Killing the fetus of another; manslaughter; penalties. Provides that any person who kills the fetus of another by an intentional act committed while in the sudden heat of passion upon reasonable provocation is guilty of voluntary manslaughter, which is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also provides that any person who kills the fetus of another accidentally, contrary to the intention of the parties and while engaged in conduct so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life, is guilty of involuntary manslaughter, which is also punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Virginia Firefighting Personnel and Equipment Grant Program. Establishes the Virginia Firefighting Personnel and Equipment Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The Department of Fire Programs shall administer the Program, and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The other type of grant shall be provided to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services. Authorized uses of grant funds include acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. Virginia Firefighting Personnel and Equipment Grant Program. Establishes the Virginia Firefighting Personnel and Equipment Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The Department of Fire Programs shall administer the Program, and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The other type of grant shall be provided to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services. Authorized uses of grant funds include acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. The Department shall report annually, beginning November 1, 2025, to the Governor and the General Assembly information regarding a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.

School boards; employment of counsel. Clarifies that any school board, whether elected or appointed, may employ the attorney for the Commonwealth or other counsel to advise it concerning any legal matter or to represent it, any member thereof, or any school official in any legal proceeding to which the school board, member, or official may be a party when such proceeding is instituted by or against it or against the member or official by virtue of his actions in connection with his duties as such member or official.

Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses. Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses to persons operating food concessions at any (i) performing arts facility located in the City of Charlottesville, provided that the performing arts facility (a) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement, the original term of which was more than five years; (b) has a total capacity in excess of 550 patrons; and (c) has been rehabilitated in accordance with historic preservation standards; (ii) outdoor performing arts amphitheater, arena, or similar facility that has seating for more than 5,000 persons and is located in the City of Richmond; or (iii) outdoor performing arts amphitheater, arena, or similar facility that has seating for more than 2,500 persons and is located in the City of Charlottesville.

Organ donation leave tax credit. Establishes a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for a taxpayer that is a private employer, as defined by the bill, for certain costs incurred during a period of organ donation leave received by an employee organ donor.

Nonresident concealed handgun permits. Provides that if the Department of State Police has not issued a nonresident concealed handgun permit nor determined that the applicant for such permit is disqualified within 90 days of receipt of the application for such permit, the Department shall immediately issue the permit. Current law does not specify a time limit for issuance of such permit or determination of disqualification. The bill retains the current requirement that if after issuance of the permit the permittee is found by the Department to be disqualified, the permit shall be revoked and the person shall return the permit after being so notified by the Department.

Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution.

Central fill pharmacies. Establishes requirements for central fill pharmacies, which are defined in the bill as permitted pharmacy facilities that, upon the request of an originating pharmacy, perform the product fulfillment of a drug order and return the filled prescription to the originating pharmacy for delivery to the patient or patient's agent or, for non-federally controlled substances, send the filled prescription directly to the patient. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Universal certification for certain law-enforcement officers. Provides that any sworn law-enforcement officer with at least one year of experience (i) whose training qualifications meet or exceed current training standards established by the Board of Criminal Justice Services and who is in compliance with the minimum qualifications, (ii) who has not had a break in service of more than 24 months, and (iii) who is leaving the transferring agency in good standing with no pending investigations or disciplinary actions shall be eligible for employment at any law-enforcement agency within the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions. Prior to any conditional offer of employment, the bill requires the hiring law-enforcement agency to request certain specified information from all prior law-enforcement agencies and to employ all reasonable means to obtain personnel records for law-enforcement officers transferring from an out-of-state or federal law-enforcement agency. The bill requires that upon the receipt of all requested information by the hiring law-enforcement agency, the applicant law-enforcement officer shall complete a sworn declaration that the provided information or records are, to the best of the applicant's knowledge, a true, correct, and complete response to such request.

Enforcement of certain judgments; restricted license. Authorizes the court to order a restricted license to operate a motor vehicle to a judgment debtor who has had his driver's license suspended for failure to satisfy certain judgments.

Tax credit for participating landlords. Increases from $250,000 to $500,000 the maximum amount of tax credits that may be issued to participating landlords, as defined in relevant law, each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2025 and provides that, in the event that the amount of the qualified requests for tax credits for such participating landlords in the fiscal year exceeds $500,000, the Department of Housing and Community Development will prorate the tax credits among the qualified applicants. The bill also creates a pilot program that earmarks $100,000 for tax credits provided to a participating landlord renting a qualified housing unit in an eligible non-metropolitan census tract, as those terms are defined in the bill. Tax credit for participating landlords. Increases from $250,000 to $500,000 the maximum amount of tax credits that may be issued to participating landlords, as defined in relevant law, each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2025 and provides that, in the event that the amount of the qualified requests for tax credits for such participating landlords in the fiscal year exceeds $500,000, the Department of Housing and Community Development will prorate the tax credits among the qualified applicants. The bill also creates a pilot program that earmarks $100,000 for tax credits provided to a participating landlord renting a qualified housing unit in an eligible non-metropolitan census tract, as those terms are defined in the bill.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant's remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit due to condemnation. Provides that the landlord shall be liable to the tenant for actual damages if the tenant gave notice to the landlord during the tenancy that his dwelling unit was in violation of an applicable building code, such violation posed a substantial risk to the health, safety, and welfare of a tenant, and such violation resulted in the tenant being excluded from his dwelling unit due to such unit being condemned. The bill includes exceptions to such liability, including negligence by the tenant, an act of God, and termination due to certain fire damage. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant's remedies for exclusion from dwelling unit due to condemnation. Provides that the landlord shall be liable to the tenant for actual damages if the tenant gave notice to the landlord during the tenancy that his dwelling unit was in violation of an applicable building code, such violation posed a substantial risk to the health, safety, and welfare of a tenant, and such violation resulted in the tenant being excluded from his dwelling unit due to such unit being condemned. The bill includes exceptions to such liability, including negligence by the tenant, an act of God, and termination due to certain fire damage.

Casino gaming; eligible host city. Removes the City of Richmond as an eligible host city for casino gaming establishments in the Commonwealth.

Unemployment compensation; continuation of benefits; repayment of overpayments. Reinstates provisions of the Code that expired on July 1, 2022, relating to unemployment compensation. The bill provides that when a claimant has had a determination of initial eligibility for unemployment benefits, as determined by the issuance of compensation or waiting-week credit, payments shall continue, subject to a presumption of continued eligibility, until a determination is made that provides the claimant notice and an opportunity to be heard. The bill requires the Virginia Employment Commission to waive the obligation to repay any overpayment if (i) the overpayment was made without fault on the part of the individual receiving benefits and (ii) requiring repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience. Conditions for when overpayments are considered "without fault on the part of the individual" are outlined in the bill. The bill further provides that the Commission shall notify each person with an unpaid overpayment of benefits that he may be entitled to a waiver of repayment and provide 30 days to request such a waiver. This applies to outstanding overpayments established for claim weeks commencing on or after March 15, 2020. Finally, the bill adds overpayments that the Commission has waived the requirement to repay to the list of situations where specific employers are not responsible for benefit charges. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

Elections; political campaign advertisements; advertisements sponsored by a person or political committee that is not a party committee. Elections; political campaign advertisements; advertisements sponsored by a person or political committee that is not a party committee.