Public schools; school security and discipline; employment of school security officers; training requirements. Amends the requirements for the training course of which an individual employed as a school security officer is required to submit proof of completion to the Department of Criminal Justice Services in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by (i) eliminating the requirement that such training course include training in active shooter emergency response and, instead, requiring it to include training in critical incident preparedness and response and (ii) clarifying that such training course include training in behavioral threat assessment.
New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program; eligible institutions. Includes private technical schools offering industry-recognized noncredit workforce credentials in high-demand fields in conjunction with comprehensive community colleges as institutions that are eligible to participate in and receive reimbursement for student program completion and credential attainment pursuant to the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program.
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 53.1-218.1 and 53.1-218.2, relating to the Ice-Free Communities Act; notification to federal immigration authorities of pending release of certain persons from custody.
Police Chief Bill of Rights. Creates independent protections and procedures for certain chiefs of police, defined in the bill, by requiring a showing of just cause when a chief of police is proposed for removal from office. The bill requires that a police chief be given written notice of the specific grounds for his proposed removal and that such police chief be afforded an opportunity to be heard in his own defense, personally and with counsel, before an impartial hearing panel.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any capital outlay project, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs, maintain records of compliance with applicable laws, and participate in approved apprenticeship training programs. The bill provides exemptions from such requirements for reasons related to lack of availability of apprentices and high costs. The provisions of the bill do not apply to transportation-related construction projects. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Investment of public funds; precious metals commodities; virtual currency. Authorizes public entities to invest public funds, except sinking funds, in (i) commodities exchange-traded products, defined in the bill, that invest in precious metals and (ii) virtual currencies. The bill requires the Treasury Board to establish and maintain strict guidelines concerning any investments authorized in the bill and requires public entities making such investments to monitor the performance of such investments for compliance with the guidelines.
State correctional facilities; required education or vocational training; earned sentence credits classification levels. Requires a prisoner in a state correctional facility, as a part of his reentry plan developed and implemented by the Department of Corrections, to complete a high school equivalency test or vocational, technical, or other certification prior to such prisoner's release. The bill also provides that the annual review of a prisoner's classification level for earned sentence credits shall include such prisoner's quantifiable or measurable progress, as available, in any programs, job assignments, and educational curricula in which he is participating, such as test scores achieved or completion of a high school equivalency test or other trade or vocational certification.
Virginia Retirement System; return to work; break in service. Reduces from six months to one month the length of the required break in service after retirement for a teacher before such person may return to work full time and continue to receive his pension under the Virginia Retirement System.
Virginia Health Care Fund; additional funding and uses; emergency. Expands allowable funding sources of the Virginia Health Care Fund to include appropriated state general fund moneys and moneys from public and private sources. The bill allows moneys from the Fund to be used for financial assistance to organizations and service providers that provide health care services, or expand the provision of health care services, to populations protected by the Virginia Human Rights Act. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Elections; districts, precincts, and polling places; super precincts; pilot program. Authorizes the State Board of Elections to conduct a pilot program under which one or more counties or cities with a population of more than 350,000 and less than 400,000 in the most recent United States census whose proposal for participation in such pilot program is unanimously approved by the State Board would be permitted to use super precincts in elections. The bill requires the governing body of a county or city applying to participate in the pilot program to submit a plan for participation that includes (i) the number of super precincts to be established in the county or city and the boundaries of each such super precinct, (ii) the number of vote centers to be established in each super precinct and the location of each such vote center, (iii) the elections during which such super precincts and vote centers are to be used, and (iv) a description of the process for operating such vote centers on election day, including how voters will be checked in, how ballots will be provided, how votes will be counted, and any additional voting systems that will be used to ensure the integrity of the election. The bill defines "super precinct" as the territory established by a county or city and approved by the State Board pursuant to the pilot program, to be served by one or more vote centers, and "vote center" as the structure that contains a place provided for a super precinct at which the qualified voters who are residents of the super precinct may vote in an election. The bill contains minimum criteria for any proposal for participation in the pilot program. The bill requires the State Board report on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program by December 1 of any year in which one or more localities participate in the pilot program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.
Expenses of localities and constitutional offices related to presidential visits; publishing unreimbursed expenses; budget. Requires each locality and constitutional officer to determine all expenses of the locality or office of the constitutional officer, respectively, related to the provision of security for visits to the locality by the President of the United States. The bill specifies that a locality or office of a constitutional officer that incurs such expenses shall seek reimbursement from the appropriate agency of the federal government within 30 days of incurring the expenses and shall concurrently publish such expenses on its official website, if one exists. The bill also requires each locality and constitutional officer that anticipates incurring expenses in the upcoming fiscal year related to the provision of security for visits to the locality by the President of the United States to include the total anticipated expenses in the locality's budget or the constitutional officer's budget request for such fiscal year.
Elections; primary dates; presidential year primaries. Provides that all primaries for offices to be filled at the November election in presidential election years shall be held on the date of the presidential primary. With respect to candidates for election in November of a presidential election year, the bill also lifts the requirement that petition signatures must be collected after January 1 of the presidential election year. The bill adjusts campaign finance filing deadlines for candidates in presidential year elections to account for the March primary date.
