Enhanced earned sentence credits; exemptions; firearm-related offense; felony conviction during confinement. Removes any person convicted of a felony offense involving a firearm from eligibility for enhanced earned sentence credits and reduces enhanced earned sentence credit to zero for a person who receives a felony conviction for an offense that occurred during confinement. Enhanced earned sentence credits; exemptions; firearm-related offense; felony conviction during confinement. Removes any person convicted of a felony offense involving a firearm from eligibility for enhanced earned sentence credits and reduces enhanced earned sentence credit to zero for a person who receives a felony conviction for an offense that occurred during confinement.

Certificate of public need; expedited review process; work group. Requires the Department of Health to establish an expedited review process for certain projects involving addition of imaging equipment, addition of a new ambulatory or outpatient surgery center, addition of operating rooms at an existing ambulatory or outpatient surgery center, and addition of psychiatric beds or conversion of existing beds at a medical care facility to psychiatric beds and requires the Board of Health to include in regulations governing the certificate of public need program a provision for the development of review criteria and standards for specific medical care facilities and health care services for each health planning region that take into account the unique needs and characteristics of such region. The bill also amends the definition of "charity care," redefines "clinical health service" as "health care service," and adds a definition of "indigent" for purposes of the certificate of public need program. The bill directs the Department of Health to convene a work group of stakeholders to make recommendations for funding options to alleviate the risk of financial insolvency for public and private hospitals with fewer than 100 licensed beds in the event of a future public health emergency. The bill requires the work group to report its recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions by November 1, 2023.

Health insurance; mandated coverage for hearing aids for minors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children 18 years of age or younger when an otolaryngologist recommends such hearing aids and related services. The coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months. The bill prohibits the State Corporation Commission from using any special fund revenues dedicated to the Commission's other functions and duties, including revenues from utility consumer taxes or fees from licensees regulated by the Commission or fees paid to the office of the clerk of the Commission, to fund the defrayal of costs for the coverage provided as required by federal law. The bill applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2024. Health insurance; mandated coverage for hearing aids for minors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for hearing aids and related services for children 18 years of age or younger when an otolaryngologist recommends such hearing aids and related services. The coverage includes one hearing aid per hearing-impaired ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months. The bill prohibits the State Corporation Commission from using any special fund revenues dedicated to the Commission's other functions and duties, including revenues from utility consumer taxes or fees from licensees regulated by the Commission or fees paid to the office of the clerk of the Commission, to fund the defrayal of costs for the coverage provided as required by federal law. The bill applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2024.

Law-enforcement officers; protected personal information. Provides that any law-enforcement officer who provides information relative to a criminal investigation or in proceedings preliminary to a criminal prosecution may refuse, unless ordered by a court, to disclose his residence address, home telephone number, or any personal information concerning his family. The bill also provides that any law-enforcement officer who testifies as a witness in a criminal case may refuse to disclose personal information concerning his family unless it is determined by the court that such evidence is relevant to the case.

Corporations; filing and meeting requirements. Eliminates the requirement that a document filed with the State Corporation Commission pursuant to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act include the terms, including the preferences, rights, and limitations, of each class or series of shares. The bill changes the timeframe during which a corporation must make available for inspection the shareholders list prepared for a shareholders' meeting from two business days after notice of such shareholders' meeting through such shareholders' meeting to five business days after notice of such shareholders' meeting through the close of business on the last business day before such shareholders' meeting. Finally, the bill eliminates the requirement that a corporation make available for inspection at either an in-person shareholders' meeting or a remote shareholders' meeting the list of shareholders entitled to vote at such shareholders' meeting.

Secretary of Transportation; Disadvantaged Business Enterprises; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to convene a work group to evaluate how the Department of Transportation determines the usage of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) on specific transportation projects with the goal of increasing participation statewide in transportation contracts by small business owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. The bill specifies certain individuals and groups that will be members of the work group and directs the work group to report its findings and any recommended legislative, regulatory, or policy changes to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation by September 1, 2023.

Voter registration; verification of social security numbers; provisional registration status. Requires the general registrar to verify that the name, date of birth, and social security number provided by an applicant on the voter registration application match the information on file in the Social Security Administration database or other database approved by the State Board of Elections before registering such applicant. If the information provided by the applicant does not match the information on file in such database, the applicant (i) is provisionally registered to vote and notified as to what steps are needed to be fully registered to vote and (ii) is permitted to vote by provisional ballot but such ballot shall not be counted until the voter presents certain information. The bill also requires the general registrar to verify annually no later than August 1 that the name, date of birth, and social security number in the registration record of each registered voter in the registrar's jurisdiction match the information on file with the Social Security Administration or other database approved by the State Board and, in accordance with current law, to initiate the cancellation of the registration of any voter whose registration record information does not match the database information. The State Board is authorized to approve the use of any government database to the extent required to enable each general registrar to carry out the provisions of the bill and to promulgate rules for the use of such database. The Department of Elections is required to provide each general registrar access to the Social Security Administration database and any other database approved by the State Board. The Department is further required to enter into any agreement with any federal or state agency to facilitate such access. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025. Voter registration; verification of social security numbers; provisional registration status. Requires the general registrar to verify that the name, date of birth, and social security number provided by an applicant on the voter registration application match the information on file in the Social Security Administration database or other database approved by the State Board of Elections before registering such applicant. If the information provided by the applicant does not match the information on file in such database, the applicant (i) is provisionally registered to vote and notified as to what steps are needed to be fully registered to vote and (ii) is permitted to vote by provisional ballot but such ballot shall not be counted until the voter presents certain information. The bill also requires the general registrar to verify annually no later than August 1 that the name, date of birth, and social security number in the registration record of each registered voter in the registrar's jurisdiction match the information on file with the Social Security Administration or other database approved by the State Board and, in accordance with current law, to initiate the cancellation of the registration of any voter whose registration record information does not match the database information. The State Board is authorized to approve the use of any government database to the extent required to enable each general registrar to carry out the provisions of the bill and to promulgate rules for the use of such database. The Department of Elections is required to provide each general registrar access to the Social Security Administration database and any other database approved by the State Board. The Department is further required to enter into any agreement with any federal or state agency to facilitate such access. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

