Guardianship or conservatorship; primary health care provider of respondent. Requires the name, location, and post office address of a respondent's primary health care provider, if any, to be included in the petition for guardianship or conservatorship. Under current law, a copy of the notice of a hearing to appoint a guardian or conservator, together with a copy of the accompanying appointment petition, must be mailed by the petitioner before such hearing to all individuals and to all entities whose names and post office addresses appear in the petition. The bill further requires the guardian ad litem appointed to represent the interests of the respondent in a guardianship or conservatorship case to make a good faith effort to consult directly with such respondent's primary health care provider. Guardianship or conservatorship; primary health care provider of respondent. Requires the name, location, and post office address of a respondent's primary health care provider, if any, to be included in the petition for guardianship or conservatorship. Under current law, a copy of the notice of a hearing to appoint a guardian or conservator, together with a copy of the accompanying appointment petition, must be mailed by the petitioner before such hearing to all individuals and to all entities whose names and post office addresses appear in the petition. The bill further requires the guardian ad litem appointed to represent the interests of the respondent in a guardianship or conservatorship case to make a good faith effort to consult directly with such respondent's primary health care provider.

Elections; protection of election officials; penalty. Adds to the list of protected voters any election official or employee of an election official. Protected voters are permitted by law to provide on the application for voter registration, in addition to the voter's residence street address, a post office box address located within the Commonwealth, which would be the address included on (i) lists of registered voters and persons who voted, (ii) voter registration records made available for public inspection, and (iii) lists of absentee voter applicants. The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an election official or employee of an election official from administering elections. Under current law it is only a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an officer of election at a location being used for voting from holding an election.

Virtual school programs; virtual through-year growth assessment administration. Permits, subject to certain enumerated conditions, any student enrolled in a virtual school program to take any beginning-of-year or mid-year growth assessment required pursuant to relevant law in a virtual setting that best meets the educational needs of the student. Virtual school programs; virtual through-year growth assessment administration. Permits, subject to certain enumerated conditions, any student enrolled in a virtual school program to take any beginning-of-year or mid-year growth assessment required pursuant to relevant law in a virtual setting that best meets the educational needs of the student.

Celebrating the life of Walker Leland Mitchell.

Charter; City of Roanoke; municipal elections. Makes various changes related to the City of Roanoke's shift to November municipal elections.

Celebrating the life of Gregory Lee Kees.

Crash reports; inspection by certain persons. Changes the person authorized to inspect a crash report from the present owner of a vehicle or property involved in the crash to the owner of such vehicle or property at the time of the crash.

Public institutions of higher education; new programs of instruction; approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and certain legislative committees required. Prohibits any public institution of higher education from implementing a new program of instruction or implementing a new curriculum for an existing program of instruction without first obtaining the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the House Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority; powers and duties; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality; report. Provides that the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority (the Authority) has the power and duty to (i) support energy development projects, including pump storage hydropower, energy storage, hydrogen production and uses, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, and advanced wind and solar energy; (ii) promote energy development projects on closed power plant sites, brownfield sites, former coal mine sites, reclaimed coal mine sites, abandoned mine sites lands, and lands adjacent thereto; (iii) promote energy workforce development and energy supply chain development; (iv) identify and work with, through mutually agreed collaborations, the Commonwealth’s research and development partners, in advancing efforts related to energy development in Southwest Virginia; and (v) promote the capture and beneficial use of coal mine methane from active, inactive, and abandoned coal mines as a low-carbon intensity feedstock for manufacturing and energy generation projects located in Southwest Virginia. Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority; powers and duties; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality; report. Provides that the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority (the Authority) has the power and duty to (i) support energy development projects, including pump storage hydropower, energy storage, hydrogen production and uses, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, and advanced wind and solar energy; (ii) promote energy development projects on closed power plant sites, brownfield sites, former coal mine sites, reclaimed coal mine sites, abandoned mine sites lands, and lands adjacent thereto; (iii) promote energy workforce development and energy supply chain development; (iv) identify and work with, through mutually agreed collaborations, the Commonwealth’s research and development partners, in advancing efforts related to energy development in Southwest Virginia; and (v) promote the capture and beneficial use of coal mine methane from active, inactive, and abandoned coal mines as a low-carbon intensity feedstock for manufacturing and energy generation projects located in Southwest Virginia. The bill defines "energy development project" as any activity that generates, produces, or stores energy, any energy efficiency system, and any supporting ancillary activities located within Southwest Virginia and includes interests in land, improvements, and ancillary facilities and research, development, commercialization, and deployment activities designated by the Authority to the nonprofit collaborative. The bill defines "nonprofit collaborative" as a multi-site nonprofit innovative energy technology testbed established as a collaborative effort of the Department of Energy, the Authority, and the Authority's business partners to support the Authority’s purpose through energy technology research, development, commercialization, and deployment.

