Virginia 2022 Regular Session All Bills
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB177
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Human rights and fair housing; religious organizations; Human rights and fair housing; religious organizations; promotion of religious principles. Provides that nothing in the Virginia Human Rights Act prohibits a religious corporation, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from taking any action to promote the religious principles for which it is established or maintained. The bill exempts any place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society from the nondiscrimination in public places of accommodation provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act. Under current law, such places of accommodation are exempt only when not open to the public. The bill adds preschools to the list of educational institutions that are exempt from discriminatory hiring practices with respect to the hiring and employment of employees of a particular religion when such institutions are owned, supported, controlled, or managed by a particular religion or religious corporation, association, or society. The bill clarifies that the term "religion" includes all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief for the purposes of the exemption from discrimination in employment of individuals employed to perform work associated with the activities of a particular religion by a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society. The bill removes provisions allowing (i) a court or jury in a civil action that finds unlawful discrimination has occurred to order such affirmative action as may be appropriate and (ii) the Attorney General to seek to obtain such relief as would be available to a private party when he intervenes in a civil action for unlawful discrimination. The bill also removes the provision of the exemption for religious organizations under the Virginia Fair Housing Law that denies such exemption where the membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB178
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Public school teachers; probationary term of service, grounds for dismissal, and dismissal hearings. Permits each school board to extend for up to two additional years the three-year probationary term of service that is required for each teacher in the school division before the issuance of a continuing contract and prohibits each school board from reemploying a teacher whose performance evaluation during such probationary period is not satisfactory. The bill provides that, for the purpose of the dismissal of a teacher for cause, the term "incompetency" may be construed to include consistent failure to meet the endorsement requirements for the position or one or more unsatisfactory performance evaluations. The bill also eliminates the option for a school board to conduct a teacher dismissal hearing before a three-member fact-finding panel, requires each such hearing to be set no later than 15 days after the request for the hearing, and reduces from 10 days to five days the minimum period of advance written notice to the teacher of the time and place of such hearing.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB179
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Virginia Human Rights Act; employee safety; definition changes. Amends the definitions of "domestic worker" to exclude babysitters, nannies, caretakers, home health aides, and personal care aids; "employer" to one who employs at least three persons; and "domestic service" to exclude services performed by companions.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB18
Introduced
12/21/21
Refer
12/21/21
Virginia Retirement System; retired law-enforcement officers employed as school security officers. Provides that if a retired law-enforcement officer was employed by a local school division as a school security officer on January 1, 2020, and had a bona fide break in service of at least one month between retirement and employment as a school security officer, such person is not required to establish a 12-month break in service that would otherwise be required by law.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB180
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Exhaust systems; excessive noise. Prohibits any individual from operating a motor vehicle with a gross weight of 6,500 pounds or less with an exhaust system that emits noise in excess of 85 decibels. The bill also allows the governing body of any county, city, or town located within the Northern Virginia Planning District to provide by ordinance that no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a highway or on public or private property within 500 feet of any residential district unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an exhaust system of a type installed as standard equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on that particular vehicle or device as standard factory equipment, in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive noise.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB181
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
1/24/22
Engrossed
1/27/22
Refer
2/22/22
Workers' compensation; presumption as to death or disability from COVID-19; vaccine. Provides that the presumption that COVID-19 causing the death or disability of certain employees is an occupational disease compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act does not apply to an individual who fails or refuses to receive a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 either approved by or with an Emergency Use Authorization issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unless the person is immunized or the person's physician determines in writing that the immunization would pose a significant risk to the person's health.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB182
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
1/31/22
Engrossed
2/2/22
Refer
2/21/22
Report Pass
2/25/22
Enrolled
3/7/22
Vetoed
5/27/22
Charter; City of Falls Church; qualifications of members of boards and commissions. Removes the requirement in the City of Falls Church charter that board and commission members be qualified voters, replacing it with an age requirement of at least 18 years old while leaving the city residence requirement.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB183
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
1/19/22
Engrossed
1/24/22
Refer
2/23/22
