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2013 SESSION

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Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology

Chairman: Frank M. Ruff, Jr.

Clerk: Michael Adams, Jocelyn Lance
Staff: Amigo Wade
Date of Meeting: February 11, 2013
Time and Place: Monday, 45 minutes after Senate adjourns, Senate Rm A, GAB

H.B. 1393 Fleet management; DGS to issue guidance documents to govern use of vehicles in state fleet.

Patron: Marshall, D.W.

Department of General Services; guidance documents establishing policy for fleet management. Provides for the Department of General Services to issue guidance documents, rather than regulations, to govern use of vehicles in the state fleet.

H.B. 1480 Real Estate Board; authority to hear fair housing violations by real estate licensees.

Patron: Farrell

Real Estate Board; authority to hear fair housing violations by real estate licensees. Clarifies that in any case in which there are multiple respondents and one of the respondents is a real estate licensee, the case involving both the real estate licensee and the respondent who is a property owner or his agent or principal who has enagaged a real estate licensee shall be heard by the Real Estate Board and not the Fair Housing Board. The bill also provides that in no event shall the jurisdiction be split between the Real Estate Board and the Fair Housing Board on the same such case.

H.B. 1482 Wastewater works operator; must sit for conventional onsite sewage system operator examination.

Patron: Farrell

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals. Requires the Board to permit any Class 1 wastewater works operator to sit for the conventional onsite sewage system operator examination.

H.B. 1521 Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; designation of tourism activity zones, etc.

Patron: Villanueva

Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; required disclosures; tourism activity zones. Authorizes any locality to designate one or more tourism activity zones as areas that may be used for special events, including parades, events requiring temporary street closures, and indoor and outdoor activities. An owner of residential property located partially or wholly within a designated tourism activity zone may disclose the presence of the property within the zone by disclosing in writing to any prospective purchaser or lessee of the property that the subject property is located within a tourism activity zone, with a description of the potential impacts associated with the property being located in a tourism activity zone.

H.B. 1524 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; records of minors participating in park and recreation program.

Patron: Villanueva

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; records of minors participating in park and recreation programs. Reverses the default rule of FOIA that certain park and recreation records of minors are subject to the mandatory disclosure provisions of FOIA unless the parent or an emancipated person who is the subject of the record requests in writing that the record not be disclosed. Under the bill, these records would be exempt from public disclosure unless and until the parent or emancipated person who is the subject of the record waives the protection.

H.B. 1547 Cemeteries; minimum tree canopy during development process shall be 10 percent.

Patron: Knight

Cemeteries. Provides that the minimum tree canopy as required by localities during the development process shall be 10 percent for cemeteries.

H.B. 1563 Burial services; Cemetery Board to develop process to ensure consumers get accurate cost estimates.

Patron: Orrock

Cemetery Board; cemetery operators; itemized statement and general price list. Provides that the Cemetery Board shall develop a process whereby a consumer is provided with a current general price list or itemized statement of charges prior to the executive of a contract for such services.

H.B. 1574 Uniform Statewide Building Code; enforcement by towns.

Patron: Minchew

Uniform Statewide Building Code; enforcement by towns. Provides that if any town does not elect to enforce the Uniform Statewide Building Code, then such enforcement shall be the responsibility of the county in which the town is situated. The bill also provides that the enforcement by the county shall be with equal dignity as the county does in unincorporated areas of the county and no agreement between the town and the county shall be required as a prerequisite for the county to perform this obligation. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 1595 Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; imposition of late fees for assessments, etc.

Patron: Watts

Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; assessments; imposition of late fees. Provides that, except to the extent that the governing documents or rule and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto provide otherwise (i) condominium and property owners' associations may impose a late fee for any assessment or installment thereof that is not paid within 60 days of the due date for payment of such assessment and (ii) such late fee shall not exceed the penalty provided in § 58.1-3915 (five percent).

H.B. 1615 Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of methamphetamine laboratory.

