Solicitation of prostitution; reorganization. Reorganizes the statute penalizing prostitution into two distinctsections. The penalties for all offenses remain unchanged. This billis a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission.
Virginia Small Business Financing Authority;annual report; utilization or award of loan and grant program funds.Requires the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority to includein its annual report information regarding the percentage of loanand grant program funds utilized or awarded by the Authority duringthe preceding fiscal year. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.
Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles;powers and duties. Authorizes the Commissioner of the Departmentof Motor Vehicles, for the duration of a declared state of emergencyand for up to 90 days after it has been rescinded or expires, to(i) extend the validity or delay the cancellation of driver's licenses, special identification cards, and vehicle registrations; (ii) extendthe time frame during which a driver improvement clinic or paymentplan may be completed; (iii) extend the maximum number of days ofresidency permitted before a new resident must be licensed in Virginiato operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth; and (iv) extend thetime frame during which a new resident may operate a motor vehiclein the Commonwealth that has been registered in another jurisdictionbefore registering the vehicle in the Commonwealth.
Public institutions of higher education; certain students; financial assistance programs. Provides that students who meet the criteria to be deemed eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status shall be afforded the same educational benefits, including financial assistance programs administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the State Board for Community Colleges, or a public institution of higher education, as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition. The bill has a delayed effective date of August 1, 2022, and directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in coordination with institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth, to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
School board policies; school meal debt; enforcement. Requires each school board to adopt a policy that prohibits the board from filing a lawsuit against a student or the student's parent because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or owes a school meal debt.
Pretrial data collection. Requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to collect and disseminate, on an annual basis, statewide and locality-level data related to adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment. The bill provides that any personal or case identifying information within the data shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and shall not be made publicly available. The bill provides that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall not be required to submit such annual report prior to December 1, 2022. Additionally, the bill requires the Virginia State Crime Commission to provide the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission with the final dataset of all adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment in October 2017 and that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission make such statewide and locality-level data publicly available on a website established and maintained by the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission as (i) an electronic dataset, excluding any personal and case identifying information, that may be downloaded by members of the public by October 1, 2021, and (ii) an electronic interactive data dashboard tool that displays aggregated data based on characteristics or indicators selected by the user, by December 1, 2022. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission. The bill incorporates HB 1945.
Replacement and conservation of trees during development. Gives a locality the ability to exceed general requirements in its tree replacement and conservation ordinances in specific circumstances, including development that impacts stormwater permit requirements, recurrent flooding, formerly redlined areas, and comprehensive plan compliance. The provisions of the bill shall become effective July 1, 2022.
Aircraft registration; unmanned aircraft.Exempts an owner of an unmanned aircraft from the requirement toregister aircrafts.
Recording an electronic document; electronic notarial certificate; emergency. Provides that if a clerk has an eRecording Sytem, the clerk shall follow the provisions of the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (§55.1-661 et seq.) The bill further provides that if a clerk does not have an eRecording System, the clerk shall record a legible paper copy of an electronic document, provided such copy otherwise meets the requirements for recordation and is certified to be a true and accurate copy of the electronic original by the party who submits the document for recordation. The bill requires an electronic notarial certificate to include the county or city in the Commonwealth where the notary public was physically located and indicate whether the notarization was done in person or by remote online notarization, defined in the bill as an electronic notarization where the signer is not in the physical presence of the notary. The bill also adds additional forms of "satisfactory evidence of identity" when a notary is using video and audio communication. The bill contains an emergency clause.
