Del. Hillary Pugh Kent

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally expresses appreciation for Lawrence Douglas Wilder, Virginia's first Black governor, recognizing his service to the state. It passed both the Senate and House by voice vote on January 15-16, 2025, with no recorded opposition. The bill has no binding effect or policy changes - it serves solely as a ceremonial honor. It directly affects no individuals or entities beyond the symbolic recognition of Wilder's legacy.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science; review the cumulative surface water intake effects on aquatic fauna in the Chesapeake Bay; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to review the feasibility of studying cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in Virginia's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. VIMS is required to report whether the study may be conducted and, if so, report the total amount of funding necessary to conduct the study to the Governor by October 1, 2024.

Elections; voting equipment and systems; State Board approval process; printed receipt for cast ballot. Requires voting systems approved by the State Board of Elections to produce a printed receipt for each voter who has cast a ballot that shows the date and time the voter's ballot was cast, the voter's number corresponding to the order in which ballots were cast, and a list of all the voter's selections on the ballot as recorded by the voting system.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; guidance to small businesses; identification of enforcement actions; work group; report. Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to develop and provide guidance to businesses with newly approved permits and established businesses regarding responsibilities and requirements for maintaining such business that includes information identifying any regularly occurring required report to a state agency and any associated fees, penalties, or waivers. The bill requires each state agency to annually report any enforcement action taken by the agency against a small business in the previous calendar year that specifies each infraction and the enforcement action taken by the agency. The bill requires the Department to post de-identified aggregated data by state agency and infraction type from such reports on its website. The bill requires the Department to convene a work group to identify and recommend means to provide relief to small businesses regarding regularly occurring required reports to state agencies. The work group is required to identify each such report and consider (i) if such report can be required less frequently or eliminated; (ii) if the required information has not changed since the previous report, allowing the small business to satisfy the reporting requirement by indicating that there has been no change; (iii) establishing a waiver or lowering the threshold to qualify for an existing waiver; (iv) reducing or eliminating any penalty for noncompliance; and (v) any other means to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. The Department is required to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024.

Department of Education; model policy on student cell phone use during instructional time; local adoption. Requires the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model policy whereby public elementary and secondary school students are prohibited from possessing or using personal cell phones or other personal handheld communication devices during instructional time at school. The bill requires the Department, in developing and adopting such model policy, to seek to balance the interests of students' academic achievement, cognitive development, safety, and general well-being and permits the Department to include appropriate exceptions in extraordinary circumstances such as emergency situations or situations involving the need to contact the student's parents. The bill requires each school board to develop and adopt a policy that is consistent with such model policy adopted by the Department.

Department of Forensic Science; laboratory procedures; requirements regarding DNA profiles. Provides that when an accused person or his attorney files a motion for a scientific investigation, he must certify that the Department of Forensic Science or Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services has indicated it has a methodology to perform the requested scientific investigation. The bill also clarifies that the signature of a person who received material to be analyzed by a laboratory on an evidence submission receipt shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such person was an authorized agent and that such receipt constitutes proper receipt by the laboratory. The bill also provides that such signature on a request for laboratory examination form or evidence submission receipt may be made by hand or electronic means. The bill also removes the requirement that a party intending to offer the results of a deoxyribonucleic (DNA) analysis provide or make available copies of the DNA profiles but retains the requirement that such party provide or make available copies of the report or statement to be introduced. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to confirm whether or not there is a DNA profile on file for a specific individual if a federal, state, or local criminal justice agency that participates in the National DNA Index System requests that information in furtherance of an official investigation of any criminal offense. The bill provides that the provisions of the bill shall not apply to DNA profiles received by the court and maintained by the clerk in a court file open to the public prior to July 1, 2024. The bill contains technical amendments.

Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; Office of Commonwealth Resilience; Interagency Resilience Working Group; Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committee. Moves the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) from under the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to under the Governor and creates an Office of Commonwealth Resilience to support the CRO in his functions and duties. The bill requires the CRO to convene an Interagency Resilience Working Group to support the coordination of planning and implementation of resilience efforts, eliminates the position of Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the CRO to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of loans or grants from the Fund. The bill requires, for the two Funds, the Department to (i) make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans and the actions taken thereon and (ii) provide an opportunity for a 30-day public comment period prior to each new grant or loan offering to solicit feedback on proposed revisions to the Funds’ manuals. This bill incorporates HB 948.

Larceny offenses; venue. Allows grand larcenyand embezzlement offenses to be prosecuted in any county or citywhere the victim of the larceny or embezzlement resides.

Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; conservation officers. Extends membership in the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS) to conservation officers of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025, and provides that such membership would apply only to service earned on or after July 1, 2025. The bill contains a reenactment clause.

Interference with commercial fishing vessel;penalties. Provides that a person who approaches a commercialfishing vessel without the consent of the owner or person in chargeof such vessel with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass thecaptain or crew of such vessel or interfere with the operations ofsuch vessel is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill makes ita Class 6 felony to communicate to another person by any means any threat to (i) kill or do bodily injury to a person or persons engagedin the activity of commercial fishing on the waters of the Commonwealthor (ii) bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damage any commercialfishing vessel, and increases this penalty to a Class 5 felony ifsuch threat places the captain or crew in reasonable apprehensionof death or bodily injury. The bill makes it a Class 6 felony tointentionally or recklessly damage, injure, tamper with, deface,or destroy a commercial fishing vessel or any associated gear. Finally,the bill deems a person to be ineligible for any hunting or fishinglicense for a certain period of time if such person is found guiltyof an offense set out in the bill.