Department of Medical Assistance Services; violence prevention services benefit work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group to advise the Board of Medical Assistance Services on the design and implementation of a violence prevention services benefit. The bill requires the work group to include representatives from the Department and violence intervention programs, medical providers, survivors of community violence, and other members as deemed appropriate by the Department. The Department is required to report the findings of such work group to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2023. Department of Medical Assistance Services; violence prevention services benefit work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group to advise the Board of Medical Assistance Services on the design and implementation of a violence prevention services benefit. The bill requires the work group to include representatives from the Department and violence intervention programs, medical providers, survivors of community violence, and other members as deemed appropriate by the Department. The Department is required to report the findings of such work group to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2023.

Notaries; course and examination; journal and electronic record of notarial acts. Requires every applicant for a notary or electronic notary commission to take, within 90 days preceding the application, a course of instruction and to complete a written examination of such course. The bill specifies that the content of the course and the basis for the written examination shall include notarial laws, procedures, and ethics. The bill also requires any notary to keep a journal of notarial acts and any electronic notary to keep an electronic record of notarial acts and for such notary or electronic notary to keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection of such journal or electronic record.

Public utilities; fiber optic broadband lines crossing railroads. Provides that if a broadband service provider, in the construction of its works, deems it necessary to cross the works of a railroad company, the broadband service provider is required to submit an application to the railroad company. The bill requires the application to include (i) a license fee; (ii) engineering design plans, construction plans, bore plans, fraction mitigation plans, dewatering plans, rigging and lifting plans, and any other pertinent plans deemed necessary and prepared by a registered professional engineer; (iii) the location of the crossing, including whether it is located in a public right-of-way; (iv) the proposed date of commencement of work; (v) the anticipated duration of the work in the crossing; (vi) the areas in which the project personnel will work; and (vii) the contact information of the broadband service provider's point of contact. The bill requires a railroad company to acknowledge receipt of the application, to request any additional information within 15 days, and to approve the application within 35 days unless the railroad company petitions the State Corporation Commission. Public utilities; fiber optic broadband lines crossing railroads. Provides that if a broadband service provider, in the construction of its works, deems it necessary to cross the works of a railroad company, the broadband service provider is required to submit an application to the railroad company. The bill requires the application to include (i) a license fee; (ii) engineering design plans, construction plans, bore plans, fraction mitigation plans, dewatering plans, rigging and lifting plans, and any other pertinent plans deemed necessary and prepared by a registered professional engineer; (iii) the location of the crossing, including whether it is located in a public right-of-way; (iv) the proposed date of commencement of work; (v) the anticipated duration of the work in the crossing; (vi) the areas in which the project personnel will work; and (vii) the contact information of the broadband service provider's point of contact. The bill requires a railroad company to acknowledge receipt of the application, to request any additional information within 15 days, and to approve the application within 35 days unless the railroad company petitions the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires the broadband service provider to bear the cost of any such crossing, including a license fee of $2,000 for each crossing, except that for a crossing over an abandoned section of track the license fee shall not exceed $1,000 and for a crossing of a railroad company's works within a public right-of-way there is not a license fee. Under the bill, the Commonwealth shall grant a right-of-way to any broadband service provider seeking to use the right-of-way for broadband deployment to the extent that the Commonwealth owns any interest in any real property crossed by a railroad or manages any real property not owned by the Commonwealth that is crossed by a railroad. The bill requires the broadband service provider to maintain a general liability insurance policy or railroad protective liability insurance policy that meets certain requirements. The bill also requires a broadband service provider to reimburse the railroad company for direct expenses, not to exceed $5,000, in addition to the license fee. The bill provides that a railroad company may petition the State Corporation Commission within 35 days of receiving an application if it asserts (a) the license fee is not adequate compensation for the specified crossing, (b) the proposed crossing will cause undue hardship on the railroad company, or (c) the proposed crossing will create the imminent likelihood of danger to public health or safety. Under the bill, a broadband service provider may petition the Commission if a railroad company is not in compliance with the requirements of the bill. The bill requires the Commission to adjudicate any such petition within 90 days.

Conveyance of easement. Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to grant and convey an easement and right-of-way over Neabsco Beach Way at Leesylvania State Park to the River Mouth Corporation. The easement will allow ingress and egress from Daniel K. Ludwig Drive to the River Mouth Condominiums via Neabsco Beach Way.

Local Stormwater Management Fund; condominiums. Expands the allowable uses of grants from a local Stormwater Management Fund, established under current law to grant funds to private property owners and common interest communities for certain stormwater management and erosion control projects, to include joint flooding mitigation projects of condominium owners.

