Standard nonforfeiture provisions for life insurance; minimum nonforfeiture amounts; interest rates. Decreases the minimum nonforfeiture amount interest rate from one percent to 0.15 percent.

Elections; absentee voting; ballots to be sorted and results to be reported by precinct. Provides that absentee ballots processed at a central absentee precinct must be sorted by the precinct to which the voter who cast the absentee ballot is assigned and that the resulting vote totals from such ballots must be reported separately for each voter precinct.

James State Scenic River. Designates an additional 37-mile portion of the James River running through Nelson and Appomattox Counties as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. The bill also provides that nothing in the Scenic Rivers Act shall preclude the construction, use, or removal of any asset that traverses certain portions of the James River. James State Scenic River. Designates an additional 37-mile portion of the James River running through Nelson and Appomattox Counties as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. The bill also provides that nothing in the Scenic Rivers Act shall preclude the construction, use, or removal of any asset that traverses certain portions of the James River.

Safe haven protections; hotline to provide information about infant relinquishment laws and options. Directs the Department of Social Services to establish a toll-free, 24-hour hotline to make information about the Commonwealth's safe haven laws that provide for relinquishment of an infant, infant relinquishment locations, and support and resources available for parents available to the public and to make information about the hotline, including the toll-free number that may be used to contact the hotline, available on its website. The bill also directs the Department to undertake a campaign to increase public awareness of the Commonwealth's laws providing for relinquishment of an infant and the hotline established pursuant to the bill. Safe haven protections; hotline to provide information about infant relinquishment laws and options. Directs the Department of Social Services to establish a toll-free, 24-hour hotline to make information about the Commonwealth's safe haven laws that provide for relinquishment of an infant, infant relinquishment locations, and support and resources available for parents available to the public and to make information about the hotline, including the toll-free number that may be used to contact the hotline, available on its website. The bill also directs the Department to undertake a campaign to increase public awareness of the Commonwealth's laws providing for relinquishment of an infant and the hotline established pursuant to the bill.

Placement of piles; no permit required. Provides that no permit shall be required for (i) the placement of piles for an existing private pier or to establish a boat slip or mooring within the owner's riparian area or (ii) a de minimis subaqueous disturbance of 10 square feet or less for purposes of placing a pile more than 50 feet from a marked navigation channel. Placement of piles; no permit required. Provides that no permit shall be required for (i) the placement of piles for an existing private pier or to establish a boat slip or mooring within the owner's riparian area or (ii) a de minimis subaqueous disturbance of 10 square feet or less for purposes of placing a pile more than 50 feet from a marked navigation channel.

Small Estate Act; payment of funeral expenses. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the provision that any person holding a small asset of a decedent pay or deliver up to $4,000 of such asset to the undertaker or mortuary handling the funeral of the decedent upon request of a successor of the decedent.

Pro rata reimbursements for installation of certain utilities. Requires localities that adopt subdivision ordinances that permit subdividers or developers to install certain utilities to provide within that ordinance the subdivider's or developer's entitlement to pro rata reimbursement for costs of such installations. Under current law, localities are permitted to provide such entitlement but are not required to do so.

Amending death certificates. Requires the State Registrar, upon receipt of an affidavit and supporting evidence testifying to corrected information on a death certificate within 45 days of the filing of a death certificate, to amend such death certificate to reflect the new information and evidence. The bill also requires the State Registrar, upon receipt of an affidavit and supporting evidence testifying to corrected demographic information on a death certificate more than 45 days after the filing of a death certificate, to amend such death certificate to reflect the new information and evidence.

Economic development authority; Town of Louisa. Provides that the Town of Louisa may appoint from five to seven members to serve on the board of the economic development authority, with terms staggered as agreed upon by the town council. Under current law, unless specifically provided otherwise, the authority consists of seven members.

Local law enforcement; records. Requires the chief of police of a local police department that is dissolved to relinquish certain required records to the sheriff for that locality. The bill makes failure to relinquish such records to the sheriff a misdemeanor.

Commending the Honorable Michael J. Cassidy.

City of Chesapeake; local government authority to require analysis of water. Adds the City of Chesapeake to the list of localities that may establish reasonable testing requirements to determine compliance with existing federal or state drinking water quality standards and require that such testing be done prior to the issuance of building permits.

Proceeds of compromise agreements; minors; investment in college savings trust accounts. Permits a court to direct the payment of the proceeds of an approved compromise agreement, in the case of damage to the person or property of a minor, by investment in a college savings trust account for which the minor is the beneficiary pursuant to a college savings trust agreement with the Virginia College Savings Plan, provided that (i) the investment options pursuant to such agreement are restricted to target enrollment portfolios; (ii) the order or decree approving and confirming the compromise requires the minor beneficiary's parent, as that term is defined in relevant law, to act as the custodian of the account; and (iii) except in the case of a distribution from the account to be applied toward the minor beneficiary's qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in relevant federal law, the order or decree approving and confirming the compromise prohibits the minor beneficiary's parent from making any transfer, withdrawal, termination, or other account transaction unless the court provides prior approval pursuant to a written order.

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools. Adds Prince Edward County to the list of localities that, under current law, are authorized to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools.

Local taxing authority. Restricts localities from imposing a transient occupancy tax at a rate that exceeds five percent and provides that any tax revenues from a rate of greater than two percent but less than five percent shall be spent solely for tourism-related and travel-related purposes. The bill also lowers the amount of food and beverage tax that counties can impose from six percent to a total of four percent. Under the bill, a county is able to impose a food and beverage tax at up to two percent without restriction, but that would require approval via a referendum in order to impose the tax at four percent.