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2022 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations

Chair: Janet D. Howell

Clerk: Michael Jackson,Thomas Jackson
Staff: Lisa Wallmeyer
Date of Meeting: March 2, 2022
Time and Place: 9 AM - Shared Committee Room B / Pocahontas Building
Updated: HB86 Removed from the docket

H.B. 199

Patron: Webert

Land preservation program. Allows a locality, by ordinance, to provide that a parcel of real property shall not be removed from the land use program for delinquent taxes if such taxes are paid no later than December 31 of the year in which the taxes became delinquent. The bill further provides that no parcel of real property shall be removed from the land use program for delinquent taxes if (i) such taxes become delinquent during a state of emergency declared by the Governor, (ii) the treasurer determines that the emergency has caused hardship for the taxpayer, and (iii) the taxes are paid no later than 90 days after the original deadline.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-3235 of the Code of Virginia, relating to special assessment for land preservation program.

22100367D

H.B. 200

Patron: Webert

Real property tax; exemptions. Provides that the property of an organization that is tax exempt by classification shall include the property of a single member limited liability company whose sole member is such an organization.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-3609 of the Code of Virginia, relating to real property tax; exemptions.

22100519D

H.B. 217

Patron: Simonds

Virginia Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Advisory Board; STEM and Computing (STEM+C); review federal occupational categories; report. Requires the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board (the Board) to (i) review the occupational categories in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' standard occupational classification system to determine the occupational categories that are not properly captured in the Commonwealth's existing STEM+C workforce profile and the gaps in the Commonwealth's tracking of careers in these occupational categories for the purpose of better aligning K-16 education priorities and the Board's tracking and coordination of STEM+C and (ii) share its findings with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority's Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment (the Office) to include in the Office's efforts to specifically align STEM+C workforce and education. The bill requires the Board, in conducting such review, to focus on occupational categories that are not currently tracked or categorized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as STEM+C career fields. The bill also requires the Board to submit its findings and any recommendations to the General Assembly no later than October 1, 2022.

A BILL to require the Virginia Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Advisory Board to review federal occupational categories to determine certain deficiencies and promote better alignment relating to STEM and Computing (STEM+C); report.

22101776D

H.B. 221

Patron: Davis

STEM+C; Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board. Adds science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computing (STEM+C), which includes real-world, interdisciplinary, and computational instruction and preparation of students in STEM+C, to the list of topics that shall be included in the Standards of Learning for the Commonwealth. The bill also directs the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board to develop and submit to the Board of Education (i) a rubric that shall be used by the Board of Education in setting out what factors permit a school to be defined as a STEM school and (ii) recommendations for the Board to create a measurement for quality of STEM programming in general education instruction. The bill also directs the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board to draft and report to the Department of Education proposed common language and terminology that better defines the basic literacies employed in STEM+C as methodological approaches to solving universal human challenges and, as essential, generalizable and transferable literacy toward the application of skills and content needed to solve those challenges. The bill also directs the Department of Education, based on such proposed language and terminology and no later than December 1, 2022, to recommend finalized language and terminology to the Board of Education. The bill clarifies that nothing in the foregoing provisions of the bill shall be construed to establish any new course or credit requirements for students.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 22.1-253.13:1 and 22.1-367 of the Code of Virginia, relating to STEM+C; Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board.

22103909D

H.B. 238

Patron: Orrock

Land use assessment; forms. Provides that the forms used for revalidation of applications for land use assessment shall be prepared by the Tax Department. Under current law, such forms are prepared by the locality. The bill directs the Tax Department to seek input from localities across the Commonwealth in developing such forms.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-3234 of the Code of Virginia, relating to land use assessment; forms.

