Del. Wendell Walker

Free use of toll facilities; certain disabledveterans. Authorizes the free use of all toll bridges, toll roads,and other toll facilities in the Commonwealth for drivers who havebeen rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability. Thebill also replaces the current window sticker for certain personsexempted from tolls due to a disability with a specialized electronictoll collection device identifying such person as eligible for freepassage.

Tax credit; eligible education expenses; homeinstruction and private education. Creates a tax credit for taxableyears 2024 through 2028 that may be claimed by any parent of a childwho receives home instruction or attends a private elementary or secondary school in Virginia. The bill specifies that an eligibleindividual may claim the credit for certain eligible education expenses,as defined in the bill and imposes certain limitations on who mayclaim the credit and how much credit may be claimed based on a taxpayer'sVirginia adjusted gross income.

Rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel.Lowers the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel on July 1, 2024,from 26.2 cents per gallon to 21.2 cents per gallon on gasoline andfrom 27 cents per gallon to 20.2 cents per gallon on diesel fuel,which are the rates that were in effect before July 1, 2021. Thebill provides that the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel willreturn to 26.2 and 27 cents per gallon, respectively, on July 1,2025, and will be indexed based on the change in the United StatesAverage Consumer Price Index occurring between 2021 and 2024; thereafter,the rate will be indexed annually.

Obscene materials; restrictions on purchase,distribution, exhibition, or loan; exceptions; libraries and schools.Modifies the exceptions to restrictions on the purchase, distribution,exhibition, or loan of obscene materials by providing that schoolssupported by public appropriation are not subject to the exceptionsand limiting the exception applicable to libraries supported by publicappropriation only to obscene material that is available exclusivelyin a section of the library to which access is restricted by age.

Computer trespass; elementary and secondaryschools; school board; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony forthe offense of computer trespass when such offense is committed againstany elementary or secondary school or school board.

Line of Duty Act; campus police officers; privatepolice officers. Provides employees of contributing nonprofitprivate institutions of higher education, defined in the bill, andcontributing private police departments, defined in the bill andincluding airport police officers employed by the Lynchburg RegionalAirport Police Department, with the benefits granted to employees of participating employers under the Line of Duty Act. The bill clarifiesthat the Line of Duty Act shall not apply to any private institutionof higher education or private police department that is not a contributingnonprofit private institution of higher education or contributingprivate police department, respectively.

Governor; chief of staff and Governor's Secretaries.Provides that no chief of staff appointed by the Governor andno Secretary appointed by the Governor shall be members of each other'simmediate family when each is serving in his appointed capacityat the same time.

Property rights in parking areas owned or controlledby the Commonwealth; firearms and ammunition. Provides that withcertain exceptions the Commonwealth shall not adopt or enforce anystatute or regulation that prevents an employee, visitor, or contractorfrom storing a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in a locked private motor vehicle parked at any parking area owned or controlledby the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that any previously enactedstatutes, promulgated regulations, policies, or rules that are inconsistentwith the provisions of the bill are null and void.

Absentee voting; absentee voting in person;available beginning 14 days prior to election. Limits the availabilityof absentee voting in person to 14 days before the election. Undercurrent law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to the election.

Law-enforcement officers; protected personalinformation. Provides that any law-enforcement officer who providesinformation relative to a criminal investigation or in proceedingspreliminary to a criminal prosecution may refuse, unless orderedby a court, to disclose his residence address, home telephone number,or any personal information concerning his family. The bill alsoprovides that any law-enforcement officer who testifies as a witnessin a criminal case may refuse to disclose personal information concerninghis family unless it is determined by the court that such evidenceis relevant to the case.