School boards; Teacher Reengagement Program established. School boards; Teacher Reengagement Program established. Establishes the Teacher Reengagement Program for the purpose of addressing instructional personnel shortages and COVID-19 pandemic-related student learning loss. The bill permits any school board to hire an individual pursuant to the Program, subject to the following conditions and limitations: (i) the individual works on a part-time basis; (ii) the individual is compensated with part-time pay, with any health, dental, and vision insurance coverage that is available to full-time school board employees, or with some combination of such pay and coverage; (iii) in the case of an individual who holds a renewable or provisional teaching license issued by the Board of Education, the individual's duties consist of teaching students, providing one-on-one tutoring services to students, or mentoring teachers, or some combination thereof; (iv) in the case of an individual who does not hold a renewable or provisional teaching license issued by the Board, the individual has professional experience or expertise in a certain subject matter area and the individual's duties consist of providing one-on-one tutoring services to students in such subject matter area; and (v) the individual complies with all laws, regulations, and school board policies and procedures applicable to part-time school board employees. The bill requires any school board that hires any part-time employee pursuant to the Program to annually report to the Department of Education such data on the implementation of the Program that the Department deems necessary to evaluate its continued effectiveness at addressing instructional personnel shortages and student learning loss. The foregoing provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2028. The bill requires the Department to submit to the General Assembly no later than October 1, 2027, its recommendation for preserving, extending, or eliminating such expiration date.

Partition of property. Directs the court to consider certain factors when it orders a partition in kind, including (i) evidence of the collective duration of ownership or possession of any portion of the property by a party and one or more predecessors in title or predecessors in possession of the property who are or were related to the party; (ii) a party's sentimental attachment to any portion of the property, including any attachment arising because such portion of the property has ancestral or other unique or special value to the party; (iii) the lawful use being made of any portion of the property by a party and the degree to which the party would be harmed if the party could not continue the same use of such portion of the property; and (iv) the degree to which a party has contributed to the physical improvement, maintenance, or upkeep of any portion of the property. The bill also provides that counsel for a party to a partition action may serve as a commissioner unless there is an objection by another party; current law requires commissioners to be disinterested and impartial and not a party to or participant in the partition action. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder; law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Provides that an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, as both are defined in the bill, incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act on the same basis as post-traumatic stress disorder, except in the case of responding to crime scenes for investigation. The bill provides that a mental health professional must diagnose the covered individual as suffering from anxiety disorder or depressive disorder as a result of a qualifying event, defined in the bill as an incident or exposure occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2023, and includes other conditions for compensability.

All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; seizure, impounding, and disposition. Authorizes local governing bodies to provide for the lawful seizure, impounding, and disposition of (i) an illegally operated all-terrain vehicle or (ii) an off-road motorcycle operated on a highway or on private property without the consent of the property owner.

Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority; powers and duties; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality; report. Provides that the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority (the Authority) has the power and duty to (i) support energy development projects, including pump storage hydropower, energy storage, hydrogen production and uses, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, and advanced wind and solar energy; (ii) promote energy development projects on closed power plant sites, brownfield sites, former coal mine sites, reclaimed coal mine sites, abandoned mine sites lands, and lands adjacent thereto; (iii) promote energy workforce development and energy supply chain development; (iv) identify and work with, through mutually agreed collaborations, the Commonwealth’s research and development partners, in advancing efforts related to energy development in Southwest Virginia; and (v) promote the capture and beneficial use of coal mine methane from active, inactive, and abandoned coal mines as a low-carbon intensity feedstock for manufacturing and energy generation projects located in Southwest Virginia. Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority; powers and duties; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality; report. Provides that the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority (the Authority) has the power and duty to (i) support energy development projects, including pump storage hydropower, energy storage, hydrogen production and uses, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, and advanced wind and solar energy; (ii) promote energy development projects on closed power plant sites, brownfield sites, former coal mine sites, reclaimed coal mine sites, abandoned mine sites lands, and lands adjacent thereto; (iii) promote energy workforce development and energy supply chain development; (iv) identify and work with, through mutually agreed collaborations, the Commonwealth’s research and development partners, in advancing efforts related to energy development in Southwest Virginia; and (v) promote the capture and beneficial use of coal mine methane from active, inactive, and abandoned coal mines as a low-carbon intensity feedstock for manufacturing and energy generation projects located in Southwest Virginia. The bill defines "energy development project" as any activity that generates, produces, or stores energy, any energy efficiency system, and any supporting ancillary activities located within Southwest Virginia and includes interests in land, improvements, and ancillary facilities and research, development, commercialization, and deployment activities designated by the Authority to the nonprofit collaborative. The bill defines "nonprofit collaborative" as a multi-site nonprofit innovative energy technology testbed established as a collaborative effort of the Department of Energy, the Authority, and the Authority's business partners to support the Authority’s purpose through energy technology research, development, commercialization, and deployment.

