Hampton Roads Regional Transit Program. Creates the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Program to develop, maintain, and improve a regional network of transit routes and related infrastructure, rolling stock, and support facilities. The program would be funded by an additional (i) regional grantor's tax at a rate of $0.06 per $100 of the consideration for the conveyance and (ii) regional transient occupancy tax at a rate of one percent of the charge for the occupancy, both imposed in localities in the Hampton Roads Transportation District. The bill also dedicates $20 million of revenues from existing recordation taxes to funding the program. The moneys would be deposited into the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Fund, created by the bill. The moneys would be deposited into the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Fund, created by the bill. Use of the funds would require a two-thirds vote of the localities in which the new taxes were imposed. The bill also includes a local maintenance of effort of public transportation funding. This bill is identical to SB 1038.
Sponsored bills
Lottery Board; regulation of casino gaming. Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill specifies the requirements for licensure of casino gaming operators and the conduct of casino gaming and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. The location of casino gaming establishments shall be limited to eligible host cities that meet specified criteria: the Cities of Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, and Bristol. The bill requires each eligible host city to hold a referendum on the question of whether to allow casino gaming in the city and, with the exception of the City of Richmond, to hold such referendum at the November 2020 general election. The bill imposes a tax ranging from 18 to 30 percent of the adjusted gross receipts of licensees, based upon a licensee's annual adjusted gross receipts, and provides for disbursement of the tax revenues. The bill requires the Board to establish a voluntary exclusion program allowing individuals to voluntarily list themselves as being barred from entering a casino gaming establishment or other facility under the jurisdiction of the Board. The bill establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and the Virginia Indigenous People's Trust Fund, both of which are funded by proceeds from the casino gaming tax revenues. The bill also establishes the Regional Improvement Commission, consisting of a representative of each jurisdiction composing the transportation district in which the City of Bristol is located, to receive disbursements of gaming tax revenues and to prioritize and fund improvements in those jurisdictions. The bill requires the Virginia Racing Commission to authorize an additional 600 historical horse racing terminals each time a local referendum held by an eligible host city is approved, provided that the total number of additional machines does not exceed 2,000 statewide, and includes other provisions relating to the placement of historical horse racing terminals in the Commonwealth. The bill incorporates HB 374, HB 428, HB 560, HB 1343, and HB 1661 and is identical to SB 36.
Labor and employment; collective bargaining; employees of counties, cities, and towns. Permits counties, cities, and towns to adopt local ordinances authorizing them to (i) recognize any labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of any public officers or employees, except for Constitutional officers and their employees, and including public school employees and (ii) collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining contract with any such union or association or its agents with respect to any matter relating to them or their employment. The bill provides that for any governing body of a county, city, or town that has not adopted an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining, such governing body is required, within 120 days of receiving certification from a majority of public employees in a unit considered by such employees to be appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining, to take a vote to adopt or not adopt an ordinance or resolution to provide for collective bargaining by such public employees and any other public employees deemed appropriate by the governing body. The bill provides that the prohibition against striking for public employees applies, irrespective of any such local ordinance. The bill has a delayed effective date of May 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 939.
Apprenticeship program; discrimination. Prohibits a sponsor of a registered apprenticeship program from discriminating against an apprentice or applicant for apprenticeship on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, or disability. The measure conforms Virginia's apprenticeship nondiscrimination requirements to those required for state apprenticeship agencies pursuant to federal Office of Apprenticeship regulations adopted in 2016.
Constitutional amendment (second resolution);personal property tax exemption; motor vehicle owned by a veteranwho is disabled. Provides that one motor vehicle of a veteranwho has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disabilityshall be exempt from state and local taxes. The amendment provides that only automobiles and pickup trucks qualify for the exemption. Additionally, the exemption is only applicable on the date the motorvehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whicheveris later, and is not applicable for any period of time prior to theeffective date of the amendment.
Memorials for war veterans. Provides that a locality may remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover any monument or memorial for war veterans on the locality's public property, not including a monument or memorial located in a publicly owned cemetery, regardless of when the monument or memorial was erected, and removes certain criminal and civil penalties. Current law makes it unlawful to disturb or interfere with such monuments or memorials or to prevent citizens from taking proper measures and exercising proper means for the protection, preservation, and care of such monuments or memorials. Prior to removing, relocating, contextualizing, or covering any such publicly owned monument or memorial, the local governing body shall publish notice of such intent in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality. The notice shall specify the time and place of a public hearing at which interested persons may present their views, not less than 30 days after publication of the notice. After the completion of the hearing, the governing body may vote whether to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the monument or memorial. If the governing body votes to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the monument or memorial, the local governing body shall first, for a period of 30 days, offer the monument or memorial for relocation and placement to any museum, historical society, government, or military battlefield. The local governing body shall have sole authority to determine the final disposition of the monument or memorial. The bill authorizes the local governing body to call for an advisory referendum prior to voting on such motion. The bill repeals an 1890 act of assembly related to the placement of a statue in the City of Alexandria and does not apply to a monument or memorial located on the property of a public institution of higher education within the City of Lexington. The bill also provides that the Board of Historic Resources shall promulgate regulations governing the manner in which any monument or memorial may be contextualized. This bill incorporates HB1625 and is identical to SB 183.
Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent De Jure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against African Americans; report; sunset. Creates the Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent De Jure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against African Americans to (i) study the current impact and long-term inequities of slavery and the subsequent state-sanctioned de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination practiced against African Americans and (ii) make recommendations to the General Assembly on appropriate remedies. The bill requires the Commission to annually submit a report on its interim activity and work to the Governor and the General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2022.
Institutions of higher education; sexual violencepolicies; immunity from disciplinary action; certain students whomake reports. Requires the Virginia Community College System,Richard Bland College, each baccalaureate public institution of highereducation, and each nonprofit private institution of higher educationto include in its sexual violence policy a requirement that any enrolledstudent who (i) reports to any individual employed by the institutionthat an act of sexual violence occurred on campus, in or on a noncampusbuilding or property, or on public property, as such terms are definedin relevant law, and (ii) the institution determines, as a resultof any investigation relating to such alleged act of sexual violence,committed a separate, unrelated, nonviolent act that violates theinstitution's code, rules, or set of standards governing student conduct is immune from disciplinary action for such violation.
Admission to bail; rebuttable presumptions against bail. Eliminates the provision prohibiting a judicial officer who is a magistrate, clerk, or deputy clerk of a district court or circuit court from admitting to bail, that is not set by a judge, any person who is charged with an offense giving rise to a rebuttable presumption against bail without the concurrence of an attorney for the Commonwealth. The bill also eliminates the requirement that notice be provided to the attorney for the Commonwealth before such judicial officer may set or admit a person to bail.
Statewide prioritization process; primary evacuation routes. Requires the Office of Intermodal Planning to include in the results of screening candidate projects in the Six-Year Improvement Program whether such projects are located on a primary evacuation route.