Temporary funding of federal park operations. Authorizes the Governor to provide funding and execute necessary agreements to allow the temporary operation of any Virginia property controlled by the National Park Service in the event of a federal government shutdown. Such authority shall be contingent on the U.S. Department of the Interior executing an agreement which authorizes the Commonwealth to operate such property. The bill states that the funds may come from the State Park Conservation Resources Fund, voluntary donations, funds allocated to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or other sources. However, the bill clarifies that no funds originally allocated from the general fund shall be used to operate a federal park for more than 21 days without the approval of the General Assembly.

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

Virginia Rap Back Service; criminal history record monitoring. Changes the time frame for which a participating entity in the Virginia Record of Arrest and Prosecution (Rap) Back Service is required to disenroll any individual who is deceased or no longer qualifies as an individual for the purposes of the Virginia Rap Back Service from within 30 days to within five business days. The bill also removes the provision stating that an individual who moves from one participating entity in the Virginia Rap Back Service to another need not be refingerprinted.

Zoning; traffic impact statements. Prohibits a locality from requiring a local traffic impact statement as a condition for approval of a rezoning application that involves a multifamily residential use of fewer than 50 residential units.

Special license plates; United States Air Force. Authorizes the issuance of special license plates for active duty members with, honorably discharged veterans with six months of active duty service in, and retirees from the United States Air Force and unremarried surviving spouses of such service members.

Charter; Town of New Market. Establishes a new charter for the Town of New Market in Shenandoah County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns.

Department of Education; Child Care Implementation and Substitute Employee Pool Grant Program established. Requires the Department of Education, with such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, to establish and administer the Child Care Implementation and Substitute Employee Pool Grant Program whereby any (i) existing child day program provider or group of such providers may apply for a grant, on a competitive basis, for the establishment of a substitute employee pool that, notwithstanding the provisions of relevant law relating to the disclosure of the results of background checks, enables such provider or providers to ensure efficient and effective staffing with qualified employees or (ii) prospective child day program may apply for a grant, on a competitive basis, to cover costs associated with implementing such program.

Health insurance; prior authorization. Requires that any provider contract between a carrier and a participating health care provider contain specific provisions that require that if a prior authorization request is approved for prescription drugs and such prescription drugs have been scheduled, provided, or delivered to the patient consistent with the authorization, the carrier shall not revoke, limit, condition, modify, or restrict that authorization unless (i) there is evidence that the authorization was obtained based on fraud or misrepresentation; (ii) final actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory agencies, or the manufacturer remove the drug from the market, limit its use in a manner that affects the authorization, or communicate a patient safety issue that would affect the authorization alone or in combination with other authorizations; (iii) a combination of drugs prescribed would cause a drug interaction; or (iv) a generic or biosimilar is added to the prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such provisions do not require a carrier to cover any benefit not otherwise covered or cover a prescription drug if the enrollee is no longer covered by a health plan on the date the prescription drug was scheduled, provided, or delivered.

Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The portions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025; however, the portions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

Electronic execution of estate planning documents; Uniform Electronic Wills Act. Permits trusts, advance medical directives, and refusals to make anatomical gifts to be signed and notarized, as appropriate, by electronic means. The bill also codifies the Uniform Electronic Wills Act, which permits a testator to execute a will by electronic means. The Act requires that the will be signed by two witnesses who are in the physical or electronic presence of the testator and acknowledged by the testator and attesting witnesses in the physical or electronic presence of a notary public. Electronic execution of estate planning documents; Uniform Electronic Wills Act. Permits trusts, advance medical directives, and refusals to make anatomical gifts to be signed and notarized, as appropriate, by electronic means. The bill also codifies the Uniform Electronic Wills Act, which permits a testator to execute a will by electronic means. The Act requires that the will be signed by two witnesses who are in the physical or electronic presence of the testator and acknowledged by the testator and attesting witnesses in the physical or electronic presence of a notary public.

Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure by Superintendent of Public Instruction. Exempts fully from the statutory requirement to be licensed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction any child day center that is operated or conducted under the auspices of a religious institution that (i) has tax exempt status as a nonprofit religious institution in accordance with § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, or (ii) owns and exclusively occupies real property that is exempt from local taxation. Under current law, such child day centers are exempt from licensure but are still subject to several enumerated requirements. The bill, however, preserves the requirement for such child day centers to conduct background checks for employees and volunteers and prohibits the employment or service at such child day centers of any such individual who has been convicted of any barrier crime as defined in relevant law or who is the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect.

Cruelty to animals; possession and ownership of animals. Provides that any person convicted of felony cruelty to animals may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion or equine animals for life and any person convicted of misdemeanor cruelty to animals may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of such animals for a period of up to five years. Under current law, such prohibition is limited to companion animals and a period equal to the statutory maximum period of incarceration. The bill also specifies that a court may order that any animal possessed or owned by such person may be disposed of by a local governing body or delivered to another person with a right of property in the animal. Cruelty to animals; possession and ownership of animals. Provides that any person convicted of felony cruelty to animals may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion or equine animals for life and any person convicted of misdemeanor cruelty to animals may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of such animals for a period of up to five years. Under current law, such prohibition is limited to companion animals and a period equal to the statutory maximum period of incarceration. The bill also specifies that a court may order that any animal possessed or owned by such person may be disposed of by a local governing body or delivered to another person with a right of property in the animal. The bill further provides that any person who has his rights to possession or ownership of companion or equine animals prohibited pursuant to a felony conviction may petition the court where such conviction occurred for a restoration of his rights after five years from the date of conviction.

Study; joint subcommittee; creation of Virginia Gaming Commission; report. Continues the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Feasibility of Establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission for two additional years, through November 30, 2025. Study; joint subcommittee; creation of Virginia Gaming Commission; report. Continues the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Feasibility of Establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission for two additional years, through November 30, 2025.

Charter; City of Virginia Beach. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach to reflect the City's transition to a city council consisting solely of single-member districts and the mayor.

Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons; class actions. Provides that one or more members of a class may, as representative parties on behalf of all members, bring a civil action or may be proceeded against in a civil action, provided that (i) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members or proceeding with such actions on an individual basis is impracticable or contrary to judicial economy; (ii) there are questions of law or fact common to the class; (iii) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and (iv) the representative parties shall fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. The bill further sets out the procedure to certify a class action, the duties of counsel appointed in a class action, the various orders a court may issue during the course of a class action, and the process by which a settlement, voluntary dismissal, or compromise may occur. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025, and is identical to