Del. J.R. Henson

Towing fees; Commonwealth Trespass Towing Rate-SettingAdvisory Panel established. Creates the Commonwealth TrespassTowing Rate-Setting Advisory Panel to advise the General Assemblyand the Governor on statewide trespass towing fees and related ancillaryfees. The bill increases from $150 to $190 the maximum statewide hookupand initial towing fee of any passenger car, from $30 to $65 the maximum ancillary fee for towing a vehicle between 7:00 p.m. and8:00 a.m., and from $30 to $35 the maximum ancillary fee for towinga vehicle on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday. The bill clarifiesthat such limitations on fees do not include any reasonable creditcard fees. The bill requires localities to set their own towing ratesto at least the amounts of the maximum statewide rates and removesrequirements specific to Planning Districts 8 and 16 regarding localitiessetting their own towing rates.

Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank; created.Creates the Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank, an authorityto promote and catalyze investment in qualified projects that reducegreenhouse gas emissions, assist climate-impacted communities, andpromote environmental justice. The bill requires the Bank to be governedby a board of directors with the authority to hire a president and create a nonstock corporation to carry out the powers and dutiesof the bank.

National Teacher Certification Incentive RewardProgram and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. Renamesthe National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fundas the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program andFund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fundpursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained nationalcertification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standardsto (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial nationalcertification or maintenance of national certification to cover certaincosts of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) allpublic school staff who have successfully obtained or maintainedsuch certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annualincentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staffwho have obtained or maintained such certification. Current law declaresas eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in thefirst year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who haveobtained or maintained such certification.

Special grand juries. Directs a circuitcourt to impanel a special grand jury when an unarmed person is killedby a law-enforcement officer or a correctional officer, as thoseterms are defined in relevant law, to investigate and report on anycondition that involves or tends to promote criminal activity andconsider bills of indictment to determine whether there is sufficientprobable cause to return each such indictment as a "true bill." Thebill requires the court to appoint a special prosecutor for suchspecial grand jury who may be present during the investigatory stageonly when his presence is requested by the special grand jury andmay interrogate witnesses provided the special grand jury requestsor consents to such interrogation. The bill states that the attorneyfor the Commonwealth shall not be present during the investigatorystage or interrogate witnesses.

Water certificates or permits; compliance withwater quality standards. Requires the State Water Control Boardto ensure all activities allowed under any water certificate or permitare in compliance with the water quality standards promulgated bythe Board.

High-occupancy toll lanes; disabled veteranlicense plates. Provides that, on Interstate 95, vehicles displayinga disabled veteran license plate meet the high-occupancy requirementfor high-occupancy toll lanes, regardless of the number of occupantsin the vehicle.

Conveyance of easement. Authorizes the Departmentof Conservation and Recreation to grant and convey a temporary constructionand ingress and egress easement over Neabsco Road at LeesylvaniaState Park to the Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. Theeasement will allow ingress and egress for the repairs and restorationto a slope failure due to poor soils on the neighborhood open spaceproperty by the Newport Estates Homeowners Association.

Central State Hospital; psychiatric bed allocation. Directs Central State Hospital to designate additional beds as forensicand psychiatric beds.

Misdemeanor; maximum term of confinement.Reduces from 12 months to 364 days the maximum term of confinementin jail for a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill contains technical amendments.

Electric utilities; regulation of rates; prohibited recovery; report. Provides that the State Corporation Commissionshall consider any rate, toll, charge, or schedule of a public utilityjust and reasonable only if the investor-owned public electric utilityhas demonstrated that no parts of such rates, tolls, charges, orschedules includes costs for activities as prohibited by the bill.The bill prohibits investor-owned electric utilities from recoveringthrough base rates any direct or indirect costs associated with certainprohibited recovery activities listed in the bill. The bill requireseach such utility to submit an annual report to the Commission startingJuly 1, 2025, of specific information related to the prohibited recoveryactivities listed in the bill. The bill also permits the Commissionto impose a fee on any utility acting in violation of the provisionsof the bill in an amount equal to the amount improperly recoveredby the utility through any prohibited recovery activity listed inthe bill.