HB 132 Virginia Minority Business Commission; established, report, sunset clause.

Chief patron: Convirs-Fowler

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2026.

01/01/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/15/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB132)
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB374-Feggans)
02/01/24 House: Tabled in Rules (17-Y 0-N)

HB 164 Procurement; preference for local products and firms by localities.

Chief patron: Keys-Gamarra

Summary as introduced:
Procurement; preference for local products and firms by localities. Allows localities to give a procurement preference to a higher bid that includes local products and firms so long as the bid price is not more than 10 percent greater than the bid price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

01/02/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/15/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB164)
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government
01/30/24 House: Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB1361-Feggans)
02/01/24 House: Incorporated by General Laws (HB1361-Feggans)

HB 712 Six-year financial plan; modifies requirements for plans submitted by Governor to General Assembly.

Chief patron: Torian

Summary as passed House:

Six-year financial plan. Requires the six-year financial plan submitted by the Governor to the General Assembly to include a report on the balance between projected revenues and expenditures for the six-year period.

02/29/24 Senate: Senate insisted on substitute (39-Y 0-N)
02/29/24 Senate: Senate requested conference committee
03/01/24 House: House acceded to request
03/01/24 House: Conferees appointed by House
03/01/24 House: Delegates: Torian, Sickles, Coyner

HB 722 Regulatory Budget Program; established, report.

Chief patron: Webert

Summary as introduced:
Department of Planning and Budget; Regulatory Budget Program established; report. Directs the Department of Planning and Budget to establish a Regulatory Budget Program under which each executive branch agency subject to the Administrative Process Act shall reduce overall regulatory requirements by 30 percent by January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Department to report to the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October 1 of each year, beginning October 1, 2025. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Governor, shall issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how an agency can comply with the requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2027.

01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/22/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
01/24/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB722)
01/25/24 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket (8-Y 0-N)
01/30/24 House: Stricken from docket by General Laws (22-Y 0-N)

HB 725 Local government; powers, conveyance of real property, public hearing requirement.

Chief patron: Webert

Summary as introduced:
Counties, cities and towns; powers of local government; conveyance of real property; public hearing requirement. Adds to the list of exemptions from the requirement imposed upon localities to hold a public hearing prior to the disposition of real property owned by such locality the conveyance of any utility easement necessary to provide utilities to residential properties adjacent to property owned by the locality. Current law only excludes from such public hearing requirement (i) the leasing of real property to another public body, political subdivision, or authority and (ii) the conveyance of site development or utility easements related to transportation projects across public property.

02/08/24 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
02/08/24 House: VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N)
02/09/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/09/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Local Government
02/26/24 Senate: Continued to 2025 in Local Government (12-Y 3-N)

HB 727 Administrative Process Act; emergency regulations for economic development projects.

Chief patron: Webert

Summary as introduced:
Administrative Process Act; emergency regulations for economic development projects. Provides that an agency may receive a waiver, defined in the bill as the approval for the promulgation of emergency regulations or suspension of current regulations, for the creation of qualifying economic development projects, also defined in the bill, upon consultation with and receipt of the approval of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority and the approval of the Governor that such regulations are necessary for the achievement of such qualifying economic development project. The bill exempts from such waiver the promulgation of regulations pursuant to the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and by the Department of Environmental Quality.

01/19/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB727)
01/22/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
01/25/24 House: House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
01/25/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in General Laws

HB 818 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; amends definition of meeting, provisions of Act.

Chief patron: Cherry

Summary as passed House:

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definition of meeting. Amends the definition of "meeting" as it relates to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to clarify that a gathering of two or more members of a public body is not a meeting if there is no discussion or transaction of any public business by the members of the public body and that certain educational trainings are not meetings subject to FOIA. The bill is in response to the decision of the Supreme Court of Virginia in Gloss v. Wheeler (2023) and is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

02/14/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/14/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
02/28/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (12-Y 0-N)
02/28/24 Senate: Committee substitute printed 24108596D-S1
03/01/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)

HB 894 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic meetings.

