Constitutional amendment (first reference); real property tax exemption for new construction of housing. Allows the General Assembly to authorize the governing body of any county, city, or town to provide for the exemption from local real property taxation, or a portion thereof, of real estate on which housing is to be constructed.

Renewable energy; biomass-fired facilities; Department of Forestry advisory panel; report. Removes the renewable energy requirement for each Phase I and Phase II Utility to retire all biomass-fired electric generating units that do not co-fire with coal by December 31, 2028. The bill provides that biomass-fired facilities may qualify as renewable energy standard eligible sources, provided that they are in operation as of January 1, 2023, and (i) supply no more than 10 percent of their annual net electrical generation to the electric grid or no more than 15 percent of their annual total useful energy to any entity other than the manufacturing facility to which the generating source is interconnected and are fueled by forest-product manufacturing materials harvested in accordance with best management practices or (ii) are owned by a Phase I or Phase II Utility, have less than 52 megawatts capacity, and are fueled by forest-product manufacturing residuals, biowastes, or biomass harvested in accordance with best management practices. The bill directs the Department of Forestry to convene an advisory panel to examine the use of forest-related materials, agricultural-related materials, and solid woody waste materials for biomass-fired electric generating units in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of the advisory panel's findings and any recommendations to the House Committee on Commerce and Energy and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor no later than December 1, 2024. The bill further directs the Department of Forestry to develop by December 1, 2023, best management practices for the sustainable harvesting of biomass for biomass-fired electric generating units that are subject to the provisions of the bill.

Elections; absentee voting; witness requirement; required information on return ballot envelope; unique identifier. Removes the witness requirement for absentee ballots and replaces it with the requirement that the voter provide the last four digits of his social security number and his birth year. The bill provides that the unique identifier assigned to the voter in the voter registration system will be accepted in place of the last four digits of the voter's social security number for such purposes for those voters whose registration includes a statement of affirmation that they have never been issued a social security number. Elections; absentee voting; witness requirement; required information on return ballot envelope; unique identifier. Removes the witness requirement for absentee ballots and replaces it with the requirement that the voter provide the last four digits of his social security number and his birth year. The bill provides that the unique identifier assigned to the voter in the voter registration system will be accepted in place of the last four digits of the voter's social security number for such purposes for those voters whose registration includes a statement of affirmation that they have never been issued a social security number.

Fines, costs, etc.; time period to commence collection activity. Extends from 90 days without payment to 180 days without payment the period of delinquency for which the clerk of the circuit court or district court is required to submit monthly lists of delinquent accounts. The bill also provides that no fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties imposed in a criminal case or a traffic infraction shall be subject to collection nor shall any collection fees be assessed for (i) any period of time defendant is incarcerated and (ii) a period of 180 days following date of release from incarcerated if the sentence includes a term of active incarceration. Fines, costs, etc.; time period to commence collection activity. Extends from 90 days without payment to 180 days without payment the period of delinquency for which the clerk of the circuit court or district court is required to submit monthly lists of delinquent accounts. The bill also provides that no fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties imposed in a criminal case or a traffic infraction shall be subject to collection nor shall any collection fees be assessed for (i) any period of time defendant is incarcerated and (ii) a period of 180 days following date of release from incarcerated if the sentence includes a term of active incarceration.

Procurement of dogs and cats for research; public institutions of higher education. Permits public institutions of higher education to purchase or otherwise acquire dogs and cats for use in research, experimentation, or testing from any person or company only if the State Veterinarian or his assistant has inspected such person or company and has determined that no violations of state law regarding the care, control, or protection of or property rights in animals have occurred.

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.

Distribution of recordation tax to counties and cities. Increases the annual distribution of recordation tax revenues to cities and counties from $20 million to $60 million.

