Del. Rae Cousins

School boards; meetings; public comment or citizen participation; enrolled students. Requires each school boardto permit any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondaryschool in the local school division who provides acceptable proofof identification, including any current student identification cardor other school document such as a report card or a personal schoolemail address, and who signs up at least 12 hours in advance of thescheduled start of a school board meeting or is physically presentat a school board meeting to submit oral comments during any publiccomment or citizen participation portion of such meeting.

Conservation of trees during land developmentprocess in certain localities. Expands authority of certain localitiesto adopt an ordinance providing for the planting and replacementof trees during the development process by allowing a tree canopyfund that currently applies to the planting of trees on public propertyto include maintenance of trees on public property and planting andmaintenance of trees on private property. The bill removes a provisionthat requires that any funds collected for the purposes of the tree canopy fund be returned to the original contributor if not spentwithin five years but maintains the requirement that such finds be spent within five years. The bill also includes an expansion ofthe canopy credit and a provision that will require a local treeconservation ordinance to meet the standards set out in the statute.

Compensation of court-appointed counsel. Raises the limitation of fees that court-appointed counsel can receive for representation on various offenses in district and circuit courts. The bill also limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 356.

Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; inclusive housing plan; individuals with disabilities. Directs the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Commissioner) to work with stakeholders to develop a plan to ensure that people with disabilities across the Commonwealth, including individuals affected by the Settlement Agreement entered into on August 23, 2012, pursuant to U.S. of America v. Commonwealth of Virginia, have an opportunity to access affordable and inclusive housing, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commissioner to present the plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025.

Student-athletes; use of name, image, or likeness;high school students; Office of the Student-Athlete Name, Image, and Likeness Contract Ombudsman established. Establishes rights, duties, and prohibitions relating to the use of the name, image,or likeness of high school student-athletes that are equivalent tothose established in law for college student-athletes. The bill alsorequires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to establishand employ such individuals as it deems appropriate in the Officeof the Student-Athlete Name, Image, and Likeness Contract Ombudsman,the purpose of which is to provide information, resources, and disputeresolution services to high school and college student-athletes relatingto name, image, and likeness contracts and the rights, duties, andprohibitions relating to the use of the name, image, or likenessof such student-athletes that are set forth in relevant law.

Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

High school graduation requirements; satisfaction of certain course credits with workforce credentials; development and maintenance of list of accepted credentials. Requires the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, Career and Technical Education directors, and industry partners, to develop and maintain a current, comprehensive, and uniform list of industry-recognized workforce credentials that students may take as a substitute for certain units of credit required for graduation, including such credentials that are accepted as substitutes for electives credits and credentials completed outside of regular school hours. The bill requires each school board to accept as a substitute for a required credit any credential listed as an accepted substitute for such required credit. The bill also requires any College and Career Access Pathways Partnership entered into between a school board and a comprehensive community college to specify, consistent with the list, industry-recognized credentials that are accepted as substitutes for certain credits required for high school graduation. Finally, the bill requires the Board, in establishing graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute elective credits for completion of any industry-approved workforce credential that is included on the list as an accepted substitute for such credits. This bill incorporates HB 1009 and is identical to SB 199.

School boards; state funding for public education;student transportation; innovative alternatives to school buses.Provides that no school board that implements innovative low-costor no-cost alternatives to transporting students to and from schoolon school buses, including organizing or otherwise facilitating,encouraging, or supporting bike buses whereby groups of studentsride bicycles to and from school, shall be penalized in the calculationof the prevailing costs of student transportation for the purposeof providing state funding to support the cost of public education.

Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028.

Search warrants, subpoenas, court orders, or other process; menstrual health data prohibited. Prohibits the issuance of a search warrant, subpoena, court order, or other process for the purpose of the search and seizure or production of menstrual health data, as defined in the bill, including data stored on a computer, computer network, or other device containing electronic or digital information. This bill incorporates HB 1359 and is identical to SB 16.