World Polio Day. Designates October 24,in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as World Polio Day in Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Leigh B. Middleditch,Jr.
Commending Nina Janopaul.
Energy efficiency standards; more stringentenergy efficiency requirements. Allows a locality by ordinanceto create and require stretch codes, defined in the bill as energyefficiency standards that are in addition to or more stringent thanthose in the Uniform Statewide Building Code, and use them as analternative means of compliance with a locality's building requirements.The bill requires periodic review of the codes and allows the localityto make amendments.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;retaliatory conduct; rebuttable presumption. Establishes a rebuttablepresumption of retaliatory conduct pursuant to the provisions ofthe Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act if a landlord increasesrent beyond that which is charged for similar market rentals, decreasesservices, brings or threatens to bring an action for possession,or terminates the rental agreement within six months of having knowledgeof certain actions made by a tenant.
Towing enforcement. Provides that violationsof existing provisions regarding tow truck drivers and towing andrecovery operators are subject to the Virginia Consumer ProtectionAct. The bill repeals the $150 civil penalty for certain towing violationsin Planning District 8.
Virginia local journalism sustainability credits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible local newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensation paid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employees for certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a local newspaper, or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station. The credit is equal to (a) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or $4,000 and (b) the lesser of 50 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000 for subsequent taxable years. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $10 million. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2022, but before January 1, 2027.
Public benefits; eligibility of certain aliens.Repeals provisions prohibiting persons other than United States citizensor persons who are legally present in the United States from receivingcertain public benefits.
Use of canines in correctional facilities; prohibitedacts. Makes it unlawful for any correctional officer, jail officer,or other employee of a state, local, or juvenile correctional facilityto use a canine, except where there is an imminent threat of deathor serious bodily injury to any prisoner or detained juvenile orany officer or employee of the facility, to extract a prisoner ordetained juvenile from his cell or to intervene in an altercation,fight, or other incident between prisoners or detained juveniles.The bill requires that all incidents involving the use of a caninebe reported to a database established by the Department of Correctionsor the Department of Juvenile Justice, as applicable, and that suchreports be made available to the public and include the name of thefacility, the name of the canine, and the name of the canine's handler.The bill also requires that the Department of Corrections or the Departmentof Juvenile Justice, as applicable, make public any policies relatingto the use of canines, training requirements for both canines andhandlers, and the supervision of the officers or employees who arepermitted to handle such canines.
Campaign finance; prohibited personal use ofcampaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisoryopinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributionsto a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee for their personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributionswith regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution ofa campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contributionis considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution,in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation,or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking,holding, or maintaining public office but excepts from "personaluse" the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning foror holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds topay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as adirect result of campaign activity. Any person subject to the personaluse ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Electionson such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections toadopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the FederalElection Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and toprovide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgatedby the State Board of Elections.