22101253D

H.B. 258

Patron: Simonds

Department of Criminal Justice Services; hotels; human trafficking training. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services, under the direction of the Criminal Justice Services Board, to develop an online course to train hotel proprietors and their employees to recognize and report instances of suspected human trafficking. The bill requires that every hotel proprietor require its employees to complete such human trafficking training course developed by the Department or an alternative online or in-person training course approved by the Department within six months of being employed by a hotel and thereafter at least once every two years, for as long as the employee is employed by the hotel.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 9.1-102 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 35.1-15.1, relating to the Department of Criminal Justice Services; hotels; human trafficking training.

22102591D

H.B. 270

Patron: Byron


Virginia Employment Commission; administrative reforms; reporting requirements; electronic submissions; Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman established. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to calculate and report the (i) average unemployment insurance benefit levels, (ii) average income replacement of unemployment insurance benefits, and (iii) recipiency rate for unemployment insurance benefits in the Commonwealth as part of the Commission's annual balance sheet. The bill also requires the Commission, as part of its biennial strategic plan submitted to the Department of Planning and Budget, to develop and maintain an unemployment insurance Resiliency Plan that describes the specific actions the agency would take, depending on the level of increase in unemployment insurance (UI) claims, to address staffing, communications, and other relevant aspects of operations to ensure continued efficient and effective administration of the UI program.

The bill creates within the Commission on Unemployment Compensation a subcommittee that shall be responsible for monitoring the Virginia Employment Commission's management of the unemployment insurance program. The subcommittee shall meet at least once each quarter and shall report annually, beginning on December 1, 2022, to the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Labor and Commerce, the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations. The bill also directs the Commission to convene an advisory committee composed of stakeholders and subject matter experts to review information related to UI claims.

The bill requires employers to submit claim-related forms and separation information electronically, as well as other information and electronic tax payments upon the Commission's request, unless the employer has received a waiver by the Commission.

The bill provides that a claim for unemployment benefits that has been determined invalid by the Virginia Employment Commission as a result of the claimant's monetary ineligibility shall first be reviewed upon a request for redetermination prior to filing an appeal. The bill also creates an Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman position for the purpose of providing information and assistance to persons seeking assistance in unemployment appeals proceedings and exempts confidential case files of the Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The bill directs the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management to lead a multi-agency work group to discuss strategies for staffing assistance and support for agencies that might need staffing assistance during emergencies. Additionally, the Virginia Employment Commission is directed to task its internal audit division to review and revise documents and online resources related to unemployment compensation.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 30-222, 60.2-111, and 60.2-619, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 1 of Title 60.2 sections numbered 60.2-121.2 and 60.2-121.3, relating to Virginia Employment Commission; administrative reforms; reporting requirements; electronic submissions; Unemployment Compensation Ombudsman position established.

22105608D

H.B. 316

Patron: Wyatt

Independent dealer-operator recertification. Codifies existing Motor Vehicle Dealer Board regulations related to independent dealer-operator recertification and revises the process established by regulation by (i) requiring recertification every 24 months instead of every 36 months; (ii) changing the training requirement from completing a six-hour course to completing a live four-hour instructor-led course and passing an examination, administered in person or virtually; (iii) increasing the permissible course fee from $250 to $300; (iv) increasing the recertification application fee from $25 to $50; and (v) exempting from the requirements of clause (ii) independent dealer-operators who complete a training program approved by the Executive Director of the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and administered by a dealer that employs at least 50 licensed salespersons in the Commonwealth.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 46.2 an article numbered 10, consisting of sections numbered 46.2-1583 through 46.2-1589, relating to independent dealer-operator recertification.

22104116D

H.B. 383

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Joseph Carter; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $ 1,505,579.40 to Joseph Carter, who was wrongly convicted of first degree murder, attempted robbery, robbery, and statutory burglary

A BILL for the relief of Joseph Carter, relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22102130D

H.B. 385

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Bobbie James Morman, Jr.; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $1,226,568.40 to Bobbie James Morman, Jr., who was wrongly convicted of attempted malicious wounding and firearm-related charges.

