Study; JLARC; privately operated prisons; report.Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, in consultationwith the Department of Corrections, to study the use of privatelyoperated prisons in the Commonwealth.
Refundable income tax credit for low-incometaxpayers. Allows low-income individuals and married personsto claim either (i) a nonrefundable income tax credit equal to $300for each individual, his spouse, and any dependents or (ii) a refundableincome tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned incometax credit claimed that year by the individual or married persons.The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on andafter January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2026.
Development and use of accessory dwelling units.Provides that all localities shall allow for the development anduse of one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per single-family dwelling(SFD), notwithstanding any contrary provision of a zoning ordinance.The bill defines "accessory dwelling unit" or "ADU" as an independentdwelling unit on a single-family lot with its own living, bathroom,and kitchen space that may be within or attached to SFDs or in detachedstructures on lots containing SFDs. ADUs may include basements, attics,flats, guest houses, cottages, and converted structures such as garages and sheds. The bill requires localities to regulate the sizeand design of ADUs through an approval process, as well as regulatefees, parking, and other requirements, provided that the regulations(i) are not so arbitrary, excessive, or burdensome, individuallyor cumulatively, as to unreasonably restrict the ability of propertyowners to utilize or create ADUs and (ii) do not require the propertyowner to occupy the ADU or SFD as his primary residence.
Health insurance; amino acid-based elementalformula. Requires health insurers, health care subscription plans,and health maintenance organizations whose policy, contract, or planincludes coverage for medicines to cover amino acid-based elementalformula for the treatment of specified diseases or disorders.
Vehicle headlights; required to be lighted.Requires every vehicle in operation to display lighted headlights.Currently headlights are required to be lighted only (i) from sunsetto sunrise; (ii) during any other time when, because of rain, smoke,fog, snow, sleet, insufficient light, or other unfavorable atmosphericconditions, visibility is reduced to a degree whereby persons orvehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distanceof 500 feet; and (iii) whenever windshield wipers are in use as a result of fog, rain, sleet, or snow. The bill removes provisionsmaking the failure to display lighted headlights when windshieldwipers are in use as a result of fog rain, sleet, or snow (a) a secondaryoffense, (b) subject to no demerit points being assessed, and (c)not a defense to any claim for personal injury or recovery of medicalexpenses for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
Public school buses; seat belts. Requiresthe Board of Education to make regulations to require each new publicschool bus purchased for the transportation of students to be equippedwith a seat belt consisting of a lap belt and shoulder strap or harnessin every seat. The bill requires each school board to ensure thatno later than July 1, 2038, each school bus that it uses for thetransportation of students is equipped with a seat belt in every seat.
Electric utilities; retail competition. Shortens fromfive years to three years the period that a customer who switches from aninvestor-owned electric utility to a licensed competing supplier is barred fromreturning as a customer of the utility. The measure provides that if a singleperson purchases electric energy from a licensed supplier and such electricenergy is composed of a percentage of renewable energy equal to or greater thanthe percentage of renewable energy that the licensed supplier is required toprovide pursuant to any renewable energy portfolio standard, such person willconstitute a single retail customer, notwithstanding that service is providedto noncontiguous sites. Under current law, for the purposes of purchasingenergy from a licensed competing supplier, noncontiguous sites are consideredindividual retail customers and cannot be aggregated to meet the energy demandthreshold regardless of common ownership or control. The measure provides thatfor cooperative customers the lockout period remains five years andnoncontiguous sites are still considered individual retail customers. Themeasure also allows individual retail customers of an electric utility topurchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energy from anylicensed supplier. The measure eliminates the condition that permits suchpurchases only if the electric utility serving the applicable exclusive serviceterritory does not offer a tariff for 100 percent renewable energy. Finally,the measure directs the State Corporation Commission to update its consumerprotection regulations relating to the availability of service through licensedsuppliers.
War memorials for veterans. Removes a prohibition on (i) disturbing or interfering with any war monument or memorial erected by a locality or (ii) preventing citizens from maintaining such monument or memorial. The bill authorizes a locality to remove, relocate, or alter any such monument or memorial on the locality's public property upon the affirmative vote of its governing body, regardless of when the monument or memorial was erected, and removes certain criminal and civil penalties for such removal, relocation, or alteration. The bill also restricts bringing a cause of action pursuant to such penalties to the attorney for the locality in which the memorial or monument is located. Current law authorizes any person having an interest in the matter to bring such action if no action is brought within 60 days of the violation. The bill repeals an 1890 act of assembly related to the placement of a statue in the City of Alexandria. This bill was incorporated into HB 1537.
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation; commemoration of the American Revolution. Designates the Jamestown-YorktownFoundation as the official executive branch agency to assist theCommonwealth in establishing planning systems for commemorating the250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the independenceof the United States of America.
General Assembly meetings; streaming and recording. Requires the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of theSenate to ensure that every (i) subcommittee or committee meetingof a standing committee of the General Assembly, regardless of meetingdate, and (ii) floor session of the House of Delegates or the Senate,including any joint session of the houses, is streamed with closedcaptioning, recorded and archived. The bill defines "stream" and specifiesthat a qualifying meeting is one the date and time of which havebeen scheduled on a public website of any agency of the General Assemblyfor at least one hour prior to the meeting and that takes place inthe State Capitol, the Pocahontas Building, or the General AssemblyBuilding in Richmond. The bill has a delayed effective date of October1, 2020.