Chief patron: Bennett-Parker

Summary as introduced:

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic meetings. Amends the number of all-virtual public meetings that public bodies, with certain exceptions, may convene in a calendar year to no more than two times per calendar year or 50 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater. Current law limits the number of all-virtual public meetings to no more than two times per calendar year or 25 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater. The bill also provides that with respect to all-virtual public meetings, when audio-visual technology is available, a member of a public body shall, for purposes of a quorum, be considered absent from any portion of the meeting during which visual communication with the member is voluntarily disconnected or otherwise fails or during which audio communication involuntarily fails. This bill is identical to SB 734. 

02/22/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB894ER)
02/22/24 House: Signed by Speaker
02/25/24 Senate: Signed by President
03/01/24 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 1, 2024
03/01/24 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 8, 2024

HB 899 Conflict of Interests Act, State and Local Government, etc.; deadline for public disclosure.

Chief patron: Srinivasan

Summary as introduced:
State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act and the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act; deadline for annual filing of disclosure statements; deadline for public disclosure. Changes the filing deadline for statements of economic interests and financial disclosure statements from February 1 to December 15. The bill requires the forms to be made public within thirty days of the filing deadline; currently, this is required within six weeks of the filing deadline.

01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103920D
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/22/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB899)
01/25/24 House: Continued to 2025 in General Laws

HB 911 Va. Conflict of Interest & Ethics Advisory Council; annual audit of certain disclosure forms

Chief patron: Shin

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; staffing; annual audit of certain disclosure forms; lobbyist registration and reporting; civil penalties. Provides for an annual audit of the Statement of Economic Interests disclosure forms filed by members of the General Assembly to ensure the completeness and material accuracy of the information disclosed. The bill directs the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council to appoint and employ an executive director; currently, the Division of Legislative Services employs the executive director and provides additional staff assistance. Additional staff required pursuant to the bill includes at least one experienced lawyer and at least one experienced auditor or investigator. The bill also increases the civil penalty for certain violations related to filing such disclosure forms and prohibits any such penalty from being paid using funds contributed to or received by a candidate or his campaign committee or by any political committee. Lastly, the bill brings the reporting period and deadline for lobbyists' disclosures into alignment with the schedule for filing disclosures required pursuant to the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act and the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act.

01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24100177D
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/24/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB911)
02/13/24 House: Left in Rules

HB 930 Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities.

Chief patron: Earley

Summary as introduced:
Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities. Allows a locality to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions. The bill provides that a locality that makes a determination of inadequate facilities may reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on that determination.

01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102199D
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/23/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2
02/13/24 House: Left in Counties, Cities and Towns

HB 965 Virginia Public Procurement Act; consideration of best value concepts for construction services.

Chief patron: Lopez

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Public Procurement Act; consideration of best value concepts for construction services. Permits public bodies to consider best value concepts when procuring construction services. Under current law, public bodies may consider best value concepts only when procuring goods and nonprofessional services.

01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/26/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB965)
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government
01/30/24 House: Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB1108-Carr)
02/01/24 House: Incorporated by General Laws (HB1108-Carr)

HB 1004 Real property tax; notice of summary budget.

Chief patron: Lovejoy

Summary as introduced:
Real property tax; notice of summary budget. Directs the governing body of every locality to send by mail, along with the annual property tax bill, a summary of the locality's budget for each of the two previous fiscal years. If the property tax bill is not ordinarily sent to the taxpayer, the budget summary may be mailed to them separately.

01/18/24 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1004)
01/25/24 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #2
01/30/24 House: House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
01/30/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in Finance

HB 1031 Legislature Modernization, Commission on; established, report.

Chief patron: Bennett-Parker

Summary as introduced:
Commission on Legislature Modernization; report. Establishes the Commission on Legislature Modernization in the legislative branch for the purpose of studying the operation and functionality of the General Assembly and identifying ways to make the legislature more effective, efficient, responsive, reflective, and transparent on behalf of all Virginians. The Commission will consist of 17 members, which shall include 9 legislators, 6 nonlegislative citizen members, and 2 ex officio members. The Commission shall be convened for a period of two years, every 10 years in the year ending in four, and shall terminate after the submission of its final report to the General Assembly at the end of its second year.

