General Laws and Technology

Fantasy contests; regulation and taxation. Imposes (i) a 10 percent tax on a fantasy contest operator's fantasy contest revenue, with 2.5 percent of the tax revenue being allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and the remaining 97.5 percent being allocated to the general fund, and (ii) a 2.6 percent fee on a fantasy contests operator's fantasy contest revenue to be utilized by the Virginia Lottery to cover the costs of administration and regulation of fantasy contests in the Commonwealth. The bill also limits the definition of "fantasy contest" and requires fantasy contest operators to apply to the Virginia Lottery for a permit before offering any fantasy contest in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 129.

Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers. Authorizes localities to create a regional authority to operate and manage emergency communication services including public safety answering points. The bill authorizes such authorities to employ or contract for personnel, acquire and manage property, enter into agreements, and receive and expend funds, and requires compliance with the standards of the 9-1-1 Services Board.

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 1022.

Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs. Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; liquefied petroleum gas fitters; service disconnection requirements; civil penalties. Requires a liquefied petroleum gas fitter, within 14 days after receiving a customer's request to discontinue liquefied petroleum gas delivery service, to offer in writing to remove any remaining liquefied petroleum gas from such customer's storage tank and reimburse the customer for the cost of the removed liquefied petroleum gas at the prevailing rate, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, if a customer accepts such offer, the liquefied petroleum gas fitter shall carry out such removal and reimbursement within 30 days after such acceptance. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.