Patron: Gilbert

Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of methamphetamine laboratory. Requires the owner of residential property or a landlord of residential dwelling unit who has actual knowledge that the residential property was previously used to manufacture methamphetamine and has not been cleaned up in accordance with the Department of Health guidelines, to provide a written disclosure when selling or renting the property. The bill gives a tenant certain remedies if such disclosure is not provided when required.The bill contains a technical amendment and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2014.

H.B. 1630 Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act; developer control in time-share estate program, control liens.

Patron: Cosgrove

Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act; developer control in time-share estate program; control liens; foreclosure procedure. Provides that in addition to the current developer control termination provisions and to the extent that the purchase contract or time-share instrument does not expressly provide otherwise, the developer control period shall terminate when the developer is no longer the beneficiary on deeds of trust secured on at least 20 percent of the time-share estates. Under current law, the transfer must occur when the developer has (i) transferred to purchasers legal or equitable ownership of at least 90 percent of the time-share estates or (ii) completed all of the promised common elements and facilities comprising the time-share estate project, whichever occurs last. Under the bill, the commissioner of accounts to whom an account of sale is returned in connection with the foreclosure shall be entitiled to a fee, not to exceed $70, on each such sale. The bill includes a second enactment clause stating the intent of the General Assembly that the provisions of the bill relating to the developer control period shall apply retroactively to all registered time-share projects to the extent that the purchase contract or time-share instrument does not expressly provide otherwise. The bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

H.B. 1638 Military Affairs, Department of; providing of flag to next of kin.

Patron: Greason

Department of Military Affairs; providing of flag to next of kin. Provides that the next of kin of a person who, upon his death, was serving in, or honorably served for a period of 20 years in and retired from, the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia State Defense Force, or a combination of both, may receive a flag of the Commonwealth.

H.B. 1641 Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of; powers and duties of regulatory boards.

Patron: Knight

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; powers and duties of regulatory boards; waiver of informal fact-finding conference. Requires any regulator board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to provide a regulant subject to a disciplinary action with a notice advising the regulant of his right to be heard at an informal fact-finding conference pursuant to the Administrative Process Act. The bill requires that the notice state that if the regulant does not request an informal fact-finding conference within 30 days of receipt of the notice, the board may issue a case decision with judicial review of the case decision. If the regulant asserts his right to be heard prior to the board issuing its case decision, the board shall remand the case to an informal fact finding conference. The bill provides that the required notice is to be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested or, if agreed to by the parties, electronic means, provided that the board retains sufficient proof of the electronic delivery, which may be an electronic receipt of delivery, a confirmation that the notice was sent by facsimile, or a certificate of service prepared by the sender confirming the electronic delivery.

H.B. 1645 Tradesmen licenses; licenses shall expire 3 years from date of issuance by Board for Contractors.

Patron: Tata

Board for Contractors; tradesmen licenses. Provides that licenses for tradesmen shall be valid for three years from the date of issuance by the Board for Contractors. This measure is an attempt to sync changes to the Uniform Statewide Building Code, which are on a three-year cycle, to the expiration of a tradesman license, which is currently every two years.

H.B. 1649 Pawnbrokers and precious metals dealers; records required to be maintained, etc.

Patron: BaCote

Pawnbrokers and precious metals dealers; records required to be maintained; certain digital images. Requires pawnbrokers and precious metals dealers to take a digital image of the form of identification used by the person involved in the transaction. The bill also prohibits a pawnbroker from pawning or accepting goods or articles if the original serial number affixed to the good or article has been removed, defaced, or altered.

H.B. 1711 Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; notice to owners of election of directors.

Patron: Plum

Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; notice to owners of election of directors at a special meeting. Provides that in the event of the cancellation of any annual meeting at which members of the board of directors are elected, the seven-day notice of any subsequent meeting scheduled to elect such directors shall include a statement that the meeting is scheduled for the express purpose of the election of directors.

H.B. 1734 Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; technical amendments.

