Voter registration; preregistration for persons 16 years of age or older. Permits a person who is otherwise qualified to register to vote and is 16 years of age or older, but who will not be 18 years of age on or before the day of the next general election, to preregister to vote. The preregistration does not entitle such person to vote in any election except as already permitted by law. The bill requires the Department of Elections to maintain a record of all preregistered voters in the Virginia voter registration system, which shall automatically register a person who is preregistered upon that person reaching 18 years or age or becoming eligible for advance registration as already permitted by law, whichever comes first. The bill requires the Department to provide to the general registrars voter confirmation documents for such voters. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 1, 2022.
Sponsored bills
Special license plates; military decorations. Establishes a system for determining the cost of special license plates for recipients of a military decoration based on the order of precedence of such military decoration as determined by the federal Department of Defense or other relevant federal agency. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue plates with a "V" for Valor Device on appropriate plates issued by the Department reflecting a military decoration. The bill provides that special license plates for recipients of a military decoration are exempt from the prepaid application requirement for special license plates and may be issued to unremarried surviving spouses of eligible recipients. The bill creates special license plates for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross with a "V" for Valor, the Airman's Medal, the Army Soldier's Medal, the Coast Guard Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Marine Corps Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. The bill changes from one-time to annual the $10 fee for certain special license plates issued after the effective date of this bill.
School board policies; school meal debt; enforcement. Requires each school board to adopt a policy that prohibits the board from filing a lawsuit against a student or the student's parent because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or owes a school meal debt.
Pretrial data collection. Requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to collect and disseminate, on an annual basis, statewide and locality-level data related to adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment. The bill provides that any personal or case identifying information within the data shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and shall not be made publicly available. The bill provides that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall not be required to submit such annual report prior to December 1, 2022. Additionally, the bill requires the Virginia State Crime Commission to provide the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission with the final dataset of all adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment in October 2017 and that the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission make such statewide and locality-level data publicly available on a website established and maintained by the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission as (i) an electronic dataset, excluding any personal and case identifying information, that may be downloaded by members of the public by October 1, 2021, and (ii) an electronic interactive data dashboard tool that displays aggregated data based on characteristics or indicators selected by the user, by December 1, 2022. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission. The bill incorporates HB 1945.
Electric utilities; closure of carbon-emitting generating units. Requires each owner of a large carbon-emitting power plant to provide notice to relevant localities and state agencies about the decision to close the plant within 30 days of making such decision The bill requires localities in which such facilities are located, and planning district commissions in such localities, to conduct public hearings regarding the impending closure within six months of receipt of such notice. The bill requires the Division of Energy to maintain a public website listing the facilities subject to the requirements of the bill and their anticipated closure dates. As part of an integrated resource plan, the bill requires each utility to submit a facility retirement study for its carbon-emitting facilities and disclose the study to relevant localities and state agencies.
Consumer Data Protection Act. Establishesa framework for controlling and processing personal data in the Commonwealth.The bill applies to all persons that conduct business in the Commonwealthand either (i) control or process personal data of at least 100,000consumers or (ii) derive over 50 percent of gross revenue from thesale of personal data and control or process personal data of at least25,000 consumers. The bill outlines responsibilities and privacyprotection standards for data controllers and processors. The billdoes not apply to state or local governmental entities and containsexceptions for certain types of data and information governed byfederal law. The bill grants consumer rights to access, correct, delete,and obtain a copy of personal data and to opt out of the processingof personal data for the purposes of targeted advertising. The billprovides that the Attorney General has exclusive authority to enforceviolations of the law, and the Consumer Privacy Fund is created tosupport this effort. The bill has a delayed effective date of January1, 2023.
Consumer Data Protection Act. Establishes a framework for controlling and processing personal data in the Commonwealth. The bill applies to all persons that conduct business in the Commonwealth and either (i) control or process personal data of at least 100,000 consumers or (ii) derive over 50 percent of gross revenue from the sale of personal data and control or process personal data of at least 25,000 consumers. The bill outlines responsibilities and privacy protection standards for data controllers and processors. The bill does not apply to state or local governmental entities and contains exceptions for certain types of data and information governed by federal law. The bill grants consumer rights to access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of personal data, and to opt out of the processing of personal data for the purposes of targeted advertising. The bill provides that the Attorney General has exclusive authority to enforce violations of the law, and the Consumer Privacy Fund is created to support this effort. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.
Environmental justice; interagency working group. Establishes the Interagency Environmental Justice Working Group as an advisory council in the executive branch of state government to further environmental justice in the Commonwealth and directs each of the Governor's Secretaries to designate at least one environmental justice coordinator to represent the secretariat as a member of the Working Group. The bill directs the Working Group to focus its work during its first year on the environmental justice of current air quality monitoring practices in Virginia and provides that the Working Group shall expire on July 1, 2031. The bill directs each state agency, no later than October 1, 2021, to adopt an agency-specific environmental justice policy that requires an evaluation of the environmental justice consequences of any covered agency action, requires a consideration of the environmental justice consequences or cumulative impacts of the administration of regulations, and contains other features, including robust public participation plans for residents of environmental justice communities and fenceline communities potentially affected by a covered agency action. The bill prohibits the issuance of a permit for any covered activity, including construction of an electric generating facility or sanitary landfill, until the applicant has submitted and the permitting authority has approved a public involvement plan, a cumulative impact statement, and an environmental justice impact statement, if applicable. The bill requires the permitting authority to deny the application or approve it with or without conditions. Finally, the bill requires each local government adopting or reviewing a comprehensive plan to also adopt an environmental justice strategy.
Compensation Board determining staffing and salaries for an attorney for the Commonwealth. Provides that the Compensation Board shall consider workload totals comprehensively, including the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, when determining staffing and funding levels for an attorney for the Commonwealth and the office. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; transit equity and modernization; report. Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth,with emphasis on transit services and engagement opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities.