Del. Betsy Carr

Commending Trinity United Methodist Church.

Land preservation tax credit; maximum amountincrease. Increases from $75 million to $100 million, beginningin 2024, the maximum amount of land preservation tax credits thatmay be issued in a calendar year.

Solar-ready roofs for certain government buildings; net-zero energy consumption building design for schools. Requiresany executive branch agency or institution and any locality enteringthe design phase for the construction of a new building greater than5,000 gross square feet in size, or the renovation of a buildingwhere the cost of the renovation exceeds 50 percent of the valueof the building, to ensure that such building includes a solar-ready,cool, or energy-efficient roof, defined in the bill. The bill alsorequires new public school buildings and facilities and improvementsand renovations to existing public school buildings and facilities where the cost of the renovation exceeds 50 percent of the valueof the building to, after notice is given to the governing body,be designed and constructed to meet net-zero energy consumption standards.The provisions of this bill only apply to projects entering the designphase on or after January 1, 2025.

School crossing zones. Expands the definitionof "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools wherethe presence of students reasonably requires a special warning tomotorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutionsof higher education and nonprofit private institutions of highereducation. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includesonly areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requiressuch warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoringdevices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to anylocation that meets the expanded definition.

Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses. Allows the Board of Directorsof the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue annualmixed beverage performing arts facility licenses to persons operatingfood concessions at any (i) performing arts facility located in theCity of Charlottesville, provided that the performing arts facility(a) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement,the original term of which was more than five years; (b) has a totalcapacity in excess of 550 patrons; and (c) has been rehabilitatedin accordance with historic preservation standards; (ii) outdoor performing arts amphitheater, arena, or similar facility that hasseating for more than 5,000 persons and is located in the City ofRichmond; or (iii) outdoor performing arts amphitheater, arena, orsimilar facility that has seating for more than 2,500 persons andis located in the City of Charlottesville.

Alcoholic beverage control; mixed beverage performingarts facility license; Cities of Norfolk and Richmond; minimum patroncapacity. Reduces from 1,400 to 400 the minimum patron capacitya performing arts facility in the City of Norfolk or Richmond is requiredto have as one of the conditions for being granted a mixed beverage license by the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic BeverageControl Authority.

Maximum number of authorized judgeships in eachjudicial district. Increases from six to seven the number ofauthorized general district court judgeships and increases from fiveto seven the number of authorized juvenile and domestic relationsdistrict court judgeships in the Thirteenth Judicial District.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); tax and finance; exempt property; affordable housing tax exemption. Provides that the General Assembly may by general law authorize the governing body of any county, city, town, or regional government to provide for the exemption from local real property taxation, or a portion thereof, within such restrictions and upon such conditions as may be prescribed, of real estate owned and occupied by persons of low income. Such general law shall require that (i) the real property is a single family habitation and has been owned and continuously occupied as the sole dwelling of the owner of such real property for a prescribed minimum number of years, (ii) the assessment on the property has increased by a prescribed percentage or more from the previous year or over a number of previous years, and (iii) the taxes on such property are current or the owner of such property has entered into a plan for payment of any delinquent taxes and shall establish the annual household income limits to qualify for such exemption.

Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal condition to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life must be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.

Celebrating the life of Karen Harrison Jones.