Patron: Loupassi

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Provides that where there is more than one tenant subject to a rental agreement, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by each of the tenants, disposition of the security deposit shall be made with one check being payable to all such tenants and sent to the forwarding address provided by the tenants. If the tenants do not provide the landlord a forwarding address to enable the landlord to make a refund of the security deposit, upon the expiration of one year from the date of the end of the 45-day statutory period, the balance of the tenants' security deposit shall escheat to the Commonwealth and shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Virginia Housing Partnership Revolving Fund. Upon payment to the Commonwealth, the landlord shall have no further liability to the tenant relative to the security deposit and is deemed in compliance with real estate licensing laws and corresponding regulations of the Real Estate Board. The bill also allows a landlord to proceed to obtain possession of the premises when rent is unpaid within five days after the landlord's pay or quit notice because an electronic fund transfer has been rejected due to insufficient funds or a bad faith stop order on an electronic payment by the tenant. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 1736 Real Estate Board; protection of escrow funds by real estate licensee, rental agreement, etc.

Patron: Farrell

Real Estate Board; protection of escrow funds by real estate licensee; payments made under a rental agreement. Provides that for any landlord-tenant relationship within the purview of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, any prepaid rent paid more than one month prior to the due date and all security deposits paid to a licensed broker in connection with the lease shall be placed in an escrow account by the end of the fifth business banking day following receipt, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the principals to the lease transaction.  Additionally, any application deposit paid by a prospective tenant for the purpose of being considered as a tenant for a dwelling unit to a real estate licensee acting on behalf of the landlord shall be placed in escrow by the end of the fifth business banking day following approval of the rental application by the landlord. The bill provides that the funds must remain in the escrow account until disbused in accordance with the lease, property managment agreement or by law.

H.B. 1749 Landlord and tenant laws; application to certain occupants of hotel, motel, etc,

Patron: Dance

Landlord and tenant laws; application to certain occupants of hotel, motel, extended stay facilities, and similar lodging. Provides that an occupant in a hotel, motel, extended stay facility, vacation residential facility, boardinghouse, or similar transient lodging shall not be construed to be a tenant living in a dwelling unit under landlord and tenant laws or the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act. The bill provides that if a person resides in such lodging as his primary residence for more than 90 consecutive days or is subject to a written lease for more than 90 days, then landlord and tenant laws or the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act will apply to the occupancy. The bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

H.B. 1801 Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Act; claims review process.

Patron: Marshall, D.W.

Board for Contractors; Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Act. Makes several changes to Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Act to clarify the eligibility and assessment requirements for the claims review process including (i) adding a definition of "verified claim," (ii) clarifying the supporting documentation that must be provided by a claimant, and (iii) detailing efforts that must be taken to attempt collection of an unpaid judgment before a claim may be filed. The bill also removes the requirement for an informal fact-finding conference under the Administrative Process Act prior to the Board for Contractors making a final decision. In addition, the bill removes the requirement for the Board to immediately revoke the license of the contractor against whom the judgment had been obtained upon payment of a claim

H.B. 1802 Contractors, Board for; creation of residential and commercial contractor license categories.

Patron: Marshall, D.W.

Board for Contractors; creation of residential and commercial contractor license categories. Authorizes the Board for Contractors to establish separate license categories for residential and commercial contractors for each of the current licensing categories: Class A, B, and C contractor licenses.

H.B. 1807 Condominium & Property Owners' Association Acts; disclosure of qualification for federal financing.

Patron: Miller

Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; disclosure of qualification for federal financing. Requires the disclosure in the respective association disclosure packets for purchasers of whether any secondary mortgage market agency, including the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Virginia Housing Development Authority, has advised the association that as of the effective date of the disclosure packet, the project complies with the underwriting guidelines of such agency.

H.B. 1845 Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund; amount of reward.

Patron: Loupassi

Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund; amount of reward; duties of the State Inspector General. Reduces the requirement for an award from the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund from $10,000 to $5,000 and expands the purposes for which the Fund may be used to include supporting the administration of the Fund, defraying Fund advertising costs, and subsidizing the operation of the Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline, all of which expenditure is capped at five percent of the Fund. The bill also (i) authorizes the State Inspector General to split a reward among multiple whistle blowers reporting the same qualifying incident of wrongdoing or abuse, (ii) requires that by the end of each calendar quarter 85 percent of all sums recovered shall be remitted to the institutions or agencies on whose behalf the recovery was secured, (iii) requires the State Inspector General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly summarizing the activities of the Fund, and (vi) changes the name of the State Employee Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline to the Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 1855 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exempt records of Department of Aviation.

