(GovtReform) Government Reform
HB 132 Virginia Minority Business Commission; established, report, sunset clause.Chief patron: Convirs-Fowler Summary as introduced:
01/01/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules HB 164 Procurement; preference for local products and firms by localities.Chief patron: Keys-Gamarra Summary as introduced:
01/02/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws 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.
03/06/24 House: Conference substitute printed 24108962D-H2 HB 722 Regulatory Budget Program; established, report.Chief patron: Webert Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 725 Local government; powers, conveyance of real property, public hearing requirement.Chief patron: Webert Summary as introduced:
02/08/24 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N) HB 727 Administrative Process Act; emergency regulations for economic development projects.Chief patron: Webert Summary as introduced:
01/19/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB727) 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.
03/08/24 House: Conference substitute printed 24109000D-H1 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: Signed by Speaker HB 899 Conflict of Interests Act, State and Local Government, etc.; deadline for public disclosure.Chief patron: Srinivasan Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103920D HB 911 Va. Conflict of Interest & Ethics Advisory Council; annual audit of certain disclosure formsChief patron: Shin Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24100177D HB 930 Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities.Chief patron: Earley Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102199D HB 965 Virginia Public Procurement Act; consideration of best value concepts for construction services.Chief patron: Lopez Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 1004 Real property tax; notice of summary budget.Chief patron: Lovejoy Summary as introduced:
01/18/24 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1004) HB 1031 Legislature Modernization, Commission on; established, report.Chief patron: Bennett-Parker Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102379D 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.
03/08/24 House: Conference substitute printed 24108992D-H2 HB 1149 Local officers; removal of elected and certain appointed officers by circuit court.Chief patron: Cordoza Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102667D HB 1158 Administrative Process Act; requirement of executive branch agencies.Chief patron: Cordoza Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 1191 Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting.Chief patron: Sickles Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 1196 Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program; grant funding.Chief patron: Hodges Summary as introduced:
01/19/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1196) 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.
03/05/24 House: Enrolled HB 1236 Local government actions related to comprehensive plans, etc.; approval process.Chief patron: Marshall Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103108D HB 1356 Local planning commission; action on proposed plats, site plans, and development plans.Chief patron: Owen Summary as introduced:
01/14/24 House: Referred to Committee on 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.
03/09/24 House: Incorporates HB341 (Thomas) 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.
02/15/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1404H2) 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: VOTE: Passage (66-Y 33-N) HB 1440 Virginia Public Procurement Act; public works contracts, project labor agreements.Chief patron: Wiley Summary as introduced:
01/18/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 1448 Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination.Chief patron: Garrett Summary as introduced:
01/25/24 House: Referred to Committee on 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 and budget to the General Assembly, in addition to the Governor, by July 1 of each year.
03/08/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1452ER) 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.
03/04/24 Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 24107859D-S1 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) 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 the 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 the 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.
02/29/24 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.
03/07/24 Senate: Substitute from Committee on Finance and Appropriations 24108811D-S2 ruled out of order HB 1540 The Virginia African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, etc., Advisory Board; established.Chief patron: Shin Summary as introduced:
02/05/24 House: Read first time 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 hour spent accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for records requested in conjunction with the requester's first request. The bill provides that for any additional time spent accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for such records, or for any additional record requests, the public body shall not charge an hourly rate for accessing, duplicating, supplying, 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 $40 per hour. The bill allows a public body to petition the appropriate court for relief from the $40-per-hour fee cap upon showing by a preponderance of the evidence that there is no qualified individual capable of fulfilling the request for $40 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. The bill directs the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council to study whether public bodies should charge requesters pursuant to the bill and report on its findings by December 2024. The provisions of the bill amending the Code of Virginia do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.
03/04/24 House: Signed by Speaker SB 399 Six-year financial plan; modifies requirements for plans submitted by Governor to General Assembly.Chief patron: McDougle Summary as introduced:
03/06/24 Senate: Conference substitute printed 24108954D-S1 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 the 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 the 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.
02/29/24 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:
01/09/24 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology SB 523 Sales tax revenues; entertainment arena.Chief patron: Williams Graves Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104655D SB 527 General Assembly; selection of delegates to a convention for proposing amendments.Chief patron: Sturtevant Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104951D 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. This bill is identical to HB 1131.
02/26/24 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB541ER) 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.
02/28/24 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.
03/07/24 House: Delegates: Krizek, Cole, Coyner SB 604 Virginia Public Procurement Act; prohibition on boycotting Israel.Chief patron: McGuire Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103464D 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.
03/07/24 House: Committee amendment agreed to SB 647 Virginia Public Procurement Act; apprenticeship programs, competitive sealed bidding.Chief patron: Carroll Foy Summary as introduced:
02/07/24 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (9-Y 6-N) SB 652 Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities.Chief patron: Sturtevant Summary as introduced:
01/15/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24104169D SB 667 Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.Chief patron: Stuart Summary as introduced:
01/16/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24100954D SB 669 Local economic development; commitments.Chief patron: Stuart Summary as introduced:
01/16/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24101592D SB 715 Zoning; local review of decisions.Chief patron: Sturtevant Summary as introduced:
01/19/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24104184D Counts: HB: 33 SB: 16 |