01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102379D
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025
02/01/24 House: Continued to 2025 in Rules

HB 1108 Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting.

Chief patron: Carr

Summary as passed House:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting. Limits the use of construction management or design-build contracts by state public bodies and covered institutions for complex projects. The bill requires state public bodies, covered institutions, and local public bodies to provide documentation of the processes used for the final selection of a contract to all the unsuccessful applicants upon request. The bill adds certain requirements for covered institutions, including posting all documents exchanged between the Department of General Services and the covered institution on the central electronic procurement website eVA. The bill requires approval by the covered institution's board of visitors or governing board if the covered institution chooses to proceed with construction management or design-build against the recommendation of the Department if the project is funded by funds other than those provided from the state general fund and, if the project is funded by funds from the state general fund and under $65 million, secure approval from the Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan Advisory Committee. The bill requires a local public body to adopt a resolution or motion to use construction management or design-build, if required by its local governing body, prior to issuing a Request for Qualifications and to publish notice of such resolution or motion on its website or eVA. The bill provides that the Department shall report annually, for any construction management or design-build project, on the qualifications that made such project complex. Finally, the bill requires the Department, with the assistance of staff of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, assess implementation of construction management and design-build projects and report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2029. 

02/28/24 Senate: Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
02/28/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
02/28/24 Senate: Committee substitute printed 24108597D-S1
02/28/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
03/01/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1108S1)

HB 1149 Local officers; removal of elected and certain appointed officers by circuit court.

Chief patron: Cordoza

Summary as introduced:
Removal of elected and certain appointed local officers by courts; Governor. Allows the Governor to petition the circuit court to remove from office any local elected officer or local officer who has been appointed to fill a local elective office due to certain issues related to neglect of duty or criminal convictions. Under current law, this process is initiated only by a voter petition.

01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102667D
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/09/24 House: Passed by indefinitely in Privileges and Elections (21-Y 1-N)

HB 1158 Administrative Process Act; requirement of executive branch agencies.

Chief patron: Cordoza

Summary as introduced:
Administrative Process Act; executive branch agencies. Requires executive branch agencies to ensure that certain regulations and guidance documents under the Virginia Register Act and Administrative Process Act, as appropriate, are posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall according to instructions issued by the Department of Planning and Budget.

01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/16/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1158)
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
02/01/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (3-Y 2-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in General Laws

HB 1191 Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting.

Chief patron: Sickles

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting; applicability. States that design-bid-build, defined in the bill, utilizing competitive sealed bidding is the preferred method of procurement for construction services in the Commonwealth. Complex projects, defined in the bill, may request an exemption from the provisions of the bill and relevant law from the Division of Engineering and Buildings of the Department of General Services. The bill requires all documents related to the proposed use of construction management or design-build by state public bodies and institutions of higher education and any available subcontractor opportunities to be posted on eVA. The bill transfers from the Department of General Services to the Division of Engineering and Buildings the authority to evaluate the proposed use of construction management or design-build by state public bodies and institutions of higher education and specifies that a local governing body must approve at a public meeting the use of construction management or design-build by a local public body. Finally, the bill prohibits state public bodies, institutions of higher education, and local governing bodies from considering prior construction management or design-build experience of contractors on comparable projects.

01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government
01/29/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1191)
01/30/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 0-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in General Laws

HB 1196 Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program; grant funding.

Chief patron: Hodges

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Port Authority; Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program; grant funding; projects. Clarifies the circumstances under which the Virginia Port Authority may award grant funding from the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program for the construction and management of dredged material. The bill provides that such funding may be used for the lease, purchase, or development of upland containment areas where dredged material can be selectively excavated and used beneficially for environmental restoration or for mitigation of coastal erosion. The bill also amends an existing provision allowing funding for the mitigation of coastal erosion or flooding of dredged materials to require such dredged materials be from an approved waterway dredging project conducted by the Commonwealth.