Patron: Knight

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exempt records of the Department of Aviation. Exempts from the mandatory disclosure provisions of FOIA (i) documents and other information of a proprietary nature furnished by a licensed public-use airport to the Department of Aviation for funding from programs administered by the Department of Aviation or the Virginia Aviation Board and (ii) records provided to the Department of Aviation by other entities of the Commonwealth in connection with the operation of aircraft, where the records would not be subject to disclosure by the entity providing the records. The bill requires in both instances that the submitting entity identify in writing the records or portions thereof to be protected and state why protection is necessary.

H.B. 1906 Veterans; Department of Veterans Services to develop comprehensive program to reduce unemployment.

Patron: Anderson

Department of Veterans Services; programs to reduce unemployment among veterans. Provides for the Department of Veterans Services to develop a comprehensive program to reduce unemployment among veterans by assisting businesses to attract, hire, train, and retain veterans.

H.B. 1959 Certified public accountants; time for filing complaints with Board of Accountancy.

Patron: Miller

Board of Accountancy; time for filing complaints. Provides that a complaint against a CPA or CPA firm must be received by the Board of Accountancy (i) within three years of the act, omission, or occurrence giving rise to the alleged violation or (ii) where the regulant has misrepresented, concealed, or omitted any information material to the establishment of a violation, within two years of the date of discovery of the misrepresentation, concealment, or omission. Public information obtained from any source by the Executive Director or agency enforcement staff may serve as the basis for a written complaint against a CPA or CPA firm. The bill also provides that the Board may initiate an investigation of a regulant within two years of the filing of criminal charges against the regulant if such charges involve matters that, if found to be true, would also constitute a violation of the regulations or laws of the regulant's profession enforced by the Board.

H.B. 1960 Board for Contractors; necessity for license, commissioning of public works of art.

Patron: James

Board for Contractors; necessity for license; commissioning of public works of art. Allows a person to bid upon or undertake public works of art commissioned by the Commonwealth; a political subdivision of the Commonwealth, including any county, city, or town; or a nonprofit corporation exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code without being licensed or certified as contractor. The bill provides, however, that the installation of the artwork and related construction services offered or rendered in connection with such commission shall only be rendered by a contractor licensed or certified by the Board for Contractors.

H.B. 2026 Virginia FOIA; remote participation in meeting by member of public body.

Patron: Dudenhefer

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; remote participation in a meeting by a member of a public body; personal matter. Allows a member of a public body to participate in a meeting by electronic communication means due to personal matters under certain circumstances. Currently, such remote participation is allowed only for emergency, medical condition, or distance from the meeting location of more than 60 miles. The bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

H.B. 2043 Virginia FOIA; allows board of trustees of Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to convene closed meeting.

Patron: Robinson

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; closed meetings; Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Allows the board of trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to convene a closed meeting when the topic is the discussion or consideration of matters relating to specific gifts, bequests, and grants.

H.B. 2073 Real estate brokers and salespersons; liability of false advertising and false information.

Patron: Yancey

Liability of real estate brokers and salespersons; false advertising and false information. Clarifies that a licensed real estate broker or salesperson shall not be liable for providing false information under certain circumstances, which includes any civil action or regulatory action brought under the real estate licensing laws. The bill specifies that its provisions shall apply unless the licensee has been convicted of a violation of § 18.2-216 and the plaintiff suffered a loss as provided in § 59.1-68.3.

H.B. 2082 Information Technology Advisory Council; Council to elect chairman and vice-chair from membership.

Patron: Head

Information Technology Advisory Council. Provides for the Information Technology Advisory Council to elect a chairman and vice-chairman from its membership. Under the bill, neither the Secretary of Technology nor the CIO may serve as chairman. Under current law, the Secretary of Technology serves as chairman and the Chief Information Officer serves as vice-chairman of the Council. The bill also removes the requirement for the Council to meet at least quarterly.

H.B. 2095 Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of; removes references to Office.

