Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; regulation of rates. Provides, that in any proceeding to establish base rates for Appalachian Electric Power or Dominion Energy Virginia conducted by the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), if the Commission determines in its sole discretion that the utility's existing base rates will, on a going-forward basis, either produce (i) revenues in excess of the utility's authorized rate of return or (ii) revenues below the utility's authorized rate of return, then the Commission is required to order any reductions or increases, as applicable and necessary, to such base rates that it deems appropriate to ensure the resulting base rates (a) are just and reasonable and (b) provide the utility an opportunity to recover its costs of providing services over the rate period and earn a fair rate of return.

State Board of Elections; adopt policy regarding counting and reporting of absentee ballots in a central absentee voter precinct. Directs the State Board of Elections to adopt a policy regarding the counting and reporting of absentee ballots in a central absentee voter precinct in order to ensure that (i) the results of absentee ballots cast early in person are reported separately from mailed absentee ballots and are posted promptly on the State Board website and (ii) the results of all absentee ballots cast by voters are reported by precinct in accordance with law and are posted on the State Board website no later than noon on the seventh calendar day following the election. The bill requires such policy to be adopted no later than September 1, 2023, and the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections to be notified of such policy within seven days of its adoption. State Board of Elections; adopt policy regarding counting and reporting of absentee ballots in a central absentee voter precinct. Directs the State Board of Elections to adopt a policy regarding the counting and reporting of absentee ballots in a central absentee voter precinct in order to ensure that (i) the results of absentee ballots cast early in person are reported separately from mailed absentee ballots and are posted promptly on the State Board website and (ii) the results of all absentee ballots cast by voters are reported by precinct in accordance with law and are posted on the State Board website no later than noon on the seventh calendar day following the election. The bill requires such policy to be adopted no later than September 1, 2023, and the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections to be notified of such policy within seven days of its adoption.

Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting.

Firearm locks required for sale or transfer of handguns; warning against accessibility to children; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer any handgun to any person (i) other than a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer, unless the transferee is provided with a locking device for that handgun, or (ii) unless the handgun is accompanied by a warning, in conspicuous and legible type in capital letters printed on a label affixed to the gun and on a separate sheet of paper included within the packaging enclosing the handgun, that handguns should be locked and kept away from children and that there may be civil and criminal liability for failing to do so. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement and governmental agencies.

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing boards; curriculum transparency. Directs the governing board of each public institution of higher education to (i) adopt policies or guidelines for soliciting industry input in the institution's program review processes and curriculum development at the unit or department level and (ii) develop procedures for incorporating the attainment of industry credentials into the institution's existing degree programs to increase degree relevancy and ensure more seamless pathways from higher education to the workforce.

Yielding or reducing speed for stationary vehicles; vehicles displaying hazard lights, caution signs, or road flares. Requires drivers to make a lane change or reduce speed when passing stationary vehicles that have activated the vehicular hazard warning signal flashers, displayed caution signs, or been marked with properly lit flares or torches on certain highways when safe and reasonable to do so and makes a violation of this requirement a traffic infraction.

Civil commitment of sexually violent predators; penalty. Creates a Class 6 felony for any civilly committed sexually violent predator who tampers with or in any way attempts to circumvent the operation of his GPS equipment while on conditional release.

Sports betting; adjusted gross revenue. Reduces the exclusion from a sports betting permit holder's adjusted gross revenue, on which it is taxed, all cash and the cash value of merchandise paid out as winnings to bettors, and the value of all bonuses or promotions provided to bettors as an incentive to place or as a result of their having placed Internet sports betting wagers, by eliminating such exclusion for the first 12 months of sports betting activity for a permit holder, and subsequently limiting such exclusion to no more than 1.75 percent of the total amount of all sports betting wagers placed with that permit holder each month after the first 12 months of sports betting activity for a permit holder. Under current law, pursuant to the 2022 Special Session I appropriation act, after the first 12 months of sports betting activity, a permit holder is prohibited from excluding from adjusted gross revenue any bonuses or promotions provided to bettors as an incentive to place or as a result of their having placed Internet sports betting wagers. Sports betting; adjusted gross revenue. Reduces the exclusion from a sports betting permit holder's adjusted gross revenue, on which it is taxed, all cash and the cash value of merchandise paid out as winnings to bettors, and the value of all bonuses or promotions provided to bettors as an incentive to place or as a result of their having placed Internet sports betting wagers, by eliminating such exclusion for the first 12 months of sports betting activity for a permit holder, and subsequently limiting such exclusion to no more than 1.75 percent of the total amount of all sports betting wagers placed with that permit holder each month after the first 12 months of sports betting activity for a permit holder. Under current law, pursuant to the 2022 Special Session I appropriation act, after the first 12 months of sports betting activity, a permit holder is prohibited from excluding from adjusted gross revenue any bonuses or promotions provided to bettors as an incentive to place or as a result of their having placed Internet sports betting wagers.

