Del. J.R. Henson

Commending Peter A. Blake.

Commending Scott McGeary.

Commending the John J. Wright Educational andCultural Center.

Commending the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation.

Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program and Fund; firearm and ammunition tax. Establishes the Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (the Program) and redirects funds from the Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund (the Fund) to support such program. The bill requires the Program be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) to distribute grants to localities and organizations for the purpose of improving public health and safety by supporting effective violence reduction initiatives in communities that are disproportionately impacted by violence, particularly homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults. The bill provides that funds may also be used to finance the hiring of counselors in public elementary and secondary schools and research initiatives that have the objective of reducing gun violence.The bill provides that the Department shall issue grants on a competitive basis. As a condition of receiving a grant, a locality or organization must commit a cash or in-kind contribution equivalent to the amount of the grant, with waivers allowed for good cause, and report on its progress toward achieving the grant's objectives. The bill requires the Department to provide public access to such reports.The bill imposes a five percent tax on the sale of any firearm or ammunition, with all revenue from the tax accruing to the Fund. Under the bill, firearm and ammunition sales to state or local agencies or law-enforcement officers are exempt from such tax.

Weapons; possession or transportation; facility that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to possess in or transport into any facility that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including a hospital or an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and specifies exceptions to the prohibition.

Conservation of trees during land development process; authorized localities. Allows any locality to adopt an ordinance providing for the conservation of trees during the land development process. Under current law, only a locality within Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia) that meets certain population density and nonattainment classification criteria is authorized to adopt such an ordinance. This bill was incorporated into HB 1100.

Civilian deaths in custody; report. Requires every law-enforcement agency and correctional facility to report to the Department of Criminal Justice Services certain information regarding the death of any person who is detained, under arrest or in the process of being arrested, en route to be incarcerated, incarcerated, or otherwise in the custody of such law-enforcement agency or correctional facility. The bill provides that any law-enforcement agency or correctional facility that fails to comply may, at the discretion of the Department, be declared ineligible for state grants or funds. The bill also requires the Department to analyze the submitted data to (i) determine the means by which such information can be used to reduce the number of such deaths and (ii) examine the relationship, if any, between the number of such deaths and the actions of management of such law-enforcement agencies and correctional facilities. Finally, the bill requires the Director of the Department to annually report the findings and recommendations resulting from the analysis and interpretation of the data to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Attorney General beginning on or before July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter. This bill was incorporated into HB 611.

Study; JLARC; waiver of tuition and mandatoryfees at certain comprehensive community colleges; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the feasibilityof waiving tuition and mandatory fees for Virginia students who attendMountain Empire Community College, Southwest Virginia Community College,and Virginia Highlands Community College and report its findingsand recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November30, 2024.

JLARC; Department of Human Resource Management;Grievance Procedure Manual; report. Directs the Joint LegislativeAudit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a review of the Departmentof Human Resource Management's Grievance Procedure Manual as it relatesto the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires that JLARC evaluate the effectiveness of such proceduresand report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of theSenate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committeeon General Laws by November 1, 2024.