Patron: Ramadan

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Removes references to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and provides for the Assistant to the Governor for Intergovernmental Affairs to be responsible for all of the duties of the Office. The bill also (i) removes the requirement for the appointment of the Assistant to the Governor for Intergovernmental Affairs to be confirmed by the General Assembly and clarifies that the position serves at the pleasure of the Governor and (ii) removes the responsibility of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to serve as the base office for state officials traveling to Washington, D.C.

H.B. 2114 State Inspector General; additional powers and duties, report.

Patron: Landes

State Inspector General; powers and duties. Grants additional powers to the State Inspector General relating to audit functions of state and nonstate agencies and provides that the State Inspector General and no more than 30 members of the investigative unit shall be law-enforcement officers. The bill requires the State Inspector General to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of State Police relative to their respective roles and responsibilities. The bill reorganizes the State Inspector General's powers and duties and generally reorganizes the law relating to the Office of the State Inspector General. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2123 Juvenile Justice, Board of; increases membership.

Patron: Morefield

Board of Juvenile Justice; membership. Increases the membership of the Board of Juvenile Justice to include two experienced educators.

H.B. 2139 State officers and employees; removal of certain officers from office.

Patron: Peace

State officers and employees; removal of certain officers from office. Repeals an archaic provision that provides that the Secretary of the Commonwealth, State Treasurer, Comptroller, Superintendent of Public Instruction, or Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services may be removed from office by joint vote of the two houses of the General Assembly or, during the recess thereof, may be suspended by the Governor. The repealed statute also provides that this power shall not be exercised by the Governor except for misbehavior, incapacity, neglect of official duty, or acts performed without due authority of law and that any case in which this power is so exercised by the Governor, he shall fill the office by a temporary appointment and report to the General Assembly, at the beginning of the next session thereof, the fact of such suspension and the cause therefor, whereupon the General Assembly shall determine whether such officer shall be restored or finally removed.

H.B. 2146 Virginia War Memorial; powers and duties of division of Department of Veterans Services.

Patron: O'Bannon

Virginia War Memorial Division; powers and duties. Provides for the powers and duties of the Virginia War Memorial division of the Department of Veterans Services. The bill removes certain powers and duties from the Virginia War Memorial Board and places those duties under the Virginia War Memorial.

H.B. 2154 Virginia Workforce Council; powers and duties.

Patron: Byron

Virginia Workforce Council; composition; powers. Directs the Virginia Workforce Council to provide recommendations for postsecondary vocational education activities authorized under the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act and on policies, plans, and procedures for other education and workforce development programs, to develop Workforce Investment Act incentive grant applications and approve criteria for such grants, to develop and approve criteria for the reallocation of unexpended funds from local workforce investment boards, and to review budgets by agencies conducting certain education and workforce development programs. The bill also (i) adds the State Director of Career and Technical Education to the Council, (ii) removes a representative of labor from the Council, (iii) provides for the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Education, and Health and Human Resources to appoint designees to serve on the Council, and (iv) provides that a local training provider certified by any workforce investment board has reciprocal certification for all workforce investment boards.

H.B. 2178 Charitable gaming; authorizes network bingo.

Patron: Albo

Charitable gaming; network bingo. Authorizes the conduct of a new charitable game known as network bingo. The bill sets out the terms and conditions under which network bingo may be conducted, provides for the licensing of network bingo providers, and sets the maximum prize amount for network bingo. The bill defines the terms "network bingo," "pari-mutuel play," and "network bingo provider." With the exception of the provision requiring the Board of Charitable Gaming to establish regulations, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2014. The bill also contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2200 Property Owners' Association Act; lot owner permitted to operate home-based business, etc.

Patron: Webert

Property Owners' Association Act; home-based businesses permitted. Provides that, except to the extent the declaration or rules and regulations duly adopted pursuant thereto expressly provide otherwise, no association shall prohibit any lot owner from operating a home-based business on his lot. The bills allows an association to establish reasonable restrictions as to (i) the time, place and manner of the operation of a home-based business and (ii) the size, placement, duration and manner of the placement or display of any signs on the owner's lot related to such business.   The bill requires any home-based business to comply with all applicable local ordinances and provides that the General Assembly finds that the bill's objectives serve the public interest by promoting Virginia's small businesses.

