Rep. Kathleen Murphy

Income tax; military benefits subtraction; emergency. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of military benefits in taxable year 2022, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2023, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2024 and each year thereafter. The bill defines military benefits to include military retirement income and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Local correctional facilities; fees. Eliminates certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility,including a fee to defray the costs associated with an inmate's keep,travel and other expenses associated with an inmate's work releaseemployment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program,and telephone systems. The bill also reduces certain fees chargedto inmates within a local correctional facility, including that thecost of items within a correctional facility's store or commissaryshall not exceed 10 percent of the typical market rate for the samegoods or services, and that the fee associated with electronic visitationand messaging systems shall not exceed the actual costs of establishingand operating such systems. The bill removes provisions that if aninmate is unable to pay in full such fees, the inmate must enter intoa deferred or installment payment agreement with the local correctionalfacility, or that such facility may enter into a contract for collectionof such fees with a private entity, a local governing body, or thecounty or city treasurer. The bill also provides that, upon dischargefrom a local correctional facility, an inmate shall receive, in theform of a check, electronic transfer, or a debit or other accountcard, the balance of all accounts maintained by the facility foran inmate's use.

Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes; established; report. Establishes the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of performing a comprehensive review of Virginia law to assess ways in which it must be revised to include federally recognized Tribal Nations located in the Commonwealth as distinct governments with the right to exercise general sovereignty and powers of government. The Commission is required to submit an annual report on its interim activities and work by the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2024.

Public accommodations, employment, and housing;prohibited discrimination on the basis of religion; includes outwardreligious expression. Clarifies that "religion" as it relatesto freedom of expression includes any outward expression of religiousfaith in contexts where discrimination on the basis of religion isprohibited.

Department of Military Affairs; institutionsof higher education; recruitment. Authorizes the Departmentof Military Affairs to utilize grant funding for which active membersof the Virginia National Guard who attend any public institutionof higher education or accredited nonprofit private institution ofhigher education and meet other certain requirements are eligibleunder current law in order to recruit qualified applicants for servicein the Virginia National Guard. The bill states that the yearly fundingamount for such recruitment shall be at the discretion of the AdjutantGeneral and the Department of Military Affairs and not exceed $50,000per fiscal year.