Commending G. Robert Aston, Jr.

Summons for unlawful detainer; notice; adverse employment actions prohibited. Requires any summons for unlawful detainer to include a notice to the tenant that it is unlawful for his employer to discharge him from employment or take any adverse personnel action against him for appearing at an initial or subsequent hearing on such summons, provided that he has given reasonable notice of such hearing to his employer.

African Diaspora Heritage Month. Designates September, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as African Diaspora Heritage Month in Virginia. African Diaspora Heritage Month. Designates September, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as African Diaspora Heritage Month in Virginia.

Virginia local journalism sustainability credits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible local newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensation paid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. Virginia local journalism sustainability credits. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible local newspaper publishers, defined in the bill, for compensation paid to local news journalists. The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 10 percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $5,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of five percent of the actual amounts paid in wages to local news journalists during such taxable year or $2,500. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $5 million per taxable year. The bill also creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employees for certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a local newspaper, or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station. The credit is equal to (a) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or $4,000 and (b) the lesser of 50 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000 for subsequent taxable years. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $10 million. Each of the credits may be claimed in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2022, but before January 1, 2027.

Hospitals; charity care policies; meaningful access; individuals with low English proficiency. Requires every hospital that is subject to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to make available information about the hospital's charity care policies, including information regarding specific eligibility criteria and procedures for applying for charity care, to individuals with low English proficiency in the same manner and languages, and to the same degree, as the hospital makes available other information regarding hospital programs and services.

Local correctional facilities and lock-ups; transfer of individuals in need of behavioral health or developmental services. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails (the Board) to establish minimum standards for identification and care of individuals with developmental disabilities in local correctional facilities and procedures for enforcing such minimum standards, including requirements for (i) developmental disabilities screening of individuals committed to local correctional facilities, (ii) referral of individuals committed to local correctional facilities for whom a screening indicates reason to believe the individual may have a developmental disability to an appropriate provider for an assessment to determine whether the individual has a developmental disability and is in need of developmental services, and (iii) transfer of an individual determined to have a developmental disability and to be in need of developmental services from a local correctional facility to a facility at which appropriate developmental services are provided within 72 hours of completion of the assessment. The bill also requires the Board to amend standards governing the delivery of behavioral health services in local correctional facilities and lock-ups to provide that if an individual is assessed as being in need of behavioral health services for severe mental illness, such individual shall be transferred from the local correctional facility or lock-up to a behavioral health facility within 72 hours of the assessment. Currently, standards governing behavioral health services in local correctional facilities and lock-ups require that if a person is assessed as being in need of behavioral health services, the local correctional facility or lock-up shall provide such services. Local correctional facilities and lock-ups; transfer of individuals in need of behavioral health or developmental services. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails (the Board) to establish minimum standards for identification and care of individuals with developmental disabilities in local correctional facilities and procedures for enforcing such minimum standards, including requirements for (i) developmental disabilities screening of individuals committed to local correctional facilities, (ii) referral of individuals committed to local correctional facilities for whom a screening indicates reason to believe the individual may have a developmental disability to an appropriate provider for an assessment to determine whether the individual has a developmental disability and is in need of developmental services, and (iii) transfer of an individual determined to have a developmental disability and to be in need of developmental services from a local correctional facility to a facility at which appropriate developmental services are provided within 72 hours of completion of the assessment. The bill also requires the Board to amend standards governing the delivery of behavioral health services in local correctional facilities and lock-ups to provide that if an individual is assessed as being in need of behavioral health services for severe mental illness, such individual shall be transferred from the local correctional facility or lock-up to a behavioral health facility within 72 hours of the assessment. Currently, standards governing behavioral health services in local correctional facilities and lock-ups require that if a person is assessed as being in need of behavioral health services, the local correctional facility or lock-up shall provide such services. The bill also provides that the local community services board or behavioral health authority shall arrange for the admission of a person determined to be in need of behavioral health services for severe mental illness or severe developmental disability within 72 hours of receipt of notification by the local correctional facility of the need for such admission.

Information Technology Advisory Council; membership; powers and duties; report. Redefines the purpose and powers and duties of the Information Technology Advisory Council (the ITAC). The bill increases the membership of the ITAC from not more than 16 to not more than 20 members and allows for legislative members to be appointed to the ITAC. The bill also directs the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the work of the ITAC and any subcommittees. Finally, the bill provides that the ITAC may appoint advisory subcommittees consisting of individuals with expertise in particular subject areas and information technology to advise the ITAC on the utilization of nationally recognized technical and data standards in such subject, and repeals the provision that allows for the ITAC to create and appoint persons to a Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee.

Custodial interrogations; inauthentic replica documents prohibited. Prohibits law-enforcement officers from using inauthentic replica documents during a custodial interrogation to secure a person's cooperation or confession or to secure a conviction. "Inauthentic replica document" is defined by the bill as any document generated by law-enforcement officers or their agents that (i) contains a false statement, signature, seal, letterhead, or contact information or (ii) materially misrepresents any fact.

