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.

Voter registration; monthly list maintenance. Requires the Department of Elections to conduct and complete voter list maintenance monthly using change of address information supplied by the United States Postal Service, except that such list maintenance will not be conducted during the 90 days prior to a federal primary or general election. Following any federal general election, the Department shall, within 30 days of such election, conduct and complete the list maintenance for the period beginning 90 days prior to the federal primary election through the date of the federal general election. The bill requires the Department to transmit the change of address information to the general registrars monthly and to include with such information the date on which it was received by the Department.

Wholesome food donation tax credit. Renews the wholesome food donation tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2028. The bill allows any person engaged in the business of farming that donates food crops or wholesome food, defined in the bill, produced by the person in the Commonwealth to a nonprofit food bank to claim a tax credit for the taxable year of the donation in the amount of 50 percent of the fair market value of such donation, not to exceed $10,000 for all such donations made by the person during such year. Wholesome food donation tax credit. Renews the wholesome food donation tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2028. The bill allows any person engaged in the business of farming that donates food crops or wholesome food, defined in the bill, produced by the person in the Commonwealth to a nonprofit food bank to claim a tax credit for the taxable year of the donation in the amount of 50 percent of the fair market value of such donation, not to exceed $10,000 for all such donations made by the person during such year.

Commending Boy Scouts of America Troop 982.

Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice. Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas company authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. The bill prohibits a public entity from adopting an ordinance, resolution, or any other requirement that limits or prohibits customers from acquiring natural gas service and supply from both utility and non-utility gas companies. The bill prohibits public entities from denying building permits solely based on a proposed utility provider and directs public entities to ensure that all applicable permits and fees are reasonable, as compared to other utility providers, and do not restrict an applicant's ability to use the services of an authorized utility provider.

Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; penalties. Repeals the procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or law-enforcement officer may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. The bill also removes the substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued.

Public elementary and secondary school teachers; frequency of certain training activities; length of temporary teacher employment. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school teacher from being required to participate more frequently than once every five years in certain training relating to the appropriate management of student conduct and student offenses in violation of school board policies or relating to secure mandatory test violations. The bill also permits, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, any school board to employ a temporarily employed teacher to fill a vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 180 days during one school year, with certain conditions and limitations. Public elementary and secondary school teachers; frequency of certain training activities; length of temporary teacher employment. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school teacher from being required to participate more frequently than once every five years in certain training relating to the appropriate management of student conduct and student offenses in violation of school board policies or relating to secure mandatory test violations. The bill also permits, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, any school board to employ a temporarily employed teacher to fill a vacancy for a period of time not to exceed 180 days during one school year, with certain conditions and limitations.

Commending Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria.

Firefighters; training; electric vehicle fires. Directs the Executive Director of the Department of Fire Programs to develop a training program on the risks of fires in electric vehicles and how to safely and effectively manage such fires to be completed by all firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, and requires the Executive Director to make such training program available by July 1, 2024. Effective July 1, 2024, all firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, are required to complete such training program. The bill provides that every person engaged in firefighting activities on July 1, 2024, has until December 1, 2025, to complete such training program. Firefighters; training; electric vehicle fires. Directs the Executive Director of the Department of Fire Programs to develop a training program on the risks of fires in electric vehicles and how to safely and effectively manage such fires to be completed by all firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, and requires the Executive Director to make such training program available by July 1, 2024. Effective July 1, 2024, all firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, are required to complete such training program. The bill provides that every person engaged in firefighting activities on July 1, 2024, has until December 1, 2025, to complete such training program.

Development of offshore wind capacity; cost recovery. Requires the State Corporation Commission, in conducting its review of requests for cost recovery by a Phase II Utility for costs associated with generating facilities utilizing energy derived from offshore wind, to give due consideration to the economic development benefits of the project for the Commonwealth, including capital investments and job creation, arising from project construction and operation and the manufacture of wind turbine generator components and subcomponents. The bill also accelerates the timeline from 2034 to 2032 for public utilities to construct or purchase one or more offshore wind generation facilities located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management; contract requirements. Excludes construction management contracts involving infrastructure projects from the requirement that no more than 10 percent of the construction work be performed by the construction manager with its own forces and that the remaining 90 percent of the construction work be performed by subcontractors of the construction manager.

Weapons; possession or transportation; facility that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to possess in or transport into any facility that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including a hospital or an emergency room or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and specifies exceptions to the prohibition.

Weapons; possession or transportation; facility that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to possess in or transport into any facility that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including a hospital or an emergency room or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. Weapons; possession or transportation; facility that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to possess in or transport into any facility that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including a hospital or an emergency room or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon is subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and specifies exceptions to the prohibition.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; termination of multiple month-to-month tenancies by landlord. Requires any owner of multifamily premises that fails to renew the greater of either 20 or more month-to-month tenancies or 50 percent of the month-to-month tenancies within a consecutive 30-day period in the same multifamily premises to serve written notice on each such tenant at least 60 days prior to allowing such tenancy to expire. The bill exempts a landlord from the 60 days' notice requirement where a tenant has failed to pay rent in accordance with the rental agreement. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; termination of multiple month-to-month tenancies by landlord. Requires any owner of multifamily premises that fails to renew the greater of either 20 or more month-to-month tenancies or 50 percent of the month-to-month tenancies within a consecutive 30-day period in the same multifamily premises to serve written notice on each such tenant at least 60 days prior to allowing such tenancy to expire. The bill exempts a landlord from the 60 days' notice requirement where a tenant has failed to pay rent in accordance with the rental agreement.

Establishment of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Commission; report. Establishes the 16-member Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Commission as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of advising the Board of Education on the implementation of educational standards regarding Asian or Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions, culture, history, heritage, and language. The bill requires annual reports on the Commission's interim activities and work to the Governor and General Assembly and has an expiration date of July 1, 2027. Establishment of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Commission; report. Establishes the 16-member Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Commission as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of advising the Board of Education on the implementation of educational standards regarding Asian or Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions, culture, history, heritage, and language. The bill requires annual reports on the Commission's interim activities and work to the Governor and General Assembly and has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.