Approved by Governor-Chapter 571 (effective 7/1/17)
Revises the membership of the Secure Commonwealth Panel, renamed the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, and requires the Panel to create an Emergency Management Awareness Group consisting of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology. The bill requires the Group to meet during a state of emergency to review critical information concerning such situation to facilitate communication between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government. The bill dissolves the Virginia Emergency Response Council and transfers its duties to the Panel. The bill contains technical amendments.
Provides that information contained in engineering and construction drawings and plans for any single-family residential dwelling submitted for the purpose of complying with the Uniform Statewide Building Code (§ 36-97 et seq.) or the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (§ 27-94 et seq.) shall be confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), except to the applicant or the owner of the property upon the applicant's or owner's request.
Provides that the Virginia Historical Society shall plan and lead the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of women's right to vote in 2020. The bill creates a 12-member task force to assist the Virginia Historical Society, in collaboration with the Library of Virginia, the Department of Education, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, the VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives, and interested civic and community organizations, in planning, developing, and performing programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The provisions of the bill expire on January 1, 2021.
Creates the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority to improve the transportation into, from, within, and through Southwest Virginia; assist in regional economic development; and generally enhance highway safety in the affected localities through development of a proposed Coalfields Expressway. The bill regulates the membership and duties of the Authority.
Renames the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Advisory Committee the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Steering Committee (the Steering Committee) and provides that the Deputy Secretary of Transportation shall serve as the chairman of the Steering Committee. The bill provides that, under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, a responsible public entity may grant approval for the development and/or operation of a transportation facility by a private entity if that private entity can develop and/or operate the transportation facility for less cost than the Department of Transportation (VDOT) or the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The bill requires the chief executive officer of the responsible public entity to certify in writing to the Governor and the General Assembly that there has been no material change to the finding that a public-private partnership is in the best interest of the public since the finding was issued and that the public contribution requested by the private entity does not exceed the maximum public contribution. The bill clarifies that the finding of public interest by the Steering Committee shall be made after receipt of responses to the request for qualifications and prior to the issuance of the first draft request for proposals. The bill requires the responsible public entity, when such entity is VDOT or DRPT, to ensure competition through the procurement process and develop a public sector analysis of the cost for the responsible entity to develop and/or operate the transportation facility. The bill requires VDOT or DRPT and the Steering Committee to review the public sector analysis prior to the initiation of any procurement. The bill adds to the information required to be included in the finding of public interest a description of the benefits expected to be realized by the responsible public entity and a public sector analysis demonstrating that the private sector can deliver the project for less cost than the responsible public entity. This bill is identical to
Approved by Governor-Chapter 533 (effective 7/1/17)
Requires that the Commissioner of Highways, in his annual report, report specifically about transportation projects approved or modified during the prior fiscal year and include a listing of the total number of lane miles of all primary and secondary roads that have been resurfaced and all primary and secondary roads that are rated "poor" or "very poor."
Increases from 50 to 75 miles the maximum travel distance allowable for travel to obtain supplies or from one part of the owner's land to another by a vehicle used for agricultural or horticultural purposes in order to qualify for exemption from the requirements to obtain a registration certificate, license plates, or decals and pay a registration fee. The bill also increases from 50 to 75 miles the maximum travel distance allowable by vehicles used for seasonal transportation of farm produce and from 20 to 75 miles the maximum travel distance allowable for vehicles owned by farmers and used to transport wood products in order to qualify for such exemption. The bill also provides that any law-enforcement officer may require any person operating a vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer and claiming the farm use exemption to provide, upon request, the address of the farm or lands owned or leased by the vehicle's owner or, if such address is unavailable or unknown, the real property parcel identification number of such lands.
Includes in the list of certain sex offenses that prohibit a person convicted of such offenses from being or residing in proximity to schools and certain other property where children congregate or from working on school property any offense similar to such offenses under the laws of any foreign country or political subdivision thereof or the United States or any political subdivision thereof. The prohibition regarding residing in proximity to a school that is predicated upon an offense similar to any offense under the laws of any foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or the United States or any political subdivision thereof, only applies to residences established on and after July 1, 2017.
Allows the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with any entity constructing interstate pipelines setting forth a reasonable procedure to identify and remedy damage caused by construction of such pipeline to public highways of the Commonwealth.
Provides that, notwithstanding the requirement for a referendum for liquor by the drink, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board may issue a mixed beverage license to establishments located on property (i) 2,135 feet north of the intersection of State Routes 1223 and 661 (Meadows Golf and Swim Club); (ii) on State Route 685 approximately 1,128 feet west of the intersection of State Routes 652 and 685; and (iii) adjacent to State Route 697 and operated as a country club in the Powell Valley section of Wise County.