H.B. 2222 Appraisal management companies; provision of appraisal services.

Patron: Helsel

Appraisal management companies; provision of appraisal services. Provides that an appraisal management company shall not enter into any contracts or agreements with an independent appraiser for the performance of real estate appraisal services unless the independent appraiser is licensed to provide that service. Under current law, this limitation was for the performance of residential real estate appraisal services.

H.B. 2275 Condominium Act; expands respective declarant control period, enforcement of warranties.

Patron: Peace

Condominium Act; declarant control. Expands the respective declarant control period where the declarant has reserved the power to add more units to the condominium and provides that notwithstanding the limitations in the Condominium Act, at the request of the declarant and a two-thirds affirmative vote conducted pursuant to the voting procedures set forth in the Condominium Act, the initial declarant control period for a condominium may be extended at any time prior to its expiration, provided that it does not exceed 15 years from the settlement of the first unit to be sold in any portion of the condominium. The bill requires the declarant to provide certain written disclosures in a form developed by the Common Interest Community Board, to the unit owners prior to any meeting where the above vote is taken. The bill also changes when the statute of limitations for structural defects is tolled because of the longer period of declarant control provided for in the bill. The bills provides that for any condominium existing on July 1, 2013, the condominium instrument for such condominium may be amended in the manner prescribed in the relevant condominium instrument or by statute to conform to the provisions of the bill.

H.B. 2276 Virginia Port Authority; reform by adding Chief Executive Officer to Board of Commissioners, etc.

Patron: Jones

Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and Commonwealth Transportation Board. Implements reforms of the Virginia Port Authority by adding the Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to the Board of Commissioners, adding the Virginia Port Authority Executive Director to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and preventing the Commonwealth and the Virginia Port Authority from accepting any unsolicited proposal under the Public-Private Transportation Act or the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act regarding the ownership or operation of any seaport or port facility. The bill also provides that members of the Board of Commissioners of the Virginia Port Authority that are appointed by the Governor may be removed by the Governor only for misconduct, and not at his pleasure. The bill grants the powers of industrial development authorities to the Virginia Port Authority, except for the power to sell or convey the port facilities, and exempts the port from various purchasing and procurement requirements.

H.B. 2301 Volunteer fire/EMS departments; localities may have ordinances that include billing property owners.

Patron: Cline

Volunteer fire departments; billing by localities. Allows localities to directly bill homeowners on behalf of local volunteer fire departments under certain circumstances.

H.B. 2304 Commercial use of seals of the Commonwealth; commemorative coins.

Patron: Cline

Commercial use of seals of the Commonwealth; commemorative coins. Specifies that commemorative coins minted at the direction of the Governor shall bear the seal of the Commonwealth on the obverse side of the coin and scenes of natural or historically significant locations in the Commonwealth as recommended by the Board of Tourism on the reverse side. The bill provides that proceeds from the sale of such coins shall be deposited in the Cooperative Marketing Fund established pursuant to § 2.2-2319.

H.B. 2305 Community associations; restrictions on solar panels.

Patron: Ramadan

Solar panels in community associations. Clarifies that a community association may establish reasonable restrictions concerning the size, place, and manner of placement of such solar energy collection devices on property designated and intended for individual ownership and use. The bill provides that any disclosure document, however designated, required by law to be given to a purchaser shall contain a statement setting forth any restriction, limitation, or prohibition on the right of an owner to install or use solar energy collection devices on his property.

H.B. 2316 Virginia Public Procurement Act; multiple project contracts for engineering services.

Patron: Byron

Virginia Public Procurement Act; multiple project contracts for architectural or professional engineering services relating to construction. Raises, for certain local public bodies, the maximum cost of architectural or professional engineering services for all projects in one contract term of a multiple project contract from $500,000 to $1 million, and raises the maximum cost of architectural or professional engineering services for any single project from $100,000 to $200,000 for airports and aviation transportation projects.