Del. James Edmunds

Celebrating the life of Ronald Bowen Watson.

Commending Virginia Polytechnic Institute andState University.

Commending the Virginia Manufacturers Association.

Elections; voter identification containing photographrequired; who may register up to and including the day of the election;availability of absentee voting in person; return of absentee ballots.Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph inorder to vote and provides that a voter who does not have one of the requiredforms of identification is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The billrepeals a provision that would permit any person who is qualified to registerto vote to do so in person up to and including the day of the election andlimits the persons who are entitled to register to vote after the close ofregistration records to members of a uniformed service of the United States onactive duty, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States,and their spouses and dependents. The bill limits the period during whichabsentee voting in person is available from 45 days to the 10 days immediatelypreceding the date of the election, including both Saturdays. The bill requiresthat absentee ballots returned by mail be returned to the office of the generalregistrar by the close of polls on election day and be postmarked on or beforethe Saturday preceding the date of the election. The bill eliminates the use ofdrop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots. The bill requiresabsentee ballot applications to contain the last four digits of the applicant'ssocial security number and provides that the failure of an absentee ballot toinclude a witness signature is a material omission, rendering the ballot void.

Hunting on Sunday; wildlife management areas. Allows hunting on Sundays in wildlife management areas owned by the Department of Wildlife Resources.

Mining and processing of certain minerals and elements; study; permitting. Directs the Secretaries of Natural and Historic Resources, Health and Human Resources, and Commerce and Trade to convene a work group to study the mining and processing of copper, zinc, and lead in the Commonwealth and to report its findings to the General Assembly by December 1, 2023. The bill also places a moratorium until July 1, 2024, on the issuance of new permits to operate a mine for gold, copper, zinc, or lead of an area larger than 10 acres.

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools. Under the bill, the tax can only be imposed if it is initiated by a resolution of the local governing body and approved by the voters in a referendum. The bill requires the governing body to specify in the enacting ordinance the time period, not to exceed 20 years, for which the tax would be imposed, and revenue from the tax is required to be used solely for capital projects for new construction or major renovation of schools in the locality enacting the tax. Under current law, only Charlotte County, Gloucester County, Halifax County, Henry County, Mecklenburg County, Northampton County, Patrick County, Pittsylvania County, and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

Alcoholic beverage control; sales conductedon licensed premises. Provides that any reasonable markup imposedby the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage ControlAuthority on spirits sold at a government store established on adistiller's licensed premises shall be retained by such distiller.The bill also repeals the commission of not less than 20 percentof the retail price of any goods sold that is currently paid to alicensed distiller that operates a government store on the distiller'slicensed premises or at the site of an event licensed by the Board.

Additional local sales and use tax to supportschools. Adds Prince Edward County to the list of localitiesthat, under current law, are authorized to impose an additional localsales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, with the revenueused only for capital projects for the construction or renovationof schools.

Retail sales and use tax; exemption; aircraftparts; sunset. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2027, thesunset for the retail sales and use tax exemption on parts, engines,and supplies used for maintaining, repairing, or reconditioning aircraftor any aircraft's avionics system, engine, or component parts.