Fire protection; definition of fire company. Provides that firefighter support group members shall not be included in certain provisions of the Code of Virginia related to public safety, fire protection, or workers' compensation unless otherwise designated for inclusion by ordinance or resolution of the governing body of the applicable county, city, or town of the Commonwealth. Fire protection; definition of fire company. Provides that firefighter support group members shall not be included in certain provisions of the Code of Virginia related to public safety, fire protection, or workers' compensation unless otherwise designated for inclusion by ordinance or resolution of the governing body of the applicable county, city, or town of the Commonwealth.

Uniform Statewide Building Code; multifamily residential housing construction projects; electric vehicle charging infrastructure standards. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to promulgate regulations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure standards for multifamily residential housing construction projects consisting of more than 25 residential dwelling units. The standards shall require a developer of such multifamily residential housing construction projects to ensure that at least 25 percent of the available parking spaces are electric vehicle charging ready during the design and construction process. Landlords, condominium unit owners' associations, and property owners' associations shall be authorized to negotiate with electric vehicle charging providers with respect to the installation and maintenance of electric vehicle infrastructure and any related revenue sharing. The bill also requires the Board to promulgate such regulations by January 1, 2024, and provides that such regulations shall only apply to any new multifamily residential housing construction projects approved by a locality after January 1, 2024.

Motion picture production tax credit. Increases the cap on the total amount of motion picture production tax credits that may be issued per fiscal year from $6.5 million to $10 million beginning with fiscal year 2024.

Speed limit in residence districts; local authority; penalty. Authorizes the governing body of any city to reduce the default speed limit on any highway maintained by the city that is located in a residence district to less than 25 miles per hour unless otherwise indicated by a sign and to adopt increased penalties for operation of a motor vehicle 15 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit in a residence district. Current law authorizes the increased penalties in the Cities of Falls Church and Manassas. The bill clarifies that the requirement for signage for a conviction of a speeding violation does not apply to ordinances adopted setting a default speed limit as provided in the bill.

Study; Office of the Children's Ombudsman to continue study of legal representation in child dependency cases; report. Directs the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to continue its work group convened pursuant to Chapter 305 of the Acts of Assembly of 2022 to consider issues relating to the Commonwealth's model of court-appointed legal counsel in child dependency cases and to make recommendations for legislative and budgetary changes to address such issues to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee for Courts of Justice by November 30, 2023.

State agency compliance with flood plain management regulations. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation, no later than September 30, 2023, and in cooperation with numerous Secretariats and the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, to establish standards for development in a flood plain for all state agencies and departments. Such standards shall require at least compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program and shall require that any development undertaken by an agency or department on state-owned land located in a Special Flood Hazard Area be protected or flood-proofed against flooding and flood damage. The bill also requires any state agency or department, when developing a facility on state-owned property located in a flood plain, to either adhere to all local flood plain management regulations or receive Department approval of compliance with the applicable state standard for development in a flood plain, provided that such standard does not jeopardize a locality's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. Such compliance shall be documented and provided in the form of a permit by the Department to the applicant prior to preliminary design approval of a project by the Department of General Services. The bill allows the Department of Conservation and Recreation to issue a permit if no feasible alternative to developing a facility in the flood plain exists and if one of several other conditions provided in the bill is met.

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.

Health insurance; provider credentialing; processing of new applications. Requires a health insurance carrier that credentials the physicians, mental health professionals, or other providers in its network to establish reasonable protocols and procedures for processing of new provider credentialing applications. The bill requires that if the carrier accepts applications through an online credentialing system, the carrier must notify a new provider applicant through the online credentialing system that the application is received. If the carrier does not accept applications through an online credentialing system, the bill requires the carrier to provide, within 10 days of receiving an application, notification to the new provider applicant that the application was received. The bill provides that, beginning January 1, 2024, a new provider applicant's application will be deemed complete within 30 days of the carrier receiving the application, unless the carrier has provided notice that the application is not complete. Under the bill, a carrier must approve or deny new provider applicant credentialing applications within 60 days of receiving a completed application and claims submitted according to carrier claims submittal policies must be adjudicated and paid no later than 40 days after the new provider applicant is credentialed and contracted. The bill directs the Virginia Department of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; services for individuals with developmental disabilities; financial flexibility; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to take steps to amend the Family and Individual Supports, Community Living, and Building Independence waivers to provide greater financial flexibility to individuals with developmental disabilities who are receiving waiver services. The bill requires the Department to report on its progress to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2023.

Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; notice of appeal to the circuit court. Requires a copy of a notice of appeal from a final order or judgment of the juvenile court to be served by the appealing party upon the opposing party or each counsel of record. The bill also authorizes the court, on its own motion, to continue a hearing for or dismiss an appeal when the court makes a determination that the appealing party failed to properly serve a copy of notice of an otherwise proper appeal. Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; notice of appeal to the circuit court. Requires a copy of a notice of appeal from a final order or judgment of the juvenile court to be served by the appealing party upon the opposing party or each counsel of record. The bill also authorizes the court, on its own motion, to continue a hearing for or dismiss an appeal when the court makes a determination that the appealing party failed to properly serve a copy of notice of an otherwise proper appeal.