Designates the first full week of March, in 2019 and in each succeeding year, as Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents Week.
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Commissioner of Social Services to (i) convene a stakeholder group to consider the development of a statewide unified public-private system for early childhood care and education in the Commonwealth and (ii) collaborate to develop a uniform quality rating and improvement system with required participation by publicly funded early childhood care and education programs and voluntary participation by privately funded providers.
Extends the sunset date from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2022, for the local gas severance tax that is dedicated to (i) the local Coal and Gas Road Improvement Fund, (ii) the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Fund, and (iii) water, sewer, and natural gas systems and lines. This bill is identical to
Advances conformity of the Commonwealth's tax code with the federal tax code to December 31, 2018, effective starting in taxable year 2018. Starting in taxable year 2019, the bill deconforms from the provisions of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that limit the deduction for state and local taxes and that suspend the overall limit on itemized deductions.
Authorizes the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries (the Board) to create a special license for hunting elk. Such license shall be required in addition to general hunting licenses. The bill authorizes the Board to establish guidelines (i) related to selection of applicants for eligibility to purchase a special elk license and (ii) permitting the transfer of special elk licenses to individuals or wildlife conservation organizations whose mission is to ensure the conservation of Virginia's wildlife resources. The bill authorizes the Board to establish a nonrefundable application fee of $15 for residents and $20 for nonresidents and a special elk license fee at no more than $40 for residents and $400 for nonresidents. The bill directs the Board, as funds become available, to utilize a portion of the fees collected for special elk licenses to compensate an owner or lessee of agricultural land for agricultural damage directly caused by elk.
Requires the Board of Education to establish a statewide unified public-private system for early childhood care and education in the Commonwealth to be administered by the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Department of Education. The bill transfers the authority to license and regulate child day programs and other early child care agencies from the Board of Social Services and Department of Social Services to the Board of Education and the Department of Education. The bill maintains current licensure, background check, and other requirements of such programs. The bill establishes the Early Childhood Innovation Fund for the purpose of facilitating regional public-private collaboration and to field test innovative strategies and evidence-based practices that support a robust system of comprehensive early childhood care and education services to deliver measurable school readiness outcomes and meet regional workforce support needs. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021.
