Rep. Baxter Ennis

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; civil penalties. Increases the minimum and maximum civil penalties that may be imposed upon an officer, employee, or member of a public body for violations of certain provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill also adjusts the minimum and maximum civil penalty for such second and subsequent violations, in addition to increasing the minimum and maximum civil penalties that can be imposed on a public body for violations related to certifying a closed meeting.

Maddy summaryHB 550 would allow any adoptee who is 18 years or older to obtain their original birth certificate directly from state records. The bill removes current barriers that prevent adult adoptees from accessing this document without court involvement or consent from birth parents. This change directly affects adoptees in the state who seek to understand their biological family history or medical background. The policy would require state agencies to provide the original birth certificate upon request by eligible adoptees.

Standards of Learning; programs of instruction; civics education; instruction on local government. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginia and United States Government for grade 12 and requires each school board to provide as a part of any Virginia and U.S. Government course or civic education course offered to students in grade 12 instruction on local government, including instruction on the types of localities in the Commonwealth and the structure and functions of local governments in the Commonwealth. The bill also requires the Board to consider in its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civics education and understanding of the state and federal constitutions and the democratic model of government the successful completion of government or civics courses that include instruction on the structures and functions of local government.

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher on or after July 1, 2025, but allows an employer, as that term is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher before July 1, 2025, in addition to service earned on or after that date. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

Animal control officers; additional training. Increases the number of hours of required additional training in animal control and protection from 15 to 24 every three years for all animal control officers and deputy animal control officers employed by a locality.

Uniform Statewide Building Code; bus shelters.Exempts plans and specifications for bus shelters that do not exceed256 square feet that are to be constructed for transit agencies receivingstate money and that will be constructed on state-owned propertyfrom the Department of General Services' review process requiredby the Uniform Statewide Building Code. The bill authorizes the localbuilding official of the locality in which the state-owned propertyis located to conduct the review process within 60 days of the applicant'sinitial submission of the plans and specifications for such bus shelter.

Animal Cruelty Conviction List established.Requires the Superintendent of State Police to establish no laterthan January 1, 2027, and to maintain the Animal Cruelty ConvictionList and to make the List available to the public on the websiteof the Department of State Police. The bill specifies that the Listinclude the names of persons convicted of certain felony animal crueltyoffenses on or after July 1, 2024. The bill requires persons convictedof any such offense to pay a fee of $50 per conviction to fund themaintenance of the List. The bill also requires the Department toremove a person's name and information from the List 15 years afterits listing if he has no additional felony conviction of any such offense.

Department of Professional and OccupationalRegulation; Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals,and Geologists; professional wetland delineator certification requirements.Removes the requirement that an applicant for certification asa professional wetland delineator provide the Board for ProfessionalSoil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists three writtenreferences from wetland professionals. The bill also replaces therequirement that an applicant with a bachelor's degree in a relevantfield have successfully completed a course of instruction, in stateand federal wetland delineation methods and four years of relevantexperience to be certified with two years of such experience. Finally,for applicants seeking certification through experience, the billreduces to three years the required experience that the applicantmust have in wetland delineation, in wetland science research, oras a teacher of wetlands curriculum in an accredited institutionof higher education in order to be certified.

Active-duty status for any service member injured while in the line of duty. Provides that the Adjutant General may maintain state active-duty status for any service member injured while in the line of duty during the course of a state active-duty mission who is unable to return to civilian employment for a period of up to 90 days after the date of the service member's injury.

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to SB 704.