Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra

Department of Education; public school accountability; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system; report; emergency. Directs the Department of Education to delay for a period of one year the implementation of the revised public school accountability system adopted pursuant to applicable Board of Education regulations in order to conduct a review of and establish a stakeholder advisory committee to solicit input on such revised public school accountability system for the purpose of ensuring that such accountability system is designed to achieve fair, transparent, and actionable results aimed at improving student growth and learning outcomes across the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department to, by April 1, 2026, (i) publish a report on the process and findings of the review conducted in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (ii) submit to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the House Committee on Education a plan for modifying and implementing the revised public school accountability system that incorporates the findings of the review conducted and the input from the stakeholder advisory committee established in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Study; Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; small business set-asides; report. Directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to study small business set-asides and their effectiveness in promoting the growth and economic development of small businesses through participation in government contracting. For purposes of the study, \"small business\" includes women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Motion picture production tax credit. Increases the aggregate cap on the motion picture production tax credit allocated in each fiscal year from $6.5 million to $8.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2025.

Unemployment compensation: allowance for dependents. Provides that, in addition to the weekly unemployment benefit amount determined by relevant law, an eligible claimant who is unemployed in any week shall be paid an allowance of $25 for each of up to three dependents of such claimant. The bill defines "dependent" as the child, adopted child, or stepchild of a claimant who, on January 1 of the benefit year, is wholly or partly supported by such claimant and younger than 16 years of age. The bill requires any claimant declaring one or more dependents to provide proof of such dependents in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission in conformance with certain conditions enumerated in the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.

Advertisement of legal notices; website. Allows a locality to advertise legal notices on its website rather than in a newspaper having a general circulation in the locality.

Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least two months' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, described in the bill as the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent during any 12-month period, in effect at the time of the increase. The bill sets such allowance as equal to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index or seven percent, whichever is less, states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year, and requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality to establish an anti-rent gouging board that will develop and implement rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.

Wildlife corridors or crossings; action plan and programs; Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan; Wildlife Corridor Action Plan; wildlife carcass removal tracking; report. Requires the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan created by the Department of Wildlife Resources to address the financial needs of the Plan and implement certain additional initiatives. The bill directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to include in the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan a directive to encourage opportunities to incorporate wildlife-friendly design in flood resilience infrastructure where flood risk priorities align with priorities of the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. The bill requires the Department of Transportation to (i) establish and administer a program for the implementation of wildlife crossings of highways in the Commonwealth, (ii) incorporate the recommendations of the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan established by the Department of Wildlife Resources pursuant to existing law in the policies and procedures of the Department, and (iii) submit a report to the General Assembly in each even-numbered year regarding such program. The bill requires the Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth Transportation Board to include in all highway maintenance contracts a requirement for such contractor to identify certain data related to wildlife carcass removal and provides that such requirement may be accomplished by using the Department of Transportation's Wildlife Carcass Removal Tracking application.

Gas pipeline safety; regulations. Requires that for pipeline facilities used in the interstate transport of gas, as defined in federal regulations, any gas transported in transmission lines in the Commonwealth shall be adequately odorized, with an exception for certain pipelines in operation before May 5, 1975. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations related to the provisions of the bill.

Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to convene a stakeholder advisory group to evaluate changes to the Uniform Statewide Building Code addressing temperature regulation. The stakeholder group shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than November 1, 2025.

Board of Housing and Community Development; members. Expands from 14 to 15 the number of members serving on the Board of Housing and Community Development by adding another Director of Regulatory Compliance of the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association. The two Directors of Regulatory Compliance of the Association shall serve as ex officio voting members and shall be members of the Board's Codes and Standards Committee. The bill also removes the prohibition on such Directors from serving as either the chairman of such committee or of the Board.