Rep. Marty Martinez

Department of Education; audit of educationpreparation programs at public institutions of higher education;science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction;frequency. Changes from once every seven years to bienniallythe frequency with which the Department of Education is requiredto audit each education preparation program for compliance with therequirements set forth in relevant law relating to student courseworkand mastery in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction.

Public high schools; personnel; career coachrequired. Requires each school board to employ at least one careercoach in each public high school in the local school division whoseduties are required to include assisting students with securing internships, externships, and credentialing opportunities as required by the Profileof a Virginia Graduate, providing students with information on apprenticeship programs, and connecting students to career opportunities. The billprovides that each such individual shall be employed in additionto and not as a replacement for the required school counselor positions,specialized student support positions, or support services positions.

Public school funding; nonpersonal cost categories;federal fund deduction methodology; support services. Requiresthe Department of Education, (i) in calculating nonpersonal costsin the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include the costsassociated with leased facilities and work-related employee travel and (ii) in calculating the deduction of federal funds in the Standardsof Quality funding formula, to examine actual school division spendingon support costs as a percentage of actual school division spendingon all public education costs, with certain exceptions such as foodservice. The bill also requires support services positions, whichincludes positions in each local school division that the schoolboard deems necessary for the efficient and cost-effective operationand maintenance of its public schools, to be funded based on a calculationof prevailing costs and prohibits such positions from being subjectto any method of funding calculation that caps the number of fundedsupport services positions based on a ratio of such positions tostudents enrolled in the local school division.

Public school staffing ratios; specializedstudent support positions. Increases the number of specialized student support positions required to be employed by each local schoolboard from at least three to at least four such positions per 1,000students in the local school division. Such specialized student supportpositions include school social workers, school psychologists, schoolnurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts,and other licensed health and behavioral positions.

Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committees. Requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (the Preparedness Fund) and adds the Advisory Review Committee to the list of those with whom the Department is required to consult in establishing guidelines regarding the distribution and prioritization of loans and grants from the Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund (the Revolving Fund) and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the Advisory Review Committee to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of grants or loans from the Revolving Fund to particular local governments and establishing the interest rates and repayment terms of such loans. The bill requires the Department to make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans from the two Funds and the actions taken thereon, post such applications within 15 calendar days of the loan or grant round application deadline, and provide an opportunity for a 30-day public comment period prior to each new loan offering to solicit feedback on proposed revisions to the funds' manuals. This bill was incorporated into HB 1458.

Income tax; contributions to Virginia College Savings Planaccounts; report. Increases the maximum individual income tax deduction foramounts paid or contributed to a prepaid tuition contract or college savingstrust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan from $4,000to $7,500 in taxable year 2024, $11,000 in taxable year 2025, and $15,000 fortaxable year 2026 and thereafter. Such amount shall be adjusted for changes inthe Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) beginning in taxableyear 2024. The deduction is limited to $4,000 for taxpayers with federaladjusted 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, asapplicable, of up to $4,000 for the amount a child day center or child dayprogram paid or contributed to a customer's or client's prepaid tuitioncontract or college savings trust account entered into with the Virginia CollegeSavings Plan.The bill also provides a nonrefundable income tax credit fortaxable years 2024 through 2028 for 35 percent of expenses incurred by abusiness during the taxable year for contributions into a Virginia CollegeSavings Plan account owned by an employee of the business. If the employeereceiving the contribution is a qualified employee, as defined in the bill, thebill specifies that the credit shall not exceed $500 annually for each suchemployee. If the employee receiving the contribution is a qualified employeewho is not highly compensated, as defined in the bill, the bill specifies thatthe credit shall not exceed $1,000 annually for each such employee. The billprovides that the total amount of tax credits available for a calendar year shallnot exceed $5 million and that any unused tax credit may be carried over forfive years.

Photo speed monitoring devices; location. Authorizesthe governing body of any county, city, or town to provide by ordinancefor the placement and operation of photo speed monitoring devicesin any location deemed necessary by the locality for the purposesof recording violations resulting from the operation of a vehiclein excess of the speed limit. The bill provides the same requirementsfor such devices, information collected from such devices, and anyenforcement actions resulting from information collected from suchdevices as current law applies to the use of such devices in schoolcrossing zones and highway work zones. The bill requires that twosigns, rather than one, be placed warning of such device if the deviceis placed somewhere other than a school crossing zone or highwaywork zone.

Photo speed monitoring devices; location.Authorizes the governing body of any county, city, or town to provideby ordinance for the placement and operation of photo speed monitoringdevices on any highway in such locality with a speed limit of 45 milesper hour or less that is located in a priority pedestrian corridoras identified by the Department of Transportation in the statewidePedestrian Safety Action Plan or other high-risk pedestrian corridoras designated by the Commissioner of Highways for the purposes ofrecording violations resulting from the operation of a vehicle inexcess of the speed limit. The bill provides the same requirementsfor such devices, information collected from such devices, and any enforcement actions resulting from information collected from suchdevices as current law applies to the use of such devices in schoolcrossing zones and highway work zones. The bill requires that twosigns, rather than one, be placed warning of such device if the deviceis placed somewhere other than a school crossing zone or highwaywork zone.

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirementbenefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provideenhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirementbenefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911dispatcher on or after July 1, 2025, but allows an employer, as thatterm is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcherbefore July 1, 2025, in addition to service earned on or after thatdate. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

Celebrating the life of Janet Marie Brooking.