Public safety officer; Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor; dispatcher. Adds a dispatcher, including a dispatcher employed by the Department of State Police, to the definition of a public safety officer for purposes of possible selection by the Governor for the Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor, presented for performance above and beyond the call of duty involving extraordinary valor in the face of grave danger, at great personal risk. A dispatcher is defined in relevant law as an individual employed by a public safety answering point, an emergency medical dispatch service provider, or both, who is qualified to answer incoming emergency telephone calls or provide for the appropriate emergency response either directly or through communication with the appropriate public safety answering point. Public safety officer; Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor; dispatcher. Adds a dispatcher, including a dispatcher employed by the Department of State Police, to the definition of a public safety officer for purposes of possible selection by the Governor for the Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor, presented for performance above and beyond the call of duty involving extraordinary valor in the face of grave danger, at great personal risk. A dispatcher is defined in relevant law as an individual employed by a public safety answering point, an emergency medical dispatch service provider, or both, who is qualified to answer incoming emergency telephone calls or provide for the appropriate emergency response either directly or through communication with the appropriate public safety answering point.

Juvenile detention home, group home, and residential care facility commissions; membership. Requires that members and alternate members of juvenile detention home, group home, or other residential care facility commissions have a background in law enforcement or corrections.

Department of Environmental Quality; nuclear energy electrical generation facilities; permitting. Adds an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 300 megawatts that generates electricity only from nuclear energy located in Planning District 1 (LENOWISCO), 2 (Cumberland Plateau), 3 (Mount Rogers), or 4 (New River Valley Region) to the definition of small renewable energy project for purposes of the regulation of such projects by the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill requires the Department to limit the permitting of such facilities pursuant to the definition and directs the Department to develop the applicable permit by rule regulations for such nuclear energy projects to be effective as soon as practicable.

Exemptions from jury service upon request; age. Increases from 70 to 73 the age at which a person is exempt from jury service upon request.

Public school funding; At-Risk Program established. Establishes the At-Risk Program, defined in the bill as any state funding provided for programs of prevention, intervention, or remediation or pursuant to the at-risk add-on for the purpose of supporting programs for students who are educationally at risk. The bill requires (i) the determination of the amount of state funding for which a school division is eligible pursuant to the At-Risk Program to be based on the school division's identified student percentage, defined in the bill as the fraction, expressed as a percentage, that results from dividing the number of identified students enrolled in a school division by the total number of students enrolled in such school division, weighted by the factor of 1.5, and then adjusted by the addition of a percentage that corrects for undercounting English language learner students as identified students and (ii) such funding to be distributed as follows: 60 percent on a flat per-student rate and 40 percent on a variable rate set out in the general appropriation act based on the concentration of poverty in the school division. The bill provides that any school division that would have received more state funds for the at-risk add-on and programs of prevention, intervention, or remediation than it would pursuant to the consolidation of such state funding sources under the At-Risk Program established in the bill shall be held harmless and shall not have its share of such state funding reduced, effective for the 2024–2025 school year through the 2026–2027 school year.

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.

Foster care; diversionary placements; alternative living arrangements. Allows a birth parent to identify an ALA caregiver, defined in the bill, with whom the birth parent would like to place his child in an alternative living arrangement, defined in the bill. The bill establishes background checks for potential ALA caregivers, establishes legal custody of the child by ALA caregivers, requires safety and welfare checks for children in alternative living arrangements, and requires local boards of social services to create an exit plan for reunification of the child and the birth parent or, if such reunification is not viable, for permanent placement of the child in an alternative living arrangement.

Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman; created. Creates, within the Office of the State Inspector General, the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman (the Office) headed by an Ombudsman who is selected by the State Inspector General. The bill creates the Corrections Oversight Committee (the Committee) made up of four members of the General Assembly, nine nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor, subject to criteria described in the bill, and two nonvoting members, appointed as described in the bill, who monitor the activities of the Ombudsman and the Department of Corrections (the Department). The bill provides the Office with authority to conduct inspections at least once every three years and more often when warranted of Department facilities and requires the Office to establish a statewide toll-free telephone number, website, mailing address, and paper and electronic forms for inmates, family members, friends, and advocates to submit complaints and inquiries. In addition, the bill requires the Committee to hold at least two public hearings per year and requires the Office to submit an annual report to be made available online and to be delivered to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services, the House Committee on Public Safety, the Committee, and the Director of the Department. The bill directs the Office to develop a short-term and long-term strategic plan and to provide a report on its initial activities and strategic plan to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before November 15, 2025.

Computer trespass; elementary and secondary schools; school board; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for the offense of computer trespass when such offense is committed against any public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school or any school board. Computer trespass; elementary and secondary schools; school board; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for the offense of computer trespass when such offense is committed against any public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school or any school board.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student discipline; evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. Prohibits, except in certain cases involving specific offenses enumerated in applicable law or in cases in which the division superintendent or his designee finds that aggravating circumstances, as defined by the Department of Education, exist, any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school without first considering at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice such as community conferencing, community service, mentoring, a peer jury, peer mediation, positive behavioral interventions and supports, a restorative circle, or the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports. The bill also requires the Department to add as part of the student behavior and administrative response collection required pursuant to relevant law the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices as a behavioral intervention in order to evaluate the use and effectiveness of such practices.