A BILL for the relief of Bobbie James Morman, Jr., relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22102565D

H.B. 394

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Emerson Eugene Stevens; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $1,784,390.40 to Emerson Eugene Stevens, who was wrongly convicted of murder.

A BILL for the relief of Emerson Eugene Stevens, relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22102574D

H.B. 397

Patron: Sullivan

Compensation for wrongful incarceration. Modifies the formula for compensating wrongfully incarcerated persons to equal $55,000 per year of incarceration, adjusted for inflation. Changes the amount of compensation that may be paid out as a lump sum to equal 25 percent of the total award, with the remainder to be paid out as an annuity with a term of 10 years. Provides that the General Assembly may pay to the wrongfully incarcerated person the amount of court costs and other charges incurred to receive the compensation. Allows a wrongfully incarcerated person who submitted an Alford plea to receive compensation for such wrongful incarceration. The bill also provides an income tax subtraction for any compensation awarded to a wrongfully incarcerated person.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-195.10, 8.01-195.11, and 58.1-322.02 of the Code of Virginia, relating to compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22106095D

H.B. 434

Patron: Sewell

Criminal sexual assault; definition of intimate parts; penalty. Includes in the definition of "intimate parts," for the purposes of criminal sexual assault, the chest, including the breast, of any person.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-67.10 of the Code of Virginia, relating to criminal sexual assault; definition of intimate parts; penalty.

22106437D

H.B. 451

Patron: Bennett-Parker

Stalking; venue; penalty. Allows a person to be prosecuted for a stalking charge in the jurisdiction where the person at whom the stalking conduct is directed received a communication from the person engaged in the stalking conduct that placed him in reasonable fear of death, criminal sexual assault, or bodily injury to himself or a family or household member. The bill also provides that evidence of any such conduct that occurred outside the Commonwealth may be admissible, if relevant, in any prosecution for stalking. Currently, such evidence is admissible as long as the prosecution is based upon conduct occurring within the Commonwealth.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-60.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to stalking; venue; penalty.

22103062D

H.B. 458

Patron: Bulova

MEI Project Approval Commission; incentives requiring review. Adds to the incentive packages for economic development, film, and episodic television projects that require MEI Project Approval Commission (the Commission) review and approval any incentive package in which one of the incentives being sought includes a cash payment of more than $3.5 million from any fund prior to any performance metrics being met by the proposed project. The bill clarifies that in calculating whether the value of proposed incentives exceeds $10 million and thus requires review under current law, the value of applicable existing tax credits and incentives shall not be considered, with the exception of the sales tax exemption for data centers and the motion picture tax credit. Finally, the bill provides that economic development projects that propose to relocate or expand operations in one area of the Commonwealth while closing or reducing operations in another area of the Commonwealth shall be subject to Commission review only if the value of the proposed incentives exceeds $2.5 million.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 30-309 and 30-310 of the Code of Virginia, relating to MEI Project Approval Commission; incentives requiring review.

22100646D

H.B. 492

Patron: Bulova

Campaign finance; record retention requirements and reviews of campaign finance disclosure reports. Requires campaign committee treasurers to retain certain records that may be used in reviews of campaign committee accounts. The bill gives the Department of Elections the authority and duty to conduct reviews of a percentage of campaign committees and to report the results of such reviews annually to the State Board of Elections, the Governor, the and General Assembly and make such report available on the Department's website.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-946 and 24.2-947.3 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 9.3 of Title 24.2 a section numbered 24.2-948.5, relating to campaign finance; record retention requirements and reviews of campaign finance disclosure reports.

