Del. Vivian Watts

Emissions inspections; fees; agreement for services and service charge fees. Increases from $3,500 to $5,000 the amount the emissions inspection program coordinator may be paid per year from each motor vehicle emissions inspection station for the provision and maintenance of each set of required equipment. The bill also increases from $28 to $30 the maximum charge for an emissions inspection and allows emissions inspection stations and on-road emissions inspectors to charge a credit card service charge that does not exceed three percent of the emissions inspection fee and that is not included in the maximum amount that may be charged for the emissions inspection fee.

Annual retail sales and use tax holiday. Establishes an annual retail sales and use tax holiday that takes place on the first full weekend in August beginning on July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2030. During such weekend, state retail sales and use tax will not apply to certain (i) school supplies, (ii) clothing and footwear, (iii) qualified products designated as Energy Star or WaterSense, (iv) portable generators, or (v) hurricane preparedness equipment. This bill is identical to SB 116.

Custodial interrogation of a child; failure to comply with section; inadmissibility of statement. Provides that if a law-enforcement officer knowingly fails to comply with existing law regarding parental notification and contact prior to a custodial interrogation of a child, any statements made by such child shall be inadmissible in any delinquency proceeding or criminal proceeding against such child, unless the attorney for the Commonwealth proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the statement was made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily.

Foreman of grand jury; oaths of jurors and witnesses.Clarifies the oath of the foreman and other grand jurors. Thisbill is a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia.

Civil commitments and temporary detention orders; definition of mental illness; neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities; Secretary of Health and Human Resources to evaluate placements for certain individuals; report. Specifies that for the purpose of civil commitments and temporary detention orders, behaviors and symptoms that manifest from a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability are excluded from the definition of mental illness and are, therefore, not a basis for placing an individual under a temporary detention order or committing an individual involuntarily to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The bill provides that if a state facility has reason to believe that an individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability, the state facility may require that a licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional reevaluate the individual's eligibility for a temporary detention order before the individual is admitted and shall promptly authorize the release of an individual held under a temporary detention order if the licensed psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional determines the individual's behaviors or symptoms are solely a manifestation of a neurocognitive disorder or neurodevelopmental disability. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to evaluate, identify, and develop placements for individuals with neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disabilities, as well as any statutory or funding changes needed to prevent inappropriate placements for such individuals, and to report his findings and recommendations by November 1, 2024. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 176.

Compensation of court-appointed counsel. Raises the limitation of fees that court-appointed counsel can receive for representation on various offenses in district and circuit courts. The bill also limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 356.

Forest Sustainability Fund; fund allocation. Provides that moneys from the Forest Sustainability Fund must be allocated proportionally among localities that forgo tax revenues as a result of the use value assessment and taxation for real estate devoted for forest use. The bill specifies that no locality shall receive an allocation of more than four percent or less than one-half of one percent of available funds from the Fund. This bill is identical to SB 129.

Department of Medical Assistances Services; financial eligibility standards for certain waivers providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend the financial eligibility standards for individuals receiving services under the Family and Individual Support Waiver, Community Living Waiver, and Building Independence Waiver (the DD Waivers). The bill requires the Department, when determining financial eligibility for the DD Waivers, to disregard any Social Security Disability Insurance income above the maximum monthly Supplemental Security Income as determined by the U.S. Social Security Administration; however, such Social Security Disability Insurance income shall not be disregarded for purposes of determining an individual's patient pay obligation. The bill also requires the Department to (i) analyze the implications of such amendments to the financial eligibility standards for individuals under the DD waivers, which shall include a determination of the costs and the number of individuals who would benefit from such amendments and (ii) report its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Health and Human Services and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2024. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 676.

Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; provision of physical evidence recovery kits. Requires each baccalaureate public institution of higher education to either (i) staff its on-campus student health center with at least one on-campus certified sexual assault forensic examiner for the purpose of administering a physical evidence recovery kit to any student who is in need of such a kit or (ii) enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local organization or entity that is capable of providing the services of a certified sexual assault forensic examiner for the purpose of administering a physical evidence recovery kit to any student who is in need of such a kit.

Financial institutions; reporting financial exploitation of senior citizens. Requires each financial institution with more than 20 employees to conduct a training to instruct the employees and officers of such financial institution on how to identify and report the suspected financial exploitation of a senior citizen, as defined in the bill, internally at such financial institution, to a designated trusted contact, as defined in the bill, and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and local law-enforcement authorities. The bill permits financial institutions with fewer than 20 employees to opt to provide such training in accordance with the bill's provisions. The bill requires an employee or officer of a financial institution who has received such training and reasonably believes that the financial exploitation of a senior citizen has occurred to promptly report such suspected financial exploitation to the FBI, the Department, and local law-enforcement authorities and permits such employee or officer to report such financial exploitation to any designated trusted contact unless such employee or officer reasonably believes that such trusted contact is involved in financial exploitation or other abuse of such senior citizen. The bill provides that no employees or officers who have received training pursuant to the bill's provisions shall be liable for disclosures pursuant to the bill's provisions if such disclosure was made in good faith and with reasonable care. The bill states that no financial institution that has provided training pursuant to the bill's provisions shall be liable for disclosures made by employees or officers of such financial institution pursuant to the bill's provisions.