Killing or injuring police animals; penalty. Requires a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of six months for any person who maliciously kills or injures an animal owned, used, or trained by a law-enforcement agency, a regional jail, or the Department of Corrections while such animal is performing its lawful duties or is being kept in a kennel, pen, or stable while off duty. The bill also provides that such punishment be separate and apart from, and be made to run consecutively with, any other sentence.

Charter; City of Newport News; real estate assessment. Requires persons who are aggrieved by any assessment made by the City of Newport News real estate assessor to apply for relief with the board of review as a prerequisite to filing for relief in circuit court. The bill also updates references to the Code of Virginia.

Wage or salary history inquiries prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote a prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospective employee for not providing wage or salary history; (v) failing or refusing to provide a prospective employee the wage or salary range for the position for which the prospective employee is applying prior to discussing compensation and at any time upon the prospective employee's request; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater; reasonable attorney fees and costs; and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. The bill also provides for civil penalties for violations not to exceed $1,000 for a first violation, $2,000 for a second violation, and $4,000 for a third or subsequent violation.

Election of members to State Corporation Commission; notice; applicant interviews. Requires the General Assembly if in session when a vacancy on the State Corporation Commission will occur or exist to elect a successor within 60 days of receiving notice of such vacancy. The bill requires the General Assembly if not in session when notice of such vacancy is given to elect a successor within 60 days of the commencement of the next regular session of the General Assembly. Additionally, the bill requires any notice of such vacancy to be posted on the official website of the Commission and provides that there shall be at least a 15-day period following the posting of such notice for any interested person to submit an application to the General Assembly. The bill prohibits the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor and House Committee on Commerce and Energy from interviewing candidates for such vacancy during the 15-day application period following such posting. Lastly, the bill provides that any interview conducted for such vacancy by more than one member of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor or House Committee on Commerce and Energy will be open to the public.

Bills creating certain boards and commissions; required sunset provision. Requires all bills creating a board, council, commission, or other collegial body in the legislative branch to contain a provision for the expiration of such body three years after its creation. Currently, only bills creating such advisory boards, councils, commissions, and other collegial bodies in the executive branch are required to include such sunset provision. The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Clerks of the House of Delegates and the Senate to submit to the Virginia Code Commission by October 1, 2023, a list of those boards, councils, commissions, or other collegial bodies in the executive or legislative branch that are not set to expire within three years and directs the Virginia Code Commission to submit legislation at the 2024 Regular Session that prescribes an expiration date that is no later than July 1, 2027, for such bodies. Bills creating certain boards and commissions; required sunset provision. Requires all bills creating a board, council, commission, or other collegial body in the legislative branch to contain a provision for the expiration of such body three years after its creation. Currently, only bills creating such advisory boards, councils, commissions, and other collegial bodies in the executive branch are required to include such sunset provision. The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Clerks of the House of Delegates and the Senate to submit to the Virginia Code Commission by October 1, 2023, a list of those boards, councils, commissions, or other collegial bodies in the executive or legislative branch that are not set to expire within three years and directs the Virginia Code Commission to submit legislation at the 2024 Regular Session that prescribes an expiration date that is no later than July 1, 2027, for such bodies.

Alcoholic beverage control; slotting fees. Requires retail licensees to keep complete, accurate, and separate records of all slotting fees, as defined in the bill, received from a manufacturer of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, including a manufacturer that licenses its nonalcoholic products brand to another manufacturer for use with an alcoholic product.

Crime victim rights; notification from the attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires an attorney for the Commonwealth to consult with a crime victim in a felony case to (i) inform the victim of the contents of a proposed plea agreement and (ii) obtain the victim's views about the disposition of the case. The bill provides that the victim shall be notified of any proceeding in which the plea agreement will be tendered to the court. The bill also provides that the attorney for the Commonwealth may satisfy his notification responsibilities by consulting with a parent or guardian of an unemancipated minor victim, if the parent or guardian is not a suspect, person of interest, or defendant in the criminal investigation of the proceeding. Under current law, such consultation and notification is required only upon the victim's request.

Consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth; permits and reviews with potential impacts on environmental, cultural, and historic resources. Requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to establish policies and procedures for consulting with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth when evaluating certain permits and reviews relating to environmental, cultural, or historic resources that potentially impact those federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to designate an Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation to facilitate communication and consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth. The bill codifies Executive Order 82 (2021).

Department of Education; work group on twelfth grade transition planning and assistance online programs. Requires the Department of Education to convene a work group to evaluate options and make recommendations for online twelfth grade transition planning and assistance programs to be utilized by secondary school students in the Commonwealth.

Public schools; parental rights to educational transparency. Declares that the parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth has the right to (i) access a list of any printed or audiovisual instructional material; (ii) participate in the textbook review and approval process; (iii) receive notice of and give informed consent to any counseling or guidance program offered to his child by the school; (iv) access his child's education records; (v) receive advance, written notice of any school-sponsored field trip, activity, assembly, presentation, or other event at which his child's attendance is invited, including a clear opt-out provision; (vi) receive advance notice of any questionnaire or survey to be administered to his child; (vii) receive notice of and attend any public meeting of the school board in the local school division in which his child is enrolled; (viii) review the annual school division budget and expenditures; and (ix) petition the circuit court with jurisdiction over such child's local school division to review an action of the school board if the parent is aggrieved by such action. The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the parental right to review and exempt his child from any printed or audiovisual instructional materials used as a part of the curriculum in any class or course in which such parent's child is enrolled. The bill also revises existing policies and duties of each local school board in accordance with the parental rights to transparency in education. Public schools; parental rights to educational transparency. Declares that the parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth has the right to (i) access a list of any printed or audiovisual instructional material; (ii) participate in the textbook review and approval process; (iii) receive notice of and give informed consent to any counseling or guidance program offered to his child by the school; (iv) access his child's education records; (v) receive advance, written notice of any school-sponsored field trip, activity, assembly, presentation, or other event at which his child's attendance is invited, including a clear opt-out provision; (vi) receive advance notice of any questionnaire or survey to be administered to his child; (vii) receive notice of and attend any public meeting of the school board in the local school division in which his child is enrolled; (viii) review the annual school division budget and expenditures; and (ix) petition the circuit court with jurisdiction over such child's local school division to review an action of the school board if the parent is aggrieved by such action. The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the parental right to review and exempt his child from any printed or audiovisual instructional materials used as a part of the curriculum in any class or course in which such parent's child is enrolled. The bill also revises existing policies and duties of each local school board in accordance with the parental rights to transparency in education.

Campgrounds; inherent risks; liability. Provides that a person who goes camping at a campground shall be presumed to have known the inherent risks of camping, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a campground professional, as defined in the bill, shall not be liable for the injury to or death of a camping participant resulting from the inherent risks of camping. The bill further provides that no camping participant or camping participant's representative is authorized to maintain an action against or recover from a camping professional for injury to, loss or damage by, or death of the camping participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent risks of camping, provided that in any action for damages against a camping professional for camping activity, the camping professional pleads the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk. The bill excludes from such immunity acts taken by a camping professional to intentionally cause personal injury or death or property damage, acts made with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the camping participant, and instances wherein the camping professional has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a dangerous condition on the land or in the facilities or equipment used in the activity and does not make the danger known to the camping participant. Campgrounds; inherent risks; liability. Provides that a person who goes camping at a campground shall be presumed to have known the inherent risks of camping, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a campground professional, as defined in the bill, shall not be liable for the injury to or death of a camping participant resulting from the inherent risks of camping. The bill further provides that no camping participant or camping participant's representative is authorized to maintain an action against or recover from a camping professional for injury to, loss or damage by, or death of the camping participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent risks of camping, provided that in any action for damages against a camping professional for camping activity, the camping professional pleads the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk. The bill excludes from such immunity acts taken by a camping professional to intentionally cause personal injury or death or property damage, acts made with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the camping participant, and instances wherein the camping professional has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a dangerous condition on the land or in the facilities or equipment used in the activity and does not make the danger known to the camping participant.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting; applicability. Requires a two-step process consisting of (i) a preconstruction contract and (ii) competitive sealed bidding for construction services for certain projects totaling less than $125 million. Complex projects, defined in the bill, may request an exemption from the provisions of the bill and relevant law from the Secretary of Administration. If a complex project totals more than $125 million, the bill provides that an exemption from the provisions of the bill and relevant law is not required. Finally, the bill states that competitive sealed bidding is the preferred method of procurement for construction services in the Commonwealth. Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting; applicability. Requires a two-step process consisting of (i) a preconstruction contract and (ii) competitive sealed bidding for construction services for certain projects totaling less than $125 million. Complex projects, defined in the bill, may request an exemption from the provisions of the bill and relevant law from the Secretary of Administration. If a complex project totals more than $125 million, the bill provides that an exemption from the provisions of the bill and relevant law is not required. Finally, the bill states that competitive sealed bidding is the preferred method of procurement for construction services in the Commonwealth.

