Del. Alfonso Lopez

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Adds 911 dispatchers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;tenant's assertion; condemnation of dwelling unit; remedies. Providesa rebuttable presumption of a landlord's material noncompliance withthe rental agreement if the leased premises was condemned by an appropriatestate or local agency due to the landlord's or his agent's refusalor failure to remedy a condition for which he was served a condemnationnotice. The bill requires a court, when such rebuttable presumptionis established, to award the tenant the amount of three months' rent,any prepaid rent, and any security deposit paid by the tenant.

Elections; electronic return of voted military-overseas ballots; pilot program. Directs the Commissioner of Elections to establish and supervise a pilot program by which an overseas voter who is a registered voter of a county or city participating in the pilot program may return his voted military-overseas ballot by electronic means. The Commissioner is required by the bill to promulgate standards and develop procedures for the secure transmission and return, storage, and processing of voted military-overseas ballots, including security measures, methods for verifying and authenticating a voter's identity, and encryption methods for the voted ballots. Counties and cities participating in the pilot program are required under the bill to participate in a security review after each election. In each year of the pilot program, the bill requires the Commissioner to conduct a security assessment and update the security measures for the pilot program. The bill also requires that voters eligible to return their military-overseas ballots by electronic means through the pilot program be permitted to sign the statement of voter and any other documents related to absentee voting using the digital signature associated with their respective Common Access Cards issued by the U.S. Department of Defense. The bill provides that the pilot program is in effect for elections held on and after January 1, 2023. The Commissioner is required by the bill to submit a report on or before December 1, 2027, on the outcomes of the pilot program and to include a recommendation on whether to implement the electronic return of voted military-overseas ballots on a permanent, statewide basis. The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2027.

Packaging Stewardship Program and Fund; established.Establishes the Packaging Stewardship Program (the Program), administeredby the Department of Environmental Quality. Under the Program, aproducer that sells products with packaging materials in the Commonwealthpays a fee to the Department based upon the amount of packaging used and whether or not it is easily recyclable. A producer may establishan alternative collection program to offset some or all of the fees.The fees are paid into the Packaging Stewardship Fund, establishedin the bill, and are used to reimburse participating localities for expenses related to recycling, invest in recycling infrastructureand education, and pay administrative costs related to the Program.The bill authorizes the Department to contract with a third partyto administer the Program.

Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board; Board ofDirectors of Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; Cannabis PublicHealth Advisory Council; membership criteria. Adds to the membershipof the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board, Board of Directors ofVirginia Cannabis Control Authority, and Cannabis Public Health AdvisoryCouncil one member who is an alumni of an institution of higher educationat which Hispanic students comprise at least 25 percent of the institution'sfull-time undergraduate enrollment.

Discovery in criminal cases; copies of discoveryfor the accused. Provides that for any discovery materials orevidence that the accused is permitted to inspect and review, the accused may request the Commonwealth to copy or photograph such discovery materials or evidence, and the Commonwealth shall provide such copiesor photographs to the accused or his counsel.

Professions and occupations; proof of identity.Replaces the requirement for proof of citizenship to obtain a license,certificate, registration, or other authorization issued by the Commonwealthto engage in a business, trade, profession, or occupation with arequirement to provide proof of identity. The bill contains technicalamendments.

Supplementing compensation of public defender.Requires the governing body of any county or city that elects tosupplement the compensation of the attorney for the Commonwealth,or any of his deputies or employees, above the salary of any suchattorney for the Commonwealth, deputy, or employee, to proportionallysupplement the compensation of the public defender, or any of hisdeputies or employees, commensurate with the compensation of the attorney for the Commonwealth, or any of his deputies or employees.

Aboveground storage tanks; Hazardous SubstanceAboveground Storage Tank Fund; civil penalties. Directs the StateWater Control Board to regulate aboveground storage tanks that measure more than 250 gallons in capacity and are used to contain hazardous substances other than oil. The bill directs the Board to adopt regulationsthat establish requirements for registration, and other requirementsof tank owners, and that establish a schedule of registration andrenewal fees. The bill authorizes the Board to undertake correctiveaction in the event of a discharge of a hazardous substance. Thebill requires tank owners notify certain parties in the event ofa release of a regulated substance. The bill also creates the HazardousSubstance Aboveground Storage Tank Fund, with moneys from the Fundto be used solely for the administration of the bill, and providesfor civil penalties for violations of requirements of the bill, withsuch moneys received to be deposited into the existing Virginia EnvironmentalEmergency Response Fund.

Law-enforcement officers; conduct of investigation.Requires that a law-enforcement officer who is under investigationfor an officer-involved shooting or an instance of alleged use ofexcessive force be questioned not more than 24 hours after the incidentis reported.