Institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makes several changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under the Program subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General, (ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academic performance and good standing, and (iv) providing that upon acceptance, grant funds shall be disbursed to the applicable institution of higher education for credit against the recipient's student account.
Sponsored bills
Study; Department of Energy; local governments; purchases of clean energy; report. Requests the Department of Energy to study the barriers for local governments to directly purchase clean energy or to facilitate the purchase of clean energy by their constituents. In conducting its study, the Department shall consider existing ways for local governments to purchase clean energy and promote access to clean energy for their constituents, evaluate barriers and develop recommendations relating to reducing such barriers for local governments to purchase clean energy and encouraging the purchase of and access to clean energy by local governments and their constituents, and consult with relevant stakeholders as needed.
Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment; divorce from bed and board. Eliminates the one-year waiting period for being decreed a divorce on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment by either party. The bill also repeals the provision allowing for a divorce from bed and board on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment. The provisions of the bill apply to suits for divorce filed on or after July 1, 2024.
Income tax subtraction; professional firefighter pension. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of firefighter benefits in taxable year 2024, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2025, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2026 and each year thereafter. The bill defines firefighter benefits to include retirement income related to firefighting services and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a firefighter whose death occurred in the line of duty.
Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023.
Housing opportunity tax credit. Increases, for calendar years 2023 through 2025, the amount of housing opportunity tax credits that may be claimed from $60 million per calendar year to $100 million per calendar year.
Income tax; contributions to Virginia College Savings Plan accounts; report. Increases the maximum individual income tax deduction for amounts paid or contributed to a prepaid tuition contract or college savings trust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan from $4,000 to $7,500 in taxable year 2024, $11,000 in taxable year 2025, and $15,000 for taxable year 2026 and thereafter. Such amount shall be adjusted for changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) beginning in taxable year 2024. The deduction is limited to $4,000 for taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income that is greater than $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for married persons filing a joint return. The bill also creates an individual or corporate deduction, as applicable, of up to $4,000 for the amount a child day center or child day program paid or contributed to a customer's or client's prepaid tuition contract or college savings trust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan. The bill also provides a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for 35 percent of expenses incurred by a business during the taxable year for contributions into a Virginia College Savings Plan account owned by an employee of the business. If the employee receiving the contribution is a qualified employee, as defined in the bill, the bill specifies that the credit shall not exceed $500 annually for each such employee. If the employee receiving the contribution is a qualified employee who is not highly compensated, as defined in the bill, the bill specifies that the credit shall not exceed $1,000 annually for each such employee. The bill provides that the total amount of tax credits available for a calendar year shall not exceed $5 million and that any unused tax credit may be carried over for five years.
Commissioner of Health; work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement. Increases from five days to 14 days the mandatory waiting period after a landlord serves written notice on a tenant notifying the tenant of his nonpayment of rent and of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if rent is not paid before the landlord may pursue remedies for termination of the rental agreement. The bill also provides that if a summons for unlawful detainer is filed to terminate a tenancy specifically for nonpayment of rent pursuant to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, the initial hearing on such summons shall occur as soon as practicable, but not more than 14 days from the date of filing, and if the case cannot be heard within 14 days from the date of filing, the initial hearing shall be held as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 21 days after the date of the filing.
Teacher and support staff compensation; at orabove national average. Requires that public school teachersbe compensated at a rate that is at or above the national averageteacher salary. Under current law, compensation at such rate is aspirational.The bill also requires that public school instructional and noninstructionalsupport staff be compensated at a rate that is at or above the nationalaverage salary for such staff. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund an annual increase for public school teacher and instructionaland noninstructional support staff salaries such that, no later thanthe 2028-2029 school year, such individuals are compensated at arate that is at or above the respective national average salary.