Parole Board; powers and duties. Provides that the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) shall review and decide the case of each prisoner who is eligible for parole no later than that part of the calendar year in which he becomes eligible and (i) every three years thereafter, until he is released on parole or discharged, provided that there are 10 years or more or life imprisonment remaining on the sentence in each case, or (ii) annually thereafter, until he is released on parole or discharged if there are fewer than 10 years remaining on the sentence in each case. The bill also provides that, as a part of the investigation before the Board decides to grant or deny parole, the Board shall, if applicable, review in its entirety the transcript from the trial that resulted in the conviction or convictions for which the inmate is currently serving a term of imprisonment.

Electric cooperatives; rate adjustment clause; broadband. Authorizes an electric cooperative to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of one or more rate adjustment clauses for the timely and current recovery of costs from customers of one or more projects for the provision of broadband. The bill provides that a cooperative may recover the costs of the broadband projects in a rate adjustment clause, including the construction work in progress and allowance for funds used during construction, planning, and development of associated infrastructure. Electric cooperatives; rate adjustment clause; broadband. Authorizes an electric cooperative to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of one or more rate adjustment clauses for the timely and current recovery of costs from customers of one or more projects for the provision of broadband. The bill provides that a cooperative may recover the costs of the broadband projects in a rate adjustment clause, including the construction work in progress and allowance for funds used during construction, planning, and development of associated infrastructure.

Department of Health; H-2B employer-provided housing; registry. Requires every H-2B employer, as defined in the bill, to report to the Commissioner of Health the physical address of every unit of employer-provided housing, also defined in the bill, provided to an H-2B employee, together with the number of H-2B employees residing at each such housing unit and the number of beds at each such housing unit. The bill requires the Department of Health to establish, maintain, and make available on a website a registry of H-2B employer-provided housing in the Commonwealth that includes the information H-2B employers are required by the bill to report.

Local condemnation authority. Provides that any locality may acquire property interests outside its boundaries by exercise of eminent domain power in connection with a highway transportation project located partially within a neighboring locality when the governing body of the neighboring locality wherein such property interests are located approves such use of eminent domain.

Business entities; conversion and domestication. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act, the Virginia Limited Liability Act, and the Virginia Business Trust Act, "entity conversion" has the same meaning as "conversion" as defined in each respective act and that a certificate of entity conversion is the same as a certificate of conversion. Additionally, the bill provides that "incorporation surrender," "organization surrender," and "trust surrender" have the same meaning as "domestication" as defined in each such respective act and that a certificate of incorporation surrender, certificate of organization surrender, and a certificate of trust surrender are the same as a certificate of domestication.

Health insurance; definition of autism spectrum disorder. Provides that for the purposes of required health insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, "autism spectrum disorder" means any pervasive developmental disorder or autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the most recent edition or the most recent edition at the time of diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association and "medically necessary" means in accordance with the generally accepted standards of mental disorder or condition care and clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, site, and duration, based upon evidence and reasonably expected to do any of the following: (i) prevent the onset of an illness, condition, injury, or disability; (ii) reduce or ameliorate the physical, mental, or developmental effects of an illness, condition, injury, or disability; or (iii) assist to achieve or maintain maximum functional capacity in performing daily activities, taking into account both the functional capacity of the individual and the functional capacities that are appropriate for individuals of the same age.

Reduction of speed limits; local authority. Expands the current authority of any locality 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, to include highways within the state highway system.

Sentencing proceeding by jury after conviction; relevant mitigating evidence. Provides that relevant evidence that may be admissible by the defendant during the sentencing phase by a jury may include the circumstances surrounding the offense, the history and background of the defendant, and any other facts in mitigation of the offense. The bill also provides various examples of facts in mitigation of the offense. The bill also provides that any relevant evidence and facts in mitigation that may be considered by a jury when ascertainment of punishment by jury has been requested by the accused also may be considered by the court when the court fixes punishment. Sentencing proceeding by jury after conviction; relevant mitigating evidence. Provides that relevant evidence that may be admissible by the defendant during the sentencing phase by a jury may include the circumstances surrounding the offense, the history and background of the defendant, and any other facts in mitigation of the offense. The bill also provides various examples of facts in mitigation of the offense. The bill also provides that any relevant evidence and facts in mitigation that may be considered by a jury when ascertainment of punishment by jury has been requested by the accused also may be considered by the court when the court fixes punishment.

Green banks; regional agreements. Provides that any two or more localities may enter into agreements with one another for joint action to establish a green bank to promote investment in clean energy technologies and provide financing for clean energy technologies. The governing bodies of participating localities must each adopt an ordinance to approve such agreement before the agreement takes effect. The existing green bank enabling statute is silent on the issue of regional agreements.

Employee protections; medicinal use of cannabis oil. Amends the provision that prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee for such employee's lawful use of cannabis oil under the laws of the Commonwealth. pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner for the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee's diagnosed condition or disease, with certain exceptions. Under the bill, the term "employer" includes the Commonwealth and any of its political subdivisions or agencies. Employee protections; medicinal use of cannabis oil. Amends the provision that prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee for such employee's lawful use of cannabis oil under the laws of the Commonwealth. pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner for the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee's diagnosed condition or disease, with certain exceptions. Under the bill, the term "employer" includes the Commonwealth and any of its political subdivisions or agencies.

Robbery. Conforms certain provisions of the Code Robbery. Conforms certain provisions of the Code referencing robbery to the degrees of robbery offenses established by Chapter 534 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I. These changes include: (i) limiting certain non-robbery crimes for which committing such crime with the intent to commit a robbery is an element to the offenses to the two higher degrees of robbery, (ii) allowing persons convicted of the two lesser degrees of robbery to be eligible for conditional release if they are terminally ill and for the enhanced earned sentence credits, (iii) allowing persons who are ineligible for parole as a result of being convicted of three certain enumerated offenses to be eligible for parole if convicted of an offense that would constitute any of the three lesser degrees of robbery, (iv) limiting the application of the three-strikes law to the two higher degrees of robbery and making persons convicted under the three-strikes law eligible for parole if one of the three convictions resulting in the mandatory life sentence would constitute one of the two lesser degrees of robbery, and (v) specifying that persons convicted of either of the two higher degrees of robbery while on administrative furlough or released for work release are ineligible for further furlough or work release and that persons convicted of such offenses are ineligible for home/electronic incarceration. The bill leaves unchanged the current law making all degrees of robbery predicate criminal acts by adding the two lesser degrees of robbery to the definition of "predicate criminal act" and adding the two higher degrees of robbery to the definition of "act of violence."

Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Program; use of state funds. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to use state funds for costs associated with convening a work group to develop recommendations and establish criteria for the Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Program. Current law prohibits the use of state funds for the Program.

Income taxation; pass-through entities. Permits a qualifying pass-through entity, defined in the bill, to make an annual election in taxable years 2021 through 2025 to pay an elective income tax at a rate of 5.75 percent, created by the bill, at the entity level for the taxable period covered by the return. The bill also creates a corresponding individual income tax subtraction for taxable years 2021 through 2025 for any amount of income derived from a pass-through entity having Virginia taxable income if such pass-through entity makes such election and pays the elective income tax imposed at the entity level.

Qualified health plans; state-mandated health benefits. Authorizes a qualified health plan offered on the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to provide state-mandated health benefits that are not provided in the essential health benefits package. Under current law, qualified health plans are prohibited from providing such state-mandated health benefits.

Water quality; consideration of economic or social development. Requires the State Water Control Board to analyze the economic or social impact on residents who and communities that have historically been economically or socially disadvantaged when considering any project or development that would constitute a new or increased discharge of effluent into high quality water.