Applicant Fingerprint Database; participation in FBI Next Generation Identification Rap Back Service, through Virginia Rap Back Service, for fingerprint-based criminal history record monitoring; penalty. Requires the Department of State Police to participate in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Next Generation Identification Record of Arrest and Prosecution (Rap) Back Service, through the Virginia Rap Back Service, for the purpose of allowing those agencies and governmental entities that require a fingerprint-based criminal background check as a condition of (i) providing care to (a) children, (b) the disabled, or (c) the elderly or (ii) (a) licensure, (b) certification, (c) employment, or (d) volunteer service to be advised when an individual subject to such screening is arrested for, or convicted of, a criminal offense. The bill provides that fingerprints submitted to the FBI through the Virginia Rap Back Service may be used for future searches, including latent searches. Applicant Fingerprint Database; participation in FBI Next Generation Identification Rap Back Service, through Virginia Rap Back Service, for fingerprint-based criminal history record monitoring; penalty. Requires the Department of State Police to participate in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Next Generation Identification Record of Arrest and Prosecution (Rap) Back Service, through the Virginia Rap Back Service, for the purpose of allowing those agencies and governmental entities that require a fingerprint-based criminal background check as a condition of (i) providing care to (a) children, (b) the disabled, or (c) the elderly or (ii) (a) licensure, (b) certification, (c) employment, or (d) volunteer service to be advised when an individual subject to such screening is arrested for, or convicted of, a criminal offense. The bill provides that fingerprints submitted to the FBI through the Virginia Rap Back Service may be used for future searches, including latent searches. The bill requires the Department to ensure that notification is made to the participating entity, defined in the bill, when an FBI Rap Back report is received. Any unauthorized use of the information submitted to the Service is prohibited; any willful violation with the intent to harass or intimidate another is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill requires the Department to promulgate regulations governing the Service and the removal and destruction of records on persons who are deceased or are no longer enrolled in the Service. The bill provides that such regulations shall provide that a participating entity shall disenroll any individual who is deceased or is no longer an individual, as defined in the bill, within 30 days of death or such event that no longer requires such individual to be enrolled in the Virginia Rap Back Service in order to ensure the prompt removal and destruction of records from the Virginia Rap Back Service. The bill authorizes the Department to charge a $12 fee per individual enrolled in the Service, paid by any participating entity enrolling the individual in the Service, and provides that when more than one participating agency enrolls the same individual in the Service, both entities shall be responsible for paying the full cost for maintenance and notification. The bill requires that any fees collected shall be deposited in a special account to offset costs of subscription fees, maintenance fees, and enhancements related to the Criminal and Rap Back Information Service. Under current law, the Department maintains an Applicant Fingerprint Database that functions similarly to the Service. The bill transitions the Department from using the Database and requires the Service to be operational no later than July 1, 2025, contingent upon appropriation of funds.

Public institutions of higher education; foreign governments; programs and grants. Prohibits employees at public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth from participating in Chinese-sponsored talent recruitment programs or receiving Chinese-funded grants. The bill also requires each employee at such institutions to disclose to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia all financial payments received from foreign governments.

State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; certain gifts prohibited; foreign countries of concern. Prohibits officers and employees of state and local governments, including legislators or members of their immediate family who may accept such a gift on behalf of the Commonwealth, from receiving a gift with a value exceeding $100 for which the fair market value or a gift of greater or equal value has not been provided or exchanged from foreign countries of concern, defined in the bill.