Del. Irene Shin

MEI Project Approval Commission; board-levelgender and diversity requirements. Requires that the MEI ProjectApproval Commission considers, prior to recommending approval ofany major employment and investment (MEI) project, (i) whether abusiness has and commits to maintaining a balanced board of directorsbased upon gender and racial diversity, such that at least 30 percentof such board of directors consists of women and historically underrepresentedgroups, and (ii) whether a business seeking approval of a projectsubmits a board diversity disclosure and commits to updating such disclosure annually, specifying the number and percentage of diversedirectors on the board of such business who self-identify as femaleor represent a national, racial, ethnic, indigenous, or culturalminority in the country of the business's principal executive offices.

Purchase of firearms; waiting period; penalty. Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law. This bill is identical to SB 273.

Preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty. Creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal on publicly supported housing, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes localities to implement an ordinance that requires an owner to accept a right of first refusal offer by the locality or qualified designee, defined in the bill, in order to preserve affordable housing for a period of not less than 15 years. The bill requires that any locality adopting such an ordinance to preserve affordable housing submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development by December 31.

Teacher and support staff compensation; at orabove national average. Requires that public school teachersbe compensated at a rate that is at or above the national averageteacher salary. Under current law, compensation at such rate is aspirational.The bill also requires that public school instructional and noninstructionalsupport staff be compensated at a rate that is at or above the nationalaverage salary for such staff. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund an annual increase for public school teacher and instructionaland noninstructional support staff salaries such that, no later thanthe 2028-2029 school year, such individuals are compensated at arate that is at or above the respective national average salary.

Special license plates; Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee. Repeals authorization for the issuance of Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee special license plates and provides that such special license plates already in circulation will remain valid until their expiration and shall not be renewed.

Department of Housing and Community Development;Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; ManufacturedHome Lot Rental Act; notice of tenant screening criteria. Requireslandlords governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord and TenantAct or Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act to provide applicants for tenancy with (i) the amount and purpose of fees to be charged tosuch applicant, (ii) information that will be used to assess suchapplicant's eligibility for tenancy, and (iii) any criteria that mayresult in automatic denial of an application. The bill requires suchlandlords to notify applicants of certain rights protected by thefederal Fair Credit Reporting Act prior to performing any background,credit, or other pre-occupancy check on such applicants. Finally,the bill requires the Director of the Department of Housing andCommunity Development to develop a sample notice of tenant screening criteria and a standardized statement regarding an applicant's rightsprotected by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and to make suchsample notice and statement available on the Department's website.

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. The bill removes the requirement that such a tax must have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax. This bill is identical to HB 805.

Voter satellite offices; standards and guidelines for determining number and location. Directs the Department of Elections to develop standards and guidelines for local governing bodies to utilize when determining the number of voter satellite offices to be established in a county or city for a general election and the relative locations of such satellite offices. The bill specifies that such standards and guidelines must take into account the county's or city's registered voter population and the density and distribution of such population within the county or city and must include a recommended minimum number of voter satellite offices for the 14-day and 30-day periods immediately preceding a general election.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student discipline; evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. Prohibits, except in certain cases involving specific offenses enumerated in applicable law or in cases in which the division superintendent or his designee finds that aggravating circumstances, as defined by the Department of Education, exist, any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school without first considering at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice such as community conferencing, community service, mentoring, a peer jury, peer mediation, positive behavioral interventions and supports, a restorative circle, or the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports. The bill also requires the Department to add as part of the student behavior and administrative response collection required pursuant to relevant law the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices as a behavioral intervention in order to evaluate the use and effectiveness of such practices. This bill is identical to SB 586.

Expungement of juvenile court records. Provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult, other than murder, kidnapping, robbery, or rape, and such juvenile was 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense, the court records shall be destroyed when the juvenile has attained the age of 29. The bill provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of murder, kidnapping, robbery, or rape and such juvenile was 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense, the court records shall be retained. Under current law, the court records shall be retained in all instances when a juvenile was found guilty of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult. The bill directs the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court to expunge all records pursuant to the bill by July 1, 2027.