Rep. Amanda Batten

Alcoholic beverage control; confectionery mixedbeverage retail license. Creates a confectionery mixed beverageretail license that authorizes the licensee to prepare and sell onthe licensed premises for on-and-off premises consumption confectionerythat contains five percent or less alcohol by volume. The bill providesthat any alcohol contained in such confectionery shall not be inliquid form at the time of sale, unless such confectionery is a frozendessert, as defined in the bill. The bill also sets the state andlocal license fee for such confectionery license and repeals the provisions of alcoholic beverage control law that created an off-premiseswine and beer confectionery license.

Virginia Code Commission; work group to recommend exemptions from the Dam Safety Act; low hazard potential impoundingstructures. Directs the Virginia Code Commission to convene awork group to recommend exemptions from the requirements of the DamSafety Act for low hazard potential impounding structures where failureis not expected to cause loss of human life or material economicdamage. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report to theChairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committeeon General Laws and Technology summarizing the work and any recommendationsof the work group by November 1, 2024.

Study; Virginia Freedom of Information AdvisoryCouncil; charges for the production of public records; report.Directs the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council (theFOIA Council) to convene a work group consisting of citizens of the Commonwealth, representatives of state and local government entities, broadcast, print, and electronic media sources, open government organizations, and other interested parties to study whether the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allowing public bodiesto charge requesters for the production of public records shouldbe amended to make access to public records easier for requesters.The resolution further directs the work group to examine the currentFOIA provisions on charges and make recommendations on ways to amendsuch provisions to make the assessment of charges by public bodiesfor the production of public records more uniform, more transparent,easier to understand, and less costly.

Civil jurisdiction of general district courtsand circuit courts; transfer. Provides that while a matter ispending in general district court, upon motion of either the plaintiffor defendant seeking to increase the amount of the claim, the courtis required to order a transfer to circuit court without requiringthat the case first be dismissed or that the plaintiff suffer a nonsuit.Similarly, the bill provides that while a matter is pending in circuitcourt, upon motion of either the plaintiff or defendant seeking to decrease the amount of the claim, the court is required to ordera transfer to general district court. Under current law, both ofthese provisions apply only to the motion of a plaintiff.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.

Public education; dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment; high school graduation. Makes several changes relatingto graduation from a public high school in the Commonwealth, including(i) eliminating the requirement for a student to complete one virtualcourse in order to graduate from high school and (ii) specifyingthat various options and requirements relating to earning careerand technical education credentials for the purpose of satisfyinghigh school graduation requirements are required to be high-demandcareer and technical education credentials. The bill also definesand thereby distinguishes the concepts of dual enrollment and concurrentenrollment in the context of high school students' participation in college-level coursework and requires the agreements for postsecondary attainment between school boards and comprehensive community collegesto specify the credit available for dual enrollment and concurrentenrollment courses.

Celebrating the life of Janet Marie Brooking.

Commending Peter A. Blake.

Commending Scott McGeary.