Report Pass
3/1/22
Enrolled
3/9/22
Chaptered
4/7/22
Passed
4/7/22
Cemetery Board; appointment of receiver upon revocation or surrender of license to operate cemetery in Virginia. Requires the Cemetery Board to petition a court of record having equity jurisdiction over the licensee or any of the funds held by him if the Board has reason to believe that (i) the licensee is not able to adequately protect the interest of the person involved; (ii) the licensee has had his license suspended, revoked, or surrendered; and (iii) the conduct of the licensee or the operation of the cemetery threatens the interests of the public. Current law allows, but does not require, the Board to file such petition upon a showing of at least one of the three requirements. If a receiver is appointed, the bill provides that the expenses of such receivership and a reasonable fee, as determined by the court, shall be paid from the assets of the cemetery company. Cemetery Board; appointment of receiver upon revocation or surrender of license to operate cemetery in Virginia. Requires the Cemetery Board to petition a court of record having equity jurisdiction over the licensee or any of the funds held by him if the Board has reason to believe that (i) the licensee is not able to adequately protect the interest of the person involved; (ii) the licensee has had his license suspended, revoked, or surrendered; and (iii) the conduct of the licensee or the operation of the cemetery threatens the interests of the public. Current law allows, but does not require, the Board to file such petition upon a showing of at least one of the three requirements. If a receiver is appointed, the bill provides that the expenses of such receivership and a reasonable fee, as determined by the court, shall be paid from the assets of the cemetery company.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB184
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
1/25/22
Engrossed
1/27/22
Refer
2/22/22
Report Pass
2/23/22
Enrolled
3/2/22
Chaptered
4/11/22
Passed
4/11/22
Land use valuation for real estate devoted to forest use; creation of Forest Sustainability Fund. Creates the Forest Sustainability Fund, to be administered by the State Forester. Localities that have adopted a use value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted to forest use are eligible to apply for an allocation from the Fund. Awards are proportionally based upon the amount of revenue forgone in the previous fiscal year by localities due to the use value program.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB185
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
2/8/22
Engrossed
2/10/22
Refer
2/18/22
Report Pass
2/21/22
Enrolled
2/28/22
Chaptered
4/7/22
Passed
4/7/22
Income tax; major business facility job tax credit; sunset. Extends the sunset of the major business facility job tax credit from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2025.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB186
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
1/27/22
Report Pass
2/8/22
Engrossed
2/10/22
Refer
2/18/22
Report Pass
2/22/22
Enrolled
3/1/22
Chaptered
4/1/22
Passed
4/1/22
Department of Motor Vehicles; permanent farm use placard. Requires an owner or lessee of a vehicle claiming a farm use exemption from the registration, licensing, and decal requirements for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to obtain a nontransferable permanent farm use placard from the Department of Motor Vehicles and to display the farm use placard on the vehicle at all times. The bill requires the applicant to provide specified information about the vehicle and its usage, pay a $15 fee, and certify that the vehicle is insured. The provisions of the bill requiring the owner or lessee of a farm vehicle to obtain and display a farm use placard have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB187
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
2/8/22
Engrossed
2/10/22
Refer
2/22/22
Report Pass
3/2/22
Engrossed
3/7/22
Engrossed
3/8/22
Enrolled
3/10/22
Chaptered
4/11/22
Passed
4/11/22
Accelerated stream nutrient credit release. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to accelerate the release of nutrient credits generated by a stream restoration project based on (i) a determination that the level of risk is low, (ii) the provision of additional financial assurance, and (iii) the experience of the applicant. The provisions of the bill become effective 30 days after the Department of Environmental Quality issues guidance regarding its implementation. Accelerated stream nutrient credit release. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to accelerate the release of nutrient credits generated by a stream restoration project based on (i) a determination that the level of risk is low, (ii) the provision of additional financial assurance, and (iii) the experience of the applicant. The provisions of the bill become effective 30 days after the Department of Environmental Quality issues guidance regarding its implementation.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB188
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Report Pass
2/8/22
Engrossed
2/10/22
Refer
2/22/22
Report Pass
3/2/22
Enrolled
3/10/22
Chaptered
4/11/22
Passed
4/11/22
Nutrient credit stream restoration projects; use of third-party long-term stewards. Authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality to allow the use of third-party long-term stewards to hold and manage the long-term management fund to maintain stream restoration projects.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB189
Introduced
1/10/22
Refer
1/10/22
Employer-mandated vaccinations for COVID-19; discrimination prohibited; civil penalties. Prohibits an employer from requiring its employees to receive a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The bill prohibits an employer from discrimination against an employee because the employee has or has not received a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The bill also provides for civil penalties not to exceed $10,000 by an employer with fewer than 100 employees or $50,000 by an employer with 100 or more employees for each violation of the bill's provisions.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB19
Introduced
12/21/21
Refer
12/21/21
Gifts of real estate; requirements. Prohibits a clerk of court from recording a deed of gift conveying real estate unless it is accompanied by a certified copy of the existing deed showing the name of the current owner of the property.