World Polio Day. Designates October 24,in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as World Polio Day in Virginia.
Rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. Lowers the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel on July 1, 2022, from 26.2 cents per gallon to 21.2 cents per gallon on gasoline and from 27 cents per gallon to 20.2 cents per gallon on diesel fuel, the rates that were in effect before July 1, 2021. The bill provides that the rate of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel will return to 26.2 and 27 cents per gallon, respectively, on July 1, 2023, and will be indexed based on the change in the United States Average Consumer Price Index for both 2021 and 2022; thereafter, the rate will be indexed annually.
Income tax credits; Neighborhood Assistance Program and Education Improvement Scholarships. Makes several amendments to expand the availability of the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) and Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits (EISTC). The bill increases the limit on NAP credits approved by the Department of Education (DOE) from $9 million to $25 million. When added to the current limit of $8 million of NAP credits approved by the Department of Social Services (DSS), the overall limit on NAP credits would be $33 million. The bill makes decisions of DOE and DSS regarding the qualification of a scholarship foundation or the awarding of tax credits subject to judicial appeal; currently, such decisions are final. The bill provides that the annual allocation of tax credits among neighborhood organizations shall not rely solely on the amount of credits awarded in the previous year. For the EISTC, the bill allows certified public accountants to receive tax credits for donations of accounting services to scholarship organizations. The bill also authorizes scholarship foundations, which are the sole recipient of funding from the issuance of EISTC, to receive funding for scholastic assistance, defined in the bill as counseling or supportive services. Under current law, scholarship foundations may receive EISTC funding only for the purpose of providing scholarships.
Firearms; removal from persons posing substantialrisk; penalties. Repeals the procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or law-enforcement officer may apply to a generaldistrict court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relationsdistrict court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial riskorder to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injuryto himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transportinga firearm. The bill also removes the substantial risk order registryfor the entry of orders issued.
Control of firearms by localities. Removes the authority for a locality by ordinance to prohibit the possession or carrying of firearms, ammunition, or components or any combination thereof in (i) any building, or part thereof, owned or used by such locality for governmental purposes; (ii) any public park owned or operated by the locality; (iii) any recreation or community center facility; or (iv) any public street, road, alley, or sidewalk or public right-of-way or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit. The bill provides that any firearm received by the locality pursuant to a buy-back program shall be offered for sale by public auction or sealed bids to a person licensed as a dealer. Current law provides that any such firearm shall be destroyed by the locality unless the person surrendering the firearm requests in writing that the firearm be offered for sale. The bill also limits the authority of localities and state governmental entities to bring lawsuits against certain firearms manufacturers and others.
Department of Education; policy on sexually explicit content in instructional material. Requires the Department of Education to develop and each local school board to adopt model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to (i) ensuring parental notification; (ii) directly identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects; and (iii) permitting the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any student whose parent so requests. The bill provides that the local school board model policies may be more comprehensive than the model policies developed by the Department. The bill requires the Department to develop such model policies no later than July 31, 2022, and requires each local school board to adopt policies consistent with this act no later than January 1, 2023. The bill states that the provisions of the bill shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.
Commending Karen F. Stuber.
Polling places; location requirements; waiver in certain circumstances. Provides that in the event that there is no suitable building that could be used for a polling place within a precinct or within one mile of the precinct boundary, the general registrar or the governing body of the locality may request from the Department of Elections a waiver to establish a polling place that does not meet the location requirements. The bill provides that the Department shall grant such a waiver and may impose any conditions on the waiver that it deems necessary or appropriate to ensure accessibility and security of the polling place and compliance with any other requirements of state or federal law.
Voter registration; registration permittedup to and including the day of the election. Repeals a provisionthat would permit any person who is qualified to register to voteto register to vote in person up to and including the day of theelection, notwithstanding any deadline for the close of registration records. The repeal will limit the persons who are entitled to registerto vote after the close of registration records to (i) any member of a uniformed service of the United States who is on active duty,(ii) any person residing temporarily outside of the United States,and (iii) the spouse or dependent residing with someone listed in(i) or (ii).
Celebrating the life of Ronald Bowen Watson.
