Sen. Jennifer Boysko

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; recordsof federal animal welfare violations; limitation on fees. Prohibits any public body in custody of records that pertain to or were generatedas a result of a violation of federal animal welfare regulations,policies, or guidelines from charging more than $25 for the productionof such records regarding any one incident or one animal testing facility.

Restrictions on the sale of nicotine vapor products containing liquid nicotine and hemp products intended for smoking;civil penalties. Provides restrictions and prohibitions on certainretail sales that include (i) restrictions on the number of nicotinevapor products containing liquid nicotine, liquid nicotine containers,and hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in the bill, that may be sold in one transaction to a consumer; (ii)packaging, labeling, and signage requirements for those selling anynicotine vapor products containing liquid nicotine or hemp productsintended for smoking; (iii) advertising and marketing requirementsfor those selling any nicotine vapor products containing liquid nicotineor hemp products intended for smoking; (iv) education requirementsfor employees at retail establishments selling nicotine vapor productscontaining liquid nicotine or hemp products intended for smoking;and (v) online delivery sale requirements of nicotine vapor productscontaining liquid nicotine or hemp products intended for smoking.The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and the VirginiaDepartment of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as applicable, shallenforce such requirements and restrictions and shall impose civilpenalties on violations thereof.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaignfunds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions.Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or hiscampaign committee to personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversionof contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at thedissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that acontribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if thecontribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment,obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking,holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used forthe ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holdingelective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate'schild care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity.The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may requestan advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The billdirects the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar tothose promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement theprovisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaignfinance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General'sguidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use ofcampaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board ofElections.

Commission to Study the History of the Uprootingof Black Communities by Public Institutions of Higher Education inthe Commonwealth established; report. Establishes the 19-memberlegislative Commission to Study the History of the Uprooting of BlackCommunities by Public Institutions of Higher Education for the purposeof studying and determining (i) whether any public institution ofhigher education in the Commonwealth has purchased, expropriated,or otherwise taken possession of property owned by any individualwithin the boundaries of a community in which a majority of the residentsare Black in order to establish or expand the institution's campusand (ii) whether and what form of compensation or relief would beappropriate for any such individual or any of his lineal descendants.The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined in the bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training in the investigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Building service employees; public contracting.Permits any county, city, or town in the Commonwealth to providefor certain requirements concerning incumbent and successor building service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution.For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor building service employers retain incumbent employees duringa transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, building serviceemployees are those who perform work in connection with the careor maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparationservices at schools. The bill provides that a building service employerthat violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enactedpursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetarydamages.

Synthetic media; penalty. Expands the applicabilityof provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to includesynthetic media, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1misdemeanor for any person to generate, create, or use or cause tobe generated, created, or used any deceptive audio or visual media,defined in the bill, for the purpose of committing a criminal offenseinvolving fraud. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that suchdeceptive audio or visual media was generated or created for thepurpose of committing such criminal offense if such deceptive audioor visual media is subsequently used as part of a plan or courseof conduct to commit such criminal offense. The bill also authorizesthe individual depicted in the deceptive audio or visual media tobring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such otherrelief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directsthe Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendationson the current enforcement of laws related to the use of deceptive audio or visual media, including deepfakes, and any further actionneeded to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable BernardWaugh Crigler.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable EdwardDeJarnette Berry.

Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams,VNG.