Department of Flood Control; Commonwealth FloodPlan. Creates the Commonwealth Flood Board as a policy boardin the executive branch. The bill provides that the Board's dutiesshall include, among others, overseeing the development, implementation,and updating of the Commonwealth Flood Plan. The bill also createsthe Department of Flood Control under the authority of the Secretaryof Natural and Historic Resources to provide technical expertise in all aspects related to flood control, management, mitigation, abatement,and recovery. The Commonwealth Flooding Scientific and TechnicalAdvisory Committee is also established in the bill as an advisorycommittee of the Commonwealth Flood Board to assist the Commonwealthin developing and implementing the Commonwealth Flood Plan.
Sponsored bills
Exhaust systems; excessive noise. Prohibitsany individual from operating a motor vehicle with a gross weightof 10,000 pounds or less with an exhaust system that emits noise equivalentto noise in excess of 85 decibels measured from a distance of 50 feet.The bill also allows the governing body of any county, city, or town located within the Northern Virginia Planning District to provideby ordinance that no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a highway or on public or private property within 500 feet of any residential district unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an exhaust systemof a type installed as standard equipment, or comparable to thatdesigned for use on that particular vehicle or device as standardfactory equipment, in good working order and in constant operationto prevent excessive noise. The bill also requires the Superintendentof State Police to promulgate regulations for the inspection of motorvehicles to ensure that no motor vehicle is equipped with a guttedmuffler, muffler cutout, or straight exhaust or any mechanical orelectronic device that creates or amplifies noise emitted by themotor vehicle that is louder than the noise emitted by such motor vehicle as originally manufactured.
Constitutional amendment (second reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriageas only a union between one man and one woman as well as the relatedprovisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United StatesSupreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses,recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law,regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religiousorganizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity havethe right to refuse to perform any marriage.
Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceutical processors and industrial hemp processors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors and industrial hemp processors to sell, under the oversight of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (the Board), cannabis products at retail to unregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for a written certification. The bill directs the Board to adopt and enforce regulations governing such sales that shall model certain Board of Pharmacy regulations and comply with other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors and industrial hemp processors engaging in such sales to pay a $1 million fee and collect a 21 percent excise tax, both of which shall ultimately be allocated to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to be used to assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urban opportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors and industrial hemp processors to submit and comply with a plan describing how the processor will educate consumers about responsible consumption of cannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support and educate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023, and shall expire when pharmaceutical processors and industrial hemp processors engaging in the sale of cannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years of age or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products.
Sports betting. Prohibits sports bettingoperators from excluding bonuses and promotions from taxable revenueafter the first 12 months of wagering activity. The bill also eliminatesthe ability of sports betting permit holders, when calculating taxablerevenue, to carry over losses on a monthly basis.
Commending Jesse Waltz.
Commending Virginia Polytechnic Institute andState University.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable HarryRussell Potts, Jr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable JohnHowson Rust, Jr.
Confirming Governor's appointments; January18. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by GovernorRalph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly January 18,2022.