Conveyance of easement. Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to grant and convey an easement and right-of-way at High Bridge Trail State Park to Roy B. Stanton, Jr., and Pearl J. Stanton. The easement, which will follow an existing driveway across a portion of the High Bridge Trail State Park, will allow ingress and egress from U.S. Highway 460 to the Stantons' property.

Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr.

Research and development expenses tax credits. Creates a step-rate reimbursement structure for the major research and development expenses tax credit in an amount equal to (i) ten percent, up to the first $1 million, of the difference between (a) Virginia qualified research and development expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year and (b) 50 percent of the average Virginia qualified research and development expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer for the three taxable years immediately preceding the taxable year for which the credit is being determined and (ii) five percent of such difference in excess of $1 million. Beginning in taxable year 2023, the bill also (a) imposes an annual per taxpayer major research and development expenses tax credit cap of $300,000, except that such cap increases to $400,000 if the Virginia qualified research was conducted in conjunction with a public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, (b) reduces from $24 million to $16 million the aggregate cap on the major research and development expenses tax credit granted for each fiscal year, and (c) increases from $7.77 million to $15.77 million the aggregate cap on the research and development expenses tax credit granted for each fiscal year beginning in taxable year 2023. Research and development expenses tax credits. Creates a step-rate reimbursement structure for the major research and development expenses tax credit in an amount equal to (i) ten percent, up to the first $1 million, of the difference between (a) Virginia qualified research and development expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year and (b) 50 percent of the average Virginia qualified research and development expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer for the three taxable years immediately preceding the taxable year for which the credit is being determined and (ii) five percent of such difference in excess of $1 million. Beginning in taxable year 2023, the bill also (a) imposes an annual per taxpayer major research and development expenses tax credit cap of $300,000, except that such cap increases to $400,000 if the Virginia qualified research was conducted in conjunction with a public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, (b) reduces from $24 million to $16 million the aggregate cap on the major research and development expenses tax credit granted for each fiscal year, and (c) increases from $7.77 million to $15.77 million the aggregate cap on the research and development expenses tax credit granted for each fiscal year beginning in taxable year 2023.

Family life education curriculum guidelines; human reproduction; viewing of ultrasound video recording. Requires the instruction on human reproduction contained in the Board of Education's family life education curriculum guidelines to include the viewing of a video recording of an ultrasound of a live unborn human in the uterus.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; state public bodies; meetings; virtual public access. Provides that all state public bodies may provide public access to meetings through electronic communication means and may provide the public with the opportunity to comment at such meetings through the use of such electronic communication means when public comment is customarily received. Virginia Freedom of Information Act; state public bodies; meetings; virtual public access. Provides that all state public bodies may provide public access to meetings through electronic communication means and may provide the public with the opportunity to comment at such meetings through the use of such electronic communication means when public comment is customarily received.

Elections; foreign interference in elections; registration, Elections; foreign interference in elections; registration, absentee voting, and conduct of election; penalty. Requires the Attorney General to provide assessments and reports on foreign interference, defined in the bill, in elections in the Commonwealth to the Governor and the General Assembly and to levy or recommend appropriate sanctions against any such foreign governments found to be interfering in elections in the Commonwealth. The bill also repeals the provision that allows persons 16 years of age or older to preregister to vote, removes the ability to register to vote using the websites of the Department of Elections or the Department of Motor Vehicles, and moves the deadline for registering to vote from 21 days prior to an election to 30 days prior to an election. In addition, the bill directs the Department of Elections to conduct list maintenance activities during the 30 days prior to any election in which a candidate for federal office is not on the ballot, including the removal of duplicate registrations, requires voters to provide an excuse in order to vote absentee, removes the option to vote absentee in person, reinstates provisions requiring the presentation of a valid form of photo identification in order to vote, and directs general registrars to provide a paper copy of the pollbook at each polling place during all elections. Finally, the bill eliminates curbside voting and same-day voter registration, prohibits the use of any voting system that can be connected to the Internet and directs the State Board of Elections to decertify any such voting system, and increases from a Class 6 felony to a Class 4 felony the penalty for voter registration fraud.

Food product sales; waive government inspection. Exempts from certain inspection and permitting requirements food products that are otherwise permitted by state law and are sold either at a farmers market or on the premises where such products were grown or produced. Consumers purchasing exempt food products will sign a waiver provided by the seller that includes information about the products and the producers of such products.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement; payment plan. Requires a landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, before terminating a rental agreement due to nonpayment of rent if the exact amount of rent owed is less than or equal to one month's rent plus any late charges contracted for in the rental agreement or as provided by law, to serve upon such tenant a written notice informing the tenant of the exact amount due and owed and offer the tenant a payment plan under which the tenant must pay the exact amount due and owed in equal monthly installments over a period of six months. The bill also outlines the remedies a landlord has if a tenant fails to pay the exact amount due and owed or enter into a payment plan within five days of receiving notice or if the tenant enters into a payment plan but fails to pay within five days of the due date any rent that becomes due under the payment plan after such plan becomes effective.

