Del. Betsy Carr

Housing; Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program created; affordable dwelling unit policy incentives; report. Creates the Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. To be eligible for a grant from the Program, a locality is required to make a change to its zoning policies to allow for by-right development that is expected to further the goal of creating and maintaining mixed-income communities, affordable housing, and moderately priced housing, as those terms are defined in the bill. The Department of Housing and Community Development is required to establish certain guidelines for the Program and to notify eligible localities of the existence and purpose of the Program no later than September 1, 2024. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.

Employee Child Care Assistance Program and Fund; established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Programand Fund to provide matching funds to in order to incentivize employersto contribute to the child care costs of their employees. To participatein the program, an employer is required to enter into an agreementwith its employee and an eligible mixed-delivery provider, definedin the bill, to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-deliveryprovider on behalf of the employee, and the Department of Educationwill issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-deliveryprovider or to a third-party administrator. The bill provides thatthe state match shall not exceed 100 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare equal to or less than the local median household income, definedin the bill, and shall not exceed 80 percent of the employer contributionmade by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wagesare greater than the local median household income. The bill requiresthat 25 percent of the Fund be used to provide state matching fundsfor employees of small businesses.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; practice of geology; definitions. Expands the definition of the practice of geology to include the performance of any professional service or work wherein the principles and methods of geology are applied, including (i) investigating, evaluating, and consulting; (ii) geological mapping; (iii) describing the natural processes that act upon the earth's materials; (iv) predicting the probable occurrence of natural processes; and (v) inspecting, planning, and performing and supervising geological work in order to enhance and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment. The bill also defines "geological mapping." The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to SB 184.

Official emblems and designations; state pollinator; European honey bee. Designates the honey bee (Apis mellifera)as the official state pollinator. The bill contains a technical amendment.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; job order contracting; limitations. Increases from $6 million to $15 million the maximum threshold above which the sum of all jobs performed in a one-year job order contract term shall not exceed. The bill also increases the maximum threshold amount for any individual job order from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Finally, the bill increases from two to four the number of additional one-year terms for which job order contracts may be renewable, and the bill only applies to contracts entered into on or after the bill's effective date.

Commending Craig M. Burns.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable OnzleeWare.

Commending Service Employees International Union,Local 32BJ.

Commending Vinegar Hill Magazine.

Celebrating the life of Philip August Huss.