Sen. Bill DeSteph

Celebrating the life of Rebecca Kellam Chalmers.

Commending the Virginia Manufacturers Association.

Public elementary and secondary schools and public school-based early childhood care and education programs; student instruction; masks; emergency. Requires, except in the case of the 10 unscheduled remote learning days otherwise permitted by law or in certain cases of student discipline, each school board to offer in-person instruction, as defined in the bill, to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary or secondary school for at least the minimum number of required annual instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. The bill permits, notwithstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, rule, or policy implemented by a school board, school division, school official, or other state or local authority, the parent of any child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school, or in any school-based early childhood care and education program, to elect for such child to not wear a mask while on school property. The bill provides that no parent making such an election shall be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child's health or education status and no student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election. The bill requires each local school division to comply with the foregoing provisions relating to masks no later than March 1, 2022. The bill clarifies that none of the foregoing provisions shall be construed to affect the authority granted to the Governor to achieve the purposes of relevant emergency services and disaster law with regard to a communicable disease of public health threat. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Income tax subtraction; veteran retirement compensation. Provides an individual income tax subtraction for up to $40,000 ofthe amount of annual retirement compensation received by a veteranfor service as a member of the United States Armed Forces, a reservistin the United States Armed Forces, or a member of the Virginia NationalGuard.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);real property tax; exemption for certain surviving spouses of membersof the armed forces. Authorizes the General Assembly to exemptfrom tax the real property of a surviving spouse of a member of thearmed forces who died in the line of duty while performing officialmilitary activities. The amendment provides that such exemption isonly available when the death of such member of the armed forces did not result from criminal conduct. The current Constitution exemptsthe real property of a surviving spouse of a member of the armedforces who was killed in action, a disabled veteran, and the survivingspouse of a disabled veteran.

Commending Jesse Waltz.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable HarryRussell Potts, Jr.

Commending Rita Carter Forrester.

School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense. This bill was incorporated into SB 36.

Income tax; military retirement income subtraction.Exempts, beginning with taxable year 2022, up to $40,000 of militaryretirement income of a veteran who is at least 55 years old and who was honorably discharged after active duty service in the Armed Forcesof the United States, its reserve components, or the National Guardof Virginia or any other state.