Del. Nadarius Clark

Statutory agents; service of process. Adds the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission to the definition of "statutory agent" when such Clerk is appointed for the purpose of service of process on any individual, corporation, or limited partnership. The bill further applies certain methods of service of process currently applicable to limited liability corporations to nonstock corporations and domestic stock corporations. The bill provides that domestic or foreign limited liability partnerships may be served by personal service on its registered agent as directed by applicable provisions of Title 50 (Partnerships). The bill further provides that whenever the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission is appointed as the statutory agent service shall be deemed sufficient upon the person or entity being served and shall be effective on the date when service is made on the Clerk, provided, however, that the time for such person or entity to respond to process sent by the Clerk shall run from the date when the certificate of compliance is filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

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.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Department of Housing and Community Development; summary of rental agreement provisions. Requires landlords to include, upon request, a summary page with any written rental agreement offered to a prospective tenant that includes the duration of the lease, the amount of rent and the date upon which such rent shall be due, an explanation of any deposits and late fees that may be charged, and any termination provisions. The bill also directs the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop a sample summary page to be used by landlords to summarize the provisions of the lease agreement and to maintain such sample summary page on the Department's website in English and any language for which any locality in the Commonwealth regularly provides official government communications. The bill also requires any landlord who owns or manages more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in any locality in the Commonwealth that regularly provides official government communications in languages other than English to provide, upon request of a prospective tenant, such summary page in any of such languages using the sample summary page developed by the Director.

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.

Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salaryhistory of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency;cause of action; civil penalty. Prohibits a prospective employerfrom (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee;(ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employeein determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is tobe paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history ofa prospective employee in considering the prospective employee foremployment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promotea prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospectiveemployee for not providing wage or salary history; and (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for eachjob, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage,salary, or wage or salary range. The bill establishes a cause ofaction for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and providesthat an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to theaggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damagesbetween $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater,reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitablerelief as may be appropriate. The bill also provides for civil penaltiesfor violations not to exceed $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000for a second violation, and $4,000 for a third or subsequent violation.

Railroad safety; civil penalties. Adds various requirements for railroad companies, including (i) prohibiting placing stationary cars or trains on its track within 1,500 feet on bothsides of any crossing of a railroad with a highway; (ii) prohibitingtrains that exceed 8,500 feet in length on any mainline or branchline; (iii) requiring a crew of at least two qualified individualson all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection withmoving freight; (iv) requiring warning signs or devices for certaintrack obstructions that could endanger a railroad company employee; and (v) requiring walkways adjacent to yard tracks where employeesregularly perform switching service. The bill requires that finesfor a violation of the train-length requirement be deposited in theShortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund for railway safetyprojects.