Farm use placards. Delays from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, the date by which vehicles claiming a farm use exemption are required to obtain a farm use placard from the Department of Motor Vehicles and display such placard at all times. The bill provides that the requirement to display a farm use placard only applies to pickup or panel trucks and sport utility vehicles. The bill removes certain requirements on the application for a farm use placard, prohibits requesting additional information on such application, and prohibits disclosure of application information. The bill authorizes the use of an agricultural or horticultural vehicle for disposing of incidental refuse and a seasonal transportation vehicle for driving to a storage house, packing plant, or market regardless of distance. The bill clarifies that the exemption for transporting back to a farm essential food includes procuring a meal for a farmer or his employees and that such exemption applies while engaged in authorized farm vehicle uses. The bill exempts vehicles required to obtain a farm use placard from the motor vehicle sales and use tax and authorizes localities to exempt such vehicles from personal property tax.

Virginia Tourism Authority; exemption from personnel and procurement procedures; repeal. Repeals the exemption of the Virginia Tourism Authority from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act and the Virginia Personnel Act.

Child abuse or neglect; definition; independent activities. Clarifies that no child whose parent or other person responsible for his care allows the child to engage in reasonable independent activities without adult supervision shall for that reason alone be considered to be an abused or neglected child, provided that such independent activities are appropriate based on the child's age, maturity, and physical and mental abilities. The bill provides that such independent activities may include traveling to or from school or nearby locations by bicycle or on foot, playing outdoors, remaining at home for a reasonable period of time, or remaining in a vehicle if such vehicle is parked in a safe location and the temperature is not and will not become dangerously hot or cold.

Department of Veterans Services; post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury treatments; data collection. Allows the Department of Veterans Services to contract with any hyperbaric clinic providing medical-grade 100 percent oxygen in U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved chambers in the Commonwealth or any hospital that furnishes a comprehensive treatment program that includes medication, psychotherapy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, from an accredited program, to any veteran in the Commonwealth who has been certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the United States Armed Forces as having post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. The Department shall include in any contract with such clinic or hospital the requirement that data be collected to assess the efficacy of such treatments for veterans and any other information deemed relevant by the Department. Department of Veterans Services; post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury treatments; data collection. Allows the Department of Veterans Services to contract with any hyperbaric clinic providing medical-grade 100 percent oxygen in U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved chambers in the Commonwealth or any hospital that furnishes a comprehensive treatment program that includes medication, psychotherapy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, from an accredited program, to any veteran in the Commonwealth who has been certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the United States Armed Forces as having post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. The Department shall include in any contract with such clinic or hospital the requirement that data be collected to assess the efficacy of such treatments for veterans and any other information deemed relevant by the Department.

Child-protective services; investigations; interview by child advocacy center. Requires that if a local multidisciplinary team has determined during an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect that an interview of the child by a child advocacy center recognized by the National Children's Alliance is needed and an interview with a recognized child advocacy center within the jurisdiction cannot be completed within 14 days, the local department of social services may facilitate the interview with a recognized child advocacy center located in another jurisdiction. Child-protective services; investigations; interview by child advocacy center. Requires that if a local multidisciplinary team has determined during an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect that an interview of the child by a child advocacy center recognized by the National Children's Alliance is needed and an interview with a recognized child advocacy center within the jurisdiction cannot be completed within 14 days, the local department of social services may facilitate the interview with a recognized child advocacy center located in another jurisdiction.

Richard Bland College; governance. Removes the authority of the board of visitors of The College of William and Mary in Virginia to supervise, manage, and control Richard Bland College and establishes the 12-member board of visitors of Richard Bland College to generally direct the affairs of the College, including appointing all teachers and fixing their salaries, providing for the employment of other personnel as required, and caring for and preserving all property belonging to Richard Bland College. The bill provides for the transfer of relevant property and rights thereto, contracts, and duties from the board of visitors of The College of William and Mary in Virginia to the board of visitors of Richard Bland College. The bill also requires the board of visitors of Richard Bland College to focus its efforts on preparing students for academic and career success and permits the board to take several enumerated actions in furtherance of such efforts. Finally, the bill provides that the audit conducted by the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2023, will be the last audit for which Richard Bland College is treated as a consolidated entity of the board of visitors of The College of William and Mary in Virginia and that beginning with the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2024, the Auditor of Public Accounts shall submit its audit report on Richard Bland College to the board of visitors of Richard Bland College.

Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority; emergency. Overrides a provision in the appropriation act that required a certain approval from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration prior to disbursement of funds to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority. The bill contains an emergency clause.