Virginia 2024 Regular Session All Bills
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB697
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/8/24
Engrossed
2/9/24
Refer
2/15/24
Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. Prohibits a locality from including in an ordinance (i) limits on the total amount, density, or size of any ground-mounted solar facility or energy storage facility until such time that the total area under panels within the locality exceeds four percent of the total area within the locality or (ii) any prohibitions on the use of solar panels that comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards, provided that such installation is in compliance with any provisions of a local ordinance that establishes criteria and requirements for siting. Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. Prohibits a locality from including in an ordinance (i) limits on the total amount, density, or size of any ground-mounted solar facility or energy storage facility until such time that the total area under panels within the locality exceeds four percent of the total area within the locality or (ii) any prohibitions on the use of solar panels that comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards, provided that such installation is in compliance with any provisions of a local ordinance that establishes criteria and requirements for siting.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB698
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
1/30/24
Dam Safety, Flood Prevention, and Protection Assistance Fund; percentage of funds available; owner match requirements. Reduces from 50 percent to 30 percent the project match required of applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention, and Protection Assistance Fund for grants (i) to a local government that owns a dam, (ii) to a local government for a dam located within the locality, or (iii) to a private entity that owns a dam for the design, repair, and safety modifications of such a dam if it is identified in a safety report. The bill provides that grants made from the Fund to a local government or private entity for the determination of the hazard classification for impounding structures, dam break analysis, the mapping and digitization of dam break inundation zones, incremental damage analysis, and other engineering requirements shall require no more than a 10 percent match by the applicant except that such applicant shall be required to provide a minimum of $5,000 of the cost of the project, if funded, and such match provided by such applicant may be used to pay the application fees for the necessary impounding structure operation and maintenance certificate. The bill removes the 50 percent limit on matching grants that owners of impounding structures may be eligible for from the Fund and other sources of funding available to the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assist in the development of dam break inundation zone maps and for conducting incremental damage assessments in accordance with the Virginia Impounding Structure Regulations. The bill also removes the limitation that the total amount of expenditures for grants in any fiscal year are not to exceed 50 percent of the total noninterest or income deposits made to the Fund during the previous fiscal year together with the total amount collected in interest or income from the investment of moneys in the Fund from the previous year as determined at the beginning of the fiscal year. Dam Safety, Flood Prevention, and Protection Assistance Fund; percentage of funds available; owner match requirements. Reduces from 50 percent to 30 percent the project match required of applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention, and Protection Assistance Fund for grants (i) to a local government that owns a dam, (ii) to a local government for a dam located within the locality, or (iii) to a private entity that owns a dam for the design, repair, and safety modifications of such a dam if it is identified in a safety report. The bill provides that grants made from the Fund to a local government or private entity for the determination of the hazard classification for impounding structures, dam break analysis, the mapping and digitization of dam break inundation zones, incremental damage analysis, and other engineering requirements shall require no more than a 10 percent match by the applicant except that such applicant shall be required to provide a minimum of $5,000 of the cost of the project, if funded, and such match provided by such applicant may be used to pay the application fees for the necessary impounding structure operation and maintenance certificate. The bill removes the 50 percent limit on matching grants that owners of impounding structures may be eligible for from the Fund and other sources of funding available to the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assist in the development of dam break inundation zone maps and for conducting incremental damage assessments in accordance with the Virginia Impounding Structure Regulations. The bill also removes the limitation that the total amount of expenditures for grants in any fiscal year are not to exceed 50 percent of the total noninterest or income deposits made to the Fund during the previous fiscal year together with the total amount collected in interest or income from the investment of moneys in the Fund from the previous year as determined at the beginning of the fiscal year.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB699
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/12/24
Engrossed
2/13/24
Refer
2/16/24
Report Pass
2/21/24
Engrossed
2/26/24
Failed
3/9/24