Resale Disclosure Act; delivery of resale certificate; remedies. Provides that failure to deliver a resale certificate within 14 days, as required by the Resale Disclosure Act, deems the resale certificate unavailable. The bill grants a purchaser three days from the date of ratification of the contract or the date of receipt of the resale certificate or notice that such certificate is unavailable, as applicable, to cancel the contract. Additionally, the bill (i) excludes from the resale certificate requirements of the Act an initial disposition of a lot to a person who is not acquiring the lot for his own residence and (ii) allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser's authorized agent. Current law excludes the resale certificate requirements of the Act for any initial disposition, regardless of its intended use, and only allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser. Finally, the bill mandates the seller to be responsible for all fees associated with the preparation and delivery of the financial update. However, the settlement agent or other requesting party may pay such fees up front, regardless of whether such requesting party requests to be reimbursed for such fees from the seller. Resale Disclosure Act; delivery of resale certificate; remedies. Provides that failure to deliver a resale certificate within 14 days, as required by the Resale Disclosure Act, deems the resale certificate unavailable. The bill grants a purchaser three days from the date of ratification of the contract or the date of receipt of the resale certificate or notice that such certificate is unavailable, as applicable, to cancel the contract. Additionally, the bill (i) excludes from the resale certificate requirements of the Act an initial disposition of a lot to a person who is not acquiring the lot for his own residence and (ii) allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser's authorized agent. Current law excludes the resale certificate requirements of the Act for any initial disposition, regardless of its intended use, and only allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser. Finally, the bill mandates the seller to be responsible for all fees associated with the preparation and delivery of the financial update. However, the settlement agent or other requesting party may pay such fees up front, regardless of whether such requesting party requests to be reimbursed for such fees from the seller.

Felony homicide; certain drug offenses; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another person and such other person's use of the controlled substance results in his death, regardless of the time or place death occurred in relation to the commission of the underlying felony. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Unemployment insurance; benefit eligibility conditions; lockout exception to labor dispute disqualification. Amends the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act's labor dispute disqualification to provide that a lockout by an employer shall not constitute a labor dispute and that locked-out employees who are otherwise eligible for benefits shall receive such benefits unless (i) the recognized or certified collective bargaining representative of the locked-out employees refuses to meet under reasonable conditions with the employer to discuss the issues giving rise to the lockout, (ii) there is a final adjudication under the federal National Labor Relations Act that such representative has refused to bargain in good faith with the employer, or (iii) the lockout is the direct result of such representative's violation of an existing collective bargaining agreement.

Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission. Establishes a procedure under which an electric utility or independent power provider (applicant) is able to obtain approval for a certificate from the State Corporation Commission for the siting of an energy facility rather than from the governing body of a locality. Under the bill, applicants are authorized to submit an application to the Commission if (i) the locality fails to timely approve or deny an application; (ii) the application complies with certain requirements for Commission approval, but a host locality denies the application; or (iii) the locality amends its zoning ordinance after it has notified the applicant that its requirements are compatible with the requirements for Commission approval, and the amendment imposes additional requirements that are more restrictive. The bill provides that an applicant who is issued a certificate by the Commission for an energy facility is exempt from obtaining approvals or permits, including any land use approvals or permits under the regulations and ordinances of the locality. The bill applies to any solar energy facility with a capacity of 50 megawatts or more, any wind energy facility with a capacity of 100 megawatts or more, and any energy storage facility with a nameplate capacity of 50 megawatts or more and an energy discharge capability of 200 megawatt hours or more.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Act; Virginia investment performance grants; Virginia economic development incentive grants. Reduces the local funding match requirement for GO Virginia grants from being equal to the grant amount to being at least equal to half of the grant amount until July 1, 2028. The bill adds the Secretary of Labor to the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. The bill also requires, for a Virginia investment performance grant award determination that includes a job creation requirement, an eligible manufacturer or research and development service to pay an average wage, excluding fringe benefits, that is no less than the prevailing average wage for such new jobs. Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2024, (i) the aggregate amount of Virginia investment performance grants payable to all grant recipients in any fiscal year shall not exceed $7 million and (ii) grants shall be payable in amounts up to $5 million per eligible manufacturer or research and development service in five equal, annual installments of up to $1 million, beginning in the first year after verification of capital investment and pledged employment. The bill also provides that eligible companies shall be eligible to receive Virginia economic development incentive grants in the first year after verification that requirements applicable to such grant are satisfied. The bill contains an enactment clause clarifying that no existing agreement entered into prior to the effective date of the bill shall be impacted by the bill. Virginia Growth and Opportunity Act; Virginia investment performance grants; Virginia economic development incentive grants. Reduces the local funding match requirement for GO Virginia grants from being equal to the grant amount to being at least equal to half of the grant amount until July 1, 2028. The bill adds the Secretary of Labor to the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. The bill also requires, for a Virginia investment performance grant award determination that includes a job creation requirement, an eligible manufacturer or research and development service to pay an average wage, excluding fringe benefits, that is no less than the prevailing average wage for such new jobs. Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2024, (i) the aggregate amount of Virginia investment performance grants payable to all grant recipients in any fiscal year shall not exceed $7 million and (ii) grants shall be payable in amounts up to $5 million per eligible manufacturer or research and development service in five equal, annual installments of up to $1 million, beginning in the first year after verification of capital investment and pledged employment. The bill also provides that eligible companies shall be eligible to receive Virginia economic development incentive grants in the first year after verification that requirements applicable to such grant are satisfied. The bill contains an enactment clause clarifying that no existing agreement entered into prior to the effective date of the bill shall be impacted by the bill.