Del. Ian Lovejoy

Real property tax; exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses; driveways. Clarifies that any driveway used to access land otherwise exempt from real property taxes as being owned by a veteran who has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability shall also be exempt from such taxation. The bill also clarifies that any driveway used to access land otherwise exempt from real property taxes due to being owned by a surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces who died in the line of duty shall be similarly exempt from real property taxes.

Commissioner of Highways; prequalification program for self-bonding program; certain reports; repealed. Removes (i) the biennial report requirement for the Commissioner of Highways regarding the use of funds in the Innovation and Technology Transportation Fund; (ii) the requirement for a prequalification program agreed upon by the Commissioner of Highways and the Department of the Treasury for the self-bonding program for transportation-related construction projects; and (iii) reporting requirements for the Department of Transportation regarding certain information related to performance or payment bonds, waivers, and self-bonding program enrollment.

Registration decals; discontinued. Discontinues the requirement for and issuance of decals displaying the expiration month and year of motor vehicle registration to be displayed on license plates. The bill also removes the requirement for the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue appropriately designated license plates for motor vehicles held for rental. The bill does not eliminate existing requirements that vehicles are to be registered. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Future in Focus Program. Establishes the Future in Focus Program to provide services and support to individuals 21, 22, and 23 years of age who participated in the Fostering Futures program immediately prior to attaining 21 years of age. Such services and support shall be designed to assist participants in transitioning to adulthood, becoming self-sufficient, and creating permanent, positive relationships. The bill directs the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations to implement the bill's provisions.

Voter registration; cancellation of registration; notice of cancellation; new address if available. Requires general registrars to cancel the registration of any person for whom a notice has been submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles in accordance with the Driver License Compact and forwarded to the general registrar that the voter has moved from the Commonwealth, provided that the registrar mail notice of such cancellation to the person at his new address, as reported to the DMV, if available, and the address at which the person most recently had been registered in Virginia. Under current law, such cancellation is permissive and there is no provision for availability regarding the notice of cancellation required to be mailed to the person's new address.

Voter registration; lists of registered voters and persons voting; publication of costs. Requires the Department of Elections to publish on its website the cost of purchasing lists of registered voters and lists of persons voting at elections.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); personal property tax; exemption for motor vehicles owned for personal, noncommercial use. Requires the General Assembly to exempt from personal property taxes motor vehicles owned by an individual for personal, noncommercial use, provided that for the first year following the effective date of such law, the exemption shall be equal to 20 percent of the tax rate imposed by a locality on tangible personal property, and shall increase by an additional 20 percent of such rate for each year thereafter until such time that the exemption is equal to 100 percent. For purposes of the exemption, "motor vehicle" includes only automobiles, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. The amendment provides that the exemption is applicable on the date the motor vehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whichever is later, but is not applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date.

Phase II Utility; plan for certain generation and transmission infrastructure costs. Directs a Phase II Utility, as defined in existing law, to develop and file with the State Corporation Commission every two years a plan for addressing the risk of generation and transmission infrastructure costs associated with providing electric service to new customers that are data centers, as defined in existing law, being stranded with new customers.

Voter registration; cancellation of registration by voter; effective for the immediately proceeding election. Provides that any valid authorization for cancellation submitted by a registered voter prior to the day of the immediately proceeding election shall be effective in such election. Under current law, when submitted by any means other than when notarized or in person, such cancellation must be made at least 22 days prior to an election in order to be valid in that election.

Elections; voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.