01/19/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1196)
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (6-Y 4-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

HB 1199 Technology and Science, Joint Commission on; authority to appoint, employ, and remove staff.

Chief patron: Hayes

Summary as introduced:
Joint Commission on Technology and Science; staff; authority to appoint employ, and remove. Authorizes the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to appoint, employ, and remove an executive director and such other persons as it deems necessary and determine their duties and fix their salaries or compensation within the amounts appropriated therefor. The bill removes the provision that directs the Division of Legislative Services to provide staff support to JCOTS.

02/23/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/27/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/27/24 Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
02/28/24 Senate: Read third time
02/28/24 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)

HB 1236 Local government actions related to comprehensive plans, etc.; approval process.

Chief patron: Marshall

Summary as introduced:
Local government actions related to comprehensive plans, local planning commissions, subdivision plats and site plans, and zoning ordinances; approval process. Makes several changes to local government land use approval processes, including (i) prohibiting use of the comprehensive plan as the basis, in whole or in part, for the disapproval of a site plan that is otherwise in conformity with duly adopted standards, ordinances, and statutes and (ii) allowing automatic approval of certain land use applications rather than a right to petition the circuit court, as provided under current law, if a locality does not approve or disapprove the application within the required timeframe. The bill also reduces from 12 months to four months the time within which a locality must initially act upon certain proposed zoning ordinance amendments and requires a locality to act on all such proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance or map that it has previously disapproved within 45 days after an amended proposal has been resubmitted for approval.

01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103108D
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/23/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2
02/01/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 0-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in Counties, Cities and Towns

HB 1356 Local planning commission; action on proposed plats, site plans, and development plans.

Chief patron: Owen

Summary as introduced:
Local planning commission; action on proposed plats, site plans, and development plans; residential use. Requires local planning commissions to use the same approval process for residential development projects as is currently required for commercial development projects.

01/14/24 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/15/24 House: Impact statement from DHCD/CLG (HB1356)
01/23/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #3
02/08/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 2-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in Counties, Cities and Towns

HB 1361 Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference.

Chief patron: Feggans

Summary as passed House:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference. Provides preference as it relates to procurement for a bidder who is a resident of Virginia and then a bidder whose goods are produced in the United States. The bill gives the next lowest responsive and responsible bidder who is a resident of Virginia the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder who is a resident of another state. The bill exempts a public body from the provisions of the bill if such public body is rendered ineligible to receive federal funding due to the provisions of the bill. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.

02/28/24 Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/28/24 Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 24108135D-S1
02/28/24 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB1361S1
02/28/24 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N)
03/01/24 House: Passed by for the day

HB 1404 Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program; established, definitions, report.

Chief patron: Ward

Summary as passed House:

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program established; disparity study report. Establishes the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small SWaM business utilization in all discretionary spending by executive branch agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to small SWaM businesses in instances where the prime contractor is not a small SWaM business for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. Executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWaM business utilization rate by three percent per year until reaching the 42 percent target level or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rate. In addition, the bill provides for a small SWaM business set-aside for state agency and covered institution purchases of goods, services, and construction, requiring that purchases up to $100,000 be set aside for award to certified small SWaM businesses.

The bill creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for purposes of collaborating with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Department of Transportation, and covered institutions to further the Commonwealth's efforts to meet the goals established under the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance the development of small businesses, microbusinesses, women-owned businesses, service disabled veteran-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses in the Commonwealth.

Finally, the bill Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct a disparity study every five years, the next due no later than January 1, 2026. The study shall evaluate the need for enhancement and remedial measures to address the disparity between the availability and the utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The bill has a general delayed effective date of January 1, 2025 and a delayed effective dates of July 1, 2025 for covered institutions.

02/13/24 House: VOTE: Passage (73-Y 26-N)
02/14/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/14/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Rules
02/15/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1404H2)
03/01/24 Senate: Reported from Rules (9-Y 4-N)

HB 1436 Sales tax revenues; entertainment arena.