22101163D

H.B. 496

Patron: Mullin

Abuse and neglect; financial exploitation; incapacitated adults; penalties. Changes the term "incapacitated adult" to "vulnerable adult" for the purposes of the crime of abuse and neglect of such adults and defines "vulnerable adult" as any person 18 years of age or older who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual or developmental disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age, or other causes to the extent the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out reasonable decisions concerning his well-being or has one or more limitations that substantially impair the adult's ability to independently provide for his daily needs or safeguard his person, property, or legal interests. The bill adds the definition of "advanced age" as it is used in the definition of "vulnerable adult" to mean 65 years of age or older. The bill also changes the term "person with mental incapacity" to the same meaning of "vulnerable adult" for the purposes of the crime of financial exploitation. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-60.5, 18.2-178.1, 18.2-369, 46.2-341.20:7, 54.1-3408.3, 54.1-3442.5, 54.1-3442.6, and 54.1-3442.7 of the Code of Virginia, relating to abuse and neglect; financial exploitation; incapacitated adults; penalties.

22100823D

H.B. 563

Patron: O'Quinn

School division maintenance reserve tool; School Construction Fund and Program established. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to develop or adopt and maintain a data collection tool to assist each school board to determine the relative age of each public school building in the local school division and the amount of maintenance reserve funds that are necessary to restore each such building. The bill requires each school board to provide to the Department of Education in a timely fashion the local data that is necessary to ensure that such tool remains relevant and useful for the determination of maintenance reserve needs. The bill requires the Department of Education to consider converting or using as a template the Department of General Services' Real Estate and Assets Management system for tracking buildings and infrastructure maintenance status to meet the above requirement to maintain such a tool. The bill also establishes the School Construction Fund and Program for the purpose of awarding grants to local school boards to fund the construction of new public school buildings or the renovation or expansion of existing public school buildings in the local school division. The bill requires any revenues remaining in the Gaming Proceeds Fund after certain enumerated appropriations are made to be appropriated to the School Construction Fund. 

A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-4125 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 22.1-138.3 and 22.1-140.1, relating to the School Construction Fund and Program; established; funding sources.

22106318D

H.B. 565

Patron: O'Quinn

Advanced Manufacturing Talent Investment Program and Fund. Creates the Advanced Manufacturing Talent Investment Program and Fund to assist qualified institutions, as defined in the bill, in reaching, by 2042, a goal of increasing by at least 25,000 new eligible credentials, which are noncredit workforce credentials awarded by a qualified institution in a high demand advanced manufacturing field as identified by the Board of Workforce Development. To be eligible for an annual grant, a qualified institution is required to enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth specific criteria for eligible credentials, eligible expenses, credential production goals, and completion rates.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 23.1 a chapter numbered 12.2, consisting of sections numbered 23.1-1244 through 23.1-1248, relating to Advanced Manufacturing Talent Investment Program and Fund.

22102051D

H.B. 585

Patron: VanValkenburg

Middle and high school end-of-course assessments; number and type. Requires, except for those middle and high school students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in an alternate assessment, each student in middle and high school to take only those end-of-course Standards of Learning assessments necessary to meet federal accountability requirements and Virginia high school graduation requirements. The bill requires, with such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose, and except in the case of students who participate in an alternate assessment, the Standards of Learning assessments for Virginia Studies, Civics and Economics, Virginia and U.S. history, and biology to include items that require the student to apply knowledge and skills in preparing a response. Such items shall include open-ended questions, long-form writing, and other tasks, with student responses scored by the Department of Education according to statewide scoring rubrics. The bill requires student performance on the Virginia and U.S. history and biology end-of-course assessments to account for 10 percent of the student's final grade in each such course. The bill also requires the Department of Education to convene and consult a work group to develop a plan for the implementation of such assessment items no later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-253.13:3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to middle and high school end-of-course assessments; number and type.

