Del. J.R. Henson

Employee Child Care Assistance Program and Fund; established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Programand Fund to provide matching funds to in order to incentivize employersto contribute to the child care costs of their employees. To participatein the program, an employer is required to enter into an agreementwith its employee and an eligible mixed-delivery provider, definedin the bill, to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-deliveryprovider on behalf of the employee, and the Department of Educationwill issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-deliveryprovider or to a third-party administrator. The bill provides thatthe state match shall not exceed 100 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare equal to or less than the local median household income, definedin the bill, and shall not exceed 80 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare greater than the local median household income. The bill requiresthat 25 percent of the Fund be used to provide state matching fundsfor employees of small businesses.

Signing of pleadings, motions, and other papers;electronic signatures. Clarifies that an electronic signatureor a digital image of a signature shall satisfy the requirement in current law that every pleading, motion, or other paper of a partybe signed by at least one attorney of record. This bill is a recommendationof the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties; issuance of marriage license. Provides that no person authorized to issue a marriage license shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill also requires that such lawful marriages be recognized in the Commonwealth regardless of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. This bill is identical to SB 101.

Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities; trusts; certain nonvested property interests or powers of appointment over property or property interests. Extends from 90 years to 1,000 years the period for which a nonvested property interest held in trust may vest or terminate, or for which a power of appointment over property or property interests may be exercised. The bill clarifies that such extension applies only to such interests or powers that were created on or after July 1, 2024, and that such extension does not apply to real property held in trust or a power of appointment over real property granted under a trust. The bill also provides that the current law that allows the terms of a trust instrument to provide an exception to the Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities shall apply only to a nonvested interest in or power of appointment over personal property held in trust, or a power of appointment over personal property granted under a trust, if such interest or power was created between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2024, but shall not apply to such interests or powers created on or after July 1, 2024. This bill is identical to SB 470.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable OnzleeWare.

Commending Service Employees International Union,Local 32BJ.

Commending Vinegar Hill Magazine.

Commending The Cavalier Daily.

Commending Sandy Hausman.

Commending Terri Allard.