Magistrates; appointment and supervision. Gives supervisory control over the magistrate system to the chief circuit court judge and the Committee on District Courts and abolishes magisterial regions. Under current law, the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court exercises such authority with a provision for consultation with the chief judges of the circuit courts in the region where the appointment is made.

Multi-jurisdiction grand jury; elder abuse crimes. Adds the following to the list of crimes that a multi-jurisdiction grand jury may investigate: (i) financial exploitation of mentally incapacitated persons and (ii) abuse and neglect of incapacitated adults.

Possession of controlled substances; penalties. Reduces the penalty for possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance from a Class 5 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor and the penalty for possession of a Schedule IV or V controlled substance from a Class 2 misdemeanor and a Class 3 misdemeanor, respectively, to a Class 4 misdemeanor. Consequently, the bill removes felony violations of possession of a controlled substance committed on or after July 1, 2022, from the definition of barrier crime related to criminal history checks for eligibility for various types of employment, to volunteer or provide certain services, or to establish or operate certain types of regulated businesses. Possession of controlled substances; penalties. Reduces the penalty for possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance from a Class 5 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor and the penalty for possession of a Schedule IV or V controlled substance from a Class 2 misdemeanor and a Class 3 misdemeanor, respectively, to a Class 4 misdemeanor. Consequently, the bill removes felony violations of possession of a controlled substance committed on or after July 1, 2022, from the definition of barrier crime related to criminal history checks for eligibility for various types of employment, to volunteer or provide certain services, or to establish or operate certain types of regulated businesses. The bill also provides that, for the purposes of the offense of possession of controlled substances, the term "controlled substance" does not include mere residue of any drug, substance, or immediate precursor in Schedules I through VI that is not a usable quantity or a countable dosage unit. The bill also limits the previous convictions that make a person ineligible for disposition under the first offender statute to a previous conviction for possession of a controlled substance or manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance. Under current law, a previous conviction for any drug-related criminal offense or for an offense under any statute of the United States or of any state relating to narcotic drugs, marijuana, or stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogenic drugs makes a person ineligible for such disposition. The bill also amends the required conditions of probation under the first offender statute. The bill changes the penalty for an attempt to commit a felony drug offense from imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 10 years to a Class 6 felony and removes the felony offenses for a prisoner to secrete or have in his possession any chemical compound that he has not lawfully received, any Schedule III controlled substance, or marijuana. The bill makes secreting or possessing a controlled substance or marijuana by a prisoner punishable the same as possession of such controlled substances or marijuana by a person who is not in prison. The bill contains technical amendments.

Department of Wildlife Resources; boat ramp fees. Removes the authorization for the Department of Wildlife Resources to charge a fee for the use of facilities that it manages but does not own and for the use of boat ramps that it owns or manages.

Refunds of local taxes; authority of treasurer. Increases from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount that the governing body of a locality may authorize its treasurer to approve and issue for a refund of taxes paid as a result of an erroneous tax assessment.

School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense.

Certain Standards of Learning assessments; method of administration. Requires (i) the reading and mathematics Standards of Learning assessments in grades three through eight and the science assessments administered to students in grade five and after the student receives instruction in the grade six science, life science, and physical science Standards of Learning and before the student completes grade eight to be traditional achievement tests and (ii) the Virginia Studies and Civics and Economics assessments to be performance based and to measure the test taker's ability to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the class. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023. The bill also requires the Department of Education, with such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, to develop a task bank for performance-based assessments that is built using vetted tasks that have been developed by practitioners and align with the Department's Virginia Quality Criteria Review Tool for Performance Assessments.

State correctional facilities; fees; report. Directs the Department of Corrections (the Department) to convene a work group to review and make recommendations regarding the reduction or elimination of costs and fees charged to inmates in state correctional facilities. The bill directs the Department to report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Public Safety and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by October 1, 2022.