Chief patron: Anthony

Summary as passed House:

Sales tax revenues; entertainment arena. Adds entertainment arena to the definition of public facility to allow a locality to collect all sales tax revenues generated by transactions at such a facility, provided that a locality owns an interest in the facility and contributes to financing its construction. The bill also allows a municipality to issue bonds to finance a public facility on or after July 1, 2024, but prior to July 1, 2027, and adds Henrico County to the list of eligible localities.

02/13/24 House: Read third time and passed House (66-Y 33-N)
02/13/24 House: VOTE: Passage (66-Y 33-N)
02/14/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/14/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
02/20/24 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1436E)

HB 1440 Virginia Public Procurement Act; public works contracts, project labor agreements.

Chief patron: Wiley

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Public Procurement Act; public works contracts; project labor agreements. Removes the statutory authority for any public body, including any state or local government, when engaged in procuring products or services or letting contracts for construction, manufacture, maintenance, or operation of public works, to require bidders to enter into or adhere to project labor agreements on the public works projects.

01/18/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government
01/29/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1440)
01/30/24 House: Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (5-Y 3-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in General Laws

HB 1448 Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination.

Chief patron: Garrett

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination. Prohibits any state agency or political subdivision in the Commonwealth from supporting, implementing, recognizing, or utilizing any program, process, or procedure that conveys or denies a benefit, advantage, or privilege to an individual based solely on such individual's race, sex, or ethnicity.

01/25/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/26/24 House: Assigned GL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection
01/30/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1448)
02/08/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N)
02/13/24 House: Left in General Laws

HB 1452 State agencies and their appointing authorities; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans.

Chief patron: Askew

Summary as introduced:
Duties of agencies and their appointing authorities; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans. Requires each state agency to submit its annual report assessing the impact of its diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans on the populations served by the agency and on the agency's workforce budget to the General Assembly, in addition to the Governor, by July 1 of each year.

02/13/24 House: Read third time and passed House (59-Y 40-N)
02/13/24 House: VOTE: Passage (59-Y 40-N)
02/14/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/14/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
02/28/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N)

HB 1458 Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; moves position under the Governor, etc.

Chief patron: Hernandez

Summary as passed House:

Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; Office of Commonwealth Resilience; Interagency Resilience Working Group; Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committee. Moves the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) from under the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to under the Governor and creates an Office of Commonwealth Resilience to support the CRO in his functions and duties. The bill requires the CRO to convene an Interagency Resilience Working Group to support the coordination of planning and implementation of resilience efforts, eliminates the position of Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the CRO to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of loans or grants from the Fund. The bill requires, for the two Funds, the Department to (i) make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans and the actions taken thereon and (ii) provide an opportunity for a 30-day public comment period prior to each new grant or loan offering to solicit feedback on proposed revisions to the Funds’ manuals. This bill incorporates HB 948.

02/28/24 Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N)
02/28/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1458S1)
02/29/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
03/01/24 Senate: Read third time
03/01/24 Senate: Passed by for the day

HB 1483 Meals tax; statute of limitations, penalties and interest.

Chief patron: McQuinn

Summary as passed House:

Local tax; penalties and interest. Requires localities to apply voluntary payments made by a taxpayer to the tax return that accompanies such payment or according to instructions sent with such payment. The bill also states that a city's director of finance may waive a taxpayer's local tax penalties and interest when in the best interest of the locality. The bill contains an emergency clause.

EMERGENCY

02/13/24 House: VOTE: Passage Emergency (99-Y 0-N)
02/14/24 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/14/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
02/20/24 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1483H1)
02/27/24 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

HB 1488 Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, etc.

Chief patron: Henson

Summary as passed:

 Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, or intended actions. Standardizes the frequency with which and length of time in which notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published. The notice provisions included in the bill are organized into three groups: (i) publication required at least seven days before a meeting, hearing, or intended action; (ii) publication required twice, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before a meeting, hearing, or intended action; and (iii) publication required three times, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action. The bill also standardizes descriptive information in such notices related to (a) proposing, amending, or repealing ordinances; (b) local budget adoption; and (c) zoning ordinances and planning-related actions. This bill is identical to SB 413.