22106487D

H.B. 649

Patron: Carr

Language development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing; assessment resources for parents and educators; advisory committee; report. Requires the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to (i) select, with input from an advisory committee that the bill establishes, language developmental milestones and include such milestones in a resource for use by parents of a child from birth to age five who is identified as deaf or hard of hearing to monitor and track their child's expressive and receptive language acquisition and developmental stages toward English literacy; (ii) disseminate such resource to such parents; (iii) select existing tools or assessments for educators for use in assessing the language and literacy development of children from birth to age five who are deaf or hard of hearing; (iv) disseminate such tools or assessments to local educational agencies and provide materials and training on their use; and (v) annually produce a report that compares the language and literacy development of children from birth to age five who are deaf or hard of hearing with the language and literacy development of their peers who are not deaf or hard of hearing and make such report available to the public on its website.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-217.04, relating to language development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing; assessment resources for parents and educators; advisory committee; report.

22106319D

H.B. 671

Patron: Hope

Permanent protective orders; Hope Card Program created. Requires the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop and all district courts and circuit courts to implement the Hope Card Program (the Program) for the issuance of a Hope Card to any person who has been issued a permanent protective order by any district court or circuit court. The bill provides that a Hope Card issued pursuant to the Program shall be a durable, plastic, wallet-sized card containing, to the extent possible, essential information about the protective order, such as the identifying information and characteristics of the person subject to the protective order, the issuance and expiration date of the protective order, the terms of the protective order, and the names of any other persons protected by the protective order.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 19.2-152.10:1, relating to permanent protective orders; Hope Card Program created.

22100428D

H.B. 735

Patron: Bell

Department of Corrections; earned sentence credits. Repeals the four-level classification system for the awarding and calculation of earned sentence credits currently set to go into effect on July 1, 2022. Under current law, a maximum of 4.5 sentence credits may be earned for each 30 days served.

A BILL to repeal § 53.1-202.3, as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, Chapter 50 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020, Special Session I, and the second through seventh enactments of Chapter 52 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020, Special Session I, relating to Department of Corrections; earned sentence credits.

22100841D

H.B. 740

Patron: Bell

Catalytic converters; penalties. Makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to commit larceny of a catalytic converter or the parts thereof from a motor vehicle, regardless of the converter's value. The bill also makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to willfully break, injure, tamper with, or remove any part or parts of any vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel for the purpose of injuring, defacing, or destroying said vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel, or temporarily or permanently preventing its useful operation, or for any purpose against the will or without the consent of the owner, or to in any other manner willfully or maliciously interfere with or prevent the running or operation of such vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel, when such violation causes damage to such vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel of $1,000 or more. Current law makes such violation a Class 1 misdemeanor with no limit on the amount of damage. Under the bill, the penalty for damage of less than $1,000 remains a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Additionally, the bill requires that the copies of the documentation that scrap metal purchasers are required to maintain for purchases of catalytic converters or the parts thereof (i) establish that the person from whom they purchased the catalytic converter or the parts thereof had lawful possession of it at the time of sale or delivery and (ii) detail the scrap metal purchaser's diligent inquiry into whether the person selling had a legal right to do so. The bill also requires that such documentation be maintained for at least two years after the purchase and that copies be made available upon request to any law-enforcement officer, conservator of the peace, or special conservator of the peace in the performance of his duties who presents his credentials at the scrap metal purchaser's normal business location during normal business hours.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-146 and 59.1-136.3 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-97.2, relating to catalytic converters; penalties.

22105516D

H.B. 758

Patron: Adams, L.R.

Probation, revocation, and suspension of sentence; penalty. Makes changes to the definition of a technical violation as it pertains to the revocation of suspension of sentence and probation. The bill also provides that upon a first technical violation, if the court originally suspended the imposition of sentence, the court shall revoke such suspension and again suspend all of this sentence and upon a second or subsequent violation, the court may pronounce whatever sentence might have been originally imposed. The bill also specifies that a violation of a term or condition included in the definition of technical violation shall not be considered a special or specific term or condition for sentencing purposes.

The bill also provides that the court may fix the period of probation and the period of suspension for up to the statutory maximum period for which the defendant might originally have been sentenced to be imposed for any felony offense and up to two years for an offense punishable as a Class 1 or Class 2 misdemeanor. Currently, the limitation on periods of probation and periods of suspension is up to the statutory maximum period of imprisonment for any offense.

