Virginia 2022 Regular Session All Bills
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB609
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Sales tax; exemption for food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Exempts food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products (the grocery tax) from all state, regional, and local sales taxes.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB61
Introduced
1/3/22
Refer
1/3/22
Firearms; concealed carry for law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and judges; exceptions to certain prohibited activities. Provides that any (i) active law-enforcement officer, (ii) qualified retired law-enforcement officer, (iii) attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (iv) qualified retired attorney for the Commonwealth or retired assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (v) judge or justice of the Commonwealth, or (vi) retired judge or retired justice of the Commonwealth may carry a concealed weapon about his person, hidden from common observation. The bill also permits such law-enforcement officers, retired law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth or assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, qualified retired attorneys for the Commonwealth or retired assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, judges or justices of the Commonwealth, and retired judges or justices of the Commonwealth to carry a firearm in many of the areas where firearms are prohibited from being carried.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB610
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Elections. Applies the provisions of Elections. Applies the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act to the chief deputy and confidential assistant for policy or administration for the Department of Elections. The bill also (i) expands the membership of the State Board of Elections from five members to six members with equal representation given to both parties; (ii) gives the State Board of Elections the authority and duty to appoint the Commissioner of Elections of the Department of Elections by a supermajority vote; (iii) requires the Department of Elections to conduct periodic assessments to ensure that voters are assigned to the correct state legislative and congressional districts based on their residential addresses; (iv) requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit lists of deceased persons weekly instead of the current monthly requirement; (v) requires the general registrars to use information in the lists of deceased persons to promptly remove deceased persons from the voter registration system; (vi) requires voters to present a valid form of photo identification when they vote; (vii) provides that audits of ballot scanner machines must take place prior to the certification of election results; (viii) provides that absentee ballots must be collected daily from absentee ballot drop-off locations by certain people and according to procedures for securing such ballots; (ix) provides that a postmark on an absentee ballot must be legible and no longer includes other official indicia of confirmation of mailing by a postal or delivery service; and (x) creates work groups to evaluate the performance of the Virginia voter registration system and to develop and implement a plan to provide oversight to local election administration to assess risks to Virginia's administration of elections. Portions of the bill affecting the composition of the State Board of Elections and the appointment of the Commissioner of Elections have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB611
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back (G3) Program; higher education centers.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB612
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Report Pass
2/3/22
Report Pass
2/10/22
Engrossed
2/14/22
Refer
2/22/22
Report Pass
3/3/22
Engrossed
3/8/22
Engrossed
3/9/22
Enrolled
3/11/22
Chaptered
4/11/22
Passed
4/11/22
Highway use fee, mileage-based user fee program; program clarifications developed by the working group. Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a process for issuing prorated refunds of mileage-based user fees to certain participants. The bill prohibits the disclosure of certain data necessary for the administration of the mileage-based user fee program and authorizes participants in the mileage-based user fee program to participate without location tracking. Highway use fee, mileage-based user fee program; program clarifications developed by the working group. Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a process for issuing prorated refunds of mileage-based user fees to certain participants. The bill prohibits the disclosure of certain data necessary for the administration of the mileage-based user fee program and authorizes participants in the mileage-based user fee program to participate without location tracking.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB613
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB614
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Report Pass
1/26/22
Engrossed
1/31/22
Engrossed
2/1/22
Refer
2/21/22
Report Pass
2/21/22
Enrolled
2/28/22
Chaptered
4/1/22
Passed
4/1/22
Bail for a person accused of a crime that is an act of violence; notice to attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires a magistrate to transmit within 24 hours a copy of the checklist for bail determination form to the attorney for the Commonwealth when a magistrate conducts a bail hearing for a person arrested on a warrant or capias for an act of violence. The bill also provides that transmission of such copy to the attorney for the Commonwealth may be by facsimile or other electronic means.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB615
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Report Pass
1/26/22
Governor's Office; creation of a Secretary of Disability Services Coordination. Creates the position of Secretary of Disability Services Coordination to be appointed by the Governor. The bill provides for the responsibilities of the Secretary.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB616
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Report Pass
1/27/22
Report Pass
2/9/22
Engrossed
2/11/22
Refer
2/21/22
Report Pass
2/23/22
Engrossed
2/28/22
Engrossed
3/2/22
Enrolled
3/7/22
Chaptered
4/11/22
Passed
4/11/22
Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy; evidence-based literacy instruction; science-based reading research. Makes several changes relating to early student literacy, including requiring (i) each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any individual seeking initial licensure with an endorsement in a certain area, including as a reading specialist, to demonstrate mastery of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, as such terms are defined in the bill; (ii) the literacy assessment required of individuals seeking initial teacher licensure with endorsements in certain areas to include a rigorous test of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction; (iii) each local school board to establish a divisionwide literacy plan; (iv) each local school board to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three; and (v) each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction whereby, among other things, (a) the program provides reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; (b) a reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan; and (c) each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. The provisions of the bill become effective beginning with the 2024–2025 school year.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB617
