Disposition of property previously used by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute. Authorizes the Governor to convey a portion of property previously used by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute to Smyth County. The conveyance shall be made without consideration and in as-is condition.

Public employees; bargaining representative certification. Provides that, in a locality that has authorized collective bargaining by ordinance or resolution, a bargaining representative must be selected for each collective bargaining unit determined to be appropriate by the governing body of the locality. The bill provides that for a bargaining representative to be certified as an exclusive representative, at least 51 percent of the public employees in a collective bargaining unit must vote for certification of the bargaining representative through a secret ballot election conducted by the governing body of the locality, and a secret ballot election shall be conducted very two years to confirm majority support for the bargaining representative. Preexisting bargaining representatives must also be certified by a vote of at least 51 percent of the affected collective bargaining unit. Public employees; bargaining representative certification. Provides that, in a locality that has authorized collective bargaining by ordinance or resolution, a bargaining representative must be selected for each collective bargaining unit determined to be appropriate by the governing body of the locality. The bill provides that for a bargaining representative to be certified as an exclusive representative, at least 51 percent of the public employees in a collective bargaining unit must vote for certification of the bargaining representative through a secret ballot election conducted by the governing body of the locality, and a secret ballot election shall be conducted very two years to confirm majority support for the bargaining representative. Preexisting bargaining representatives must also be certified by a vote of at least 51 percent of the affected collective bargaining unit.

Victims of human trafficking; eligibility for in-state tuition. Provides that a non-Virginia student who is currently present in the Commonwealth as a result of being a victim of human trafficking, defined in the bill, is eligible for in-state tuition. The bill provides that a person may be a victim of human trafficking regardless of whether any person has been charged with or convicted of any offense and that eligibility for in-state tuition may be proved by a certification of such status as a victim of human trafficking by a federal, state, or local agency or not-for-profit agency, one of whose primary missions is to provide services to victims of human trafficking. The bill also requires public institutions of higher education to automatically record such a student as opting out of making any directory or educational information available to the public unless the student voluntarily and affirmatively chooses to opt in to allowing such directory or educational information to be made available.

Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; work group; review and evaluate guardianship visitation requirements; report. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to convene a work group to (i) evaluate how a requirement for private guardians to visit the individual under their guardianship in person at least once every 90 days would reduce the availability of willing and qualified individuals to serve as private guardians, if at all; (ii) consider whether a different number and frequency of visits per year, other than at least once every 90 days, would better balance resource constraints with the importance of guardian visits to the incapacitated person under their care; (iii) determine the additional resources, if any, needed to mitigate the negative impacts of an increased visitation requirement on the willingness and availability of qualified individuals to serve as private guardians; (iv) determine how those resources could be allocated to the relevant private and public entities in the guardianship system to promote compliance with an increased visitation requirement; and (v) determine whether expansion of the Virginia Public Guardian and Conservator Program would substantially alleviate issues related to these concerns. The Department shall submit a summary of its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary by November 1, 2022. Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; work group; review and evaluate guardianship visitation requirements; report. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to convene a work group to (i) evaluate how a requirement for private guardians to visit the individual under their guardianship in person at least once every 90 days would reduce the availability of willing and qualified individuals to serve as private guardians, if at all; (ii) consider whether a different number and frequency of visits per year, other than at least once every 90 days, would better balance resource constraints with the importance of guardian visits to the incapacitated person under their care; (iii) determine the additional resources, if any, needed to mitigate the negative impacts of an increased visitation requirement on the willingness and availability of qualified individuals to serve as private guardians; (iv) determine how those resources could be allocated to the relevant private and public entities in the guardianship system to promote compliance with an increased visitation requirement; and (v) determine whether expansion of the Virginia Public Guardian and Conservator Program would substantially alleviate issues related to these concerns. The Department shall submit a summary of its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary by November 1, 2022.

Special Assistant to the Governor for Disability Rights Advocacy; position created; report. Creates the position of Special Assistant to the Governor for Disability Rights Advocacy (the Special Assistant) for the purpose of representing Virginians with disabilities in a comprehensive and authoritative manner by ensuring that all state agencies provide adequate services, resources, and accommodations to such persons. The bill directs the Special Assistant to submit an annual report to the Governor on or before December 1, through the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, that (i) outlines the key issues and problems discovered within state agencies that impact people with disabilities; (ii) identifies the details of any plan of action implemented by the Special Assistant to address and remediate such issues and problems; (iii) provides legislative recommendations that would improve processes and procedures across all state agencies with regard to the provision of services, resources, and accommodations to people with disabilities; and (iv) details such other matters as required by the Governor.

Public institutions of higher education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; notice to students; SNAP benefits. Requires each public institution of higher education to ensure that all students have access to accurate information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and how to apply. The bill also directs each institution to advertise the application and process for applying for SNAP prominently on the institution's website and in orientation materials that are distributed to each new student. Public institutions of higher education; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; notice to students; SNAP benefits. Requires each public institution of higher education to ensure that all students have access to accurate information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and how to apply. The bill also directs each institution to advertise the application and process for applying for SNAP prominently on the institution's website and in orientation materials that are distributed to each new student.

