Del. Alfonso Lopez

Public deposits; credit unions. Authorizescredit unions to hold public deposits and become qualified publicdepositories. The bill provides that the Commonwealth and counties, cities, towns, and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealthmay become members of a credit union for the purposes of placingdeposits in and receiving services from the credit union. The billdirects the Treasury Board to designate a rating service to evaluatethe creditworthiness of any credit union seeking to become a qualified public depository within 180 days of enactment. The bill also requiresthe Treasury Board to promulgate emergency regulations to implementthe provisions of the bill.

Commissioner of Health; work group to studythe occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinkingwater; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene awork group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth'spublic drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. Thebill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendationsto the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture,Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutionsand the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and NaturalResources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribeof Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek CherokeeTribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.

Study; procuring goods and services from employmentservice organizations; report. Requests the Department of GeneralServices, in tandem with the Department for Aging and RehabilitativeServices, to examine the current process for procurement, potentialset-asides or percentage goals that could be utilized or bolsteredby employment service organizations, and whether employment serviceorganizations should be housed within the Department of Small Businessand Supplier Diversity.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; consideration of best value concepts for construction services. Permits public bodies to consider best value concepts when procuring construction services. Under current law, public bodies may consider best value concepts only when procuring goods and nonprofessional services. This bill was incorporated into HB 1108.

Study; State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; guaranteed first-year admission; report. Requests the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to study the feasibility of implementing a guaranteed first-year admission policy at each public institution of higher education for certain high school graduates in the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Study; joint committee of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health; challenges faced by and effective strategies for ensuring the sustainable, long-term success of the five historically black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth; report. Establishes a joint committee consisting of five members of the House Committee on Education and three members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health to study the challenges faced by and effective strategies for ensuring the sustainable, long-term success of the five historically black colleges and universities in the Commonwealth–Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg–by discussing, adopting, and recommending to the Governor and the General Assembly for formal recognition and endorsement a comprehensive statewide HBCU Support Plan.

Virginia local journalism sustainability taxcredits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligiblelocal newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensationpaid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for thefirst taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalistsduring such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxableyears, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wagesto local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. Thecredit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable incometax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employeesfor certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a localnewspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station.The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which thecredit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amountspaid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or$4,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percentof the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local mediaadvertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The creditincludes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxableyears beginning on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2029.

Collective bargaining by public employees; public transportation providers. Permits the governing body of a public transportation provider, as defined in the bill, to adopt a resolutionauthorizing such public transportation provider to (i) recognizea labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agentof public officers and employees and (ii) collectively bargain orenter into a collective bargaining contract with such union or associationor its agents with respect to any matter relating to such transportationdistrict or its employees.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; recycling information on products. Prohibits the sale or offering for sale of any product that indicates on the product's container or packaging that such container or packaging is recyclable unless such container or packaging is made out of a material that is recyclable under a majority of regional and local waste management plans. The bill requires the Virginia Waste Management Board to maintain a list of all materials that are recyclable under a majority of regional and local waste management plans adopted in the Commonwealth and to make such list available on the Department of Environmental Quality's website.