Grand larceny; threshold. Increases from $500 to $1,000 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill increases the threshold by the same amount for the classification of certain property crimes. This bill is identical to HB 995.
Additional sales and use tax in Mecklenburg County; appropriations to incorporated towns for educational purposes. Authorizes Mecklenburg County to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, as determined by the governing body, if initiated by a resolution of the local governing body and approved by the voters at a referendum. The bill requires the governing body to specify in the enacting ordinance the time period, not to exceed 20 years, for which the tax would be imposed. Revenue from the tax shall be used solely for capital projects for new construction or major renovation of schools in the locality enacting the tax. The bill removes the limit on the amount that Mecklenburg County may appropriate to an incorporated town that has not complied with the provisions of its charter relating to the elections of local officials. Under current law, such amount is limited to the amount the town would have received from local sales and use tax for educational purposes if such election had been held.Under current law, only Halifax County has the authority to impose such taxes and make such appropriations. The bill contains technical amendments.
Special license plates; VB STRONG. Authorizes the issuance of special license plates for supporters of the City of Virginia Beach bearing the legend VB STRONG. The deadline for the receipt of 450 prepaid applications is November 1, 2020.
Comprehensive animal care; enforceable underVirginia Consumer Protection Act. Subjects certain animal carestatutes to enforcement under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act(§ 59.1-196 et seq.). These statutes relate to the misrepresentationof animals' conditions, the posting of information about dogs, andwritten notice of consumer remedies required to be provided by petshops, pet dealers, and animal boarding establishments.
Green Job Creation Tax Credit; sunset date.Extends the sunset date of the green job creation tax credit from January 1, 2021, to January 1, 2026. The bill contains technicalamendments.
Public employment; limitations on inquiries by state agencies and localities regarding criminal arrests, charges, or convictions. Prohibits state agencies and localities from including on any employment application a question inquiring whether the prospective employee has ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any crime. The bill prohibits asking a prospective employee if he has ever been arrested or charged with or convicted of any crime unless the inquiry takes place during or after a staff interview of the prospective employee. The prohibition does not apply to applications for employment with law-enforcement agencies or positions related to law-enforcement agencies. The prohibition also does not apply to applications for state agency positions designated as sensitive or to state agencies that are expressly permitted to inquire into an individual's criminal arrests or charges for employment purposes pursuant to any provision of federal or state law. For localities, the prohibition also does not apply to positions for employment by the local school board. This bill incorporates HB 140.
Charter; Town of Cheriton. Amends the town'scharter to reflect the town's shift of municipal elections from Mayto November.
Hunting waterfowl; duck blinds. Prohibitshunting or shooting migratory waterfowl in the public waters of the Commonwealth from a boat, float, raft, or other buoyant craft ordevice within 150 yards of a residence without the consent of thelandowner, except when in active pursuit of a visibly crippled waterfowlthat was legally shot by the person. The bill requires a person huntingwaterfowl to also have a state and federal duck stamp prior to applyingto license a stationary blind in public waters.
Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Grant Fund and Program; creation. Establishes the Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of awarding grants to the Cities of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Roanoke for the purpose of performing community assessments for youth and gang violence prevention. Grants are to be awarded in an amount of $25,000 to each city to perform such an assessment. No more than $150,000 per year shall be allocated by the Program.
Tax credit for participating landlords; eligible housing areas. Expands the definition of "eligible housing area" for the housing choice voucher tax credit to include Virginia census tracts in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area in which less than 10 percent of the population lives below the poverty level. Landlords who rent qualified housing units within such areas are eligible for an income tax credit. Current law only applies to such areas within the Richmond and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Statistical Areas.The bill establishes a 2025 sunset date on the credit. The bill incorporates HB 1014 and is identical to SB 200.
Department of Environmental Quality; tree planting as land cover type, best management practice; stakeholder advisory group. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purpose of studying the planting or preservation of trees as an urban land cover type and as a stormwater best management practice (BMP). The bill provides that the stakeholder group shall be composed of development and construction industry representatives, environmental technical experts, local government representatives, and others and that technical assistance shall be provided to DEQ by the Department of Forestry and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The bill directs DEQ to report the findings of the stakeholder group by November 1, 2020, and to include a recommendation as to whether the planting or preservation of trees shall be deemed a creditable land cover type or BMP and, if so, how much credit shall be given for its optional use.
Virginia Geographic Information Network. Transfers the support and administration of the 9-1-1 Services Board and Virginia Geographic Information Network Advisory Board from the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The bill also adds the State Coordinator of Emergency Management to the Virginia Geographic Information Network Advisory Board.
