Sen. Richard Stuart

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally expresses appreciation for Lawrence Douglas Wilder, Virginia's first Black governor, recognizing his service to the state. It passed both the Senate and House by voice vote on January 15-16, 2025, with no recorded opposition. The bill has no binding effect or policy changes - it serves solely as a ceremonial honor. It directly affects no individuals or entities beyond the symbolic recognition of Wilder's legacy.

Planning districts; King George County. Moves King George County from Planning District 16 (George Washington Regional Commission) to Planning District 17 (Northern Neck Planning District Commission). The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to assist with this transition.

Taxation. Decreases, beginning in taxable year 2025, the income tax imposed (i) on income less than $3,000, from two percent to 1.75 percent; (ii) on income in excess of $3,000 but less than $5,000, from three percent to 2.65 percent; (iii) on income in excess of $5,000 but less than $17,000, from five percent to 4.4 percent; and (iv) on income in excess of $17,000, from 5.75 percent to 5.1 percent. The bill increases from 20 to 25 percent, beginning in taxable year 2025, the amount of credit eligible taxpayers may claim pursuant to the income tax credit for low-income taxpayers. The bill also increases the annual aggregate amount of Education Improvement Scholarships tax credits that are available from $25 million to $30 million beginning fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter. The bill defines "digital personal property," "streaming," and "taxable service" for the purposes of the retail sales and use tax. The bill increases the sales and use tax from 4.3 percent to 5.2 percent. Amendments are made throughout the bill to impose the sales and use tax on taxable services in addition to tangible personal property. The bill requires that one half of the additional sales and use tax revenues generated by taxable services and digital personal property that is deposited in the Commonwealth Transportation Fund be distributed to the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund, and the additional one half of such revenues be distributed to the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Fund until June 30, 2031, or until $400 million has been deposited in the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Fund. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Elections; voting equipment and systems; State Board approval process; printed receipt for cast ballot. Requires voting systems approved by the State Board of Elections to produce a printed receipt for each voter who has cast a ballot that shows the date and time the voter's ballot was cast, the voter's number corresponding to the order in which ballots were cast, and a list of all the voter's selections on the ballot as recorded by the voting system.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-3705.7, 2.2-4006, 2.2-4007.07, 2.2-4013, 2.2-4014, 2.2-4015, 2.2-4021, 3.2-3602, 3.2-3937, 3.2-5633, 8.01-225, 10.1-404, 10.1-605, 10.1-651, 10.1-659, 10.1-1182, 10.1-1184.1, 10.1-1184.2, 10.1-1185, 10.1-1186, 10.1-1186.2, 10.1-1186.2:1, 10.1-1186.3, 10.1-1186.4, 10.1-1187.1, 10.1-1187.6, 10.1-1197.3, 10.1-1197.9, 10.1-1230, 10.1-1232, 10.1-1234, 10.1-1236, 10.1-1300, 10.1-1400, 10.1-1402.2, 10.1-1408.5, 10.1-1450, 10.1-1454.1, 10.1-1504, 10.1-2117, 10.1-2123, 10.1-2129, 10.1-2131, 10.1-2500, 15.2-924, 15.2-2111, 21-122.1, 28.2-638, 28.2-1100, 28.2-1205, 28.2-1302, 28.2-1403, 29.1-203, 29.1-213, 29.1-214, 32.1-163, 32.1-164, 32.1-176.7, 32.1-233, 36-99.6, 44-146.30, 45.2-1701.1, 45.2-1711, 46.2-1176, 46.2-1179.1, 46.2-1304.1, 54.1-505, 54.1-2300, 54.1-2301, 55.1-2417, 56-585.1, 56-586.1, 58.1-2289, 58.1-3660, 58.1-3664, 62.1-44.3, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 62.1-44.14, 62.1-44.15, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 62.1-44.15:6, 62.1-44.15:7, 62.1-44.15:24, as it is currently effective, 62.1-44.36, 62.1-44.115, 62.1-44.116, 62.1-67, 62.1-69, 62.1-69.25, 62.1-69.36, 62.1-69.45, 62.1-73, 62.1-85, 62.1-104, 62.1-105, 62.1-106, 62.1-107, 62.1-111, 62.1-218, 62.1-224, 62.1-234, 62.1-241.1, 62.1-241.12, 62.1-242, 62.1-243, 62.1-255, and 62.1-273 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 10.1-1183.1; and to repeal §§ 10.1-1184, 10.1-1301 through 10.1-1305, 10.1-1401, and 62.1-44.7 of the Code of Virginia, relating to State Air Pollution Control Board, State Water Control Board, and Virginia Waste Management Board consolidated; Board of Environmental Resources established. 24104901D

Electric utilities; electric distribution infrastructure serving data centers. Prohibits the costs associated with the construction or extension of any electric distribution infrastructure that primarily serves the load of a data center from being recovered from any other customer.

Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area;continued residential withdrawals. Directs the State Water ControlBoard to waive the expiration of any ground water withdrawal permitfor a well that serves exclusively residential users, is locatedin the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area north of theOccoquan River, and is located within five miles of any commercialor industrial permitted ground water withdrawal. The bill providesthat such waiver shall continue in force until the commercial orindustrial permitted ground water withdrawals have been halted forfive years. The Department of Environmental Quality shall then assesswhether the termination of the commercial or industrial permittedground water withdrawals has substantially mitigated the stress uponthe aquifer and redetermine whether the permit for the residentialwell shall be renewed.

Deferred dispositions; expungement. Clarifies that a charged dismissed after a deferred disposition that may be eligible for expungement upon agreement of all parties includes an original charge that was reduced or a charge that is dismissed after a plea or stipulation of the facts that would justify a finding of guilt.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement established; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide. The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, heroin, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances. Additionally, the bill creates the Task Force on Fentanyl and Heroin Enforcement whose purpose is to study ways to enhance the ability of law-enforcement officers throughout the Commonwealth to combat the illegal manufacturing, importation, and distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and other similar controlled substances. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least annually and to report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and any recommendations.

Controlled substances; manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc.; adulterated or misbranded drugs; penalties. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person, except for permitted manufacturers, to possess, purchase, sell, give, distribute, or possess with intent to sell, give, or distribute an encapsulating machine or a tableting machine that manufactures, compounds, converts, produces, processes, prepares, or otherwise introduces into the human body a controlled substance. The bill makes it a Class 5 felony if such person knows, intends, or has reasonable cause to believe that such action will result in the unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance or counterfeit controlled substance that contains (i) a controlled substance classified in Schedule I or Schedule II of the Drug Control Act; (ii) cocaine, coca leaves, or any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation thereof as described in Schedule II of the Drug Control Act; or (iii) a controlled substance analog as defined in relevant law.The bill also makes it a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 nor more than 40 years for any person 18 years of age or older to knowingly allow a minor or a mentally incapacitated or physically helpless person of any age to be present during the manufacture or attempted manufacture of any substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.The bill also increases from a Class 2 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for violations related to adulterated or misbranded drugs and cosmetics.