Sen. Lynwood Lewis

Allows a neighborhood organization to qualify to receive an allocation of tax credits from the Department of Education if at least 50 percent of the neighborhood organization's revenues are used to provide services to low-income persons or eligible students with disabilities either directly by the organization or through the provision of funds to other organizations and groups providing such services. The bill was incorporated into

Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board (the Board). The bill specifies the licensing requirements for casino gaming and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. Under the bill, casino gaming shall be conducted only (i) by an Indian tribe acknowledged by the United States Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law that has the authority to conduct gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and (ii) within a city with a population greater than 200,000. The bill imposes a tax of 10 percent on the adjusted gross receipts of licensees and provides for how the tax proceeds are disbursed. In addition, a referendum must be passed in the city on the question of allowing casino gaming in the city. The bill requires the Board to establish and implement a voluntary exclusion program allowing individuals to voluntarily list themselves as being barred from entering a casino gaming establishment or other facility under the jurisdiction of the Board. The bill also establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to provide counseling and other support services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to support organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers.

Recasts the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Virginia Coastal Protection Fund. Moneys generated by the sale of carbon dioxide emissions allowances through any auction program administered by the Commonwealth are directed to the Fund. The measure directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to adopt regulations to limit and reduce the total carbon dioxide emissions released by electric generation facilities. The regulations are required to comply with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program. The measure authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish, implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances into a market-based trading program. The measure requires revenues from the sale of carbon allowances, to the extent permitted by Article X, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia, to be distributed without further appropriation to assist localities in implementing hazard mitigation projects in areas that are subject to recurrent flooding, to support energy efficiency programs, to programs in Southwest Virginia for the purpose of revitalizing communities affected by the decline of fossil fuel production, and for administrative expenses. An enactment clause exempts from the Administrative Process Act actions taken by the Department of Environmental Quality to incorporate provisions of this measure into State Air Pollution Control Board regulations without further action of the Board. The enactment also provides that such incorporation will become effective upon approval of the provisions of the measure by the Director of the Department and the filing of the amended regulations with the Registrar of Regulations.