Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal condition to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life must be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.
Unauthorized creation of image of another; AI-generated image; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who knowingly and intentionally creates any videographic or still image using artificial intelligence of any nonconsenting person if (i) that person is totally nude, performing sexual acts, clad in undergarments, or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast and (ii) such videographic or still image appears to be or is intended to appear to be such nonconsenting person. The bill provides that if such nonconsenting person is under the age of 18, the offender is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
Statewide Fire Prevention Code; State Fire Marshal; consumer fireworks; penalties. Authorizes the use of consumer fireworks in the Commonwealth and distinguishes by definition consumer fireworks from display fireworks and permissible fireworks. The bill defines "consumer fireworks" as small fireworks devices (i) containing restricted amounts of pyrotechnic composition designed primarily to produce visible or audible effects by combustion and (ii) complying with certain federal regulations regarding composition and labeling. The bill also provides that the storage and transportation of consumer fireworks are to be considered the same hazard class as the storage and transportation of 1.4G explosives under the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC) and Uniform Statewide Building Code. The bill excludes from the provisions of the SFPC, unless prohibited by a local ordinance, (a) the sale of permissible or consumer fireworks; (b) any person using, igniting, or exploding permissible or consumer fireworks on residential or agricultural property with the consent of the owner of such property; or (c) such permissible or consumer fireworks when they are being transported from a locality where they were legally obtained to a locality where they are legally permitted. Current law only excludes sale of permissible fireworks or the use of such fireworks on private property. The bill also directs 10 percent of the sales and use tax revenue generated by the local sales and tax use on the sale of consumer or permissible fireworks to be allocated to a special fund used solely for providing funding for first responders, as defined in the bill. The bill contains technical amendments.
Electric utilities; cost recovery for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power, by May 1, 2025, to (i) file a proposal with the State Corporation Commission to design and deploy all electrical distribution infrastructure on the utility side of a customer's meter for each customer installing separately metered infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging stations, other than those in single-family residences; (ii) file an application with the Commission to accelerate widespread transportation electrification across the Commonwealth in a manner designed to lower total ratepayer costs and that significantly contributes to meeting air quality standards and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a manner consistent with the objectives of the energy policy of the Commonwealth, as defined by relevant law; and (iii) submit to the Commission a proposal for a specific rate or set of rates for electricity supplied to commercial and industrial facilities used to charge electric vehicles that encourage electric vehicle charging and support the efficient off-peak utilization of the electric grid.
Release of hunting dogs; state highway or right-of-way.Creates a Class 3 misdemeanor for the intentional release of hunting dogs on a Department of Transportation right-of-way or on a highwayowned or maintained by the Department of Transportation to hunt deerwithout the consent of the Department. The bill provides that a secondoffense is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and a third or subsequent offenseis a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also permits the stopping of avehicle on a highway for the retrieval of a companion animal froma highway or area adjacent to a highway.
Motor vehicles; improper tinting films, signs,decals, and stickers; issuing citations. Removes the provisions that prohibit a law-enforcement officer from lawfully stopping amotor vehicle for violations related to improper tinting films, signs,decals, and stickers on such motor vehicle's windows. The bill increasesfrom 35 percent to 50 percent the minimum percentage of total lighttransmittance required for tinting the rear and rear side windowsof any motor vehicle. The bill increases from 35 percent to 50 percentthe authorized reduction of total light transmittance for tintingthe rear and rear side windows of any motor vehicle and maintainsexemptions for multipurpose passenger vehicles and pickup trucks.
Careless driving and infliction of injury or death on vulnerable road users; penalty. Defines driving in a careless manner and distracted manner for purposes of the Class 1 misdemeanor of operating a motor vehicle in a careless or distracted manner such that such operation is the proximate cause of serious bodily injury or death of a vulnerable road user lawfully present on the highway at such time.
Abortion; use of public funds prohibited.Provides that no agency of the Commonwealth shall enter into anycontract with or make any grant of public funds, as defined in thebill, to any entity or any affiliate of any entity that providesabortion services or operates a facility at which abortion servicesare provided. The bill also repeals provisions authorizing the Boardof Health to use state general funds appropriated to the Department of Health to pay the cost of abortions for women who otherwise meetthe financial eligibility criteria for services through the stateplan for medical assistance services in cases in which (i) a pregnancyoccurs as a result of rape or incest that is reported to a law-enforcementor public health agency or (ii) a physician certifies in writingthat he believes the fetus will be born with a gross and totallyincapacitating physical deformity or with a gross and totally incapacitatingmental deficiency.
Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadensthe scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisementsto include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill,and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum.The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditureor that expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendumto contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisementsponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independentexpenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allowssuch reports to be filed either electronically or in writing.
Zoning ordinance and amendments thereto; special exceptions; appeal. Clarifies that a claim (i) challenging theprocedures employed or (ii) stating a decision is void ab initiofor any reason relating to a local governing body's final decisionon a proposed zoning ordinance, or on an amendment of or special exception to such ordinance, only be filed within 30 days of suchdecision in a circuit court having jurisdiction of the land. Thebill provides that the provisions of the bill are declarative ofexisting law and are effective retroactively to any decision madeby a local governing body prior to July 1, 2024.
Vacancies in elected local offices; timelinessof special election to fill vacancy. Provides that when a vacancyoccurs in an elected local office that is subject to a ward-basedor district-based residency requirement, the election to fill suchvacancy shall be ordered and held within 365 days of the vacancyoccurring.
Election of certain governing bodies; conversionto single-member districts. Allows the governing body of a localitythat has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial election system under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convertone or more at-large members of such body to single-member districts.The bill provides that members of such governing body in office onthe effective date of such ordinance shall complete their terms ofoffice.
