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2023 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Local Government

Chair: Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr.

Clerk: Gillian Conway, Basit Khan
Staff: Jeff Sharp, Anissa Cottrell
Date of Meeting: February 13, 2023
Time and Place: 9:00 a.m. Senate Room 3, Capitol Ext.

H.B. 1472 Emergency medical services agencies; ordinances or resolutions, designation as emergency response.

Patron: Fowler

Emergency medical services agencies; ordinances or resolutions; designation as emergency response agencies. Requires that ordinances or resolutions establishing an emergency medical services agency shall specify the geographic boundaries of the agency's primary service area within the locality. This bill also directs that emergency medical services agencies that respond to medical emergencies be a designated emergency response agency and be recognized as an integral part of the official public safety program of the locality with responsibility for providing emergency medical response.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-955 of the Code of Virginia, relating to emergency medical services agencies; ordinances or resolutions; designation as emergency response agencies.

23105748D

H.B. 1509 Norton, City of; amending charter, November municipal elections, etc.

Patron: Kilgore

Charter; City of Norton; municipal elections; boundaries; school board. Makes several changes to the charter for the City of Norton to reflect the city's shift from May to November municipal elections. Other changes update the city's boundary description and remove outdated provisions related to an appointed school board.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 1.2, § 3.4, as amended, §§ 3.7, 4.1, and 4.9, and § 5.2, as amended, of Chapter 134 of the Acts of Assembly of 1988, which provided a charter for the City of Norton, relating to municipal elections; boundaries; school board.

23100899D

H.B. 1539 Farmville, Town of; new charter (previous charter repealed).

Patron: Edmunds

Charter; Town of Farmville. Establishes a new charter for the Town of Farmville in Prince Edward County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1956. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns.

A BILL to provide a new charter for the Town of Farmville in Prince Edward County and to repeal Chapter 315 of the Acts of Assembly of 1956, as amended, which provided a charter for the Town of Farmville.

23102409D

H.B. 1641 Pound, Town of; repealing Chapter 312, 2022 Acts, relating to Charter.

Patron: Kilgore

Charter; Town of Pound. Repeals the act of assembly from the 2022 Session that repeals the charter for the Town of Pound in Wise County effective November 1, 2023.

A BILL to repeal Chapter 312 of the Acts of Assembly of 2022, relating to Town of Pound in Wise County; charter.

23102788D

H.B. 1665 Local land use; extension of approvals, sunset provision.

Patron: Marshall

Extension of local land use approvals. Extends from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2025, the sunset date for various local land use approvals that were valid and outstanding as of July 1, 2020. The bill also provides that its provisions shall not be construed to extend previous extensions related to the housing crisis and that any extension of approvals outstanding as of July 1, 2020, shall apply to any such approvals granted subsequent to July 1, 2020, that expire prior to July 1, 2025. This provision is declarative of existing law.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-2209.1:1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to extension of local land use approvals.

23104197D

H.B. 1676 Annexation; extension of current moratorium.

Patron: Hodges

Annexation; extension of current moratorium. Extends by eight years, from 2024 to 2032, the current moratorium on city annexations and county immunity actions. Provisions that would trigger the early expiration of the moratorium if the General Assembly fails to appropriate certain amounts for local law-enforcement expenditures are exempted through the 2030-2032 biennium.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-3201 of the Code of Virginia, relating to annexation; extension of current moratorium.

23102333D

H.B. 1679 Kilmarnock, Town of; amending charter, November municipal elections.

Patron: Ransone

Charter; Town of Kilmarnock. Updates the charter of the Town of Kilmarnock in Lancaster County to reflect the shift to November municipal elections as required by general law and removes a reference to the mayor for purposes of calculating a quorum. The bill also provides that no ordinance or resolution shall be passed appropriating money exceeding the sum of $500, rather than the $100 limit as specified in the current charter, except by the recorded affirmative vote of a majority of all members elected to the council.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 3, as amended, § 20, §§ 22 and 23, as amended, of Chapter 8 of the Acts of Assembly of 1952 Extra Session, which provided a charter for the Town of Kilmarnock in Lancaster County, relating to town council elections; mayor; quorum.

