Del. Shelly Simonds

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty. Provides for a referendum at the November 5, 2024, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that would expand the real property tax exemption that is currently available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action to be available to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty with a Line of Duty determination from the U.S. Department of Defense. This bill is identical to SB 4.

Standards for attorneys appointed to represent parents or guardians; child dependency cases; compensation; multidisciplinary law offices or programs; report. Requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar, beginning July 1, 2026, to adopt standards for the qualification and performance of attorneys appointed to represent a parent or guardian of a child when such child is the subject of a child dependency case, as defined in the bill. The bill also requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2026, to maintain a list of attorneys admitted to practice law in Virginia who are qualified to be appointed to represent indigent parents involved in a child dependency case. Prior to July 1, 2026, counsel must be appointed from the list of attorneys qualified to serve as guardians ad litem. The bill provides that beginning January 1, 2025, court-appointed counsel for a parent, guardian, or other adult in a child dependency case will be compensated in an amount no greater than $330, or in a case for the termination of residual parental rights, $680.The bill authorizes the establishment of up to two multidisciplinary law offices or programs in localities, jurisdictions, or judicial districts that affirm they have met specified criteria for the purpose of representing parents in a child dependency court proceeding or in a child protective services assessment or investigation prior to such proceeding. During any calendar year that such an office or program is in effect for at least six months, the office or program must submit a report on program outcomes, expenses, recommendations, and other pertinent information to the Office of the Children's Ombudsman and the Chairmen of the House Committees for Courts of Justice and on Health and Human Services and Appropriations and the Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations by November 1.

Department of Corrections; Maternal MortalityReview Team; access to medical records. Directs the Departmentof Corrections to provide the Maternal Mortality Review Team withaccess to medical records of formerly incarcerated decedents fromall medical facilities operated or under contract to the Department.

Pet shops offering consumer credit; federallaw. Requires a pet shop to comply with the provisions of thefederal Truth in Lending Act and Consumer Financial Protection BureauRegulation Z when it offers or extends consumer credit.

Historic rehabilitation tax credit; increase.Increases from $5 million to $10 million, beginning in taxable year2024, the maximum amount of the historic rehabilitation tax credit,including amounts carried over from prior taxable years, that maybe claimed by a taxpayer in any taxable year. In addition, shouldthe taxpayer incur expenses toward the rehabilitation of a certifiedhistoric structure in a locality that has a designated enterprise zone, as defined in relevant law, the taxpayer may claim up to anadditional $10 million in any taxable year.

Child labor offenses; civil penalties. Increasesfrom $10,000 to $25,000 the civil penalty for each violation of childlabor laws that results in the employment of a child who is seriouslyinjured or dies in the course of employment. The bill also increasesfrom $1,000 to $2,500 the maximum civil penalty for each other violationof child labor laws and provides that such civil penalty shall notbe less than $500. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a stakeholder work group to develop education and outreach plans to inform young workers and employers about child labor laws.

Private security services business; trainingrequirements; human trafficking. Requires the compulsory minimum,entry-level, and in-service training standards for an unarmed securityofficer, armed security officer, courier, security canine handler,and alarm respondent to include a training requirement on recognizingand reporting instances of suspected human trafficking. The billprovides that the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall havethe power and duty to develop an online course to meet such trainingrequirement.

Labor trafficking; forced labor or service; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly provides or obtains the labor or services of a person by means of (i) force, threats of force, physical restraint, or threats of physical restraint to that person or another person; (ii) serious harm, as defined in the bill, or threats of serious harm to that person or another person; (iii) the abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process, as defined in the bill; or (iv) any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that if that person did not perform such labor or services that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint is guilty of labor trafficking. The bill also provides that any person who knowingly benefits from participation in a venture that has engaged in labor trafficking is guilty of receiving money from labor trafficking. The bill provides that a violation of labor trafficking or receiving money from labor trafficking is punishable as a Class 4 felony; however, any adult who commits an act of labor trafficking or receiving money from labor trafficking with a person under the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 3 felony. The bill also creates a civil cause of action against individuals who engage in labor trafficking or who receive money from labor trafficking and adds labor trafficking and receiving money from labor trafficking to provisions of the Code defining racketeering and as a barrier crime from caring for children or the elderly or disabled, among other provisions listed in the bill. The bill extends the time to commence a civil action for trafficking in persons from seven years to 10 years.

Human trafficking response teams. Requires attorneys for the Commonwealth to establish multidisciplinary human trafficking response teams. The bill provides that each team shall hold a meeting, at least annually, to (i) discuss implementation of protocols and policies; (ii) establish and review guidelines for the community's response to various forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking; and (iii) review protocols for the trauma-informed, victim-centered collection, preservation, and secure storage of evidence from physical evidence recovery kit examinations. The bill also provides that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shall not apply to human trafficking response teams, with certain exceptions.

School boards; unexpended local funds; capitalreserve fund permitted. Permits any school board, with the concurrenceof the local governing body, to establish a capital reserve fundas a savings account into which it exclusively deposits the localoperating funds that remain unexpended at the end of the year forfuture school division capital expenditures at no additional costto local taxpayers, subject to certain conditions enumerated in thebill.