Del. Alfonso Lopez

Assistance for certain voters outside of the polling place; definition of "person with a disability"; training. Amends the definition of "person with a disability" for purposes of the Elections title to mean any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his major life activities or who has a record of such impairment. The bill provides that any qualified voter who is a person with a disability shall be eligible for assistance outside of the polling place and makes technical amendments for consistency. The bill requires the training required for all officers of election to include specific training on voting outside of a polling place and directs the Department of Elections to incorporate into guidance documents for election officials the processes and procedures for voting outside of the polling place, including best practices for providing assistance for voters with disabilities. This bill is identical to SB 605.

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to SB 704.

Public high schools; research-based hazing prevention instruction. Requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for research-based hazing prevention instruction to be provided as a part of physical or health education instruction provided to students in grade nine or 10. The bill requires such hazing prevention instruction to include age-appropriate, extensive, and current education about hazing, including (i) examples of hazing; (ii) the dangers of hazing, including the consequences of alcohol intoxication; and (iii) school policies and laws related to hazing, including criminal penalties and bystander intervention. The bill requires such research-based hazing prevention instruction to be offered in-person but requires each school board to provide options for virtual participation for any student who is enrolled in an online or virtual physical or health education program. Finally, the bill requires each school board to provide such research-based hazing prevention instruction beginning with the school year following the Board's adoption of revised Standards of Learning for physical and health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such research-based hazing prevention instruction and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such research-based hazing prevention instruction available to local school boards. This bill is identical to SB 379.

Soybean Board; assessment from sale of soybeans.Changes the amount of the assessment for research, education,publicity, and the promotion of the sale and use of soybeans, currentlyat $0.02 per bushel, to a rate of one half of one percent of thenet market price per bushel.

Mineral mining and processing; use of cyanideor a cyanide compound prohibited. Prohibits any miner or otherperson from using cyanide or a cyanide compound in any mineral miningor processing operation.

Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program; allocation of funds. Removes the prohibition on the allocation of funds to the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program unless federal funds are available in an amount that would cover the entire cost of such an allocation. This bill is identical to SB 25.

Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Programand Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural InfrastructureProgram and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costsassociated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stationsin certain localities. The bill provides that a private developeris eligible to receive grants of 70 percent of such non-utility costsfor electric vehicle charging stations installed in a city or countythat meets the criteria of a distressed locality, as defined in thebill, and caps the total amount of grants awarded in any fiscal yearat $25 million.

Consumer protection; transparency in ticketfees; civil penalties. Provides that every ticket of admissionor other evidence of right of entry for admission to a professionalconcert, professional sporting event, or professional theatricalproduction, to which a price is charged, shall bear on its face theprice charged for such ticket or other evidence of right of entryby the person issuing the same or causing the same to be issued.The bill allows for a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor morethan $5,000 for each violation.

Commending the Honorable L. Kaye Kory.

Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties; issuance of marriage license. Provides that no person authorized to issue a marriage license shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill also requires that such lawful marriages be recognized in the Commonwealth regardless of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. This bill is identical to SB 101.