Del. Mark L. Keam

Research and development tax credits. Provides that the research and development expenses tax credit and the major research and development expenses tax credit shall be available against the bank franchise tax for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2021. Under current law, the credits are available only against the individual and corporate income tax.

Solar and energy storage projects; siting agreements throughout the Commonwealth. Expands existing provisions relatedto siting agreements for solar projects located in an opportunityzone to include energy storage projects and makes the provisionsstatewide. The bill provides that its provisions shall not applyto any energy storage project that has received zoning and site planapproval, preliminary or otherwise, from the host locality beforeJanuary 1, 2021. The bill also provides that its provisions shallnot become effective with respect to energy storage projects unlessthe General Assembly approves legislation that authorizes localitiesto adopt an ordinance for taxation of energy storage projects suchas solar projects with a local option for machinery and tools taxor solar revenue share. The bill further provides that a locality may grant a special exception for an energy storage project.

Alcoholic beverage control; license fee reform;delay; emergency. Delays the effective date of the 2020 alcoholicbeverage control license and fee reform from July 1, 2021, to January1, 2022. During the period of delay and subject to certain requirements,the bill allows on-premises wine or beer licensees to sell wine orbeer for off-premises consumption and allows such licensees, as wellas off-premises wine or beer licensees, to deliver wine or beer thatthe licensee is authorized to sell without a delivery permit. The bill contains a technical amendment and an emergency clause.

Student driver safety. Adopts measures aimedat improving student driver safety. The bill requires curriculumfor tenth grade health at public schools to include instruction onthe dangers of distracted driving and speeding, to be developed bythe Department of Education. Finally, the bill requires that a studentshow proof of a valid driver's license or driver privilege card before being issued a school parking pass at a public high school and thatschools use a common application for such parking passes.

Environmental justice; interagency working group. Establishes the Interagency Environmental Justice Working Group as an advisory council in the executive branch of state government to further environmental justice in the Commonwealth and directs each of the Governor's Secretaries to designate at least one environmental justice coordinator to represent the secretariat as a member of the Working Group. The bill directs the Working Group to focus its work during its first year on the environmental justice of current air quality monitoring practices in Virginia and provides that the Working Group shall expire on July 1, 2031. The bill directs each state agency, no later than October 1, 2021, to adopt an agency-specific environmental justice policy that requires an evaluation of the environmental justice consequences of any covered agency action, requires a consideration of the environmental justice consequences or cumulative impacts of the administration of regulations, and contains other features, including robust public participation plans for residents of environmental justice communities and fenceline communities potentially affected by a covered agency action. The bill prohibits the issuance of a permit for any covered activity, including construction of an electric generating facility or sanitary landfill, until the applicant has submitted and the permitting authority has approved a public involvement plan, a cumulative impact statement, and an environmental justice impact statement, if applicable. The bill requires the permitting authority to deny the application or approve it with or without conditions. Finally, the bill requires each local government adopting or reviewing a comprehensive plan to also adopt an environmental justice strategy.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use; child care exception. Prohibits any person from converting any moneys, securities, or like intangible personal property contributed to a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee to his personal use, the personal use of the candidate, or the personal use of a member of the candidate's immediate family. Current law prohibits such conversion of contributions to personal use specifically with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but excepts from "personal use" the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill directs the Attorney General to issue an advisory opinion explaining the provisions of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and to provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgated by the Board.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; reasonable accommodations; disability-related requests for parking. Provides that for thepurposes of the Virginia Fair Housing Law, when a person receivesa request for accessible parking to accommodate a disability, theperson receiving the request shall treat such request as a reasonable accommodation, and any costs, fees, or charges related to the installation, designation, marking, or reconfiguration of a parking space relatedto such reasonable accommodation request shall be borne by the personreceiving the request. The bill provides that it is declarative ofexisting law.

Public schools; lock-down drills; annual requirement. Reduces from three to two the minimum number of mandatory annuallock-down drills in each public elementary and secondary school inthe Commonwealth.

Nurse practitioners; practice without a practice agreement. Reduces from five to two the number of years of full-time clinical experience a nurse practitioner must have to be eligible to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2022.

Student driver education program; parent participation exemption. Exempts students who are (i) at least 18 years old,(ii) emancipated minors, or (iii) unaccompanied minors who are notin the physical custody of their parent or guardian from the requirementthat the student's parent participate in the parent/student componentof a school's driver education program. This parent/student componentis required in Planning District 8, where the component must be in-persontraining. In the other school divisions that choose to offer thisoptional parent/student component, the parent/student component maybe administered either in person or online.