The bill also adds the offense of crimes against nature committed on or after July 1, 2022, to the list of offenses for which if some period of the sentence for such offense is suspended, the judge is required to order that period of suspension be for the length of time equal to the statutory maximum period for which the defendant might originally have been sentenced to be imprisoned.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 19.2-303, 19.2-303.1, and 19.2-306 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal § 19.2-306.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to probation, revocation, and suspension of sentence; penalty.

22106124D

H.B. 820

Patron: Torian

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; disparity study. Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct a disparity study every five years, next due no later than January 1, 2026.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-1605, 2.2-1610, and 2.2-4310 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; disparity study.

22102934D

H.B. 821

Patron: Torian

Maximum number of judges in each judicial circuit. Increases from six to seven the maximum number of authorized judges in the Thirty-first Judicial Circuit. This bill is a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 17.1-507 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the maximum number of judges in each judicial circuit.

22100583D

H.B. 894

Patron: Kilgore


Generation of electricity and energy development in the Commonwealth. Adds promoting the deployment of broadband in Southwest Virginia to the powers and duties of the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority. The bill also prohibits an electric generating unit located in the coalfield region of the Commonwealth capable of generating electricity from waste coal that began commercial operations after January 1, 2010, from being required to retire before such unit reaches the end of its useful life. The bill repeals provisions of the Virginia Clean Economy Act that prohibit the State Corporation Commission from issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity for any investor-owned utility to own, operate, or construct any electric generating unit that emits carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity until the General Assembly receives a certain report from the Secretary of Natural Resources and the Secretary of Commerce and Trade and that authorize such Secretaries to recommend a future moratorium on the issuing of such certificates.

The bill requires the Department of Energy to consider the economic development of rural Virginia while minimizing the impact on prime farmland a key priority in updating its Virginia Energy Plan.

The bill requires the Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority, to convene a stakeholder work group to identify strategies and any needed public policies, including statutory or regulatory changes, for promoting the development of advanced small modular reactors in localities in the Commonwealth.

The bill requires the Virginia Cooperative Extension to develop and maintain a map or repository of prime farmland in the Commonwealth, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Department of Energy. An initial report of such map or repository shall be submitted the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2022.

Finally, the bill requires the State Corporation Commission to develop a site readiness program for economic development sites identified by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in the service territory of a Dominion Energy or American Electric Power, based on best practices in competitor states. Such program shall be implemented by December 1, 2022 and the Commission shall submit a report including recommendations for such program by December 15, 2022 to the Governor and General Assembly.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 45.2-1720, 56-576, and 56-585.5 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal the sixth and eleventh enactments of Chapter 1193 and the sixth and eleventh enactments of Chapter 1194 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020, relating to the Center for Rural Virginia; development of map of prime farmland; Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority; promotion of broadband; retirement of certain coal-fired electric generating units at end of useful life; Department of Energy; stakeholder group for promotion of advanced small modular reactors; Virginia Energy Plan; economic development of rural Virginia; repeal of fossil fuel moratorium.

22106227D

H.B. 957

Patron: Tran

Classification of real property owned by certain surviving spouses for tax purposes. Provides that beginning with taxable year 2022, any locality may declare real property owned by a surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces of the United States who died in the line of duty with a line of duty determination from the U.S. Department of Defense, while performing official military activities and where such death was not the result of criminal conduct, and where the spouse occupies the real property as his principal place of residence and does not remarry, a separate class of property for local taxation of real property that may be taxed at a different rate than that imposed on the general class of real property, provided that the rate of tax is greater than zero and does not exceed the rate of tax on the general class of real property.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1 a section numbered 58.1-3228.2, relating to classification of real property owned by certain surviving spouses for tax purposes.