Establishment of speed limits; local authority. Authorizes localities to reduce speed limits on any highway in the locality, provided that such speed limit is indicated by lawfully placed signs. Current law authorizes localities to reduce the speed limit to less than 25 miles per hour, but not less than 15 miles per hour, on highways within its boundaries that are located in a business district or residence district, provided that such reduced speed limit is indicated by lawfully placed signs.

Department of Education; school division maintenance reserve tool. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to develop or adopt and maintain a data collection tool to assist each school board to determine the relative age of each public school building in the local school division and the amount of maintenance reserve funds that are necessary to restore each such building. The bill requires each school board to provide to the Department of Education in a timely fashion the local data that is necessary to ensure that such tool remains relevant and useful for the determination of maintenance reserve needs. The bill requires the Department of Education to consider converting or using as a template the Department of General Services' Real Estate and Assets Management system for tracking buildings and infrastructure maintenance status to meet the above requirement to maintain such a tool. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization. Department of Education; school division maintenance reserve tool. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to develop or adopt and maintain a data collection tool to assist each school board to determine the relative age of each public school building in the local school division and the amount of maintenance reserve funds that are necessary to restore each such building. The bill requires each school board to provide to the Department of Education in a timely fashion the local data that is necessary to ensure that such tool remains relevant and useful for the determination of maintenance reserve needs. The bill requires the Department of Education to consider converting or using as a template the Department of General Services' Real Estate and Assets Management system for tracking buildings and infrastructure maintenance status to meet the above requirement to maintain such a tool. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

Continuing care providers; requirements for providers; complaint process; report. Requires continuing care providers to include in continuing care contracts between the provider and residents of a continuing care retirement community a description of (i) the resident emergency call systems and other safety-based services, (ii) the criteria for and requirements and procedures applicable to the transfer of a resident between levels of care provided by the provider, and (iii) information about policies and procedures for use of the facility and its services, including any check-in procedures, by residents as well as nonresidents. Continuing care providers; requirements for providers; complaint process; report. Requires continuing care providers to include in continuing care contracts between the provider and residents of a continuing care retirement community a description of (i) the resident emergency call systems and other safety-based services, (ii) the criteria for and requirements and procedures applicable to the transfer of a resident between levels of care provided by the provider, and (iii) information about policies and procedures for use of the facility and its services, including any check-in procedures, by residents as well as nonresidents. The bill also guarantees the right of residents to post information about residents' rights in the facilities of the continuing care retirement community and requires a continuing care provider to include on the board of directors or other such governing body of a continuing care retirement community a number of residents that is equal to or greater than 20 percent of the total number of members of the board of directors, or at least one resident, whichever is greater, who shall be elected by the residents of the continuing care retirement community, and to provide a copy of the bylaws of the board of directors or other such governing body to all residents of the continuing care retirement community. The bill also requires the State Corporation Commission to establish a means by which any person may make a complaint regarding a continuing care retirement community or community-based continuing care provider; establish a process for responding to complaints regarding a continuing care retirement community or community-based continuing care provider, including procedures to ensure that the person who filed the complaint receives information regarding the status of such response and the final resolution of the matter; and report annually by October 1 to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Commerce and Labor regarding the complaint process and the number, type, and resolution of complaints received.

Student Emergency Aid Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Student Emergency Aid Fund and Program for the purpose of distributing emergency funds to students enrolled as full-time or part-time students at public and nonprofit private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to assist such students with satisfying non-tuition and non-book emergency financial transactions and costs required in order for the student to complete his certification or degree. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to establish guidelines for the Program and distribute the funds to institutions for disbursement according to the guidelines.

