Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority; eligible site for site development grant; minimum acreage requirement. Reduces from 100 acres to 50 acres the minimum number of contiguous acres required for a site that is not a brownfield to satisfy the acreage requirement to be considered eligible to receive a site development grant from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program Fund by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority.

Public elementary and secondary schools; automated external defibrillators required. Requires each local school board to develop a plan for the placement, care, and use of an automated external defibrillator in every public elementary and secondary school in the local school division and to place an automated external defibrillator in every public elementary and secondary school in the local school division. Under current law, such a plan is optional and there is no requirement for each school board to place an automated external defibrillator in every public elementary and secondary school in the local school division. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to compile and make publicly available on its website by August 1, 2024 a list of available public and private programs, grants, or funding sources for fulfilling the requirements of the act.

Adult protective services; referrals to local law enforcement. Removes the requirement that the adult protective services hotline immediately refer certain reports of alleged adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the appropriate local law-enforcement agency and removes the duty of local law-enforcement agencies to provide the adult protective services hotline with a preferred point of contact for such referrals. The bill retains the requirement for the local department of social services to immediately refer such reports to the appropriate local law-enforcement agency and the duty of local law-enforcement agencies to provide local departments of social services with a preferred point of contact for such referrals.

Background checks; services for children and developmental services; adult substance abuse and mental health services. Separates background check requirements for direct care positions with service providers and community services boards. The bill separates provisions regarding background checks of employees in direct care positions providing adult substance abuse and mental health services from those of background checks of employees in direct care positions providing services for children and developmental services. Background checks; services for children and developmental services; adult substance abuse and mental health services. Separates background check requirements for direct care positions with service providers and community services boards. The bill separates provisions regarding background checks of employees in direct care positions providing adult substance abuse and mental health services from those of background checks of employees in direct care positions providing services for children and developmental services.

Expedited diversion to court-ordered treatment in lieu of criminal adjudication. Establishes a process where a defendant who is charged with certain misdemeanor violations and appears to have a mental illness, and such charged conduct appears to be associated with that mental illness, may be considered for transfer from criminal court to civil process for court-ordered mental health treatment without any adjudication on such misdemeanor charges.

School boards; anonymous reporting system; assessment of risk of violence and prevention of student harm to self or others. Encourages each school board to contract with a private nonprofit organization to procure and make available an anonymous reporting system for the assessment of risk or violence and the prevention of student harm to self or others that includes the following features and components: (i) a secure platform for students to submit messages and tips relating to violence or harm to self or others by telephone, website, and a multiplatform compatible mobile application; (ii) student access, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and 365 days per year, to a national crisis center that is staffed by a team of highly skilled and trained crisis counselors whose sole duty is to respond to messages and tips from students relating to violence or harm to self or others; (iii) ongoing program support; and (iv) training for student and adult users.

Sports facilities; automated external defibrillator required. Requires that every sports facility, defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth have a working automated external defibrillator.

Mutual liability for necessaries; furnishing of medical care. Provides that liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for medical care furnished to the patient spouse when such patient spouse predeceases the nonpatient spouse. Mutual liability for necessaries; furnishing of medical care. Provides that liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for medical care furnished to the patient spouse when such patient spouse predeceases the nonpatient spouse.

Transit Ridership Incentive Program; funds; improving accessibility and safety. Directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to use up to 30 percent of available funds in the Transit Ridership Incentive Program to support local, regional, and state entities in improving the accessibility of transit bus passenger facilities and improving crime prevention and public safety for transit passengers, operators, and employees. The bill directs the Board to develop guidelines for applications for grants to any local, regional, or state public entity that supports a transit system.

Department of Planning and Budget; Regulatory Budget Program; report. Directs the Department of Planning and Budget, under the direction of the Secretary of Finance, to establish a continuous Regulatory Budget Program with the goal of setting a two-year target for each executive branch agency subject to the Administrative Process Act to (i) reduce regulations and regulatory requirements, (ii) maintain the current number of regulations and regulatory requirements, or (iii) allow regulations and regulatory requirements to increase by a specific amount over a two-year period. The bill requires the Secretary of Finance to report to the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October 1 of each odd-numbered year. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall, by March 1, 2024, issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how an agency can comply with the requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2027.

Employment of school protection officers in public schools. Permits any local law-enforcement agency to employ in any public elementary or secondary school in the local school division, pursuant to an agreement with the local school board, a school protection officer, defined in the bill as a retired law-enforcement officer hired by the local law-enforcement agency on a part-time basis to provide limited law-enforcement and security services to public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to enter into a memorandum of understanding that sets forth the powers and duties of school protection officers. The bill requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish compulsory training standards for school protection officers and requires the collection of certain data relating to the activities of such officers. Employment of school protection officers in public schools. Permits any local law-enforcement agency to employ in any public elementary or secondary school in the local school division, pursuant to an agreement with the local school board, a school protection officer, defined in the bill as a retired law-enforcement officer hired by the local law-enforcement agency on a part-time basis to provide limited law-enforcement and security services to public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to enter into a memorandum of understanding that sets forth the powers and duties of school protection officers. The bill requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish compulsory training standards for school protection officers and requires the collection of certain data relating to the activities of such officers.

Virginia Lottery Board; compensation to licensed sales agents. Provides that the amount of compensation paid to licensed sales agents of Virginia lottery tickets or shares shall be no less than six percent of sales and no more than one percent of the cash value of all prizes paid.

Surrogacy; consent; relinquishment of parental rights. Provides that, at any time prior to the birth of a child, a surrogate may relinquish her parental rights to an intended parent, if at least one intended parent is the genetic parent of the child or the embryo was subject to the legal or contractual custody of such intended parent, by signing a surrogate consent and report form naming the intended parent as the parent of the child. Under current law, the surrogate may relinquish such parental rights to the intended parent upon expiration of three days following the birth of the child.

Department of Energy; stakeholder work group; consumer protection regulations regarding solar energy generation facilities; report. Directs the Department of Energy to convene a stakeholder work group to develop recommendations for consumer protection regulations regarding the sale or lease of solar energy generation facilities that are under 25 kilowatts in capacity. The Department shall submit a written report of the work group's recommendations to the House Committee on Commerce and Energy and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 30, 2023.

Health insurance; coverage for colorectal cancer screening. Requires health insurers to provide coverage for examinations and laboratory tests related to colorectal cancer screening in accordance with the American Cancer Society guidelines for colorectal cancer screening of average-risk individuals. The bill (i) prohibits such coverage from being subject to any deductible, coinsurance, or any other cost-sharing requirements for services received from participating providers and (ii) provides that an initial screening test is not complete until a follow-up colonoscopy is performed. The provisions of the bill apply to individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies, individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts, or health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2024.