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Commissioner of Health and local health director qualifications; local variances. Requires the Commissioner of Health to possess a Doctor of Public Health degree, a Master of Public Health degree, or a doctoral degree in the area of public health in addition to the current requirement that the Commissioner of Health be a physician licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth with certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine or a recognized board in a primary care specialty as approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The bill allows local health directors to possess a Doctor of Public Health degree, a Master of Public Health degree, or a doctoral degree in the area of public health as an alternative to the current requirement that local health directors be physicians licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the bill allows the Commissioner to grant a variance to a state law or regulation of the Board when the Commissioner determines that, upon review of an application from a county, city, or town, (i) the applicant for such variance has demonstrated that the implementation of a regulation would impose a substantial financial or programmatic hardship and (ii) the variance would not adversely affect the safety and well-being of residents of the county, city, or town or the Commonwealth.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB618
Introduced
1/12/22
Refer
1/12/22
Report Pass
2/9/22
Engrossed
2/11/22
Refer
2/21/22
Report Pass
2/21/22
Enrolled
2/28/22
Chaptered
4/1/22
Passed
4/1/22
Military honor guards and veterans service organizations; paramilitary activities; exception. Exempts members of a lawfully recognized military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization, and members of a veterans service organization that is congressionally chartered or officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, when such member is participating in a training or educational exercise, funeral, or public ceremony on behalf of such military color guard, honor guard, or similar organization or veterans service organization, from the crime of unlawful paramilitary activity unless such member engages in such activity with malicious intent.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB619
Introduced
1/13/22
Refer
1/13/22
Alcoholic beverage control; food-to-beverage ratio. Provides an alternative to the food-to-beverage ratio for mixed beverage restaurant licensees by allowing such licensees to meet applicable food sale requirements by demonstrating at least $10,000 in monthly food sales.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB62
Introduced
1/3/22
Refer
1/3/22
Report Pass
2/11/22
Engrossed
2/15/22
Refer
2/21/22
Report Pass
2/23/22
Refer
2/23/22
Report Pass
2/25/22
Engrossed
3/1/22
Engrossed
3/10/22
Engrossed
3/11/22
Enrolled
3/21/22
Chaptered
4/27/22
School Health Services Committee; report. Establishes the School Health Services Committee in the legislative branch to review and provide advice to the General Assembly and other policy makers regarding proposals that require local school boards to offer certain health services in a school setting. The bill requires the Committee to submit its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor by October 1 of each year. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2025, and is identical to
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB620
Introduced
1/13/22
Refer
1/13/22
Real property taxes; rate of increase. Requires the governing body of a locality to hold a referendum before making most increases in their real property tax rate. Under current law, the governing body of a locality is required to limit their real property tax rate to a rate that would collect no more than 101 percent of the amount of real property taxes collected for the previous year. Increases above this rate may only be imposed if the locality holds a public meeting. The bill replaces the public meeting requirement with a requirement that any such increase be approved in a referendum.
VA
Virginia 2022 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB621
Introduced
1/14/22
Refer
1/14/22
Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceutical processors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors to, under the oversight of the Board of Pharmacy, sell cannabis products at retail to unregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for a written certification. The bill provides that such sales will be subject to existing Board of Pharmacy regulations and other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors engaging in such sales to collect a 21 percent excise tax, to be deposited into the general fund, and pay a $1 million fee, to be deposited into the account of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority and used to assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urban opportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors to submit and comply with a plan describing how the pharmaceutical processor will, in its health service area, educate consumers about responsible consumption of cannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support and educate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The bill directs the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to promulgate regulations governing sales, cultivation, extraction, processing, manufacturing, wholesaling, and other related activities conducted pursuant to the provisions of the bill and provides that, upon the effective date of such regulations, oversight of such activities shall transfer from the Board of Pharmacy to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill expires when pharmaceutical processors engaging in the sale of cannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years of age or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products. Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceutical processors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors to, under the oversight of the Board of Pharmacy, sell cannabis products at retail to unregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for a written certification. The bill provides that such sales will be subject to existing Board of Pharmacy regulations and other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors engaging in such sales to collect a 21 percent excise tax, to be deposited into the general fund, and pay a $1 million fee, to be deposited into the account of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority and used to assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urban opportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors to submit and comply with a plan describing how the pharmaceutical processor will, in its health service area, educate consumers about responsible consumption of cannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support and educate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The bill directs the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to promulgate regulations governing sales, cultivation, extraction, processing, manufacturing, wholesaling, and other related activities conducted pursuant to the provisions of the bill and provides that, upon the effective date of such regulations, oversight of such activities shall transfer from the Board of Pharmacy to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill expires when pharmaceutical processors engaging in the sale of cannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses to cultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years of age or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products.