Release or dissemination of information from the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center; whistleblower protection; report. Provides that any release or dissemination of information from the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center made in good faith and in accordance with the provisions of the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act is not punishable. The bill also requires the Department of State Police to prepare a report to the Governor and the General Assembly summarizing its triennial review of information contained in any database maintained by the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center. Release or dissemination of information from the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center; whistleblower protection; report. Provides that any release or dissemination of information from the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center made in good faith and in accordance with the provisions of the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act is not punishable. The bill also requires the Department of State Police to prepare a report to the Governor and the General Assembly summarizing its triennial review of information contained in any database maintained by the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center.

Length of employment for certain temporarily employed teachers; short-term extension permitted. Provides that, notwithstanding the relevant provision of law that permits a school board to employ a temporarily employed teacher to fill a teacher vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 90 days during one school year unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction on a case-by-case basis, during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, any school board may employ such a temporarily employed teacher to fill such a vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 180 days during one school year. The bill requires each such temporarily employed teacher to be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or have passed a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education but provides that no such teacher shall be required to be employed pursuant to a written contract or to hold a license issued by the Board of Education. Length of employment for certain temporarily employed teachers; short-term extension permitted. Provides that, notwithstanding the relevant provision of law that permits a school board to employ a temporarily employed teacher to fill a teacher vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 90 days during one school year unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction on a case-by-case basis, during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, any school board may employ such a temporarily employed teacher to fill such a vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 180 days during one school year. The bill requires each such temporarily employed teacher to be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or have passed a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education but provides that no such teacher shall be required to be employed pursuant to a written contract or to hold a license issued by the Board of Education.

State subsidy of property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses of military members killed in action. Requires the Commonwealth to subsidize local real estate tax relief for disabled veterans and surviving spouses of members of the United States Armed Forces killed in action when more than one percent of a locality's real estate tax base is lost due to such state-mandated tax relief programs. The bill provides that the Commonwealth will subsidize only that portion of tax-exempt real estate that exceeds the one percent threshold and requires the Auditor of Public Accounts to establish an application process whereby a locality demonstrates that more than one percent of its real estate tax base was lost. Under the bill, the Auditor certifies to the Governor and the General Assembly those localities that are eligible for a subsidy and the Governor includes in the Budget Bill a proposed appropriation of the amount of the state subsidy to be provided to localities certified as eligible localities.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Housing Development Authority; statewide housing needs assessment and plan; annual report on spending. Directs the Virginia Housing Development Authority (HDA) to annually report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and House Committee on Appropriations and the Virginia Housing Commission certain information regarding the current Resources Enabling Affordable Community Housing program or any future program that reinvests HDA's net earnings into affordable housing initiatives. The bill adds to the powers and duties of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development the responsibility to conduct a comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment at least every five years, to develop a statewide housing plan and update such plan at least every five years, to provide annual updates to the General Assembly regarding meeting the goals of such plan, and to collect and publish certain zoning information collected from Virginia localities. The bill requires localities to respond to inquiries of the Department regarding the collection of such zoning information upon request.

Additional real property tax on commercial and industrial property in certain localities. Authorizes counties and cities in Planning District 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 to impose an additional real estate tax on commercial and industrial property at a rate of up to $0.10 per $100 of assessed value. Any revenue raised from such tax would be required to be used to pay for transportation costs. Under current law, only localities within the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority or the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area are authorized to impose such tax. The bill contains technical amendments.

Causing a telephone or other device to signal with intent to annoy; emergency communications; penalty. Modernizes the statute prohibiting harassment of emergency personnel in the performance of their duties by causing a telephone to ring to include a prohibition on causing any other device to signal with the intent to annoy, harass, hinder, or delay such emergency personnel.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Health Professions, and related regulatory boards; disclosure of information regarding examinations, licensure, certification, registration, or permitting. Allows the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Department of Health Professions, and professional, occupational, and health regulatory boards to mail or email upon request records regarding applications for admission to examinations or for licensure, certification, registration, or permitting and the related scoring records to the individual to whom such records pertain. Under current law, such records may be made available for copying by the subject individual at the office of the Department or board that possesses the material during normal working hours.

Dyslexia Awareness Month. Designates October, in 2023 and in each succeeding year, as Dyslexia Awareness Month in Virginia.

Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm. Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm.

Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund; Virginia Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; eligible localities; City of Petersburg. Adds the City of Petersburg to a group of localities that is eligible to receive funds from the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revolving Fund.

Paid family and medical leave program. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2026. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning in 2025. The amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The measure caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year. The bill provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Paid family and medical leave program. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2026. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning in 2025. The amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The measure caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year. The bill provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.

Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of the Director; Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator. Instructs the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and operate a Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator database to assist localities in marketing publicly owned, privately owned, or publicly and privately owned structures and parcels determined by the locality to be suitable for residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment when the owner or owners have authorized the locality to market the structure or parcels for residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment. Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of the Director; Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator. Instructs the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and operate a Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator database to assist localities in marketing publicly owned, privately owned, or publicly and privately owned structures and parcels determined by the locality to be suitable for residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment when the owner or owners have authorized the locality to market the structure or parcels for residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment.

Workplace violence; violence in certain public places; penalty. Makes it a Class 3 felony for any person to commit an act of violence at (i) such person's place of employment or former place of employment, or a franchise thereof, whether on or off duty and whether during or outside of normal business hours; (ii) a place of worship; (iii) a courthouse; or (iv) a hospital. The bill provides that such offense is a separate and distinct offense, punishment for which shall be consecutive to any punishment received for the act of violence. Workplace violence; violence in certain public places; penalty. Makes it a Class 3 felony for any person to commit an act of violence at (i) such person's place of employment or former place of employment, or a franchise thereof, whether on or off duty and whether during or outside of normal business hours; (ii) a place of worship; (iii) a courthouse; or (iv) a hospital. The bill provides that such offense is a separate and distinct offense, punishment for which shall be consecutive to any punishment received for the act of violence.

Board of Education; Standards of Learning; revision; consultation. Requires the Board of Education, at least 30 days prior to the public hearings that it is required to hold prior to establishing revised Standards of Learning, to publish on its website in a publicly accessible format a list of each individual and organization that has been consulted regarding the revision of such Standards of Learning and the amount paid by any state agency or entity for any such consultation, if applicable.

Employment of teachers; English as a Second Language Incentive Reward Program and Fund; established. Provides that each local school board shall adopt employment policies and practices designed to promote the employment of highly qualified teachers to effectively serve the educational needs of students who are English language learners, including providing financial support for teachers seeking and obtaining an endorsement in English as a second language pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The bill also establishes the English as a Second Language Incentive Reward Program and Fund for the purpose of awarding incentive grants to public school teachers in the Commonwealth who obtain an endorsement in English as a second language pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The bill provides that the Board of Education shall award to any teacher who obtains such endorsement an initial incentive grant of $5,000 and a subsequent incentive grant of $2,500 each year for the life of the endorsement, with such incentive grants to resume upon renewal of the endorsement. Finally, the bill directs the Board to establish such guidelines as it deems necessary for the administration of the Program and to establish procedures for the award of such incentive grants in the event that the moneys in the Fund are not sufficient to award each eligible teacher the appropriate award amount.