Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (the Board) to establish regional charter school divisions consisting of at least two but not more than three existing school divisions in any case in which (i) each such local school division is in close proximity and has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and (ii) at least two such local school divisions have grades three through eight math and English reading Standards of Learning assessment performance in the bottom quartile of the Commonwealth. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board that consists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointed by the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizes the school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approve public charter school applications in the regional charter school divisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires that the state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of the underlying school district in which the student resides be transferred to such school.
Sponsored bills
Department of Education; policy on sexually explicit content in instructional material. Requires the Department of Education to develop and each local school board to adopt model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to (i) ensuring parental notification; (ii) directly identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects; and (iii) permitting the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests. The bill provides that the local school board model policies may be more comprehensive than the model policies developed by the Department. The bill requires the Department to develop such model policies no later than July 31, 2022, and requires each local school board to adopt policies consistent with this act no later than January 1, 2023. The bill states that the provisions of the bill shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.
Conformity of the Commonwealth's taxation system with the Internal Revenue Code; Rebuild Virginia grants and Paycheck Protection Program loans; emergency. Advances Virginia's date of conformity with the Internal Revenue Code from December 31, 2020, to December 31, 2021. The bill also deconforms from provisions of the (i) federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) related to the net operating loss limitation and carryback, a loss limitation applicable to taxpayers other than corporations, the limitation on business interest, and certain loan forgiveness and other business financial assistance and (ii) federal American Rescue Plan Act related to restaurant revitalization grants and emergency injury disaster loans received for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2021. The bill also retroactively allows up to $100,000 of the individual and corporate income tax deduction or subtraction, as applicable, for Rebuild Virginia grants and certain amounts related to Paycheck Protection Program loans to certain fiscal filers. The bill also allows full deductibility of expenses paid or incurred with forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loan proceeds and expenses paid or incurred with Economic Injury Disaster Loan program funding for taxable year 2021 and thereafter. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Elections; voter identification containing aphotograph required; permanent absentee voter list repealed.Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photographin order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permittinga voter who does not have one of the required forms of identificationto vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties forfalse statements, that he is the named registered voter he claimsto be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled tocast a provisional ballot. The bill also repeals the provisions oflaw by which any registered voter may apply to receive absentee ballotsfor all elections in which he is eligible to vote and remains onthe list until the voter requests in writing to be removed from thelist, the voter's registration is canceled or placed on inactivestatus pursuant to law, or the voter moves to a different addressnot in the same county or city of his registration.
Celebrating the life of James J.L. Stegmaier.
Unemployment compensation; disqualificationfor benefits; misconduct does not include refusing COVID-19 vaccine.Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Employment Commissiondetermining if an individual was separated or partially separatedfrom employment for misconduct and would be disqualified for unemploymentbenefits, the term "misconduct" does not include an employee's refusalto receive or receive in part any primary series or booster shotof a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.
Commending Virginia Polytechnic Institute andState University.
Commending the Virginia Manufacturers Association.
Multi-jurisdiction grand jury; elder abuse crimes. Adds the following to the list of crimes that a multi-jurisdiction grand jury may investigate: (i) financial exploitation of mentally incapacitated persons and (ii) abuse and neglect of incapacitated adults.
State parks; Disabled Veteran's Passport.Expands the Disabled Veteran's Passport program to all U.S. veteranswith a service-connected disability. Currently, a veteran must be100 percent disabled to be eligible for the program, which providesfree entry into state parks and a 50 percent discount on campingand swimming fees, picnic shelter rentals, and other equipment rentalsprovided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.