Del. Wendell Walker

Voter registration; cancellation of registration by voter; effective for the immediately proceeding election. Provides that any valid authorization for cancellation submitted by a registered voter prior to the day of the immediately proceeding election shall be effective in such election. Under current law, when submitted by any means other than when notarized or in person, such cancellation must be made at least 22 days prior to an election in order to be valid in that election.

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.

Elections; form of ballot; party identification; option for candidates for local offices. Provides that, for local offices only, each candidate who has been nominated by a political party or in a primary election may be identified by the name of his political party at the discretion of the candidate.

Absentee voting; absentee voting in person; available beginning 10 days prior to election. Limits the availability of absentee voting in person to 10 days before the election. Under current law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to the election.

Elections; absentee ballot security measures; watermark. Requires that any ballot mailed to an absentee voter must be printed on security paper that incorporates a visible watermark that identifies the ballot as an official ballot in a manner that preserves the absolute secrecy of the ballot.

Concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Adds a firearms safety or training course conducted by U.S. LawShield or any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a nationally recognized firearms safety training organization to the list of qualifications that satisfy the demonstration of competence requirement for the issuance of a Virginia resident or nonresident concealed handgun permit. The bill also directs the Department of State Police to publish on its public website a list of organizations conducting such trainings that the Department deems adequate.

Virginia Social Media Regulation Act established; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act for the purpose of prohibiting minors in Virginia from possessing an account on any social media platform, defined in the bill, without the express consent of a parent or guardian. The bill requires a social media company to provide a minor's parent or guardian with access to the minor's account and all posts and information on such account. The bill also places prohibitions on the type of data and personal information a social media platform may collect from a minor account holder and prohibits the use of any practice, design, or feature on a social media company's platform that the company knows, or should reasonably know, could cause a minor account holder to have an addiction to the social media platform. Lastly, the bill provides that any violation of the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act shall constitute a prohibited practice and be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

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.

Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity. Amends the definition of renewable energy for purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act to include energy derived from hydrogen and nuclear power. The bill provides that the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program that establishes goals for the sale of renewable energy shall also include goals for the sale of zero-carbon electricity and adds zero-carbon electricity generating resources and certain other resources approved by the State Corporation Commission to the list of eligible sources for purposes of the renewable portfolio standard program.

Massage therapists; licensure; qualifications; minimum training. Increases from 500 hours to 625 hours the minimum requirement for training in a massage therapy educational program for applicants for licensure as a massage therapist.