Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act. Makes various changes to the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act. The bill (i) requires excavators to review updates in the 811 positive response system and conduct additional safety verifications before digging, (ii) allows an excavator to schedule a locate request 12 days in advance, (iii) creates a criminal penalty for any person who knowingly and intentionally excavates after being notified by a representative of the Commission of a determination that such excavation constitutes an immediate threat to safety or property and such representative requests that excavation cease, (iv) increases from $2,500 to $10,000 the maximum civil penalty for violations of the Act, and (v) updates notification requirements.

Judgment or order for pregnancy and delivery expenses. Provides that in the event that the initial petition for the establishment of parentage is commenced within six months of the live birth of a child, the judgment or order shall, except for good cause shown or as otherwise agreed to by the parties, apportion between the legal parents, in proportion to the legal parents' gross incomes, as used for calculating the monthly child support obligation, (i) the mother's unreimbursed pregnancy and delivery expenses and (ii) those reasonable expenses incurred by either parent for the benefit of the child prior to the birth of the child.

Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority; Virginia Tourism Authority; Commonwealth of Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority; adoption of procurement policies; exemptions. Requires the governing boards of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, the Virginia Tourism Authority, and the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (the Authorities) to adopt policies for the procurement of goods and services by the respective authority. The bill requires such policies to incorporate certain provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA); under current law, the Authorities are exempt from the VPPA. The bill requires the Authorities to submit such policies every five years to the Governor, the Department of General Services, and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the House Committee on General Laws beginning November 1, 2024.

Infants left in newborn safety devices or left with hospital or emergency medical services agency personnel; placement protocol. Establishes protocols for the placement of infants who are left in newborn safety devices or who are left with any personnel of a hospital or emergency medical services agency. Under the bill, a hospital or emergency medical services agency who receives an infant left in a newborn safety device or left with any personnel of a hospital or emergency medical services agency shall immediately transport the infant to a hospital for a physical examination and contact the local board of social services to inform it that an infant has been left at a hospital or emergency medical services agency and of the location of the hospital to which the infant was transported. The bill directs local boards of social services to contact licensed child-placing agencies from a rotating list maintained by the local board to take custody of the infant. Under the bill, the hospital or emergency medical services agency that receives the infant shall complete the Commonwealth's program of medical assistance services application process on behalf of the infant. The bill also describes the requirements for licensed child-placing agencies to be placed on the rotating list maintained by the local board of social services.

Child Pornography Registry; required information. Requires the Child Pornography Registry to include hash values or other applicable identification method of all known or suspected child pornography obtained during the course of a criminal investigation or presented as evidence and used in any conviction. Under current law, the Registry is required to include copies of such content.

State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; training for members of appointed school boards. Adds members of appointed school boards to the list of persons for whom the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council is required to provide certain training sessions. The bill also changes from January 15 to February 1 the annual date for certain employees to file a disclosure statement with the Council. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council.

Joint transportation meeting; National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to invite a Virginia representative of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Steering Committee to participate in and present information at the joint transportation meeting held annually concerning projects in Planning District 8. The bill clarifies that such member is not required to participate in the meeting. The bill requires the meeting to be made available online in a manner that allows the public to contemporaneously view and hear the meeting and provides that if such transmission fails the meeting is not required to recess. Joint transportation meeting; National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to invite a Virginia representative of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Steering Committee to participate in and present information at the joint transportation meeting held annually concerning projects in Planning District 8. The bill clarifies that such member is not required to participate in the meeting. The bill requires the meeting to be made available online in a manner that allows the public to contemporaneously view and hear the meeting and provides that if such transmission fails the meeting is not required to recess.

Tax exemptions; Confederacy organizations. Eliminates the exemption from state recordation taxes for the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and eliminates the tax-exempt designation for property owned by the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the General Organization of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Pharmacist scope of practice; initiation of treatment for certain diseases and conditions. Allows pharmacists to initiate treatment with, dispense, or administer controlled substances or devices for the initiation of treatment of group A Streptococcus bacteria infection, influenza virus infection, COVID-19 virus infection, and urinary tract infection to persons 18 years of age or older with whom the pharmacist has a bona fide pharmacist-patient relationship in accordance with regulations set forth by the Board of Pharmacy. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to adopt a statewide protocol for the initiation of treatment with and dispensing and administering of drugs and devices by pharmacists in accordance with the provisions of the bill by November 1, 2023. The bill provides that such protocol shall be developed by a work group consisting of representatives from the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine, and the Department of Health and directs the Board of Pharmacy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Catawba Hospital; substance abuse treatment and recovery services. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to transform Catawba Hospital into a state-of-the-art facility at which a continuum of substance abuse treatment and recovery services is provided in addition to the array of behavioral health and other services currently provided to geriatric individuals in need of mental health care.

Commending the Library of Virginia.

Paternity; genetic tests to determine parentage; relief from paternity. Requires the court to set aside a final judgment, court order, administrative order, obligation to pay child support, or any legal determination of paternity if a scientifically reliable genetic test establishes the exclusion of the individual named as a father in the legal determination of paternity, except for good cause shown that such relief is not in the best interest of the child. Under current law, such a set aside is discretionary. The bill further requires that an alleged father of a child be informed of his option to request the administering of a scientifically reliable genetic test to determine paternity prior to being entered as the father on a birth certificate. Paternity; genetic tests to determine parentage; relief from paternity. Requires the court to set aside a final judgment, court order, administrative order, obligation to pay child support, or any legal determination of paternity if a scientifically reliable genetic test establishes the exclusion of the individual named as a father in the legal determination of paternity, except for good cause shown that such relief is not in the best interest of the child. Under current law, such a set aside is discretionary. The bill further requires that an alleged father of a child be informed of his option to request the administering of a scientifically reliable genetic test to determine paternity prior to being entered as the father on a birth certificate.

Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated. Requires a court to establish a program and allow any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of community service work or work performed while incarcerated, defined in the bill as any work done on or after July 1, 2020, by a person confined in any penal or corrective institution of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions who is paid a wage that is less than the Virginia minimum wage. The bill requires such program be available during imprisonment in a local, regional, or state correctional facility. The bill provides that a person who is performing work while incarcerated shall be credited at the same rate as the community service work rate less any wages received. Under current law, a court is required to establish a program for providing an option for community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs but offering such option is not mandatory.

Study; Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission; waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at certain comprehensive community colleges; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the feasibility of waiving tuition and mandatory fees for Virginia students who attend Mountain Empire Community College, Southwest Virginia Community College, and Virginia Highlands Community College and report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2023.

Electric utilities; energy efficiency savings targets. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish for Dominion Energy Virginia annual energy efficiency savings targets for customers who are low-income, elderly, disabled, or veterans of military service. The bill requires the Commission, in establishing such targets, to seek to optimize energy efficiency and the health and safety benefits of utility energy efficiency programs. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia to make best efforts to coordinate such energy efficiency programs with any health and safety upgrades provided through energy efficiency programs authorized by provisions of the Code of Virginia, when reasonably feasible to do so and at the utility's sole discretion. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2031.