02/21/24 Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N)
02/23/24 House: Senate substitute agreed to by House 24107775D-S1 (96-Y 0-N)
02/23/24 House: VOTE: Adoption (96-Y 0-N)
02/29/24 House: Enrolled
02/29/24 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1488ER)

HB 1499 Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; increases ex officio members, etc., report.

Chief patron: Willett

Summary as passed House:

Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. Modifies the enabling legislation for the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority by adding four additional ex officio members to the Authority's Board of Directors, adding setting priorities for and managing graduate medical education programs to the duties of the Authority, specifying additional recipients of the Board's biennial report, and authorizing the Authority to partner with other agencies and institutions to obtain and manage health workforce data. The bill directs the Board of Nursing to add or remove certain educational requirements for members of the nursing faculty in specified nursing education programs and establishes a licensing procedure by the Board of Psychology for a psychological practitioner, as defined by the bill. The bill directs the Board of Nursing and the Board of Psychology to adopt regulations to implement relevant provisions of the bill to be effective no later than January 1, 2025.

02/29/24 Senate: Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
02/29/24 Senate: Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
02/29/24 Senate: Committee substitute printed 24108157D-S1
02/29/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
03/01/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1499S1)

HB 1540 The Virginia African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, etc., Advisory Board; established.

Chief patron: Shin

Summary as introduced:
The Virginia African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous Education Advisory Board; establishment.

02/05/24 House: Read first time
02/05/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1540H1)
02/06/24 House: Motion to refer to committee agreed to
02/06/24 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/13/24 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 324 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; charges for production of public records.

Chief patron: Roem

Summary as passed Senate:

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; charges for production of public records; report. Prohibits a public body from charging a requester for any costs incurred during the first two hours spent accessing or searching for requested records when such requester has made four or fewer individual record requests to such public body within 31 consecutive days. The bill provides that for any additional time spent accessing or searching for such records, or when such requester makes five or more individual record requests to such public body within any 31-consecutive-day period, the public body shall not charge an hourly rate for accessing or searching for the records exceeding the lesser of the hourly rate of pay of the lowest-paid individual capable of fulfilling the request or $33 per hour. The bill allows a public body to petition the appropriate court for relief from the $33 per hour fee cap upon showing by a preponderance of the evidence that there is no qualified individual capable of fulfilling the request for $33 per hour or less and requires such petition to be heard within seven days of when the petition is made, provided that the public body has sent and the requester has received a copy of the petition at least three working days prior to filing. The bill also provides that in certain instances a hearing on any petition shall be given precedence on a circuit court's docket over all cases that are not otherwise given precedence by law and that the time period the public body has to respond to a record request shall be tolled between the requester's receipt of the petition and the final disposition of the court. The bill prohibits a public body from charging a requester for any court costs or fees resulting from a petition. Finally, the bill directs the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council to study whether public bodies should charge requesters and report on its findings by December 2024. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.

02/22/24 House: Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N)
02/26/24 House: Read second time
02/27/24 House: Read third time
02/27/24 House: Passed House BLOCK VOTE (97-Y 0-N)
02/27/24 House: VOTE: Block Vote Passage (97-Y 0-N)

SB 399 Six-year financial plan; modifies requirements for plans submitted by Governor to General Assembly.

Chief patron: McDougle

Summary as introduced:
Six-year financial plan. Modifies the requirements for the six-year financial plan submitted by the Governor to the General Assembly by (i) requiring that the plan be submitted every regular session, instead of only in even-numbered years and (ii) providing that the financial plan shall ensure structural balance between projected revenues and expenditures for the six-year period.

02/29/24 Senate: Senate acceded to request (39-Y 0-N)
02/29/24 Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
02/29/24 Senate: Senators: McDougle, Lucas, Deeds
03/01/24 House: Conferees appointed by House
03/01/24 House: Delegates: Torian, Sickles, Coyner

SB 413 Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, etc.