Natural gas, biogas, and other gas sources of energy; definitions; energy conservation and efficiency; Steps to Advance Virginia's Energy Plan; biogas supply infrastructure projects; work group. Permits natural gas utilities to include in their fuel portfolios, submitted to the State Corporation Commission to monitor fuel prices and purchases, supplemental or substitute forms of gas sources, defined in the bill, that meet certain standards and that reduce emissions intensity. The bill amends provisions of the Code related to conservation and energy efficiency programs, removes certain cost-effectiveness requirements for conservation and energy efficiency programs, and adds appliance rebates to the types of programs the Commission may consider. The bill expands conservation and ratemaking efficiency provisions of the Code that currently apply to natural gas consumption specifically to instead apply generally to energy consumption. Natural gas, biogas, and other gas sources of energy; definitions; energy conservation and efficiency; Steps to Advance Virginia's Energy Plan; biogas supply infrastructure projects; work group. Permits natural gas utilities to include in their fuel portfolios, submitted to the State Corporation Commission to monitor fuel prices and purchases, supplemental or substitute forms of gas sources, defined in the bill, that meet certain standards and that reduce emissions intensity. The bill amends provisions of the Code related to conservation and energy efficiency programs, removes certain cost-effectiveness requirements for conservation and energy efficiency programs, and adds appliance rebates to the types of programs the Commission may consider. The bill expands conservation and ratemaking efficiency provisions of the Code that currently apply to natural gas consumption specifically to instead apply generally to energy consumption. The bill introduces enhanced leak detection and repair programs, defined in the bill, as a type of eligible infrastructure replacement for a natural gas utility facility. The bill provides that the costs of detecting and repairing leaks may be added to a natural gas utility's plan to identify proposed eligible infrastructure replacement projects and related cost recovery mechanisms, known as the utility's Steps to Advance Virginia's Energy (SAVE) Plan. The bill adds provisions to the Code related to biogas supply infrastructure projects, defined in the bill, and specifies that eligible infrastructure costs for such projects include (i) the investment in such projects, (ii) the return on the investment in such projects, (iii) a revenue conversion factor, (iv) operating and maintenance expenses, (v) depreciation, (vi) property tax and other taxes or government fees, and (vii) carrying costs on the over-recovery or under-recovery of the eligible biogas supply infrastructure costs. Under the bill, natural gas utilities can recover these eligible infrastructure costs on an ongoing basis through the gas component of the utility's rate structure or other recovery mechanism approved by the Commission. The bill provides that the biogas supply investment plan submitted by a natural gas utility may include an option to receive the biogas or sell the biogas at market prices and establishes a timeline for the Commission to approve such plan. The bill requires a natural gas utility with an approved biogas supply investment plan to annually file a report of the investments made, the eligible infrastructure costs incurred and the amount of such costs recovered, the volume of biogas delivered to customers or sold to third parties during the 12-month reporting period, and an analysis of the price of biogas delivered to customers and the market cost of biogas during the reporting period. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality to convene a stakeholder work group to determine the feasibility of setting a statewide methane reduction goal and plan. The recommendations of the work group shall be reported to the General Assembly by July 1, 2023.

Public agencies; privacy of personal information; penalty. Provides that public agencies shall not request personal information, defined in the bill, from (i) any individual or any entity organized under § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) any bidder, offeror, or contractor of an agency. The bill prohibits such public agencies from disclosing personal information without the express, written permission of every individual who is identifiable from the potential release of such personal information, including individuals identifiable as members, supporters, or volunteers of, or donors to, the agency. The bill exempts the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 from the requirements that public agencies protect personal information and refrain from requesting personal information. Public agencies; privacy of personal information; penalty. Provides that public agencies shall not request personal information, defined in the bill, from (i) any individual or any entity organized under § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) any bidder, offeror, or contractor of an agency. The bill prohibits such public agencies from disclosing personal information without the express, written permission of every individual who is identifiable from the potential release of such personal information, including individuals identifiable as members, supporters, or volunteers of, or donors to, the agency. The bill exempts the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 from the requirements that public agencies protect personal information and refrain from requesting personal information.

Health care providers; transfer of patient records in conjunction with closure, sale, or relocation of practice; electronic notice permitted. Allows health care providers to notify patients either electronically or by mail prior to the transfer of patient records in conjunction with the closure, sale, or relocation of the health care provider's practice. Current law requires health care providers to provide such notice by mail.