23102056D

H.B. 1944 Solar photovoltaic projects; extension of land use approvals, extends sunset provision.

Patron: Hodges

Extension of land use approvals for solar photovoltaic projects. Extends to July 1, 2026, the sunset date for various local land use approvals for solar photovoltaic projects that were valid and outstanding as of July 1, 2023.

 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 15.2-2209.1:2, relating to extension of land use approvals for solar photovoltaic projects.

23105749D

H.B. 1962 Newport News, City of; amending charter, real estate assessment.

Patron: Mullin

Charter; City of Newport News; real estate assessment. Requires persons who are aggrieved by any assessment made by the City of Newport News real estate assessor to apply for relief with the board of review as a prerequisite to filing for relief in circuit court. The bill also updates references to the Code of Virginia.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 12.03, 12.04, and 12.05 of Chapter 576 of the Acts of Assembly of 1978, which provided a charter for the City of Newport News, relating to real estate assessment.

23100800D

H.B. 2041 Parks, local; walking trails, liability for property owners.

Patron: Shin

Local parks; walking trails; liability; property owners. Authorizes a locality or park authority to establish, conduct, and regulate a system of walking trails and releases from certain civil liability the owner of any property leased, licensed, or provided by easement for such use in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 15.2-1806 and 15.2-1809.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to local parks; walking trails; liability; property owners.

23102799D

H.B. 2161 Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions.

Patron: Williams

Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions and hearings; report. Standardizes the frequency and length of time that notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published in newspapers and other print media. The notice provisions included in the bill are organized into the following three groups: (i) publication required one week before the meeting, hearing, or intended action; (ii) publication required two consecutive weeks before the meeting, hearing, or intended action; and (iii) publication required three consecutive weeks before the meeting, hearing, or intended action. In addition, the bill amends provisions related to the content of notices for zoning ordinances and amendments to such ordinances by removing the requirement that such notices contain a descriptive summary of the proposed action and providing that such notices shall include the street address or tax map parcel number of the parcels subject to the action. In cases where the intended action affects more than 25 parcels, the notice must also include the approximate acreage subject to the intended action. The bill also removes the requirement that notices of proposed amendments to a zoning map state the general usage and density range of the proposed amendment and the general usage density set forth in the applicable part of the comprehensive plan. The bill directs the Virginia Code Commission to convene a work group to continue review of the notice requirements throughout the Code of Virginia and requires the Virginia Code Commission to submit a report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology summarizing the work and any recommendations of the work group by November 30, 2023. This bill is a recommendation of the Code Commission.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 15.2-202, 15.2-619, 15.2-716, 15.2-749, 15.2-958.3, 15.2-958.6, 15.2-1236, 15.2-1301, 15.2-1427, 15.2-1702, 15.2-1703, 15.2-2108.7, 15.2-2204, 15.2-2285, 15.2-2400, 15.2-2401, 15.2-2606, 15.2-2653, 15.2-3401, 15.2-3600, 15.2-4309, 15.2-4906, 15.2-5104, 15.2-5136, 15.2-5156, 15.2-5431.25, 15.2-5602, 15.2-5702, 15.2-5711, 15.2-5806, 15.2-7502, 21-114, 21-117.1, 21-118, 21-146, 21-229, 21-377, 21-393, 21-420, 22.1-29.1, 22.1-37, 22.1-79, 22.1-92, 28.2-1302, 33.2-331, 33.2-723, 33.2-909, 33.2-2001, 33.2-2101, 33.2-2103, 33.2-2701, 36-23, 36-44, 58.1-3108, 58.1-3245.2, 58.1-3245.8, 58.1-3256, 58.1-3321, 58.1-3378, 58.1-3651, 58.1-3975, 62.1-44.15:33, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, and 62.1-44.15:65, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain intended actions and hearings; report.

23101898D

H.B. 2256 Fort Monroe Authority; ability to charge certain fees, security.

Patron: Cordoza

Fort Monroe Authority; fees; security. Grants the Fort Monroe Authority the ability to (i) charge certain fees for services within Fort Monroe and (ii) utilize security enhancement devices to enhance the safety of persons or property within Fort Monroe.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-2340 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 2.2-2340.1, relating to Fort Monroe Authority; fees; security.

23103227D