Virginia Bills

Adds to the existing sales tax holiday for school supplies, clothing, and footwear an exemption for computers sold at $700 or less. The bill removes from the hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday the exemption for generators. The bill extends the sunset dates for the school supplies and hurricane preparedness sales tax holidays from 2017 to 2022.

Imposes a new one percent retail sales and use tax on the sale of spirits at Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission-operated stores in the Commonwealth. The revenues would be deposited into a new fund to be used to support law-enforcement personnel and law-enforcement duties in the Commonwealth, as may be specified in a general appropriation act.

Exempts from the public hearing requirement prior to disposal of real property by a locality the conveyance of utility easements related to transportation projects. This bill was incorporated into

Removes requirements regarding specific areas of expertise for members appointed to the Board of Veterans Services (the Board) by the Governor. The bill also (i) extends the number of consecutive terms for legislative members from four to six two-year terms for members of the House of Delegates and from two to three four-year terms for members of the Senate; (ii) removes the requirements that the Board be organized into at least three standing committees; and (iii) makes other changes to the administration of the Board and the eligibility for reappointment of nonlegislative citizen members of the Board. This bill was incorporated into

Requires the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority (the Authority) to develop a comprehensive operational plan for the Authority, including, at a minimum, the following components: (i) a plan for coordination with all state agencies administering economic development incentive programs to ensure that such programs consistently achieve maximum effectiveness, (ii) the results of the most recent survey of all economic development partners assessing the effectiveness of the Authority's coordination with nonstate economic development organizations and the alignment of the Authority's strategic plan with economic development partners, and (iii) an evaluation of grant incentive awards programs administered by the Authority. The initial plan must be submitted by December 1, 2017, to the Authority's Board for review and approval. After approval, the CEO must report quarterly to the Board regarding the status of the implementation of the plan. In addition, the bill changes the membership requirements of the Board by removing the conditions that the Governor's appointees represent the state's congressional districts and changing the appointments of legislative appointees from membership at large to requirements for general areas of expertise. The bill changes all terms from six to four years and provides for the 12 citizen members appointed by the Governor to be re-staggered beginning in 2017. The bill also (a) provides for the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to serve as the chairman of the Authority's Board, (b) establishes the Division of Grant Administration within the Authority, (c) creates an Office of Internal Audit, and (d) provides for the Authority to staff the Governor's cabinet-level committee assisting the Secretary of Commerce and Trade in developing the state's comprehensive economic development strategy.