Virginia Bills

Sets out the rights and responsibilities under the Virginia Fair Housing Law (§ 36-96.1 et seq.) with respect to maintaining an assistance animal in a dwelling. The bill establishes a process through which a person with a disability may submit a request for a reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in a dwelling, including any supporting documentation verifying the disability and disability-related need for an accommodation. Under the bill, a request for reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal may be denied for any one of the following reasons: (i) the requester does not have a disability; (ii) the requester does not have a disability-related need for an assistance animal; (iii) the accommodation imposes an undue financial and administrative burden on the person receiving the request; or (iv) the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the operations of the person receiving the request. The bill provides that whenever a request for a reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in a dwelling is denied for reasons other than that the requester does not have a disability or a disability-related need for an assistance animal, an interactive process shall be initiated to determine if there is an alternative accommodation that would effectively address the disability-related need. The bill also defines "assistance animal," "major life activities," "therapeutic relationship," and "physical or mental impairment." The bill provides that if any provision of its provisions is determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to be not substantially equivalent or otherwise inconsistent with the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., as amended, such provision shall not be enforceable. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. This bill is identical to

Requires the policies and procedures prohibiting bullying that are contained in each school board's code of student conduct to direct the principal to notify the parent of any student involved in an alleged incident of bullying of the status of any investigation within five school days of the allegation of bullying.

Provides an exception from the prohibition against carrying a weapon into courthouses in the Commonwealth for a commissioner or deputy commissioner of the Workers' Compensation Commission while in the conduct of official duties.

Authorizes the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to establish an operational and programmatic efficiency and effectiveness review and assessment of state agencies, under a contract with a United States-based private management consulting firm. The purpose of the review and assessment is to provide an objective and independent cost-savings assessment of the Commonwealth's organizational structure and its programs in order to provide information to the Governor and the General Assembly to effect savings in expenditures, a reduction in duplication of effort, and programmatic efficiencies in the operation of state government. The bill also (i) provides certain required terms for the contract with the private entity and (ii) requires the Commission to submit a report to the General Assembly on the results of any review and assessment by December 1 of the year in which the review is conducted.

Requires the Virginia Aviation Board to develop and review every five years a commercial air service plan for commercial air service airports in the Commonwealth and, prior to allocation of funds from the Commonwealth Airport Fund by the Board, ensure that requested funds are consistent with the plan. The bill requires the Board to report to the Governor and the General Assembly annually on the use of Commercial Airport Fund revenues for the previous fiscal year. The bill prohibits the use of Commercial Airport Fund revenues for (i) operating costs, unless otherwise approved by the Board, or (ii) purposes related to supporting the operation of an airline, either directly or indirectly, through grants, credit enhancements, or other related means.

Provides that the issuance by the State Corporation Commission of a certificate of public convenience and necessity for construction of an electrical transmission line of 138 kilovolts and any associated facilities shall be deemed to satisfy local comprehensive plan requirements and all local zoning ordinances with respect to the transmission line and associated facilities. The measure defines "associated facilities" as including any station, substation, transition station, and switchyard facilities to be constructed outside of any county operating under the county executive form of government that is located in Planning District 8 (e.g., Prince William County) in association with the 138 kilovolt transmission line.

Provides that whenever a defendant owes court-ordered restitution payments, any money collected shall be used first to satisfy such restitution order and any collection costs associated with restitution prior to being used to satisfy any other fines or costs owed by the defendant.

Excludes from the mandatory disclosure provisions of FOIA proprietary information, voluntarily provided by a private business under a promise of confidentiality from a public body, used by the public body for a solar services agreement. The bill requires the private business to specify the records for which protection is sought before submitting them to the public body and to state the reasons why protection is necessary. The bill also (i) allows a solar services agreement contractor or provider to designate specific provisions in a solar services agreement as proprietary information not subject to disclosure and (ii) authorizes a city to withhold from disclosure such information provided by a private entity in connection with a franchise, lease, or use under a solar services agreement.

Adds an exemption to the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act (§ 2.2-3800 et seq.) for personal information systems maintained by sheriff's departments of counties and cities that deal with investigations and intelligence gathering relating to criminal activity and limits the existing exemptions for personal information systems maintained by the Department of State Police, police departments of localities and of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission, and sheriff's departments to those personal information systems that deal with investigations and intelligence gathering related to criminal activity. The bill contains technical amendments. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Requires the Board of Education to promulgate regulations for the designation of School Divisions of Innovation in which the local school board in the local school division or any school therein so designated shall, pursuant to a plan of innovation, be exempted from certain regulatory provisions and be permitted to adopt alternative policies for school administrators, teachers, and staff to meet the diverse needs of students and to improve student learning; educational performance; and college, career, and citizenship readiness skills in the local school division or any school therein.