Expungement of emergency and preliminary protective orders. Provides that a person against whom an emergency or preliminary protective order has been issued may petition to have police and court records relating to such order expunged if the order expires or is dissolved by the issuing court or if a hearing for the issuance of a permanent protective order is scheduled or held and such permanent protective order is subsequently not issued.

Department of Criminal Justice Services; Commonwealth's Attorneys' Services Council; court-appointed counsel; training standards for interacting with victims of criminal sexual assault. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in conjunction with the Commonwealth's Attorneys' Services Council, to establish compulsory training standards for law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth for sensitivity to and awareness of cultural diversity when interviewing, questioning, or examining in any court proceeding a victim of a criminal sexual offense. The bill also provides that to initially qualify to serve as appointed counsel for an indigent defendant in a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court, such attorney shall have completed at least eight hours of MCLE-approved continuing legal education developed by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission on the topic of diversity, racial bias, or cultural sensitivity when interviewing, cross-examining, or representing the victim of a criminal sexual offense.

Facial recognition technology; local law enforcement; campus police. Redefines facial recognition technology, for the purposes of providing criteria for the lawful use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement, as conducting an algorithmic comparison of images of an individual's facial features for the purposes of identification. The bill authorizes local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments to utilize facial recognition technology for certain authorized uses as defined in the bill. The bill requires that local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments publicly post and annually update policies regarding the use of facial recognition technology and maintain records regarding the use of facial recognition technology and report the data annually to their communities. The bill also makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for any facial recognition technology operator employed by a local law-enforcement agency or campus police department to violate the agency or department's policy regarding the use of facial recognition technology or to conduct a search for any other reason than an authorized use. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of State Police to develop a model policy regarding the use of facial recognition technology by January 1, 2023. The bill directs the Virginia State Crime Commission to submit a report with an analysis and recommendations about the use of facial recognition technology to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Public Safety by November 1, 2025. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2026. Facial recognition technology; local law enforcement; campus police. Redefines facial recognition technology, for the purposes of providing criteria for the lawful use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement, as conducting an algorithmic comparison of images of an individual's facial features for the purposes of identification. The bill authorizes local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments to utilize facial recognition technology for certain authorized uses as defined in the bill. The bill requires that local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments publicly post and annually update policies regarding the use of facial recognition technology and maintain records regarding the use of facial recognition technology and report the data annually to their communities. The bill also makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for any facial recognition technology operator employed by a local law-enforcement agency or campus police department to violate the agency or department's policy regarding the use of facial recognition technology or to conduct a search for any other reason than an authorized use. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of State Police to develop a model policy regarding the use of facial recognition technology by January 1, 2023. The bill directs the Virginia State Crime Commission to submit a report with an analysis and recommendations about the use of facial recognition technology to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Public Safety by November 1, 2025. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2026.

Virginia Transplant Council; membership. Adds Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters to the membership of the Virginia Transplant Council.

Virginia Football Stadium Authority. Establishes the Virginia Football Stadium Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a football stadium and related facilities. The Authority is authorized to hire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money, and exercise other similar powers. The Authority is exempt from the Personnel Act and the Public Procurement Act. The Authority may issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 40 years. Virginia Football Stadium Authority. Establishes the Virginia Football Stadium Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a football stadium and related facilities. The Authority is authorized to hire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money, and exercise other similar powers. The Authority is exempt from the Personnel Act and the Public Procurement Act. The Authority may issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 40 years. The bill entitles the Authority to sales tax revenues from transactions at the stadium but would exclude certain revenues that current law dedicates to transportation and education. The bill also entitles the Authority to corporate income tax revenues from football teams that use the stadium and personal income tax revenues from income generated by employment or the conduct of business at the stadium. The Authority receives all corporate income tax revenues but only 4.25 percent of personal income tax revenues. Remaining personal income tax revenues accrue to the general fund. The Authority is made up of nine members appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. Four of the nine members are appointed from a list chosen by the football team that primarily will use the stadium. The bill enables localities to exercise their eminent domain power to acquire property and convey it to the Authority. It also authorizes localities to appropriate tax revenues to the Authority.

Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund. Creates the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund. The bill provides guidelines for deposits, expenditures, and investments and requires an annual audit of the Virginia Resources Authority. The bill provides that the Fund be used for loans or to refinance projects for local governments or to give grants to them, provides that the Fund may be used by local governments for loans or grants to persons of the Commonwealth eligible for projects for resilience purposes, and establishes guidelines for the priority of such loans and grants.

Department of Housing and Community Development; broadband affordability plan. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop a plan, to be known as the Commonwealth Digital Affordability and Cost Effectiveness Plan, to access federal funding under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill requires that the Plan include (i) an overview of options for affordable broadband connectivity in the Commonwealth; (ii) recommendations on how best to leverage federal grants addressing broadband affordability; (iii) best practices for establishing a broadband affordability program, taking into account existing federal funds and programs; and (iv) recommendations for public outreach, with consideration of the report submitted by the Department of Social Services as required in Item 359 L of Chapter 552 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I. The bill requires the Department to report the Plan to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2022.