Revenue reserves and budgetary amendments. Provides that if the Governor in the Budget Bill recommends a transfer of funds in the Revenue Reserve Fund in excess of the statutory 15 percent combined balance limit, then the corresponding purpose and proposed use of such transferred funds shall be included within the corresponding budget items. The bill also directs that if the Revenue Stabilization Fund and Revenue Reserve Fund are in excess of the statutory 15 percent combined balance limit, the State Comptroller shall transfer such excess amounts to the general fund and present such amounts as an assigned fund balance for nonrecurring expenditures on the Comptroller's preliminary annual report and if such a transfer is required, but the Revenue Stabilization Fund is not in excess of its Constitutional 15 percent balance limit, the amounts required to be transferred shall first be deposited into the Revenue Stabilization Fund instead of the general fund. Revenue reserves and budgetary amendments. Provides that if the Governor in the Budget Bill recommends a transfer of funds in the Revenue Reserve Fund in excess of the statutory 15 percent combined balance limit, then the corresponding purpose and proposed use of such transferred funds shall be included within the corresponding budget items. The bill also directs that if the Revenue Stabilization Fund and Revenue Reserve Fund are in excess of the statutory 15 percent combined balance limit, the State Comptroller shall transfer such excess amounts to the general fund and present such amounts as an assigned fund balance for nonrecurring expenditures on the Comptroller's preliminary annual report and if such a transfer is required, but the Revenue Stabilization Fund is not in excess of its Constitutional 15 percent balance limit, the amounts required to be transferred shall first be deposited into the Revenue Stabilization Fund instead of the general fund.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB7
Introduced
11/20/23
Refer
11/20/23
Report Pass
1/24/24
Report Pass
2/6/24
Engrossed
2/8/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/16/24
Enrolled
2/26/24
Chaptered
4/2/24
Passed
4/2/24
Hate crimes and discrimination; ethnic animosity; penalties. Provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination in employment and in places of public accommodation because of such individual's ethnic origin and prohibits such discrimination. The bill also adds victims who are intentionally selected because of their ethnic origin to the categories of victims whose intentional selection for a hate crime involving assault, assault and battery, or trespass for the purpose of damaging another's property results in a higher criminal penalty for the offense. The bill also provides that no provider or user of an interactive computer service on the Internet shall be liable for any action voluntarily taken by it in good faith to restrict access to material that the provider or user considers to be intended to incite hatred on the basis of ethnic origin.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB70
Introduced
12/28/23
Refer
12/28/23
Report Pass
1/12/24
Report Pass
2/6/24
Engrossed
2/8/24
Refer
2/14/24
Report Pass
2/27/24
Refer
2/27/24
SNAP; employment and training. Requires all local departments of social services to offer a voluntary employment and training program for SNAP benefits program participants from funds so appropriated. SNAP; employment and training. Requires all local departments of social services to offer a voluntary employment and training program for SNAP benefits program participants from funds so appropriated.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB700
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Prostitution; solicitation; penalties. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for a third or subsequent offense of solicitation of prostitution from an adult. The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to solicit prostitution from any minor. Under current law, any person who solicits prostitution from a minor is guilty of a Class 6 felony if the minor is 16 years of age or older or a Class 5 felony if the minor is younger than 16 years of age. Finally, the bill increases the fines for certain offenses related to sex trafficking from $100 to $1,000 and from $500 to $2,500, respectively.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB701
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/7/24
Engrossed
2/12/24
Refer
2/16/24
Report Pass
2/27/24
Enrolled
3/6/24
Chaptered
4/5/24
Passed
4/5/24
Vested rights; building permits. Provides that if a locality has issued a building permit, despite nonconformance with the zoning ordinance, and a property owner, relying in good faith on the issuance of the building permit, incurs extensive obligations or substantial expenses in diligent pursuit of a building project that is in conformance with the building permit and the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the locality shall not treat such building as an illegal use but rather as a legal nonconforming use. Current law requires that such project be completed and a certificate of occupancy issued in order to receive such protection. Vested rights; building permits. Provides that if a locality has issued a building permit, despite nonconformance with the zoning ordinance, and a property owner, relying in good faith on the issuance of the building permit, incurs extensive obligations or substantial expenses in diligent pursuit of a building project that is in conformance with the building permit and the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the locality shall not treat such building as an illegal use but rather as a legal nonconforming use. Current law requires that such project be completed and a certificate of occupancy issued in order to receive such protection.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB702