Chief patron: Head

Summary as passed:

Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, or intended actions. Standardizes the frequency with which and length of time in which notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published. The notice provisions included in the bill are organized into three groups: (i) publication required at least seven days before a meeting, hearing, or intended action; (ii) publication required twice, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before a meeting, hearing, or intended action; and (iii) publication required three times, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action. The bill also standardizes descriptive information in such notices related to (a) proposing, amending, or repealing ordinances; (b) local budget adoption; and (c) zoning ordinances and planning-related actions. This bill is identical to HB 1488.

02/23/24 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N)
02/23/24 Senate: Reconsideration of House amendment agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/23/24 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/29/24 Senate: Enrolled
02/29/24 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB413ER)

SB 473 Administrative Process Act; requirement of executive branch agencies.

Chief patron: Hackworth

Summary as introduced:
Administrative Process Act; executive branch agencies. Requires executive branch agencies to ensure that certain regulations and guidance documents under the Virginia Register Act and Administrative Process Act, as appropriate, are posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall according to instructions issued by the Department of Planning and Budget.

01/09/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/16/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB473)
01/24/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N)
01/24/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
01/31/24 Senate: Stricken at request of Patron in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

SB 523 Sales tax revenues; entertainment arena.

Chief patron: Williams Graves

Summary as introduced:
Sales tax revenues; entertainment arena. Adds entertainment arena to the definition of public facility to allow a locality to collect all sales tax revenues generated by transactions at such a facility, provided that a locality owns an interest in the facility and contributes to financing its construction. The bill also allows a municipality to issue bonds to finance a public facility on or after July 1, 2024, but prior to July 1, 2027.

01/09/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104655D
01/09/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
01/24/24 Senate: Impact statement from TAX (SB523)
02/14/24 Senate: Left in Finance and Appropriations

SB 527 General Assembly; selection of delegates to a convention for proposing amendments.

Chief patron: Sturtevant

Summary as introduced:
General Assembly; intergovernmental affairs; delegates to a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States. Provides for the selection by the General Assembly of delegates to attend a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States. The bill grants the General Assembly the power to recall delegates, appoint new delegates, and convene an advisory committee to oversee the conduct of delegates. The bill provides that delegates must take an oath to adhere to the instructions of the General Assembly.

01/10/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104951D
01/10/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
01/12/24 Senate: Impact statement from VCSC (SB527)
01/23/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB527)
01/23/24 Senate: Failed to report (defeated) in Privileges and Elections (7-Y 7-N)

SB 541 Casino gaming; removes the City of Richmond as an eligible host city.

Chief patron: Bagby

Summary as introduced:
Casino gaming; eligible host city. Removes the City of Richmond as an eligible host city for casino gaming establishments in the Commonwealth.

02/26/24 Senate: Enrolled
02/26/24 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB541ER)
02/26/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB541ER)
02/26/24 House: Signed by Speaker
02/29/24 Senate: Signed by President

SB 595 Comprehensive plan; locality may consider adopting a healthy communities strategy.

Chief patron: Bagby, Aird

Summary as passed:

Comprehensive plan; healthy communities strategy. Authorizes a locality, beginning July 1, 2024, to adopt a healthy communities strategy as part of its next and any subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan. The bill provides that the locality's strategy may include identifying (i) major sources of pollution or hazardous waste sites within the locality, (ii) policies to mitigate the unique or compounded health risks to residents that may be caused by such pollution sources or hazardous waste sites, (iii) objectives and policies to promote civic engagement in public decision-making processes by residents, (iv) objectives and policies that prioritize improvements and programs that promote healthy communities, and (v) objectives and policies that encourage linking public transit with community and health services and siting or co-locating health services in unconventional settings to ensure convenient access for all community members. This bill is identical to HB 208.

02/21/24 House: Passed House with amendment (52-Y 47-N)
02/21/24 House: VOTE: Passage (52-Y 47-N)
02/23/24 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (25-Y 13-N)
02/28/24 Senate: Enrolled
02/28/24 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB595ER)

SB 597 Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority, comprehensive plan.