Study; Department of Education; feasibility of expanding waiver of teacher licensure requirements for certain hard-to-fill educator positions; report. Requests the Department of Education to study options for and the feasibility of expanding the criteria for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements for certain hard-to-fill educator positions, such as advanced or specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and computer science classes. In conducting its study, the Department shall (i) review the current law on granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements; (ii) consider options for expanding the criteria for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements, with a focus on removing barriers to employing individuals to teach hard-to-fill elective and non-core courses, such as advanced or specialized STEM and computer science classes; and (iii) make recommendations on policies for granting a waiver of teacher licensure requirements, including amendments to the current law or pertinent regulations.

Public institutions of higher education; duties of governing board; student tuition and fees; requests for certain information. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies and procedures requiring the release to each student or, if such student is a dependent, the parent of each student enrolled at such institution of an itemized list of how such student's individual annual tuition and other mandatory fees are allocated, including the exact amount of such student's tuition and mandatory fees that are used to subsidize financial aid grants and scholarships for other students at such institution. The bill requires such policies and procedures to include a provision allowing any student or the parent of any student to opt out of receiving such itemized list.

Virginia Public Records Act; confidentiality of certain archived records. Provides that medical and educational records made confidential by law shall remain so after being archived by The Library of Virginia.

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.

Marriage lawful regardless of sex of parties. Clarifies that a marriage between two parties is lawful regardless of the sex of such parties, provided that such marriage is not otherwise prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. Marriage lawful regardless of sex of parties. Clarifies that a marriage between two parties is lawful regardless of the sex of such parties, provided that such marriage is not otherwise prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Public institutions of higher education; student accounts; Public institutions of higher education; student accounts; withholding transcripts. Prohibits any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from conditioning the provision of an academic transcript to a current or former student on the payment of an outstanding debt to such institution if the student is requesting the transcript for the purpose of (i) applying for employment or (ii) pursuing opportunities in the Armed Forces or National Guard. The bill provides that in the event that a current or former student with an outstanding debt requests an academic transcript for any of the purposes set forth in clause (i) or (ii), the institution shall release such student's transcript directly to the employer, the prospective employer, or the applicable recruitment office. The bill also prohibits any public institution of higher education from conditioning the provision of an academic transcript to a current or former student on the repayment of an outstanding debt if (a) the outstanding debt is less than $500 or (b) the student has enrolled in a repayment plan and, as of the date of the request, has made at least three consecutive monthly payments. Finally, the bill requires each public institution of higher education to clearly and prominently indicate on any materials or webpages relating to academic transcript requests the purposes and conditions dictating the provision of an academic transcript to a current or former student with an outstanding debt.

Powers of cities and certain towns; vacant building registration fees; civil penalty. Increases the maximum annual registration fee that cities and certain towns can impose on an owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" from $100 to $500. The bill increases the civil penalty for failing to pay such fee from $200 to $500 for the first violation and $2000 for any subsequent violations and increases the civil penalty for failure to register such real property in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body or in other areas designated as blighted from $400 to $1,000 for the first violation and $4,000 for any subsequent violations.

Board of Education; standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. Requires the Board of Education to make recommendations to the General Assembly for amendments to the Standards of Quality to establish standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. The bill requires such recommendations to include standards for the percentage of the current replacement value of a public school building that a school board should budget for the maintenance and operations of the building and such other standards as the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to solicit the input of relevant stakeholders and the public in developing such recommendations. Finally, the bill requires the Board to submit its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than July 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization. Board of Education; standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. Requires the Board of Education to make recommendations to the General Assembly for amendments to the Standards of Quality to establish standards for the maintenance and operations, renovation, and new construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings. The bill requires such recommendations to include standards for the percentage of the current replacement value of a public school building that a school board should budget for the maintenance and operations of the building and such other standards as the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to solicit the input of relevant stakeholders and the public in developing such recommendations. Finally, the bill requires the Board to submit its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than July 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization.

State and local prohibition on single-use plastic and expanded polystyrene products. Prohibits state agencies beginning July 1, 2024, from contracting for the purchase, sale, and distribution of (i) single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, or water bottles and (ii) single-use plastic food service containers and expanded polystyrene food service containers, except during a declared state of emergency. The bill directs the Department of General Services to post public notice of all prohibited goods on its public procurement website. The bill also authorizes any locality to prohibit by ordinance the purchase, sale, or provision, whether free or for a cost, of (a) single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, or water bottles and (b) single-use plastic food service containers and expanded polystyrene food service containers, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill.

Common interest community associations; prohibition on use of nominating committees. Prohibits property owners' associations and unit owners' associations pursuant to the Property Owners' Association Act and the Virginia Condominium Act, as the case may be, from utilizing a nominating committee or similar entity for the purpose of soliciting, nominating, selecting, or appointing a member or unit owner or rejecting an otherwise qualified member or unit owner for a position on a property owners' association's board of directors or unit owners' association's executive board.