Multi-jurisdiction grand jury; elder abuse crimes. Adds the following to the list of crimes that a multi-jurisdiction grand jury may investigate: (i) financial exploitation of mentally incapacitated persons and (ii) abuse and neglect of incapacitated adults.
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.
Alcoholic beverage control; retail privatizationof government stores. Provides for the issuance of a "packagestore" license to authorize the retail sale of alcoholic beveragesfor off-premises consumption. The bill provides that persons holdinga retail off-premises wine and beer license are eligible to obtaina package store license. The bill also requires the Board of Directorsof the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (the Board)to dispose of all real estate used as government stores and to terminateleased property upon which the Board has operated a government store.The bill requires the Board to complete an implementation study byJanuary 1, 2023, on how it will privatize government stores. Thebill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains numerous technicalamendments.
Home instruction and private school tax credit.Creates an individual, nonrefundable income tax credit for taxableyears 2022 through 2026, for amounts paid by the parent or legalguardian of a child for the child's home instruction expenses or tuitionfor attending an accredited private school in Virginia. The creditshall equal the lesser of the amount actually paid in the taxableyear for such costs or half of the average state standards of quality funding per student per year. The credit may be taken for instruction-relatedmaterials, courses, or programs used in home instruction or for privateschool tuition. The credit is available for two years per child andcan be carried forward for five taxable years.
Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgunpurchases. Removes the prohibition on any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun ina 30-day period. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for aviolation of this provision, subject to certain exemptions.
Agrippa Hull Day. Designates May 21, in2022 and in each succeeding year, as Agrippa Hull Day in Virginia.
United States Constitution; application fora convention of the states. Makes application to Congress tocall a convention of the states to propose amendments to the UnitedStates Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federalgovernment, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government,and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.
Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established. Permits the parents of qualified students, defined in the bill,to apply to the school division in which the qualified student residesfor a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Accountthat consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentageof all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state fundsappropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the residentschool division in which the qualified student resides, includingthe per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and anystate per pupil share of special education funding for which the qualified student is eligible. The bill permits the parent of the qualifiedstudent to use the moneys in such account for certain education-relatedexpenses of the qualified student, including tuition, deposits, fees,and required textbooks at a private elementary school or secondaryschool that is located in the Commonwealth. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expensesmade from such accounts.
Death of the parent or guardian of a child resultingfrom driving under the influence; child support. Provides thatin any case where a person was convicted of involuntary manslaughteras a result of driving a motor vehicle or operating a watercraft under the influence where the victim was the parent or legal guardianof a child, the person who has custody of such child may petitionthe sentencing court to order that the defendant pay child support.
Emergency rules, regulations, and orders; prohibitionon mask mandates. Prohibits the Board of Health, Commissionerof Health, or Governor from issuing any rule, regulation, or orderthat requires (i) individuals to wear masks or other face coveringsor (ii) businesses to require customers to wear masks or other face coverings while on the premises of such business.
