Del. Marty Martinez

Compensation of court-appointed counsel. Raises the limitation of fees that court-appointed counsel can receive for representation on various offenses in district and circuit courts. The bill also limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 356.

Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; inclusive housing plan; individuals with disabilities. Directs the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Commissioner) to work with stakeholders to develop a plan to ensure that people with disabilities across the Commonwealth, including individuals affected by the Settlement Agreement entered into on August 23, 2012, pursuant to U.S. of America v. Commonwealth of Virginia, have an opportunity to access affordable and inclusive housing, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commissioner to present the plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025.

Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

High school graduation requirements; satisfaction of certain course credits with workforce credentials; development and maintenance of list of accepted credentials. Requires the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, Career and Technical Education directors, and industry partners, to develop and maintain a current, comprehensive, and uniform list of industry-recognized workforce credentials that students may take as a substitute for certain units of credit required for graduation, including such credentials that are accepted as substitutes for electives credits and credentials completed outside of regular school hours. The bill requires each school board to accept as a substitute for a required credit any credential listed as an accepted substitute for such required credit. The bill also requires any College and Career Access Pathways Partnership entered into between a school board and a comprehensive community college to specify, consistent with the list, industry-recognized credentials that are accepted as substitutes for certain credits required for high school graduation. Finally, the bill requires the Board, in establishing graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute elective credits for completion of any industry-approved workforce credential that is included on the list as an accepted substitute for such credits. This bill incorporates HB 1009 and is identical to SB 199.

Forest Sustainability Fund; fund allocation. Provides that moneys from the Forest Sustainability Fund must be allocated proportionally among localities that forgo tax revenues as a result of the use value assessment and taxation for real estate devoted for forest use. The bill specifies that no locality shall receive an allocation of more than four percent or less than one-half of one percent of available funds from the Fund. This bill is identical to SB 129.

Declawing cats; prohibition; civil penalty.Makes unlawful the practice of declawing cats except as necessaryfor a therapeutic purpose, as defined in the bill, and creates acivil penalty of $500 for the first violation, $1,000 for the secondviolation, and $2,500 for the third or any subsequent violation. The bill also entitles any animal control officer, humane investigator,or state or local law-enforcement officer to bring a civil actionfor a violation of this section.

Local government powers; regulation of tobacco, nicotine, and hemp product retail sale locations. Allows a locality to regulate the retail sale locations of tobacco products, nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, or hemp products intended for smoking for any such retail sale location and may prohibit a retail sale location on property within 1,000 linear feet of a child day center or a public, private, or parochial school.

Firearm safety device tax credit; definition of firearm safety device. Expands the definition of "firearm safety device" as it relates to the firearm safety device tax credit to include any device that, when installed on a firearm, is designed to prevent the firearm from being operated without first deactivating the device. The provisions of the bill are effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2024. This bill incorporates HB 945.

Towing violations; enforcement; fuel surcharge fee. Authorizes localities in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed and regulate the monitoring practices that may be used by towing and recovery operators. Current law authorizes localities other than those in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed. The bill changes the penalty for certain trespass towing offenses in Planning District 8 from $150 per violation paid to the Literary Fund to 10 times the total amount charged for such removal, towing, and storage to be paid to the victim of the unlawful towing. The bill also changes the expiration date of the authorization for towing and recovery operators to charge a fuel surcharge fee of no more than $20 for each vehicle towed or removed from private property without the consent of its owner and the prohibition on local governing bodies limiting or prohibiting such fee from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.

Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028.