License plate reader systems; civil penalty. Provides requirements for the use of license plate reader systems, defined in the bill, by law-enforcement agencies. The bill limits the use of such systems to scanning, detecting, and recording data about vehicles and license plate numbers for the purpose of identifying a vehicle that is (i) associated with a wanted, missing, or endangered person or human trafficking; (ii) stolen; (iii) involved in an active law-enforcement investigation; or (iv) in the vicinity of a recent crime and may be connected to that crime. The bill authorizes and requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to establish a permitting process for installing and using such systems in state highway rights-of-way.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; prohibition on boycotting Israel. Requires all public bodies to include in every contract in excess of $100,000 with a business that employs more than 10 employees and in every subcontract or purchase order in excess of $10,000 a provision that states that during the performance of the contract, neither the contracting business nor any of its affiliates shall engage in a boycott of Israel.

Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Increases from 52 weeks to 104 weeks the maximum duration after the date of diagnosis that workers' compensation benefits are payable for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty.

Uniform Statewide Building Code; violations; fines. Increases from $2,500 to $5,000 the minimum amount and from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount that any person, firm, or corporation shall be fined when convicted of a third or subsequent offense of violating the provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code committed within 10 years of another such offense after having been at least twice previously convicted of such an offense. The bill also adds penalties for similar violations committed by owners of a blighted multifamily property.

Assistance for certain voters outside of the polling place; definition of "person with a disability"; training. Amends the definition of "person with a disability" for purposes of the Elections title to mean any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his major life activities or who has a record of such impairment. The bill provides that any qualified voter who is a person with a disability shall be eligible for assistance outside of the polling place and makes technical amendments for consistency. The bill requires the training required for all officers of election to include specific training on voting outside of a polling place and directs the Department of Elections to incorporate into guidance documents for election officials the processes and procedures for voting outside of the polling place, including best practices for providing assistance for voters with disabilities.

Virginia Retirement System; plan credits and accounts. Allows members of the Virginia Retirement System to purchase service credit for prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in any federally established branch of the armed services. Under current law, such purchases are restricted to prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. Virginia Retirement System; plan credits and accounts. Allows members of the Virginia Retirement System to purchase service credit for prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in any federally established branch of the armed services. Under current law, such purchases are restricted to prior full-time active duty military service of at least 180 consecutive days in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. The bill also provides that any funds or other property held in a Virginia Retirement System defined contribution plan, deferred compensation plan, or cash match plan remaining unclaimed for more than five years shall be presumed abandoned under the Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act and may escheat to the state treasury. Under current law, the Act does not apply to any Virginia Retirement System defined benefit plan funds or other property.

Maximum width of vehicles; school buses. Increases from 100 inches to 102 inches the maximum total outside width permitted for school buses.

Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities; competitive procurement process; Department of Energy. Provides that the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from offshore wind generation facilities owned by persons other than a public utility and located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth is in the public interest. The bill states that, except for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, the purchase or development of offshore wind facilities or the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from such facilities shall include a competitive procurement process held by the Department of Energy. The bill specifies that Dominion Energy Virginia may submit a bid but shall not participate in evaluating bids or making selections in such process. Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities; competitive procurement process; Department of Energy. Provides that the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from offshore wind generation facilities owned by persons other than a public utility and located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth is in the public interest. The bill states that, except for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, the purchase or development of offshore wind facilities or the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from such facilities shall include a competitive procurement process held by the Department of Energy. The bill specifies that Dominion Energy Virginia may submit a bid but shall not participate in evaluating bids or making selections in such process.

Virginia Public Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Public Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Emergency Management and financially managed by the Virginia Resources Authority, for the purpose of making loans and awarding grants to local governments for the purpose of assisting with improvement projects relating to public safety radio and communications infrastructure.

Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocery store workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to health care providers and grocery store workers. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain health care providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for employers of certain other health care providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries to provide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1, 2024. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Court fines and fees; indigent defendant; waiver of fees. Provides that in any criminal or traffic case, the court may waive the assessment of certain fees specified in the bill, either wholly or in part, if the court determines the defendant to be indigent pursuant to relevant law and is unable to pay such fee. The bill provides that the court may make such determination upon motion of the defendant at any time prior to the entry of order for which such fee is assessed or final order has been entered.

Nuisance; action against adjoining property owner. Provides that a civil action may be brought by a property owner against the owner of an adjoining property alleged to be a nuisance for damages and reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill further provides that a hearing held pursuant to such action shall be held 90 days after the filing of such action and that, if the defendant provides evidence that he has taken all actions necessary to correct the nuisance, the case shall be dismissed.

Study; Department of Environmental Quality; groundwater supply in the Commonwealth; report. Requests that the Department of Environmental Quality complete a one-year study of the groundwater supply in the Commonwealth with technical assistance provided by the State Water Control Board. The Department shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2024, and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Timing of local elections. Allows a city or town by majority vote of the local governing body to hold its municipal elections on the first Tuesday in May for terms to commence July 1, in which case the terms of council members shall be extended by six months in order to implement the transition. Currently, cities and towns must hold their municipal elections at the time of the November general election.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects; quorum and signature requirements. Lowers the quorum requirement for the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects of two engineers, two architects, and two land surveyors to at least one engineer, one architect, and one land surveyor. The bill removes the requirement that licenses issued by the Board be signed by at least four members of the Board. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2026. Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects; quorum and signature requirements. Lowers the quorum requirement for the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects of two engineers, two architects, and two land surveyors to at least one engineer, one architect, and one land surveyor. The bill removes the requirement that licenses issued by the Board be signed by at least four members of the Board. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2026.