Tuition Assistance Grant Program; eligible institutions; proprietary private institutions of higher education. Declares eligible for participation in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program proprietary private institutions of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, or professional training or education and not to provide religious training or theological education and that meet certain other criteria, including maintaining a principal place of business in the Commonwealth and maintaining accreditation. Under current law, eligibility is limited to nonprofit private institutions of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, or professional training or education and not to provide religious training or theological education and that meet certain other criteria, including maintaining a principal place of business in the Commonwealth and maintaining accreditation.

Commending Dr. Donald James Finley.

Wage or salary history inquiries prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote a prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospective employee for not providing wage or salary history; (v) failing or refusing to provide a prospective employee the wage or salary range for the position for which the prospective employee is applying prior to discussing compensation and at any time upon the prospective employee's request; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater; reasonable attorney fees and costs; and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. The bill also provides for civil penalties for violations not to exceed $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second violation, and $4,000 for a third or subsequent violation.

School boards; codes of student conduct; student discipline alternatives. Requires the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct criteria for the use of non-exclusionary student discipline measures. The bill requires each school board's code of student conduct to be consistent with but permits such code to be more stringent than such guidelines and the Board of Education's guidelines for alternatives to short-term and long-term suspension. The bill also requires each such code of student conduct to include a requirement to utilize as alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and exclusion other interventions such as positive behavior incentives, mediation, peer-to-peer counseling, and community service and to include a requirement to report on the use of student instructional supports and behavioral interventions as categorized by the Department of Education in its student behavior and administrative response data collection.

K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; designation of interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, and club athletic teams and sports based on biological sex; student participation in female teams or sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public elementary or secondary school or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex: (i) males, men, or boys; (ii) females, women, or girls; or (iii) coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both (a) males, men, or boys and (b) females, women, or girls. The bill requires identification of the student's biological sex on an athletics eligibility form signed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to be submitted by any such student who desires to try out for or participate in an interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females, women, or girls from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against public school or institution of higher education based on a violation of the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student that suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or institution or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, institution, athletic association, or organization.

Guardianship; procedures for restriction of communication, visitation, or interaction. Provides that a guardian shall not restrict an incapacitated person's ability to communicate with, visit, or interact with other persons with whom the incapacitated person has an established relationship, unless such restriction is reasonable to prevent physical, mental, or emotional harm to or financial exploitation of such incapacitated person. Under current law, guardians are directed to not unreasonably restrict any such communication, visitation, or interaction. The bill further requires that the guardian provide written notice to any restricted person stating (i) the nature and terms of the restriction, (ii) the reasons why the guardian believes the restriction is necessary, and (iii) how the restricted person may challenge such restriction in court. The bill provides a procedure by which an incapacitated person or a person whose communication, visits, or interaction with an incapacitated person has been restricted may challenge such restriction in court. Guardianship; procedures for restriction of communication, visitation, or interaction. Provides that a guardian shall not restrict an incapacitated person's ability to communicate with, visit, or interact with other persons with whom the incapacitated person has an established relationship, unless such restriction is reasonable to prevent physical, mental, or emotional harm to or financial exploitation of such incapacitated person. Under current law, guardians are directed to not unreasonably restrict any such communication, visitation, or interaction. The bill further requires that the guardian provide written notice to any restricted person stating (i) the nature and terms of the restriction, (ii) the reasons why the guardian believes the restriction is necessary, and (iii) how the restricted person may challenge such restriction in court. The bill provides a procedure by which an incapacitated person or a person whose communication, visits, or interaction with an incapacitated person has been restricted may challenge such restriction in court.

Insurance agents; title insurance and viatical settlement. Removes the requirement that an individual applying to be a title agent provide a sworn statement that the applicant has completed the required pre-licensing course and requires that such an applicant affirm his completion of such pre-licensing course. The bill requires that viatical settlement brokers affirm that they have an anti-fraud plan when submitting an initial application or renewal for a broker's license and that the anti-fraud plan be made available to the State Corporation Commission upon request.