Exempts guidance documents, defined in the bill, from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.), provided that the agency that developed the guidance document certifies that the document conforms to the definition of a guidance document. Each guidance document is then subject to a 30-day public comment period through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website, after publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations and prior to final publication by the agency. If a comment received during the public comment period asserts that the guidance document is contrary to state law or regulation or that it should not be exempt, the adoption of the guidance document shall be delayed an additional 30 days, during which time the agency shall address the comments and provide a response in writing. The bill also provides that guidance documents do not include agency (i) rulings and advisory opinions, (ii) forms and instructions, (iii) bulletins and legislative summaries, (iv) studies and reports, and (v) internal manuals and memoranda.
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Directs the Department of Planning and Budget (the Department), under the supervision of the Secretary of Finance (the Secretary), to administer a three-year regulatory reduction pilot program aimed at reducing by 25 percent the regulations and regulatory requirements, as defined in the bill, of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and the Department of Criminal Justice Services by July 1, 2021. The bill requires the Secretary to report annually to the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee no later than October 1, 2019, and October 1, 2020, on the progress of the regulatory reduction pilot program. The bill also requires the Secretary to report by August 15, 2021, to the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee (i) the progress toward identifying the 25 percent reduction goal, (ii) recommendations for expanding the program to other agencies, and (iii) any additional information the Secretary determines may be helpful to support the General Assembly's regulatory reduction and reform efforts. The bill provides that if, by October 1, 2021, the program has achieved less than a 25 percent total reduction in regulations and regulatory requirements across both pilot agencies, the Secretary shall report on the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing a 2-for-1 regulatory budget providing that for every one new regulatory requirement, two existing regulatory requirements of equivalent or greater burden must be streamlined, repealed, or replaced for a period not to exceed three years. Lastly, the bill directs all executive branch agencies subject to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) to develop a baseline regulatory catalog and report such catalog data to the Department, which shall then track and report on the extent to which agencies comply with existing requirements to periodically review all regulations every four years. This bill is identical to
Creates the Henrietta Lacks Commission to establish through a public-private partnership the Henrietta Lacks Life Sciences Center in Halifax County as a cancer research and treatment center designed to (i) transform and accelerate cancer research and treatment through the use of biodata tools, (ii) provide tailored cancer treatment medicine to an underserved portion of rural Southside Virginia, and (iii) incubate new biotech businesses across the Southside Virginia region. The bill requires the Commission to annually submit a report on its interim activity and work to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2021.
Removes remaining differences between general landlord and tenant provisions and the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by conforming provisions pertaining to residential dwelling units in the following areas: (i) termination of a nonresidential tenancy by self-help eviction or by filing an unlawful detainer action; (ii) tenant obligations to maintain a dwelling unit; (iii) notice to the tenant in the event of foreclosure; (iv) wrongful failure to supply heat, water, hot water, or essential services; (v) prohibited provisions in the rental agreement; (vi) early termination of a rental agreement by military personnel; and (vii) remedies for the landlord's failure to deliver possession. The bill also makes the following changes to landlord and tenant law: (a) clarifies the lease termination process; (b) provides that if a tenant allows his renter's insurance to lapse, the landlord may provide coverage and require the tenant to pay the premium; (c) establishes protection for landlords who provide tenant information to a federal census official; (d) authorizes a landlord or property manager to appear in court to seek final rent and damages related to a dwelling unit; and (e) clarifies remedies for a tenant's failure to prepare the dwelling unit for insecticide or pesticide applications.
Provides that the local governing body of a county or municipality may enter into an agreement with the governing body of another county or municipality for the provision to such county or municipality's local building department of technical assistance with administration and enforcement of the Building Code.