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/8/24
Engrossed
2/9/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/26/24
Enrolled
3/5/24
Chaptered
3/28/24
Passed
3/28/24
Early childhood care and education; exemption from licensure for certain child day programs. Exempts from licensure by the Superintendent of Public Instruction any child day program that (i) serves only dependent children of military personnel and (ii) (a) is located on a military base or federal property or (b) is certified as a family child care provider by a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and provides that any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or its agent, including an installation commander of a military base on which a child day program is located, may assume responsibility for approving or determining which children may be served by the program that is so exempted from licensure.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB703
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
General appropriations and revenue of the Commonwealth. Includes digital personal property, defined in the bill, in the definition of tangible personal property for the purposes of the retail sales and use tax. Amendments are made throughout the chapter to impose the sales and use tax on streaming services, also defined in the bill, in addition to tangible personal property.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB704
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
1/31/24
Engrossed
2/5/24
Refer
2/13/24
Report Pass
2/15/24
Enrolled
2/26/24
Chaptered
3/26/24
Passed
3/26/24
Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB705
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/5/24
Engrossed
2/8/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/22/24
Enrolled
3/4/24
Chaptered
4/2/24
Passed
4/2/24
Insurance; continuing education board; membership. Adds a member of the Virginia chapter of the National African American Insurance Association to the insurance continuing education board. Additionally, the bill amends the name of the association of one existing required member, from the Virginia Association of Health Underwriters to the Virginia chapter of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, to reflect such association's current name.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB706
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/7/24
Engrossed
2/9/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/23/24
Enrolled
3/4/24
Chaptered
3/28/24
Passed
3/28/24
Drug Treatment Court Act; eligibility. Replaces the restriction that renders persons convicted of certain violent felonies or acts of violence within the preceding 10 years ineligible to participate in a drug treatment court with a restriction on participation if any of the following conditions apply: (i) the offender is presently charged with a felony offense or is convicted of a felony offense while participating in any drug treatment court where (a) the offender carried, possessed, or used a firearm or any dangerous weapon during such offense; (b) the death or serious bodily injury of any person occurred during such offense; or (c) the use of force against any other person besides the offender occurred during such offense or (ii) the offender was previously convicted as an adult of any felony offense that involved the use of force or attempted use of force against any person with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB707
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/8/24
Engrossed
2/9/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/28/24
Enrolled
3/7/24
Chaptered
4/8/24
Passed
4/8/24
Public middle schools and high schools; student organizations; career and technical education organizations permitted. Permits each public middle school and high school to establish career and technical education student organizations, regardless of whether such school offers career and technical education courses.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB708
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects. Increases the maximum capacity of qualifying electrical transmission lines, for purposes of the pilot project for underground transmission lines, from 230 kilovolts to 500 kilovolts. The bill provides that the State Corporation Commission shall approve additional qualifying projects as part of the pilot program that traverse along highways in developed areas where the route of proposed transmission lines and towers traverse areas protected by a scenic easement, view shed easement, areas of registered historic designation, or areas of conservation easements. Under the bill, existing requirements for qualifying projects shall continue to apply to such new category of qualifying projects.
VA
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill SB709
Introduced
1/19/24
Refer
1/19/24
Report Pass
2/7/24
Engrossed
2/9/24
Refer
2/15/24
Report Pass
2/19/24
Enrolled
2/27/24
Chaptered
3/20/24
Passed
3/20/24
Assessment of omitted taxes; erroneous payments. Provides that any retail sales tax payment erroneously remitted by a taxpayer to the Department of Taxation shall be applied to the taxpayer's delinquent use tax accounts. The taxpayer must provide evidence of the erroneous sales tax collected and remitted in each transaction. The provisions of this bill do not apply in the case of (i) the taxpayer already applying for and receiving the relief described in this bill or (ii) a false or fraudulent action by the taxpayer with the intention of evading the payment of the tax. Further, the taxpayer must show that the erroneous retail sales tax has been refunded to the purchaser or credited to the purchaser's account prior to receiving a refund from Department of Taxation.