Historic rehabilitation tax credit; maximum amount of tax credit. Increases from $5 million to $7.5 million, beginning in taxable year 2025, the maximum amount of the historic rehabilitation tax credit, including amounts carried over from prior taxable years, that may be claimed by a taxpayer in any taxable year.

Electric utilities; recovery of development costs associated with small modular reactor. Permits Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the State Corporation Commission at any time for the approval of a rate adjustment clause for the recovery of small modular reactor project development costs for up to one small modular reactor facility. The bill also permits the utility to petition the Commission for project development cost recovery along separate development phases. The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2029. Electric utilities; recovery of development costs associated with small modular reactor. Permits Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the State Corporation Commission at any time for the approval of a rate adjustment clause for the recovery of small modular reactor project development costs for up to one small modular reactor facility. The bill also permits the utility to petition the Commission for project development cost recovery along separate development phases. The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2029.

Unpaved secondary highway funds. Clarifies that the improvement of nonsurface treated secondary highways includes improvements other than paving, as described in the bill. The bill also clarifies that the local governing body of the county receiving funds for such improvements will select the highways or highway segments to be improved, after consulting with the Department of Transportation.

Virginia Human Rights Act; definition of "employer." Waives the Commonwealth's sovereign immunity to a civil action under the definition of "person" in relevant law. The bill also expands the definition of "employer" as it relates to the requirement to provide reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities under the Virginia Human Rights Act to include any government or political subdivision, or agent of such government or political subdivision, employing more than five employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. The bill also reduces the number of employees from 15 to five for the definition of employer of domestic workers. Virginia Human Rights Act; definition of "employer." Waives the Commonwealth's sovereign immunity to a civil action under the definition of "person" in relevant law. The bill also expands the definition of "employer" as it relates to the requirement to provide reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities under the Virginia Human Rights Act to include any government or political subdivision, or agent of such government or political subdivision, employing more than five employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. The bill also reduces the number of employees from 15 to five for the definition of employer of domestic workers.

Xylazine; manufacturing; selling; giving; distributing; possessing; veterinary use exemption; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture xylazine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell xylazine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense xylazine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer xylazine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

Board of Education; guidelines on school-connected overdose policies; response and parental notification. Requires the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies to aid local school boards in the implementation of such policies. The bill requires such guidelines to include (i) a model action plan for each school board to follow in responding to any school-connected overdose, including communicating and coordinating with the Department of Education and the applicable law-enforcement liaison or the local law-enforcement agency that employs such school division's school resources officers, and (ii) criteria for issuing parental notification to ensure sensitivity to the privacy interests of affected individuals and compliance with any applicable law, rules, or regulations relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information.

Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Allows land trusts that have been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission or a similar set of standards and practices adopted by the Virginia Land Conservation Board of Trustees (the Board) to hold an interest in land other than a fee simple interest as a result of a grant or transfer from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (the Foundation) without a co-holder. Current law requires that certain interests in land as a result of a grant or transfer from the Foundation be held jointly by a holder and a public body. The bill also allows, whenever a holder acquires fee simple interest in land as a result of a grant or transfer from the Foundation, the Board to accept a reversionary interest in such land as an alternative to a public body holding an open space easement in such land.

Renewable energy portfolio standard; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Provides that geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill, located in the Commonwealth are eligible for compliance with renewable energy portfolio standard requirements. The bill also requires the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to convene a stakeholder work group to examine the feasibility of establishing renewable energy portfolio standard program (RPS program) requirements that require each Phase I and Phase II Utility to procure and retire renewable energy certificates (RECs) from geothermal heating and cooling systems placed in service after August 16, 2022, as a percentage of the number of RECs used for RPS program compliance. The work group shall include representatives from the geothermal industry, Phase I and Phase II Utilities, the Department of Energy, environmental advocacy organizations, environmental justice organizations, consumer advocates, and other interested stakeholders. The Commission is required to report the findings and recommendations of the work group to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, the House Committee on Labor and Commerce, and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation no later than December 1, 2024. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. Renewable energy portfolio standard; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Provides that geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill, located in the Commonwealth are eligible for compliance with renewable energy portfolio standard requirements. The bill also requires the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to convene a stakeholder work group to examine the feasibility of establishing renewable energy portfolio standard program (RPS program) requirements that require each Phase I and Phase II Utility to procure and retire renewable energy certificates (RECs) from geothermal heating and cooling systems placed in service after August 16, 2022, as a percentage of the number of RECs used for RPS program compliance. The work group shall include representatives from the geothermal industry, Phase I and Phase II Utilities, the Department of Energy, environmental advocacy organizations, environmental justice organizations, consumer advocates, and other interested stakeholders. The Commission is required to report the findings and recommendations of the work group to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, the House Committee on Labor and Commerce, and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation no later than December 1, 2024. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; retail tobacco products and liquid nicotine tax; penalties. Prohibits Internet sales of liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products, except to a retail dealer, and prohibits the sale of retail tobacco products from vending machines. The bill updates, for the purpose of the crime of selling or distributing tobacco products to a person younger than 21 years of age, the definition of "retail tobacco products" by including in such definition products currently defined as "nicotine vapor products" or "alternative nicotine vapor products." The bill also removes provisions prohibiting the attempt to purchase, the purchase, or the possession of tobacco products by persons younger than 21 years of age. Purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; retail tobacco products and liquid nicotine tax; penalties. Prohibits Internet sales of liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products, except to a retail dealer, and prohibits the sale of retail tobacco products from vending machines. The bill updates, for the purpose of the crime of selling or distributing tobacco products to a person younger than 21 years of age, the definition of "retail tobacco products" by including in such definition products currently defined as "nicotine vapor products" or "alternative nicotine vapor products." The bill also removes provisions prohibiting the attempt to purchase, the purchase, or the possession of tobacco products by persons younger than 21 years of age. The bill provides that the punishment of a retail dealer that sells, gives, or furnishes a tobacco product to a person younger than 21 years of age or to a person who does not demonstrate that such person is at least 21 years of age is (i) a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first offense within a 36-month period, (ii) a civil penalty of $5,000 for a second offense within a 36-month period such retail dealer shall become subject to specific age-verification requirements, (iii) a civil penalty of $10,000 and a 30-day suspension of such retail dealer's distributor's license for a third offense within a 36-month period, and (iv) revocation of such license and such retail dealer shall be ineligible to hold a license for a period of three years following the most recent violation for a fourth offense within a 36-month period. The bill requires the Department of Taxation, in collaboration with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and local law enforcement, to conduct a compliance check every 24 months on any retail dealer selling retail tobacco products and to use a person younger than 21 years of age to conduct such checks. The bill also imposes a tax upon liquid nicotine in closed systems, as defined in the bill, at the rate of $0.066 per milliliter and upon liquid nicotine in open systems, as defined in the bill, at the rate of 20 percent of the wholesale price for purchases on and after July 1, 2024. The bill applies licensing requirements to manufacturers, distributors, and retail dealers of liquid nicotine and creates new safety requirements related to the advertising, marketing, and labeling of liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products.