22105620D

H.B. 993

Patron: Murphy

Unlawful hazing; penalty. Makes the crime of hazing a Class 5 felony if such hazing results in death or serious bodily injury to any person. The crime of hazing that does not result in death or serious bodily injury remains a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides an affirmative defense for hazing if a person in good faith seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for a person who has received a bodily injury by hazing or renders emergency care or assistance, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), to a person who has received a bodily injury by hazing while another person seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for such person.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-56 of the Code of Virginia, relating to unlawful hazing; penalty.

22106438D

H.B. 996

Patron: Webert

Land use assessment; parcels with multiple owners. Allows the owner of a majority interest in an undivided parcel of real estate that is eligible for land use assessment to file the application on behalf of himself and for owners of any minority interest.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-3234 of the Code of Virginia, relating to land use assessment; parcels with multiple owners.

22101436D

H.B. 1168

Patron: Watts

Real property tax; exemption for disabled veterans and surviving spouses. Provides that a person who is eligible for the real property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans and surviving spouses is entitled to a refund, retroactive to his date of eligibility, of taxes paid during the period of exemption, excluding interest or penalties. Under the bill, the refund is exempt from the statute of limitations for applications for correction of an assessment.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 58.1-3219.5, 58.1-3219.9, and 58.1-3980 of the Code of Virginia, relating to real property tax; exemption for disabled veterans and surviving spouses.

22103495D

H.B. 1246

Patron: Tran

Public elementary and secondary schools; students; digital tools; accessibility. Requires the Department of Education to convene a work group to provide input and recommendations to the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2022, regarding (i) ways in which school divisions can effectively identify and receive responsive and responsible bids from vendors to procure digital tools, including online platforms, courses, digital applications, information and communication technology services, and digital content, that comply with the federal accessibility standard and (ii) any statutory or regulatory changes that may assist school divisions to procure such digital tools that comply with such standard.

A BILL to require the Department of Special Education and Student Services at the Department of Education to convene a work group to provide input and recommendations relating to the procurement of accessible digital tools by local school divisions.

22105870D

H.B. 1254

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Eric Weakley; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $371,933.87 to Eric Weakley, who was wrongly convicted of murder.

A BILL for the relief of Eric Weakley, relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22104407D

H.B. 1255

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Lamar Barnes; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $1,097,980.02 to Lamar Barnes, who was wrongly convicted of murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

A BILL for the relief of Lamar Barnes, relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22104408D

H.B. 1263

Patron: Hudson

Claims; Paul Jonas Crum, Jr.; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $249,044.00 to Paul Jonas Crum, Jr., who was wrongly convicted of obstruction of justice charges.

A BILL for the relief of Paul Jonas Crum, Jr., relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration

22104313D

H.B. 1310

Patron: Shin

Virginia Public Procurement Act; revision of procurement procedures. Provides that the Department of General Services and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency shall review and revise their procurement procedures to encourage the use of U.S. General Services Administration contracts or contracts awarded by any other agency of the United States government where appropriate.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-4304 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Virginia Public Procurement Act; revision of procurement procedures.

22105694D

H.B. 1332

Patron: Greenhalgh

Covering a security camera in a correctional facility; penalty. Provides that any person who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperable or otherwise obscures a security camera, as defined in the bill, without the permission of the sheriff, jail superintendent, warden, or Director of the Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justice is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that any person who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperable or otherwise obscures a security camera with the intent of inhibiting or preventing a security camera from recording or transmitting a photograph, motion picture, or other digital image of the commission of a felony is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-473.2, relating to covering a security camera in a correctional facility; penalty.

22105940D

H.B. 1358

Patron: Sullivan

Claims; Jervon Michael Tillman; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Provides relief in the amount of $426,237.09 to Jervon Michael Tillman who was wrongly convicted of robbery, wearing a mask, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

A BILL for the relief of Jervon Michael Tillman, relating to claims; compensation for wrongful incarceration.

22104911D