Dulles Greenway; powers and responsibilities of State Corporation Commission to regulate toll road operators. Amends the powers and responsibilities of the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to regulate toll road operators under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988. The bill (i) requires the full disclosure, in public financial reports to the Commission, of the details of any related party transactions and (ii) establishes a presumption that any related party transactions, as defined in the bill, shall be presumed to be imprudent and excluded from costs used for any purpose, including the costs of lobbyists, excessive compensation, and entertainment expenses, unless the operator provides information showing that at least three separate competitive bids demonstrate that the operator could not have achieved better contract terms from a third party. The bill clarifies that the Commission has the authority to lower toll rates for a toll road if it finds in its analysis that an operator is materially discouraging use of the road due to its current toll rates and to implement tolling based on the distance that a user has traveled if it determines it is in the best interest of toll road users.
Sponsored bills
Collective bargaining by public employees; labor organization representation. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement.
The Virginia African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous Education Advisory Board; establishment.
Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadensthe scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisementsto include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill,and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum.The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditureor that expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendumto contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisementsponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independentexpenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allowssuch reports to be filed either electronically or in writing.
Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams,VNG.
Net energy metering; solar interconnection;cost recovery. Provides that an electric distribution companyshall pay $1 per kilowatt per day for the costs of lost electricityproduction for any and all delays beyond the regulatory notice periodrequired by State Corporation Commission related to net energy metering. The bill requires that, for the purposes of net energy metering,an eligible customer-generator shall bear all reasonable costs ofequipment required at the eligible customer-generator's side of the meter forthe interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system,including reasonable and prudent costs of additional controls, tests,or liability insurance. Additionally, the bill allows for cost recovery by Phase I and Phase II Utilities for electric distribution gridtransformation projects that support the interconnection of generatingfacilities using energy derived from sunlight that are owned or contractedby eligible customer-generators, subject to the Commission findingthose costs to be reasonable and prudent in accordance with existinglaw.
Department of Education; plan to revise specialeducation staffing requirements; report. Directs the Departmentof Education, in collaboration with the Department of BehavioralHealth and Developmental Services and any other individuals withexpertise in special education as the Department of Education deemsappropriate, to develop a plan for revised special education staffingrequirements that addresses staffing needs of individual school divisionsand the needs of students who receive special education and aimsto improve special education teacher recruitment and retention. Thebill requires the Department of Education to submit a report on suchplan to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health,and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2024. This bill was incorporated into SB 105.
Commending John Ray Grisham, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Shawn Soares.
Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.