Line of Duty Act; campus police officers; private police officers. Provides employees of contributing nonprofit private institutions of higher education, defined in the bill, and contributing private police departments, defined in the bill, with the benefits granted to employees of participating employers under the Line of Duty Act. The bill clarifies that the Line of Duty Act shall not apply to any private institution of higher education or private police department that is not a contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education or contributing private police department, respectively. The bill requires each contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education and contributing private police department to pay its pro rata share of the initial costs to implement this bill, as determined by the Virginia Retirement System. Line of Duty Act; campus police officers; private police officers. Provides employees of contributing nonprofit private institutions of higher education, defined in the bill, and contributing private police departments, defined in the bill, with the benefits granted to employees of participating employers under the Line of Duty Act. The bill clarifies that the Line of Duty Act shall not apply to any private institution of higher education or private police department that is not a contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education or contributing private police department, respectively. The bill requires each contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education and contributing private police department to pay its pro rata share of the initial costs to implement this bill, as determined by the Virginia Retirement System.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; slot-retention requests; Developmental Disability waivers; sunset. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to amend their regulations to allow for support coordinators to request and subsequently obtain approval of consecutive waiver slot-retention requests for a period of up to 365 calendar days for individuals who have been assigned a Developmental Disability waiver slot. Current regulations allow for four consecutive 30-day slot-retention extensions. The bill sunsets on June 30, 2026, and is identical to

RPS eligible sources; falling water generation facilities. Provides that, notwithstanding contrary provisions of law, any falling water generation facility, as defined in the bill, located in the Commonwealth and commencing commercial operations prior to July 1, 2024, shall be considered a renewable energy portfolio standard eligible source.

Health insurance; emergency services; mobile crisis response services. Provides that emergency services, with respect to an emergency medical condition, include, as it relates to any mental health services or substance abuse services rendered at a behavioral health crisis service provider, (i) a behavioral health assessment that is within the capability of a behavioral health crisis service provider, including ancillary services routinely available to evaluate such emergency medical condition, and (ii) such further examination and treatment, to the extent that they are within the capabilities of the staff and facilities available at the behavioral health crisis service provider, as are required so that the patient's condition does not deteriorate.

Public high schools; personnel; college and career specialist required. Requires each school board to employ at least one college and career specialist, as defined in the bill, in each public high school in the local school division. The bill provides that each such individual shall be employed in addition to and not as a replacement for the required school counselor positions, specialized student support positions, or support services positions.

Petitions in juvenile and domestic relations district court; parents; minors. Prohibits the parent of a minor residing in the same home as such parent from filing a petition for a family abuse protective order against such minor, provided that the minor has not otherwise been emancipated pursuant to law. The bill also authorizes the parent, guardian, or other person standing in loco parentis of a minor to file a petition for a child in need of services or in need of supervision with the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court if an intake officer refuses to file such petition. Under current law, the decision by an intake officer to file such petition is final. Petitions in juvenile and domestic relations district court; parents; minors. Prohibits the parent of a minor residing in the same home as such parent from filing a petition for a family abuse protective order against such minor, provided that the minor has not otherwise been emancipated pursuant to law. The bill also authorizes the parent, guardian, or other person standing in loco parentis of a minor to file a petition for a child in need of services or in need of supervision with the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court if an intake officer refuses to file such petition. Under current law, the decision by an intake officer to file such petition is final.