Del. Mike Cherry

Concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Adds a firearms safety or training course conducted by U.S. LawShield or any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a nationally recognized firearms safety training organization to the list of qualifications that satisfy the demonstration of competence requirement for the issuance of a Virginia resident or nonresident concealed handgun permit. The bill also directs the Department of State Police to publish on its public website a list of organizations conducting such trainings that the Department deems adequate.

Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; enforcement of civil penalty. Provides that violations of the prohibition on campaign fundraising during legislative sessions are to be reported to the Attorney General, who shall initiate civil proceedings to enforce the civil penalty currently assessed for such violations. The bill provides that in the case of an alleged violation by the Attorney General, the State Board of Elections shall request the Supreme Court of Virginia to appoint outside counsel to receive such violation report and such outside counsel shall be responsible for initiating civil proceedings to enforce the civil penalty.

Special conservators of the peace; emergency and involuntary civil admissions. Clarifies that the term "law-enforcement officer" as used in relevant law relating to emergency and involuntary civil admissions includes a special conservator of the peace authorized by an order of appointment pursuant to relevant law that states he is a "law-enforcement officer" for the purposes of laws related to emergency custody and involuntary temporary detention.

Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentence for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 3.2-5145.2:1, 22.1-212.2:4, 23.1-408.1, 59.1-200, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 59.1-203, and 59.1-206 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 59.1-200.2; and to repeal Chapter 5.2 (§§ 54.1-526 through 54.1-542) of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; deregulation of athlete agents.

Electric utilities; retail competition; aggregation of load. Provides, for retail competition for the purchase and sale of electric energy, that when two or more individual nonresidential retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth petition the State Corporation Commission for permission to aggregate or combine their demands to become qualified to purchase electric energy from a retail supplier, such retail customers shall be able to modify existing site accounts outlined in the petition without penalty or risk of revocation of petition approval, provided the petition continues to adhere to program requirements. Additionally, for a pilot program under which two or more nonresidential customers have filed applications seeking to aggregate their load and purchase electric energy from a supplier, such retail customers shall be able to modify existing site accounts outlined in the petition without penalty or risk of removal from the program, provided the petition continues to adhere to program requirements.

Estimated tax; failure by individual, trust, or estate to pay. Increases from $150 to $1,000 the maximum underpayment of estimated tax for which no addition to tax shall be added.

Board of Wildlife Resources; trout-fishing access-site registry; income tax credit. Requires the Board of Wildlife Resources to establish and manage a trout-fishing access-site registry through which eligible landowners may register real property to allow valid fishing-license holders access to such property for the sole purpose of fishing trout. The bill authorizes such registrants to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit in the amount of $2,000 for each full tax year that such person had real property registered as a trout-fishing access site with the Board.

Department of Wildlife Resources; free or partially discounted fees to hunt, fish, and trap; reimbursement. Requires the Department of Wildlife Resources to maintain an annual accounting of revenue that would have been received by the Department from license exemptions or free or partially discounted fees to hunt, fish, or trap that are established by the General Assembly on or after July 1, 2025, and to submit such accounting to the Department of Accounts by August 1 of each year. The bill requires the Department of Accounts to pay the actual amount of such revenue within 30 days into the Game Protection Fund and also allows the accounting required by the bill and any other records relating to such accounting to be subject to audit by the State Comptroller.

Governor; chief of staff and Governor's Secretaries. Provides that no chief of staff appointed by the Governor and no Secretary appointed by the Governor shall be members of each other's immediate family when each is serving in his appointed capacity at the same time.