Grandparent; petition for visitation. Provides that in any case or proceeding in which a grandparent has petitioned the court for visitation with a minor grandchild, the court may consider whether (i) the marriage of the parents of such child has been dissolved, (ii) a parent of the child has abandoned such child, (iii) the child was born while the parents were not married, or (iv) a parent of the child has prevented the grandparent from visitation at any hearing in such a case or proceeding held to determine the best interest of the child.
Virginia Retirement System; return to work for law-enforcement officers. Allows a retired law-enforcement officer to return to work full time as a law-enforcement officer and continue to receive his pension under the Virginia Retirement System. Such person shall be required to have a break in service of at least six calendar months before reemployment. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
Study; Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; creation of a retail cannabis market; report. Requests the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to study the creation of a retail cannabis market in the Commonwealth and draft regulations governing the indoor cultivation, processing, manufacturing, testing, packaging, labeling, distribution, sale, and delivery of cannabis. The resolution requires that such regulations include (i) appropriate application and license fees; (ii) reasonable restrictions on cannabis advertising; (iii) restrictions on product size and potency; (iv) transaction limits; (v) comprehensive enforcement mechanisms; (vi) provisions regarding tax collection and revenue allocation; (vii) provisions regarding participation in the retail marijuana market by persons in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities; and (viii) any other restrictions or requirements necessary to protect public health and safety, prevent diversion, and enforce regulated sales. The resolution requires the Authority to include certain persons in its study and to submit its executive summaries and reports to the General Assembly by the first day of the 2026 Session of the General Assembly.
Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act. Permits a religious organization, defined in the bill, to construct affordable housing on real estate owned by such religious organization (i) on or before January 1, 2024, or for a period of not less than five years, and (ii) for which the religious organization retains a majority ownership interest.
Study; Department of Energy; local governments; purchases of clean energy; report. Requests the Department of Energy to study the barriers for local governments to directly purchase clean energy or to facilitate the purchase of clean energy by their constituents. In conducting its study, the Department shall consider existing ways for local governments to purchase clean energy and promote access to clean energy for their constituents, evaluate barriers and develop recommendations relating to reducing such barriers for local governments to purchase clean energy and encouraging the purchase of and access to clean energy by local governments and their constituents, and consult with relevant stakeholders as needed.
Child tax credit. Creates a tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for individuals whose households include dependents younger than the age of 18. The bill provides that the amount of the credit will be equal to $500 for each such dependent for an individual or married persons filing a joint return whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, as defined by Virginia code, does not exceed $100,000. The bill provides that if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, and the amount of such credit exceeds the taxpayer's liability for the taxable year, the excess shall be refunded by the Tax Commissioner.
Board of Housing and Community Development; Uniform Statewide Building Code; local building officials. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code and corresponding regulations to remove any authority for local building departments to appoint local building officials for permanent terms. The bill requires the Board to require local building departments to appoint such officials for a term not to exceed 10 years and to only reappoint such officials after holding a performance evaluation.
JLARC; Department of Human Resource Management; Grievance Procedure Manual; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct a review of the Department of Human Resource Management's Grievance Procedure Manual as it relates to the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires that JLARC evaluate the effectiveness of such procedures and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committee on General Laws by November 1, 2024.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-401.2, 22.1-271.7, 32.1-134.2, 32.1-263, 32.1-282, 54.1-2900, 54.1-2901, 54.1-2910.5, 54.1-2927, 54.1-2957.9, 54.1-2972, 54.1-2973.1, 54.1-3000, 54.1-3005, 54.1-3300, 54.1-3300.1, 54.1-3301, 54.1-3303, 54.1-3401, 54.1-3408, 54.1-3482, 54.1-3482.1, and 63.2-2203 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 30 of Title 54.1 articles numbered 8 and 9, consisting of sections numbered 54.1-3044 through 54.1-3051; and to repeal §§ 54.1-2957 through 54.1-2957.04 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Board of Medicine; Board of Nursing; joint licensing of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives. 24104892D
Medical assistance services; payment for essential hygiene products. Directs the State Board of Health to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for the purchase of essential hygiene products in the state plan for medical assistance services.
Recording of proceedings in district courts; juvenile and domestic relations district court. Allows an audio recording of proceedings in a juvenile and domestic relations district court to be made by a party or his counsel.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science; review the cumulative surface water intake effects on aquatic fauna in the Chesapeake Bay; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to review the feasibility of studying cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in Virginia's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. VIMS is required to report whether the study may be conducted and, if so, report the total amount of funding necessary to conduct the study to the Governor by October 1, 2024.