Certain child day programs exempt from licensure by the Superintendent of Public Instruction; age of children in attendance. Clarifies that any child day program offered by a private school accredited by and in good standing with the Virginia Council for Private Education, operated for no more than four hours per day, staffed by the accredited private school's employees, and attended by school-age children who are enrolled in the accredited private school is exempt from licensure by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Current law provides a licensure exemption for any such program that is attended by children who are at least five years of age.

Local sales and use tax; construction or renovation of schools; Prince Edward County. Adds Prince Edward County to the list of localities that are authorized to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools.

Pedestrian control signals; applicability to persons riding bicycles and other devices. Allows persons riding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, mopeds, or motorized skateboards or scooters to follow the pedestrian Walk signal at an intersection when traveling in the direction of the signal, provided that they yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk traveling in the same direction. The bill provides that a person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, or motorized skateboard or scooter may not start to cross a highway in the direction of a Don't Walk signal, but such person who has partially completed his crossing on the Walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island and remain there while the Don't Walk signal is showing. Pedestrian control signals; applicability to persons riding bicycles and other devices. Allows persons riding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, mopeds, or motorized skateboards or scooters to follow the pedestrian Walk signal at an intersection when traveling in the direction of the signal, provided that they yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk traveling in the same direction. The bill provides that a person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, or motorized skateboard or scooter may not start to cross a highway in the direction of a Don't Walk signal, but such person who has partially completed his crossing on the Walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island and remain there while the Don't Walk signal is showing.

Disposition of unrestorably incompetent defendant; acts of violence. Provides that the same disposition procedures currently in place for an unrestorably incompetent defendant charged with aggravated murder shall also apply to an unrestorably incompetent defendant charged with an act of violence, which include procedures providing that such charge shall not be dismissed and that the court may order that the defendant receive continued treatment to restore competency, provided that (i) hearings be held at yearly intervals for five years and at biennial intervals thereafter, or at any time that the director of the treating facility or his designee submits a competency report to the court that the defendant's competency has been restored; (ii) the defendant remains incompetent; (iii) the court finds continued treatment to be medically appropriate; and (iv) the defendant presents a danger to himself or others. Under current law, if a defendant charged with an act of violence is found to be unrestorably incompetent, the court shall order that he be (a) released, (b) involuntarily committed, (c) certified as eligible for admission to a training center, or if applicable (d) screened for civil commitment of sexually violent predators.

Teachers; development of a teacher licensure website and licensure application portal. Directs the Department of Education to develop and maintain an easily accessible and streamlined website to provide clarification on teacher licensure and endorsement requirements, including information on specific requirements and certification credentials based on the specific type of licensure or endorsement. The bill also directs the Department to develop and maintain a teacher licensure application portal to integrate all forms and payment required for licensure and that includes (i) a feature enabling any teacher to track his progress in earning professional development points, completing licensure renewal requirements, and fulfilling any additional credentialing or endorsement options offered by the Board of Education and (ii) options for sharing and sending any application documents and forms to allow Educator Preparation Programs or division leadership to review and approve such documents and forms prior to the Department review process.

Voter registration; registering in person up to and including the day of the election; limited to certain persons. Provides that only members of a uniformed service, as defined in relevant law, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and spouses or dependents of such members or persons are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records in person up to and including the day of the election. Under current law, any person who is qualified to register to vote is entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records up to and including the day of the election.

Magistrates; law-enforcement observation; annual requirement. Requires each magistrate appointed by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to ride along with an on-duty law-enforcement officer in the magisterial region that such magistrate represents for a minimum of six hours annually. The bill mandates that, by July 1, 2024, every magistrate shall have completed the first of such required ride-alongs, and each year thereafter by December 31.

Keeper of vehicles; liens; certain towing and recovery drivers and operators. Expands a keeper of vehicles' lien in the case of a tow truck driver or towing and recovery operator furnishing services to a truck, tractor truck, or combination of vehicles, including those that are rented or leased, to apply to any power unit, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer in the combination. The bill clarifies that a keeper of vehicles' lien does not extend to cargo, extends the duty of a keeper of vehicles to allow retrieval to permit the vehicle or cargo owner to access the vehicle to retrieve their cargo, and allows the keeper of vehicles to dispose of unclaimed cargo. The bill also adds tow truck drivers and towing and recovery operators furnishing services involving cleanup related to vehicle collisions to the definition of "keeper of vehicles." Keeper of vehicles; liens; certain towing and recovery drivers and operators. Expands a keeper of vehicles' lien in the case of a tow truck driver or towing and recovery operator furnishing services to a truck, tractor truck, or combination of vehicles, including those that are rented or leased, to apply to any power unit, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer in the combination. The bill clarifies that a keeper of vehicles' lien does not extend to cargo, extends the duty of a keeper of vehicles to allow retrieval to permit the vehicle or cargo owner to access the vehicle to retrieve their cargo, and allows the keeper of vehicles to dispose of unclaimed cargo. The bill also adds tow truck drivers and towing and recovery operators furnishing services involving cleanup related to vehicle collisions to the definition of "keeper of vehicles."