Election administration; deputy general registrars; recommended number. Requires the State Board of Elections to adopt guidance for determining the recommended number of deputy registrars to serve in a county or city based on the size of the county's or city's population as of the most recent decennial census and prohibits a local electoral board from setting a number in excess of such recommendation. The bill allows for additional deputy registrars to be appointed if the local electoral board determines that a greater number than the State Board's recommended number for a county's or city's population is needed and the local governing body approves such number. The bill also requires the Department of Elections to convene a work group no later than July 1, 2024, to advise and collaborate with the State Board on the development of such guidance and directs the work group to complete its work and make public such guidance no later than December 1, 2024. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department to convene the work group have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Election administration; deputy general registrars; recommended number. Requires the State Board of Elections to adopt guidance for determining the recommended number of deputy registrars to serve in a county or city based on the size of the county's or city's population as of the most recent decennial census and prohibits a local electoral board from setting a number in excess of such recommendation. The bill allows for additional deputy registrars to be appointed if the local electoral board determines that a greater number than the State Board's recommended number for a county's or city's population is needed and the local governing body approves such number. The bill also requires the Department of Elections to convene a work group no later than July 1, 2024, to advise and collaborate with the State Board on the development of such guidance and directs the work group to complete its work and make public such guidance no later than December 1, 2024. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department to convene the work group have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Physician assistants; practice agreement exemption. Allows physician assistants employed by a hospital or employed in certain facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or in federally qualified health centers designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to practice without a separate practice agreement if the credentialing and privileging requirements of the applicable facility include a practice arrangement, as described in the bill.

Department of General Services; Office of Pharmaceutical Services; report. Establishes in the Department of General Services an Office of Pharmaceutical Services to develop and execute a plan to consolidate state agency prescription drug purchasing and pharmacy benefit management programs to increase efficiency in prescription drug purchasing and constrain spending on prescription drugs. The bill directs the Department to provide to the Governor and the General Assembly an interim report on the development of the plan by November 1, 2024, and a final report on the plan by November 1, 2025.

Commending the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department.

Economic development authorities; Craig County. Allows the board of supervisors of Craig County to appoint one of its members to the Economic Development Authority of the County of Craig.

Certain warning light units. Increases from two to four the number of flashing or steady-burning red or red and white combination warning light units with which a member of a fire department, volunteer fire company, or volunteer emergency medical services agency and any police chaplain may equip one vehicle owned by him.

Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from another state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state, accessible 24 hours a day; (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill also provides that a Virginia resident who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit may not use a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from another state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state, accessible 24 hours a day; (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill also provides that a Virginia resident who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit may not use a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2024, to determine whether the requirements and qualifications of those states' laws are adequate to prevent possession of a permit or license by persons who would be denied a permit in the Commonwealth and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements or qualifications by December 1, 2024. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are adequate to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth.

Decreasing probation period; criteria for mandatory reduction; report. Establishes criteria for which a defendant's supervised probation period shall be reduced, including completing qualifying educational activities, maintaining verifiable employment, and complying with or completing any state-certified or state-approved mental health or substance abuse treatment program. The bill provides that a court may decrease a defendant's probation period if warranted by the defendant's conduct and in the interests of justice and may do so without a hearing. The bill also directs the Department of Corrections to meet with relevant stakeholders and provide to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024, a report regarding certain probation practices. The provisions of the bill, other than the requirement that the Department submit a report to the General Assembly, are subject to reenactment by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.

Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs; duty to implement the Energy Policy of the Commonwealth; RPS program requirements; competitive procurement. Provides that "in the public interest" for the purpose of assessing energy efficiency programs means that the State Corporation Commission determines that the program is cost-effective and directs the Commission to initiate a proceeding no later than December 31, 2025, to establish a single, consistent cost-effectiveness test for use in evaluating proposed energy efficiency programs. Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs; duty to implement the Energy Policy of the Commonwealth; RPS program requirements; competitive procurement. Provides that "in the public interest" for the purpose of assessing energy efficiency programs means that the State Corporation Commission determines that the program is cost-effective and directs the Commission to initiate a proceeding no later than December 31, 2025, to establish a single, consistent cost-effectiveness test for use in evaluating proposed energy efficiency programs. The bill provides (i) that "total electric energy" for purposes of the RPS Program requirements does not include energy sold to certain customers purchasing 100 percent renewable energy and (ii) that in any RPS program compliance year, any electric energy that was generated in the previous calendar year from certain nuclear generating plants, or any zero-carbon electric generating facilities, including small modular nuclear reactors and green hydrogen facilities, will reduce the utility's RPS Program requirements by an equivalent amount. The bill provides that the Commission and its staff have the affirmative duty to ensure the Commonwealth implements the Energy Policy of the Commonwealth at the lowest reasonable cost, taking into account all cost-effective demand-side management options and the security and reliability benefits of the regional transmission entity to which each incumbent electric utility has joined. The bill requires that for certain required petitions by Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia for approvals to construct, acquire, or purchase the generating capacity using energy derived from sunlight or onshore wind, at least 35 percent of such generating capacity is from the purchases of energy from solar or onshore wind facilities owned by persons other than such utilities. Current law requires 35 percent of such generating capacity to be from the purchases of energy from solar or onshore wind facilities owned by persons other than such utilities.

Vital records; birth certificates; adoption; members of the military. Directs the State Registrar to expedite issuance of a new birth certificate upon receipt of certain documentation for a person born in the Commonwealth if at least one adoptive parent is an active duty or retired member of the military or military reserves. The bill directs the court decreeing the adoption to deliver such records to the State Registrar no later than five business days from such decree.

Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, "occupational disease" includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitive or sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period, provided that the time period over which such physical stress occurred can be reasonably identified.

Transportation projects; highway safety. Prohibits the initiation of any transportation project in an established school crossing zone unless a pedestrian safety-focused road safety audit is conducted and its recommendations are incorporated into the project plan. The bill requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board, in administering the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program, to prioritize infrastructure projects that address a hazardous road location or feature or address an identified highway safety problem located in a school crossing zone.

Waste tire disposal by tire producers and haulers; fee; requirements. Requires a hauler, as defined in the bill, to (i) register with the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) transfer all waste tires to a transfer station, material recovery facility, landfill with a solid waste permit as required by law, or waste tire end user. The bill expands the purpose of the Waste Tire Trust Fund to include paying the costs of implementing the waste tire disposal requirements of haulers and funding research, studies, and demonstration projects that stimulate the growth of existing and emerging markets for waste tires. The bill also increases the tire recycling fee from $0.50 to $2 beginning July 1, 2024, and directs the Waste Management Board to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. Waste tire disposal by tire producers and haulers; fee; requirements. Requires a hauler, as defined in the bill, to (i) register with the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) transfer all waste tires to a transfer station, material recovery facility, landfill with a solid waste permit as required by law, or waste tire end user. The bill expands the purpose of the Waste Tire Trust Fund to include paying the costs of implementing the waste tire disposal requirements of haulers and funding research, studies, and demonstration projects that stimulate the growth of existing and emerging markets for waste tires. The bill also increases the tire recycling fee from $0.50 to $2 beginning July 1, 2024, and directs the Waste Management Board to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Charitable Sports Raffle Act established; penalties. Establishes the Charitable Sports Raffles Act for the purpose of authorizing athletic event drawings, defined in the bill, to be conducted by affiliated nonprofit organizations that conduct such drawings in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bill places limits on when and where an athletic event drawing may be held and requires the prize amount of any such drawing to be 50 percent of the total amount collected from the sale of the tickets. The bill requires the organization to donate a certain percentage of the remaining funds in accordance with Department regulations and imposes certain civil and criminal penalties for violations of the provisions of the bill.