Landfill siting; proximity to private wells. Prohibits the siting of a new municipal solid waste landfill within one mile upgradient of any existing private well.

Virginia Museum of Transportation; established. Establishes the Virginia Museum of Transportation as a public entity and educational institution of the Commonwealth. Under the bill, the Museum is governed by a 15-member board of trustees.

Admissibility of statements of a deceased or incompetent party. Repeals the "dead man's statute," which provides that no judgment shall be entered against a person incapable of testifying based upon the uncorroborated testimony of the adverse party.

Regional criminal justice academy; Town of Pulaski. Allows the Town of Pulaski to withdraw from the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy and send its cadets to the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy without penalty.

Short-term rentals; localities' ability to restrict. Clarifies that short-term rentals may be operated in any locality in the absence of an ordinance pursuant to the locality's general land use and zoning authority restricting short-term rentals.

Certain health professions; licensure by endorsement. Requires the Boards of Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing to grant an application by endorsement to any applicant who is licensed, certified, or registered in another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory or possession upon submission of evidence satisfactory to such board. Currently, the Boards of Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing are authorized but not required to grant a license, certification, or registration by endorsement for applicants wishing to practice regulated professions.

Family abuse; coercive control; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person to engage in coercive control, defined in the bill, of a family or household member. The bill also includes coercive control in the definition of "family abuse" used for the basis of the issuance of family abuse protective orders.

Income tax credit; conversion to employee ownership. Creates a nonrefundable, one-time individual and corporate income tax credit for an eligible business that (i) transfers whole or partial ownership to employees in the form of a worker cooperative, an employee stock ownership plan, an employee ownership trust, an employee equity grant program, or an employee stock purchase plan or (ii) is conducting a feasibility study for a transition to such employee ownership models. The credit is available for taxable years 2022 through 2026, is equal to up to $5,000 per eligible business that transfers ownership to employees or incurs costs for conducting a feasibility study for transferring ownership to employees during the taxable year, and includes an aggregate annual cap of $5 million.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); K-12 funding. Provides that for any year in which there is a surplus, the budget shall include an appropriation of five percent of such surplus for the operational costs of local school divisions. The resolution provides for an equivalent decrease in the amount of operational costs funded by the Lottery Proceeds Fund and an equivalent increase in the amount of funds in the Fund restricted exclusively for local school divisions' capital construction and renovation costs. If the restricted amount is equal to or greater than the amount in the Fund, the increases and decreases are no longer required under the resolution.

Virginia Parole Board; membership; records; report. Increases from five to 11 the number of members to be appointed to the Virginia Parole Board (the Board). The bill requires the Board to (i) include in its monthly report regarding actions taken by the Board on the parole of prisoners the number of votes in favor of granting or denying parole of each prisoner and (ii) ensure that any records, reports, or other documents used to determine a person's suitability for parole be made available for review by such person or his counsel pursuant to Board regulations. The bill contains technical amendments.

Public elementary and secondary schools; programs of instruction; mental health education; curriculum guidelines; instruction required. Requires each public elementary, middle, and high school to provide at each grade level, in addition to health instruction, an additional age-appropriate course of instruction on mental health. The bill directs the Board of Education to develop mental health curriculum guidelines for an age-appropriate, sequential mental health curriculum for each grade level and requires such curriculum guidelines to include instruction on (i) understanding general themes of mental health and wellness, (ii) recognizing symptoms of common mental health challenges, (iii) promoting mental health wellness, (iv) seeking assistance for mental health concerns and challenges, (v) promoting awareness of the prevalence of mental health challenges and the importance of overcoming common mental health stigmas, (vi) understanding the importance of mental health to a student's physical, academic, and overall well-being, and (vii) understanding, at such grade levels as the Board deems appropriate, age-appropriate instruction on the connection between mental health and substance use disorders. The bill permits the Board to consult with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and other mental health experts in developing such curriculum guidelines and requires the Board to submit such guidelines to the State Board of Health for approval. The bill requires the Board to review and update by the beginning of the 2024–2025 school year the health Standards of Learning for each grade level to include such instruction on the mental health curriculum guidelines. Public elementary and secondary schools; programs of instruction; mental health education; curriculum guidelines; instruction required. Requires each public elementary, middle, and high school to provide at each grade level, in addition to health instruction, an additional age-appropriate course of instruction on mental health. The bill directs the Board of Education to develop mental health curriculum guidelines for an age-appropriate, sequential mental health curriculum for each grade level and requires such curriculum guidelines to include instruction on (i) understanding general themes of mental health and wellness, (ii) recognizing symptoms of common mental health challenges, (iii) promoting mental health wellness, (iv) seeking assistance for mental health concerns and challenges, (v) promoting awareness of the prevalence of mental health challenges and the importance of overcoming common mental health stigmas, (vi) understanding the importance of mental health to a student's physical, academic, and overall well-being, and (vii) understanding, at such grade levels as the Board deems appropriate, age-appropriate instruction on the connection between mental health and substance use disorders. The bill permits the Board to consult with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and other mental health experts in developing such curriculum guidelines and requires the Board to submit such guidelines to the State Board of Health for approval. The bill requires the Board to review and update by the beginning of the 2024–2025 school year the health Standards of Learning for each grade level to include such instruction on the mental health curriculum guidelines.

Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund; established. Establishes the Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for the purpose of funding and supporting the planning and implementation of locally administered jail-based addiction recovery and substance use disorder treatment and transition programs in local and regional jails. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2024.

Finding of guilt in absentia; proof of such finding in a civil action. Requires evidence of a finding of guilt made in absentia in a criminal prosecution or traffic infraction to be admissible in a civil action whenever such finding is contended. The bill further requires the court hearing the civil case to admit evidence as to whether such finding was made if the criminal court records are silent or ambiguous as to whether such a finding occurred. These evidentiary requirements exist under current law for pleas of guilt and nolo contendere and forfeitures.

Elections; voter identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. Elections; voter identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses and odor of marijuana; exclusion of evidence. Removes provisions prohibiting a law-enforcement officer from stopping a motor vehicle for operating (i) with an expired registration sticker prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date; (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment; (iii) without tail lights, brake lights, or a supplemental high mount stop light; (iv) without lighted headlights displayed when so required; (v) with certain tinting films, signs, posters, stickers, or decals; (vi) with objects or other equipment suspended so as to obstruct the driver's view; or (vii) with an expired inspection prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date and removes the accompanying exclusionary provisions. The bill also authorizes a law-enforcement officer to lawfully stop, search, or seize a person, place, or thing or a search warrant to be issued based solely on the odor of marijuana if such odor creates a reasonable suspicion of a violation of the law prohibiting driving while intoxicated. Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses and odor of marijuana; exclusion of evidence. Removes provisions prohibiting a law-enforcement officer from stopping a motor vehicle for operating (i) with an expired registration sticker prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date; (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment; (iii) without tail lights, brake lights, or a supplemental high mount stop light; (iv) without lighted headlights displayed when so required; (v) with certain tinting films, signs, posters, stickers, or decals; (vi) with objects or other equipment suspended so as to obstruct the driver's view; or (vii) with an expired inspection prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date and removes the accompanying exclusionary provisions. The bill also authorizes a law-enforcement officer to lawfully stop, search, or seize a person, place, or thing or a search warrant to be issued based solely on the odor of marijuana if such odor creates a reasonable suspicion of a violation of the law prohibiting driving while intoxicated.