Marine Resources Commission and local wetlands boards; permit applications; public notice. Requires notices to the public for certain permit hearings relating to fisheries and habitat of the tidal waters to be posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website and reduces the frequency at which such hearing notices are required to be published in a newspaper of general circulation from once a week for two weeks to at least once in the seven days prior to such hearing. The bill allows the Marine Resources Commission or a local wetlands board to email notice of a certain public hearing to any applicant for such permit and any other parties interested in such application and also requires such notice to be posted on the Commission's website at least 14 days prior to such hearing. The bill also requires localities that have adopted a coastal primary sand dune or wetlands zoning ordinance to amend any such ordinance to conform with the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2024. Marine Resources Commission and local wetlands boards; permit applications; public notice. Requires notices to the public for certain permit hearings relating to fisheries and habitat of the tidal waters to be posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website and reduces the frequency at which such hearing notices are required to be published in a newspaper of general circulation from once a week for two weeks to at least once in the seven days prior to such hearing. The bill allows the Marine Resources Commission or a local wetlands board to email notice of a certain public hearing to any applicant for such permit and any other parties interested in such application and also requires such notice to be posted on the Commission's website at least 14 days prior to such hearing. The bill also requires localities that have adopted a coastal primary sand dune or wetlands zoning ordinance to amend any such ordinance to conform with the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2024.

Financial institutions; certain investments by banks permitted. Provides that the prohibition on a bank from investing its funds in certain entities does not prevent a bank from (i) investing in (a) a community development corporation; (b) an entity formed primarily to support community-based economic development; (c) an entity qualifying for the federal new markets tax credit; (d) an entity formed for a predominantly civic, community, or public purpose; (e) an entity making qualified rehabilitation expenditures with respect to a qualified rehabilitated building or certified historic structure, or a similar state historic tax credit program; or (f) a rural business investment company; (ii) engaging in any tax equity finance transaction permissible for a national bank or federal savings association; or (iii) investing, subject to such conditions as the Commissioner of Financial Institutions may prescribe, in any community and economic development entity, community development project, or other public welfare investment.

Financial institutions; earned wage access services; stakeholder process; report. Directs the Bureau of Financial Institutions of the State Corporation Commission to convene a stakeholder process regarding the provision or offering of earned wage access services that includes representatives from providers of earned wage access services, consumer advocates, and the Office of the Attorney General. The bill requires the Bureau of Financial Institutions to report its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2023.

Treasury Board; powers and duties. Provides that the Treasury Board shall have the power and duty to make recommendations to the Governor on bonds, public-private partnerships, or other financing arrangements executed by private foundations for housing or other capital projects with respect to which an educational institution that is not a covered institution is obligated to provide financial or other types of support.

Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing grants on a competitive basis to any school board that seeks to (i) establish, expand, or restore high school programs that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning industry-recognized certifications or credentials or (ii) establish, expand, or restore middle school programs that encourage and recruit students to participate in high school programs that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning industry-recognized certifications or credentials. Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Public School Trades Incentive Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing grants on a competitive basis to any school board that seeks to (i) establish, expand, or restore high school programs that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning industry-recognized certifications or credentials or (ii) establish, expand, or restore middle school programs that encourage and recruit students to participate in high school programs that teach students skilled trades that lead to earning industry-recognized certifications or credentials.

Behavioral Health Commission; membership. Adds two nonlegislative citizen members who have received or are receiving services from the Commonwealth's behavioral health system, one nonlegislative citizen member who is a local law-enforcement officer serving a jurisdiction located in the Commonwealth, one nonlegislative citizen member who is a behavioral health services provider providing services in the Commonwealth, and one nonlegislative citizen member who is a certified peer recovery specialist or registered peer recovery specialist to the membership of the Behavioral Health Commission.

Perinatal health care providers; implicit bias training. Requires the Board of Health to amend its regulations to require that each hospital develop and implement policies requiring all perinatal health care providers to complete an in-person and interactive training on implicit bias.

Income tax; standard deduction. Provides that for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2022, Virginia's standard deduction shall be in an amount equivalent to the federal standard deduction.