Rep. Amanda Batten

Abstract of votes; when required to containaccounting of absentee ballots by precinct. Requires that if any precinct in a locality has 100 or more absentee ballots castby voters assigned to it, the abstract of votes contain an accounting,by precinct, of the number of absentee ballots cast by voters assignedto each precinct in the locality. The bill has a delayed effectivedate of January 1, 2022.

Absentee voting; unsolicited absentee ballotapplications; required information. Requires any individual ororganization sending an application for an absentee ballot to a registeredvoter that was not solicited or requested by the registered voterto include with the application instructions on completing the applicationand submitting it to the appropriate general registrar. The billrequires a statement that the application is not being sent by anystate or local government official or agency on the envelope containingthe application or on the first page of any enclosed materials. Suchindividuals and organizations are required to use the informationprovided in the list of registered voters acquired by such individualor organization from the Department of Elections pursuant to law, and a violation of this requirement is a Class 4 misdemeanor. Thebill requires the Department of Elections to ensure, when providingthe list of registered voters to such individual or organization for purposes of sending unsolicited absentee ballot applications, thatno voter is included on the list provided if such voter has appliedfor an absentee ballot on or before the date the list is requested.

Individual and corporate income tax credit;employers of National Guard members and self-employed National Guardmembers. Provides for taxable years 2020 through 2024 a nonrefundabletax credit against individual and corporate income taxes for (i) wages paid by an employer to an employee who is an active or reserveVirginia National Guard member or (ii) income of a self-employedactive or reserve Virginia National Guard member attributable to his business. The amount of the credit shall be 25 percent if such memberwas in a military pay status for 65 days or more during such taxableyear or 15 percent if such member was in a military pay status forat least 45 days but less than 65 days during such taxable year.The credit shall not be allowed if such member was in a military pay status for less than 45 days during such taxable year. The billallows a taxpayer to carry unused credits over for up to five taxableyears.

Public schools; seizure management and action plans; training. Provides for the submission and utilization of seizure management and action plans for students with a seizure disorder. The bill requires that school nurses and certain school division employees biennially complete a Board of Education-approved online course of instruction regarding treating students with seizure disorders. The bill also provides immunity from civil liability for acts or omissions related to providing for the care of a student under a seizure management and action plan.

Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area; provisional surface water withdrawal permit. Authorizes the State Water Control Board to issue a provisional surface water withdrawal permit within the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area to an applicant that has not identified an end user for the water. Such permit shall not allow the withdrawal of water until an end user has been identified and the permittee has provided a report containing information on the need for and proposed use of the surface water, a description of the raw water intake, and other information. The bill provides that once the Department of Environmental Quality approves the report, the permittee shall request a permit modification. Finally, the bill provides that no potential withdrawal amount of any provisional permit shall be used in the calculation of available water when assessing a subsequent surface water withdrawal application in the affected stream reach if the provisional permit has not been modified to reflect an end user, the Department and the subsequent applicant have found the provisional withdrawal to be inappropriate, and the provisional permit holder has failed to state that an end user will be secured within 12 months.

Virginia Retirement System; retired law-enforcement officers employed as school security officers. Allows a retired law-enforcement officer to continue to receive his service retirement allowance during a subsequent period of employment by a local school division as a school security officer, so long as he has a break in service of at least 12 calendar months between retirement and reemployment, did not retire under an early retirement program, and did not retire under the Workforce Transition Act of 1995. The provisions of the act shall expire on July 1, 2025. The bill incorporates HB 986, HB 1368 and HB 1493.

Designation of beneficiary on motor vehicle title; multiple owners. Provides a process whereby a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer with multiple owners can be titled with a designated beneficiary. The bill requires the consent of all owners and provides that the transfer of ownership would occur upon the death of the last surviving owner.

Virginia National Guard; state active duty for emergency response; pay and allowances for members. Provides that whenever called to state active duty in response to certain emergencies, members of the National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force receive pay and allowance equal to their rank and years of service, as determined by the Department of Military Affairs. The bill also authorizes the Adjutant General to increase state active duty pay on an annual basis by a rate not to exceed the most recent percentage increase in basic pay for members of the Armed Forces. Current law provides that (i) officers of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as prescribed for members of like rank in the United States Armed Forces, (ii) members of the National Guard receive the same pay and allowances as if they were on a day of Annual Training, and (iii) members of the Virginia Defense Force called to state active duty receive the same pay and allowances as persons of like grade in the National Guard for a day of Annual Training, capped at 25 years of service. The provisions of the bills are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.

Specialty dockets; veterans docket. Providesthat any veterans docket authorized and established as a local specialtydocket in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginiashall be deemed a "Veterans Treatment Court Program," as that termis used under federal law or by any other entity, for the purposesof applying for, qualifying for, or receiving any federal grants,other federal money, or money from any other entity designated toassist or fund such state programs. The bill contains an emergencyclause.

Virginia Defense Force; maximum age for recruitment. Permits the Adjutant General of Virginia to recruit members to the Virginia Defense Force who are between the ages of 65 and 75. Under current law, the Adjutant General is only permitted to retain existing members of the Virginia Defense Force once they have attained the age of 65.