to a Class 6 felony from aClass 1 misdemeanor the penalty for an owner or employee of a bailbond company that posted bond for a person to carnally know suchperson if the owner or employee has the authority to revoke the person'sbond.
Multiple employer retirement plan for private employers and their employees. Directs the governing board of the Virginia College Savings Plan (the Board) to establish the Multiple Employer Retirement Plan (the Plan). The Plan shall allow employees of private employers in the Commonwealth to contribute to a defined contribution retirement plan overseen by the Board. The bill allows all self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, and nongovernmental employers to allow their employees to participate in the Plan. It provides for automatic enrollment of an employer's employees if such employer chooses to participate in the Plan. The bill authorizes the Board to contract with third parties to implement and administer the Plan. The Plan shall allow an enrollee to contribute to an account at a default rate and modify his contributions within the parameters of the Internal Revenue Code. The Plan allows but does not require a participating employer to contribute to the account of any enrollee. The bill prohibits the Commonwealth from guaranteeing a rate of return or interest rate on any contribution and indemnifies it from losses incurred through the Plan. The bill contains a reenactment clause and directs the Virginia College Savings Plan to analyze current state and federal retirement programs, other retirement savings options, costs, and the level of interest in such a plan. The Virginia College Savings Plan shall report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly on or before December 15, 2020.
Chief Resilience Officer. Directs the Governor to designate a Chief Resilience Officer to serve as the primary coordinator of resilience and adaptation initiatives in Virginia and as the primary point of contact regarding issues related to resilience and recurrent flooding. The bill directs the Chief Resilience Officer, in consultation with the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, to identify and monitor areas at the greatest risk from recurrent flooding; review and comment on plans for the construction or substantial reinforcement of a substantial flood defense or catchment area, at the request of the locality containing such defense or area; and initiate and assist with the pursuit of funding for resilience initiatives. The bill also expands the list of programs with which localities and the Commonwealth are required to coordinate as part of their flood control efforts.
Electric vehicle charging stations; operation by state agencies. Authorizes any agency of state government to locate and operate a retail fee-based electric vehicle charging station on property the agency controls. The bill exempts state agencies from being considered a public utility solely because of the sale of electric vehicle charging service or the ownership or operation of an electric vehicle charging station and further exempts such service from constituting the retail sale of electricity. Currently, state-operated charging stations may be operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of General Services, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, and public institutions of higher education.
Exposure to a decedent's body fluids; testing. Provides that, in cases in which any law-enforcement officer, salaried or volunteer firefighter, or salaried or volunteer emergency medical services provider is directly exposed to body fluids of a deceased person in a manner that may, according to the then-current guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transmit human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses, the next of kin of the deceased person shall be deemed to have consented to testing of the decedent's blood for infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses and release of such test results to the person who was exposed. Under current law, whenever a law-enforcement officer, salaried or volunteer firefighter, or salaried or volunteer emergency medical services provider is directly exposed to body fluids of a deceased person in a manner that may, according to the then-current guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transmit human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses, consent for testing and release of the results must be obtained from the next of kin of the deceased person before testing may be initiated.
Public institutions of higher education; foundations; annual reporting requirements. Requires each public institution of higher education to release an annual report regarding foundations associated with the institution setting forth foundation expenses. The annual report shall include the total annual expenditures by each foundation; the percentage of expenditures used for scholarships or financial aid by each foundation; the percentage of expenditures used for faculty compensation by each foundation; the percentage of expenditures used for program costs by each foundation; the percentage of expenditures used for equipment and technology by each foundation; the percentage of expenditures used for administrative support by each foundation; and the percentage of expenditures used for executive compensation by each foundation.
Local regulation of certain transportation companies.Extends from January 1, 2020, to October 1, 2020, the prohibitionon offering motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electricpower-assisted bicycles for hire in any locality that has not enactedany licensing ordinance, regulation, or other action regulating suchbusiness. The bill clarifies that localities are authorized to createor amend such ordinances, regulations, or actions even after anysuch business is operating in the locality and exercise authorityotherwise authorized by law. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Affordable housing; City of Charlottesville.Adds the City of Charlottesville to the list of localities with authorityto provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; statute oflimitations on actions on construction contracts; statute of limitationson actions on performance bonds. Provides that no action maybe brought by a public body on any construction contract, includingconstruction management and design-build contracts, unless such actionis brought within five years after completion of the work on theproject, and provides that no action may be brought by a public body on a warranty or guaranty in such construction contract more thanone year from the breach of that warranty, but in no event more thanone year after the expiration of such warranty or guaranty. The billalso limits the time frame during which a public body, other thanthe Department of Transportation, may bring an action against a suretyon a performance bond to within one year after completion of thework on the project. Current law allows a public body, other thanthe Department of Transportation, to bring such an action withinone year after (i) completion of the contract, including the expirationof all warranties and guaranties, or (ii) discovery of the defector breach of warranty that gave rise to the action. The bill containstechnical amendments.
Public institutions of higher education; students; determination of domicile. Prohibits any student at a publicinstitution of higher education from being deemed ineligible to establishdomicile and receive in-state tuition charges solely on the basisof the immigration status of his parent.
School meal policies. Requires each localschool board to adopt policies that prohibit school board employeesfrom requiring a student who cannot pay for a meal at school or whoowes a school meal debt to throw away or discard a meal after ithas been served to him.
