State Board of Elections; increasing membershipand terms; Commissioner of Elections; role and eligibility; report. Increases the membership of the State Board of Elections from threemembers to five members and increases the terms of Board membersfrom four years to five years. Representation is given to each ofthe political parties having the highest and next highest numberof votes in the Commonwealth at the preceding gubernatorial election,with three Board members being of the party of the Governor. Termsare initially staggered. The bill provides that a Commissioner ofElections, who acts as the principal administrative officer of the Department of Elections, shall be appointed by the Governor. Personsengaging in certain partisan activities, persons related to persons engaging in certain partisan activities, and persons related to membersof the State Board are prohibited from serving as the Commissionerof Elections.
Virginia Scenic Rivers System; Grays Creek. Designates a six-mile portion of Grays Creek in Surry County as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. This bill is identical to SB1090.
Virginia State Police Electronic Summons SystemFund. Creates the Virginia State Police Electronic Summons SystemFund, which is funded by a $5 fee required by the bill to be assessedas court costs in each criminal or traffic case in which the Virginia State Police issued the summons, ticket, or citation; executed thewarrant; or made the arrest. The bill directs that the Fund be usedfor the purposes of funding software, hardware, and associated equipmentcosts for the implementation and maintenance of an electronic summonssystem. Under current law, localities may charge a fee of up to $5for each criminal or traffic case to be used for such purposes.
Public defender offices; Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and County of Prince William. Establishes a public defender office for the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and the County of Prince William. This bill is identical to SB 72.
Recordation tax; supplemental writings. Providesthat recordation of a supplemental writing for certain deeds of trustand mortgages shall not be taxable, even if the supplemental writingrecites an increase in the principal amount of bonds or obligations.The deeds of trust or mortgages that qualify for this exemption arethose that convey property within the Commonwealth to secure obligationsoutside the Commonwealth and do not state an increase in the amountof the principal obligation secured that was apportioned to propertywithin the Commonwealth.
Elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; racial segregation; repeal of provisions. Repeals several Acts of Assembly from 1901 to 1960 that contain provisions relating to the racial segregation of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 973.
Parental notice; literacy and Response to Intervention screening and services; certain assessment results. Requires each local school board to enact a policy to require that timely written notification is provided to the parents of any student who (i) undergoes literacy and Response to Intervention screening and services or (ii) does not meet the benchmark on any assessment used to determine at-risk learners in preschool through grade 12, which notification shall include all such assessment scores and subscores and any intervention plan that results from such assessment scores or subscores.
Stormwater management facilities; private residential lots; disclosure. Directs the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations requiring the owner of residential property on which is located a privately owned stormwater management facility serving one or more residential properties to record the long-term maintenance and inspection requirements for such stormwater management facility with the deed for the owner's property. The bill requires an owner of residential real property who has actual knowledge of a privately owned stormwater management facility located on the property to disclose to a purchaser of the property the long-term maintenance and inspection requirements of the facility.
Additional sales and use tax in Henry County, Northampton County, Patrick County, Pittsylvania County and the City of Danville; appropriations of Henry County, Northampton County, Patrick County, and Pittsylvania County to incorporated towns for educational purposes. Authorizes Henry County, Northampton County, Patrick County, Pittsylvania County, and the City of Danville 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 Henry County, Northampton County, Patrick County, and Pittsylvania 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.
School principals; incident reports. Eliminates the requirement for reports to be made to division superintendents and school principals on incidents involving assault or assault and battery, without bodily injury, of any person on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity. The bill also eliminates the requirement that school principals report certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense to law enforcement.
Elections; campaign finance; filing schedulefor persons with multiple campaign committees. Requires any personwho is named as the candidate on the statement of organization formore than one campaign committee to file reports for all such committeeson the same schedule as any such committee.
Waterfowl blinds in locality where certain hunting prohibited. Directs the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries not to license any stationary waterfowl blind in any area of Hunting Creek, Little Hunting Creek, or Dogue Creek in which the local governing body prohibits by ordinance the hunting of birds with a firearm. This bill is identical to HB 173.