Capital murder; death penalty for the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of a law-enforcement officer. Authorizes punishment by death for the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of a law-enforcement officer.

Department of Environmental Quality; review of local authority regarding certain land disturbances; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) to convene a work group to review and make recommendations concerning existing law regarding limits on local authority to review certain land-disturbing activities for stormwater impacts. The Department is required by the bill submit a report of the work group's findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than November 15, 2022.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; performance and payment bonds. Requires a performance bond and payment bond to be furnished by the contractor for all nontransportation-related public construction contracts that exceed $500,000 and all transportation-related projects that exceed $350,000 and are partially or wholly funded by the Commonwealth. Current law only requires these bonds for certain types of contracts. Virginia Public Procurement Act; performance and payment bonds. Requires a performance bond and payment bond to be furnished by the contractor for all nontransportation-related public construction contracts that exceed $500,000 and all transportation-related projects that exceed $350,000 and are partially or wholly funded by the Commonwealth. Current law only requires these bonds for certain types of contracts.

Toll Relief Program; eligibility. Requires the Department of Transportation to expand eligibility for the Toll Relief Program for the tolls on the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels to residents of the Cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk with an income of $45,000 or less per year. The bill requires that all eligible residents receive the same toll relief regardless of income level. The bill provides that funding for the additional toll relief shall be paid by the Commonwealth from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), as possible, and any costs not covered by the ARPA shall be the responsibility of the Commonwealth. The bill expires on January 1, 2025.

Local correctional facilities; fees. Eliminates certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility, including a fee to defray the costs associated with an inmate's keep, travel and other expenses associated with an inmate's work release employment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program, and telephone systems. The bill also reduces certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility, providing that the cost of items within a correctional facility's store or commissary shall not exceed 10 percent of the typical market rate for the same goods or services and that the fee associated with electronic visitation and messaging systems shall not exceed the actual costs of establishing and operating such systems. The bill removes provisions that if an inmate is unable to pay in full such fees, the inmate must enter into a deferred or installment payment agreement with the local correctional facility, or that such facility may enter into a contract for collection of such fees with a private entity, a local governing body, or the county or city treasurer. The bill also provides that, upon discharge from a local correctional facility, an inmate shall receive, in the form of a check, electronic transfer, or a debit or other account card, the balance of all accounts maintained by the facility for an inmate's use. Local correctional facilities; fees. Eliminates certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility, including a fee to defray the costs associated with an inmate's keep, travel and other expenses associated with an inmate's work release employment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program, and telephone systems. The bill also reduces certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility, providing that the cost of items within a correctional facility's store or commissary shall not exceed 10 percent of the typical market rate for the same goods or services and that the fee associated with electronic visitation and messaging systems shall not exceed the actual costs of establishing and operating such systems. The bill removes provisions that if an inmate is unable to pay in full such fees, the inmate must enter into a deferred or installment payment agreement with the local correctional facility, or that such facility may enter into a contract for collection of such fees with a private entity, a local governing body, or the county or city treasurer. The bill also provides that, upon discharge from a local correctional facility, an inmate shall receive, in the form of a check, electronic transfer, or a debit or other account card, the balance of all accounts maintained by the facility for an inmate's use.

State of good repair funds. Makes bridges with a general condition rating of no greater than five eligible for state of good repair funding. Under current law, structurally deficient bridges and highways with deficient pavement conditions are eligible for state of good repair funds. The bill eliminates the minimum and maximum percentage of the state of good repair funds that each construction district can receive.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; work group; strategies to meet behavioral health safety net workforce needs; report. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to establish a work group, which shall include representatives of the Department of Health Professions, the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards, the Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program and regional area health education centers, the Virginia Community College System, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and other relevant stakeholders, to develop a strategy to address the behavioral health safety net workforce shortage in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2022.

Insurers rehabilitation and liquidation; federal home loan bank rights. Expands upon provisions that authorize a court, in instances of insurer rehabilitation and liquidation, to issue a restraining order or injunction to an insurer to prevent the transaction of future business or other business activities. The bill further creates provisions relating to federal home loan bank rights and insurer-members of federal home loan banks related to the transfer of assets, delinquency proceedings, and requirements for federal home loan banks upon appointing a receiver for an insurer-member.

Administration of government; language access equity; report. Establishes the Interagency Language Access Working Group in the Office of the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the following membership: the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Director of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman, the Governor's Secretaries, and six nonlegislative citizen members representing organizations that represent individuals with language access needs. The Working Group is established for the purpose of maximizing state policies, resources, technical assistance, and procurement practices to further language access and equity in the Commonwealth and its state government agencies. The bill also requires each state agency to designate a language access coordinator who will be responsible for the agency's annual language access report, the requirements of which are set out in the bill. The Secretary of Administration is directed to establish criteria for state agencies to procure language interpretation and translation services and to establish a policy for compensating multilingual state employees who are required as part of their job to provide interpretation, translation, or other bilingual skills at least once a month.