Del. Don Scott

Virginia housing opportunity tax credit.Establishes, starting in taxable year 2021, a Virginia housing opportunitytax credit, which is equal to the amount of the federal low-incomehousing tax credit allocated or allowed by the Virginia Housing DevelopmentAuthority to a low-income building that is eligible for the federalcredit. The credit would be nonrefundable and could be carried forwardfor up to five years.

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. DesignatesMay, in 2021 and in each succeeding year, as Cystic Fibrosis AwarenessMonth in Virginia.

Study; Virginia State Crime Commission; alternative approaches to the Commonwealth's enforcement scheme for the possessionof controlled substances, including decriminalization; report.Directs the Virginia State Crime Commission to study the proprietyand effectiveness of alternative approaches to the Commonwealth'senforcement scheme for the possession of controlled substances, includingdecriminalization of the possession of such substances.

State parks; Disabled Veteran's Passport.Expands the Disabled Veteran's Passport program to all U.S. veteranswith a service-connected disability. Currently, a veteran must be100 percent disabled to be eligible for the program, which providesfree entry into state parks and a 50 percent discount on campingand swimming fees, picnic shelter rentals, and other equipment rentalsprovided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Vehicle registration fees; Public Safety TrustFund. Imposes an additional $4 vehicle registration fee to be deposited into the Public Safety Trust Fund, established by the bill.The moneys in the Public Safety Trust Fund are to be used to eliminatebarriers to an inclusive, diverse, and well-qualified workforce byaddressing compensation issues related to staffing, retention, and pay compression at the Department of State Police.

Required release of video or audio recording;discharge of firearm or use of stun weapon or chemical irritant by law-enforcement officer. Requires that, whenever a law-enforcementofficer (i) discharges a firearm or (ii) uses a stun weapon or chemicalirritant on a person resulting in death or serious bodily injury,any video or audio recording that relates to such incident producedor obtained by a law-enforcement officer be open to inspection andavailable for release and posted on a website that is maintained by the law-enforcement agency or on any other website on which the law-enforcement agency generally posts information and that is availableto the public or that clearly describes how the public may accesssuch data within 15 days of producing or obtaining such video oraudio recording. The bill includes exceptions to such release. Thebill also provides that any person denied the rights and privilegesconferred may proceed to enforce such rights and privileges by filinga petition for mandamus or injunction pursuant to the Virginia Freedomof Information Act.

Professions and occupations; licensure by Governor.Provides that the Governor may issue a license of the kind grantedby a regulatory board under the Department of Professional and OccupationalRegulation or the Department of Health Professions to any personwhose application for such license to such board has been denied.

Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2022-23 school year through the 2026-27 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);legislative compensation; Legislative Compensation Commission.Establishes the Legislative Compensation Commission, charged withdetermining the salaries, allowances, and retirement benefits ofthe members of the General Assembly. Members would receive no compensationfrom the Commonwealth other than the compensation determined by theCommission. The Commission is established by appointment of the GeneralAssembly every four years beginning July 1, 2026.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable BernardS. Cohen.