Del. J.J. Singh

Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; civil penalty. Provides that no person shall leave, place, or store a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle, as defined in the bill, when such handgun is visible to any person who is outside such unattended motor vehicle. The bill provides that any person violating such prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of no more than $500 and that such unattended motor vehicle may be subject to removal for safekeeping.

Library boards; removal of members; appeal. Provides that the procedure for removal of a library board member shall include a right of appeal by the member to the circuit court within 30 days of a decision to remove such member.

History Education Advisory Board established. Establishes the 32-member History Education Advisory Board to advise the Governor, his cabinet members, the Board of Education, and the General Assembly on the current ways in which African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, Indigenous, Women's, and LGBTQ+ history are described in the relevant Standards of Learning and associated curriculum frameworks; how that content is taught in classrooms; and strategies to develop African American history and social studies elective courses, Asian American and Pacific Islander history and social studies elective courses, Latino history and social studies elective courses, Indigenous history and social studies elective courses, Women's history and social studies elective courses, and LGBTQ+ history and social studies elective courses.

Virginia Commission on Lynching Sites Memorialization established; report. Establishes the Virginia Commission on Lynching Sites Memorialization as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the 15-member Commission is to acknowledge the history of racial violence in Virginia through the placement of historical markers at the sites of lynchings. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

Study; JLARC; cost efficiency of public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the cost efficiency of public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth and to identify opportunities to reduce the cost of public higher education in the Commonwealth. In conducting this study, JLARC is directed to examine the full range of costs for in-state tuition and room and board at each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, to compare and consider the amount of funding appropriated by the state to each public institution of higher education since 2012, and to provide a comprehensive update on the status of the implementation of its recommendations pursuant to House Joint Resolution 108 (2012). The resolution requires JLARC to complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2025, and for the second year by November 30, 2026, and requires the chairman to submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year.

Designating or nominating historic landmarks; notice requirements. Removes the requirements for the Department of Historic Resources to provide written notice to an owner or his agent of property abutting or immediately across the street or road of property proposed to be designated or nominated as a historic landmark. The bill directs the Department to schedule a public hearing at the seat of government of the locality in which the property proposed to be designated or nominated as a historic landmark is located at a time and place that will allow for the attendance of the affected general public. Current law applies such time and place requirements only for affected property owners. Finally, the bill changes the time in which the Department must specify the time and place of the public notice published in the newspaper having general circulation in the locality from not less than six days nor more than 21 days after the second publication of the notice to not more than 30 days and not less than seven days before the public hearing.

Child tax credit; Virginia adjusted gross income. Creates a one-time tax credit in taxable years 2025 through 2029 for taxpayers whose households include dependents younger than 12 years of age and whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, defined in the bill, does not exceed $100,000. Such credit shall be in an amount equal to $300 for each such dependent and only one credit may be claimed for each such dependent. The bill provides that if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, the credit is refundable. Otherwise, the credit is nonrefundable.