Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology; stakeholder working group; student seat allocation. Requires the Fairfax County School Board to establish a working group that consists of representatives of the school boards governing the local school divisions that send students to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to discuss the allocation of student seats in such school amongst such local school divisions. The bill requires the working group to seek input from relevant stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, and school administrators and submit to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than December 1, 2022, a summary report of its deliberations and findings and recommendations, if any.
Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act; dutiesof operator; liability of excavator. Requires an operator ofresidential telecommunications or cable television service, afterreceiving notification of an interruption in service due to the installationof broadband service at a given premises, to restore telecommunicationsor cable television service, such that a person at the premises can telephone emergency services by dialing 911, within two days of receiving such notification. The bill prohibits an operator fromgiving false or misleading information to the notification centerand requires the State Corporation Commission to investigate certainclaims following an informal complaint. The bill requires an operatorto indemnify and hold harmless an excavator when the excavator is installing facilities for purposes of broadband service and damagesa utility line used for residential telecommunications or cable televisionand provides that no excavator is liable for any such damage occurringon or after July 1, 2022.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum);qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitledto vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 8, 2022, generalelection to approve or reject an amendment that would provide forthe fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualificationsof voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitledto vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically investedwith the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and updatethe existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentallyincompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lackthe capacity to understand the act of voting.
School boards and local governing bodies; unexpendedlocal funds; school maintenance, renovation, and construction.Encourages each school board to enter into a collaborative agreementwith the local governing body to set aside in a separate fund anysums appropriated to the school board by the local governing bodythat are unexpended by the school board in any year in order to usesuch sums to finance school maintenance, renovation, or constructionin the local school division. The bill declares any school board that fails to enter into such a collaborative agreement ineligibleto participate in any state grant, loan, or bond program that supportsschool maintenance, renovation, or construction. This bill is a recommendationof the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.
Sales and use tax; payment card processing fees.Provides a sales and use tax exemption for the portion of anytransaction that is a payment card processing fee, defined in thebill. The bill also provides such an exemption from localmeals taxes.
Income tax subtraction; veteran retirement compensation. Provides an individual income tax subtraction for up to $40,000 ofthe amount of annual retirement compensation received by a veteranfor service as a member of the United States Armed Forces, a reservistin the United States Armed Forces, or a member of the Virginia NationalGuard.
Elections; removal of officers; recall elections;petition. Provides for the removal of certain elected officersand officers appointed to elected offices by recall referendum. Thebill requires a petition for recall be signed by 30 percent of thetotal number of votes cast at the last election for the office forwhich a recall is sought.
Writ of post-conviction relief for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a writ of post-conviction relief by which persons convicted of certain felony marijuana-related offenses committedprior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated on July 1, 2022, maypetition the circuit court for modification of such person's sentence.The bill requires such petition to be filed by July 1, 2026. Thebill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.
Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgunpurchases. Removes the prohibition on any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun ina 30-day period. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for aviolation of this provision, subject to certain exemptions.
Agrippa Hull Day. Designates May 21, in2022 and in each succeeding year, as Agrippa Hull Day in Virginia.
Emergency laws; powers and duties of Governor;executive orders. Limits the Governor's powers as the Directorof Emergency Management by requiring that emergency rules, regulations,and executive orders be objectively necessary and required to control,restrict, allocate, or regulate the use, sale, production, and distributionof food, fuel, clothing and other commodities, materials, goods,services, and resources under any state or federal emergency servicesprograms, rather than necessary in the Governor's judgment. The billalso prohibits an emergency executive order from establishing anymoratoriums on the payment of rent to landlords in the Commonwealthunless pursuant to a confirmed order of quarantine or isolation. Finally, the bill limits the duration of any executive order issuedby the Governor to no more than 45 days from the date of issuanceand provides that if the General Assembly does not take any actionon the rule, regulation, or order within the 45 days during whichthe rule, regulation, or order is effective, the Governor shall thereafterbe prohibited from issuing the same or a similar rule, regulation,or order relating to the same emergency. Under current law, onceissued, such executive orders are effective until June 30 followingthe next regular session of the General Assembly.
Towing enforcement. Provides that violationsof existing provisions regarding tow truck drivers and towing andrecovery operators are subject to the Virginia Consumer ProtectionAct. The bill repeals the $150 civil penalty for certain towing violationsin Planning District 8.
