Del. Alfonso Lopez

Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank; created. Creates the Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank, an authority to promote and catalyze investment in qualified projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, assist climate-impacted communities, and promote environmental justice. The Bank would be governed by a board of directors with the authority to hire a president and create a nonstock corporation to carry out the powers and duties of the Bank.

High school interscholastic athletic competition; prevention of hate speech and ethnically or racially insensitive expressions. Requires the organization governing high school athletics and academic activities for public and approved nonboarding nonpublic high schools (the organization), with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, to develop (i) rules and standards for the prevention of inequities involving the use of hate speech or ethnically or racially insensitive expressions during athletic and academic competitions sponsored by the organization's member schools, (ii) procedures for the enforcement of and penalties for the violation of such rules and standards, and (iii) training materials on such rules and standards. The bill requires each member school of the organization to abide by and implement such rules, standards, procedures, and penalties and ensure that each student who will participate in high school interscholastic athletic or academic competition, the parent of each such student, and each individual, whether paid or unpaid, who coaches a team that will participate in high school interscholastic athletic or academic competition receives and reviews such training materials. The bill requires the organization to make part of the process to become a registered official in good standing for any association offering services to the organization an education and training requirement that is consistent with the training materials developed by the organization. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.

Historic rehabilitation tax credit. Increasesfrom $5 million to $10 million the maximum amount of the historicrehabilitation tax credit, including amounts carried over from priortaxable years, that may be claimed by a taxpayer in any taxable year beginning in taxable year 2022.

Building service employees; transition period.Permits any county, city, or town in the Commonwealth to providefor certain requirements concerning incumbent and successor buildingservice employers by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor buildingservice employers retain incumbent employees during a transitionperiod of 90 days. Under the bill, building service employees arethose who perform work in connection with the care or maintenanceof property. A building service employer who violates the provisionsof a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill maybe subject to a civil action and monetary damages.

Child labor; tobacco farms; civil penalty.Prohibits any person from employing a child under the age of 18 towork in direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves unless (i) the owner of the farm or other location at which suchwork is conducted is the child's parent, grandparent, or legal guardianor (ii) the child's parent or legal guardian has consented in writingto such employment.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;prohibited discrimination; national origin. Provides that a landlordmay not discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions,or privileges with respect to the rental of a dwelling unit, or inthe provision of services or facilities in the connection therewith,to any person because of such person's national origin.

Virginia Housing Trust Fund; recommendationsfor increase in allocation of funds; certain low-income and moderate-incomefamilies. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Developmentto convene a stakeholder work group to determine an appropriate increasein the percentage of moneys from the Virginia Housing Trust Fundthat is used to provide flexible financing for low-interest loansthrough eligible organizations that are allocated to housing developmentsthat serve persons and families with a household income at or below30 percent of the adjusted median income and to report its findingsand recommendations to the Governor, the Secretary of Commerce andTrade, and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriationsand the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations on or beforeDecember 1, 2022.

Misdemeanor; maximum term of confinement. Reducesthe maximum term of confinement in jail for a Class 1 misdemeanorfrom 12 months to 364 days. The bill contains technical amendments.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;terms and conditions of rental agreement; warranty of habitability.Prohibits a landlord from waiving, either orally or in writing,his duty to maintain a fit premises, and requires a landlord to includein every rental agreement the terms and conditions governing suchduty.

Income tax deduction; teaching material expenses. Provides an income tax deduction beginning in taxable year 2022 forthe lesser of $500 or the actual purchase price of teaching materialspurchased by a teacher and used in teaching Virginia public primaryor secondary school students. The deduction may not be claimed ifthe purchases were reimbursed or claimed as a deduction on the teacher'sfederal income tax return for the taxable year.