Public high schools; personnel; career coach required. Requires each school board to employ at least one career coach in each public high school in the local school division whose duties are required to include assisting students with securing internships, externships, and credentialing opportunities as required by the Profile of a Virginia Graduate, providing students with information on apprenticeship programs, and connecting students to career opportunities. The bill provides that each such individual shall be employed in addition to and not as a replacement for the required school counselor positions, specialized student support positions, or support services positions.

Stolen or embezzled vehicle; notification of toll operator. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, if a vehicle registration has been suspended due to being reported stolen or embezzled, to include notice of such suspension using the words "stolen or embezzled" when providing vehicle owner information to the Department of Transportation or other toll operator requesting such information for the purpose of toll enforcement and prohibits the issuance of a citation for an unpaid toll to the owner of such vehicle if such suspension was in effect at the time of the violation.

Workers' compensation; Department of State Police; State Police Officers' Retirement System; presumption for arson, bomb, and hazardous materials investigators. Expands the workers' compensation presumption of compensability for certain cancers causing the death or disability of certain employees who have completed five years of service in their position to include (i) arson investigators or bomb investigators employed by the Department of State Police and (ii) members of the State Police Officers' Retirement System who collect, analyze, or handle hazardous materials, infectious biological substances and radiological agents, fentanyl, or methamphetamine.

Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; local governing bodies, school boards, and primaries for any office. Allows ranked choice voting to be used in any state-run primary election at the option of the political party for which the primary is being held and changes from discretionary to mandatory the provision that the State Board of Elections promulgate regulations for the proper and efficient administration of elections determined by ranked choice voting. The bill also allows elections of members of a local governing body or school board to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Current law only allows elections of members of a county board of supervisors or city council to be conducted by ranked choice voting.

Adoption and foster care; home study reciprocity. Provides that home studies conducted by a local board of social services or licensed child-placing agency for the purpose of placing a child in a foster home or with an adoptive family shall, on and after January 1, 2024, be transferable between all localities, local boards, and licensed child-placing agencies within the Commonwealth at the request of the prospective foster parent or the prospective adoptive parent, subject to any time limitations or other requirements imposed by law or regulation. The bill requires all home studies to be conducted in accordance with the Mutual Family Assessment home study template and any addenda thereto developed by the Department of Social Services. The bill directs the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations that establish market rates for such home studies. Adoption and foster care; home study reciprocity. Provides that home studies conducted by a local board of social services or licensed child-placing agency for the purpose of placing a child in a foster home or with an adoptive family shall, on and after January 1, 2024, be transferable between all localities, local boards, and licensed child-placing agencies within the Commonwealth at the request of the prospective foster parent or the prospective adoptive parent, subject to any time limitations or other requirements imposed by law or regulation. The bill requires all home studies to be conducted in accordance with the Mutual Family Assessment home study template and any addenda thereto developed by the Department of Social Services. The bill directs the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations that establish market rates for such home studies.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; competitive sealed bidding; Invitation to Bid; required statements. Requires every written Invitation to Bid issued pursuant to the Virginia Public Procurement Act to incorporate certain statements of qualifications for potential contractors related to responsible contracting, direct hiring, prevailing wages, and participation in apprenticeship programs.