Rep. Chris Runion

Elections; voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentence for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

Elections; absentee voting; drop-off locations for return of absentee ballots; 24-hour video surveillance requirement. Requires 24-hour video surveillance of all absentee ballot drop-off locations.

Estimated tax; failure by individual, trust, or estate to pay. Increases from $150 to $1,000 the maximum underpayment of estimated tax for which no addition to tax shall be added.

Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund; Director of Department of Environmental Quality; point source pollution grant agreements. Clarifies that the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality is only required to enter into water quality improvement grant agreements with all facilities designated as significant dischargers or eligible nonsignificant dischargers that apply for such grants if sufficient and unobligated funds are available in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund at the time the Director enters into such grant agreements.

Emergency Vehicles and Housing for Emergency Services Volunteers Grant Programs established; reports. Establishes the Emergency Vehicles Grant Program (the EV Program) and the Housing for Emergency Services Volunteers Grant Program (the ESV Program). The EV Program authorizes the Department of Fire Programs to provide grants to assist eligible localities in acquiring emergency vehicles to be used in the performance of volunteer emergency services, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly in amounts of up to $10,000 per eligible locality, on a first-come, first-served basis. The ESV Program authorizes the Department to provide grants to assist eligible localities in providing emergency services volunteers who are currently enrolled in an eligible educational institution with living quarters at no charge to such volunteers, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. Grant recipients of the EV Program and the ESV Program are required to submit a report to the Department no later than October 1 of any year in which the recipient receives available funds. The Department is directed to submit a summarized report of the information received from grant recipients to the House Committee on General Laws, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations.

Income tax; energy efficient homes tax credits. Authorizes an eligible contractor, defined in the bill, to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit, during taxable years 2025 through 2029, in an amount equal to $1,000 per construction of a qualified new energy efficient home and $2,000 per construction of a zero energy ready home, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill establishes a maximum credit amount that an eligible contractor may claim per taxable year of $250,000.

Termination of parental rights; abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care; appeals. Provides that final orders involving (i) the abuse, neglect, or abandonment of children or children who are without parental care; (ii) the termination of parental rights; or (iii) the approval of permanency plans with the goal of adoption entered by the juvenile and domestic relations district court shall be appealed directly to the Court of Appeals and specifies that any such appeal shall take precedence on the docket of the Court of Appeals. The bill further establishes that the juvenile court functions as a court of record in such cases.

Study; Autism Advisory Council; establishment of an autism data dashboard in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Autism Advisory Council to study and advise the General Assembly on the establishment of an autism data dashboard for the purpose of promoting greater public transparency and access to information and resources on autism spectrum disorders. The Council is directed to submit a report with recommendations for such dashboard's development, including the types of data and resources that should be included, to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2025.

Income tax; toll charges for disabled veterans tax credit. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for expenses incurred during the taxable year by a disabled veteran, defined in the bill, for documented toll charges, also defined in the bill. The amount of the credit shall be equal to the lesser of the documented toll charges or $100. The bill requires the Tax Commissioner to establish guidelines for claiming the credit and provides that any unused credit may be carried forward by the taxpayer for five taxable years following the taxable year for which the credit was issued.