Economic development authorities; appointments; Essex County. Allows the board of supervisors of Essex County to appoint one employee of the locality to the Economic Development Authority of the County of Essex.

Sales tax exemption; child restraint device. Creates an exemption from the retail sales and use tax for a child restraint device beginning July 1, 2023. This exemption is available only for a child restraint device purchased for personal use by an individual.

Possession of firearm, stun weapon, or other weapon on school property; child day centers and preschools. Limits the prohibition on the possession of firearms, stun weapons, or certain other weapons on the property of child day centers or public, private, or religious preschools to that portion of the child day center or preschool exclusively used for the conduct of the child day center or preschool and excluding any common areas or grounds open to the public.

Secretary of Education; institutions of higher education; information about institutional debt; report; civil penalty. Requires certain institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to report to the Secretary of Education on January 1 of each calendar year certain information and documents relating to certain educational debts owed to the institution by current and former students as of the end of the prior calendar year and requires the Secretary, with the cooperation and assistance of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to issue a report that includes the information and documents provided by each such institution no later than July 1 of each calendar year. The bill also allows the Secretary to impose a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation on an institution of higher education that fails to comply with the reporting requirements of the bill. Secretary of Education; institutions of higher education; information about institutional debt; report; civil penalty. Requires certain institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to report to the Secretary of Education on January 1 of each calendar year certain information and documents relating to certain educational debts owed to the institution by current and former students as of the end of the prior calendar year and requires the Secretary, with the cooperation and assistance of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to issue a report that includes the information and documents provided by each such institution no later than July 1 of each calendar year. The bill also allows the Secretary to impose a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation on an institution of higher education that fails to comply with the reporting requirements of the bill.

Official emblems and designations; state pony. Designates the Chincoteague Pony as the official pony of the Commonwealth.

Celebrating the life of Cheryl Lavette Nixon.

Celebrating the life of Technical Sergeant Thomas Lee Jefferson, Jr., USAF, Ret.

Celebrating the life of Gayle Marie Hill-Johnson.

State Corporation Commission; members. Increases, until the next expiration of a member's term, the number of members of the State Corporation Commission from three to four. The bill provides that the newest member will serve a term of six years that begins July, 1, 2023. The bill provides that upon the next expiration of a term of a member of the Commission or upon the expiration of the remaining term of a vacancy, whichever occurs earlier, no member shall be elected to fill the expired seat, and the Commission shall consist of three members.

Hemp products; license and label requirements. Requires the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt certain regulations relating to industrial hemp and industrial hemp extracts intended for inhalation, as defined in the bill, that include labeling requirements, batch testing requirements, and tolerances for contaminants of such products. The bill requires any manufacturer of a hemp product, wholesale supplier that sells hemp products, or retail establishment that sells hemp products to register with the Board and pay an annual fee for a license to sell such products and also requires hemp products sold or offered for sale to have certain information included on the label. The bill updates the definition of industrial hemp to match the definition in federal law.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; information about Intellectual/Developmental Disability services; work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene a work group, including representatives of community services boards, local departments of social services, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Arc of Virginia, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and other relevant stakeholders, to study methods for and develop recommendations for disseminating information about Intellectual/Developmental Disability services. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health, Welfare and Institutions by October 1, 2023.

Special license plate; women veterans. Authorizes the issuance of special license plates for supporters of women veterans bearing the legend SUPPORT WOMEN VETERANS.

Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund. Authorizes the Governor to direct funds from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund (Fund) to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for transportation projects determined to be necessary to support major economic development initiatives or to enhance the economic development opportunities of the Commonwealth's transportation programs when recommended by the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Commerce and Trade; these directed funds do not have a specified limit. Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund. Authorizes the Governor to direct funds from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund (Fund) to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for transportation projects determined to be necessary to support major economic development initiatives or to enhance the economic development opportunities of the Commonwealth's transportation programs when recommended by the Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Commerce and Trade; these directed funds do not have a specified limit. When funds are directed to such transportation projects or programs from the Fund in excess of $5 million, the bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report, the content of which is designated in the bill, to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriations within 30 days of such direction of funds. The bill further requires, for the direction of funds from the Fund in excess of $35 million, that such direction be submitted for review, within 14 days, to the MEI Project Approval Commission. The bill provides that absent a recommendation within the 14-day period that the funds should not be directed, or in the event that the Commission does not provide a recommendation within the 14-day period, the funds shall be directed. The bill authorizes the use of grants, funds directed to the Board, and revolving loans for property acquisition and new or improved infrastructure to support economic development opportunities of the Commonwealth's transportation programs. The bill clarifies that the authority granted related to the Fund cannot be used for otherwise prohibited eminent domain purposes.

Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority; comprehensive plan. Authorizes any locality in the Commonwealth to provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program by amending the zoning ordinance of such locality. Current law restricts such authorization to counties with an urban county executive form of government or county manager plan of government and certain other localities. The bill also requires the comprehensive plan of each locality to show the connection between affordable housing and other needs of its residents, such as job creation, educational opportunities, and parks and recreational activities.

Income tax subtraction; professional firefighter pension. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of firefighter benefits in taxable year 2023, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2024, and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2025 and each year thereafter. The bill defines firefighter benefits to include retirement income related to firefighting services and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a firefighter whose death occurred in the line of duty.