Chief patron: McPike

Summary as passed Senate:

Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority; comprehensive plan. Authorizes any locality in the Commonwealth to provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program by amending the zoning ordinance of such locality. Current law restricts such authorization to counties with an urban county executive form of government or county manager plan of government and certain other localities. This bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

03/01/24 House: Read third time
03/01/24 House: Committee substitute agreed to 24107942D-H1
03/01/24 House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB597H1
03/01/24 House: Passed House with substitute (52-Y 52-N)
03/01/24 House: VOTE: Passage (52-Y 45-N)

SB 604 Virginia Public Procurement Act; prohibition on boycotting Israel.

Chief patron: McGuire

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Public Procurement Act; prohibition on boycotting Israel. Requires all public bodies to include in every contract in excess of $100,000 with a business that employs more than 10 employees and in every subcontract or purchase order in excess of $10,000 a provision that states that during the performance of the contract, neither the contracting business nor any of its affiliates shall engage in a boycott of Israel.

01/10/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103464D
01/10/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/19/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB604)
01/31/24 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in General Laws and Technology (9-Y 6-N)

SB 628 Casino gaming; eligible host cities.

Chief patron: Aird, Lucas

Summary as passed Senate:

Casino gaming; eligible host cities. Amends the list of cities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth by replacing Richmond with Petersburg. The bill also provides that the governing body of any eligible host city that holds a local referendum on the question of whether casino gaming should be permitted in such city that subsequently fails shall be prohibited from holding another local referendum on the same question for a period of three years from the date of the last referendum.

02/20/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (6-Y 1-N)
02/22/24 House: Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N)
02/26/24 House: Read second time
02/27/24 House: Motion to refer to committee agreed to
02/27/24 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations

SB 647 Virginia Public Procurement Act; apprenticeship programs, competitive sealed bidding.

Chief patron: Carroll Foy

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Public Procurement Act; competitive sealed bidding; required criteria in invitations to bid. Requires all public bodies to include in any Invitation to Bid criteria that will be used in determining whether a bidder who is not prequalified by the Virginia Department of Transportation is a responsible bidder. Current law authorizes, but does not require, localities to include such criteria in Invitations to Bid.

02/07/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (9-Y 6-N)
02/07/24 Senate: Committee substitute printed 24106986D-S1
02/07/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/08/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB647S1)
02/12/24 Senate: Continued to 2025 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

SB 652 Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities.

Chief patron: Sturtevant

Summary as introduced:
Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities. Allows a locality to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions. The bill provides that a locality that makes a determination of inadequate facilities may reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on that determination.

01/15/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24104169D
01/15/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Local Government
01/22/24 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Local Government (13-Y 2-N)

SB 667 Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.

Chief patron: Stuart

Summary as introduced:
Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement. Removes the authority to make commitments related to accelerated permitting, property tax classifications, and other such issues in an agreement between a qualified company and a locality for purposes of the Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund.

01/16/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24100954D
01/16/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/31/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB667)
01/31/24 Senate: Failed to report (defeated) in General Laws and Technology (3-Y 12-N)

SB 669 Local economic development; commitments.

Chief patron: Stuart

Summary as introduced:
Local economic development commitments. Provides that any economic development commitments that are affirmatively stated in a public meeting shall be binding, reflected in any agreement with the locality, and enforceable through a judicial relief action.

01/16/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24101592D
01/16/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Local Government
01/29/24 Senate: Reported from Local Government (13-Y 2-N)
01/29/24 Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
02/07/24 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N)

SB 715 Zoning; local review of decisions.

Chief patron: Sturtevant

Summary as introduced:
Local review of zoning decisions. Clarifies that a locality may schedule regular reviews of previous zoning decisions in order to determine whether provisions of the zoning ordinance (i) continue to meet the general purpose of promoting the health, safety, or general welfare of the public and (ii) are compatible with changes in land use patterns.

01/19/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24104184D
01/19/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on Local Government
02/05/24 Senate: Stricken at request of Patron in Local Government (13-Y 0-N)

Counts: HB: 33 SB: 16