Del. J.R. Henson

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.

Prescription of opioids; sickle cell anemia.Exempts prescribers from certain requirements of the PrescriptionMonitoring Program related to prescribing opioids if the opioid isprescribed to a patient for pain management related to sickle cellanemia.

Public school staffing ratios; teachers; Englishlanguage learner students. Requires state funding to be providedpursuant to the general appropriation act to support divisionwideratios of English language learner students in average daily membershipto full-time equivalent teaching positions as follows: (i) for eachEnglish language learner identified as proficiency level one or two,one position per 20 students; (ii) for each English language learneridentified as proficiency level three or four, one position per 40 students; and (iii) for each English language learner identifiedas proficiency level five or in monitor status, one position per100 students. Current law requires state funding to be provided pursuantto the general appropriation act to support one such teaching positionper 50 English language learner students, regardless of the identifiedEnglish proficiency level of such students.

School boards; meetings; public comment or citizen participation; enrolled students. Requires each school boardto permit any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondaryschool in the local school division who provides acceptable proofof identification, including any current student identification cardor other school document such as a report card or a personal schoolemail address, and who signs up at least 12 hours in advance of thescheduled start of a school board meeting or is physically presentat a school board meeting to submit oral comments during any publiccomment or citizen participation portion of such meeting.

Board of Education; Standards of Learning; familylife education; health education; menstrual education curriculumguidelines and instruction. Requires the Board of Education todevelop Standards of Learning objectives and accompanying curriculumguidelines for instruction on menstrual education, to be providedat grade levels four through eight and to be required of all students,regardless of gender. The bill requires such Standards of Learningobjectives and accompanying curriculum guidelines on menstrual educationto include instruction on the biological processes and functionsof the menstrual cycle, menstrual cycle symptoms, side effects, andmanagement, societal and cultural attitudes toward the menstrualcycle, and other topics relating to the menstrual cycle. The bill requires each school board to provide at grade levels four througheight instruction on the menstrual education, consistent with theStandards of Learning objectives and accompanying curriculum guidelinesdeveloped by the Board. The bill permits each school board to providesuch instruction on menstrual education as a part of an existingfamily life education program or an existing health education program,provided that such instruction is provided to each student at eachgrade level, four through eight, regardless of gender.

Department of Energy; building standards forcertain local buildings. Requires the Department of Energy to provide technical assistance to localities, subject to availablebudgetary resources, as localities implement mandates related toenergy and resilience standards for construction or renovation ofcertain public buildings. The bill also requires the Department toconduct an annual survey of localities to obtain information on relatedactivities and to identify the needs of localities with respect totechnical assistance and training. The bill also makes several technicaland clarifying changes to the existing statute, in part by definingor redefining existing terms found in the statute.

Manufactured home parks; resident rights.Provides that a rental agreement with a term of one year or more will not be automatically renewed if the tenant notifies the landlord60 days prior to the expiration date of such tenant's intent to notrenew the agreement. The bill permits a tenant to not renew a rentalagreement due to a change in terms of the agreement by the landlordif such tenant notifies the landlord of his intent to not renew therental agreement within 30 days of receiving the notice of the changein terms. The bill allows a landlord to include in a written rentalagreement a late fee, not to exceed 10 percent of the amount of therent due and owed, for unpaid rental payments. The bill increasesfrom 60 days or more to less than one year the term of a rental agreementthat may be terminated by written notice at least 60 days prior tothe termination date of the agreement. Finally, the bill removes theright of a landlord to evict a tenant for two or more violationsof any rule or provision of the rental agreement occurring withina six-month period.

Towing companies; local authority. Clarifies that the provisions of existing law authorizing localities in Planning District 8 to require towing companies that tow from the county, city, or town to a storage or release location outside of the locality to obtain a permit to do so do not restrict or modify the authority of the locality to require that towing companies that tow and store or release vehicles within the county, city, or town to obtain from the locality a permit to do so.

State Department of Social Services; Home Energy Assistance Program. Authorizes the State Department of Social Services to allow applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program to be submitted over an application period that provides adequate time for individuals to apply and is extended beyond the current application period subject to the availability of adequate funding.

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.