Public high schools; research-based hazing prevention instruction. Requires the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for research-based hazing prevention instruction to be provided as a part of physical or health education instruction provided to students in grade nine or 10. The bill requires such hazing prevention instruction to include age-appropriate, extensive, and current education about hazing, including (i) examples of hazing; (ii) the dangers of hazing, including the consequences of alcohol intoxication; and (iii) school policies and laws related to hazing, including criminal penalties and bystander intervention. The bill requires such research-based hazing prevention instruction to be offered in-person but requires each school board to provide options for virtual participation for any student who is enrolled in an online or virtual physical or health education program. Finally, the bill requires each school board to provide such research-based hazing prevention instruction beginning with the school year following the Board's adoption of revised Standards of Learning for physical and health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such research-based hazing prevention instruction and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such research-based hazing prevention instruction available to local school boards.

Elections administration; certain activities or conduct prohibited at polling places applicable to locations for absentee voting in person; prohibited possession of firearm within 100 feet of certain locations. Clarifies that the provisions of law prohibiting certain activities or conduct in and around a polling place shall also apply to locations where absentee voting in person is available. The bill also prohibits any person, with certain exceptions, from (i) knowingly carrying any firearm and (ii) knowingly doing so within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, the building used by the local electoral board to meet to ascertain election results, the building used to conduct a recount of an election, and other additional locations used for voting-related and elections-related activities. Under current law, this prohibition applies within 40 feet of such entrances. Elections administration; certain activities or conduct prohibited at polling places applicable to locations for absentee voting in person; prohibited possession of firearm within 100 feet of certain locations. Clarifies that the provisions of law prohibiting certain activities or conduct in and around a polling place shall also apply to locations where absentee voting in person is available. The bill also prohibits any person, with certain exceptions, from (i) knowingly carrying any firearm and (ii) knowingly doing so within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, the building used by the local electoral board to meet to ascertain election results, the building used to conduct a recount of an election, and other additional locations used for voting-related and elections-related activities. Under current law, this prohibition applies within 40 feet of such entrances.

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers. Requires a supplier making automatic renewal or continuous service offers that automatically renew after more than 30 days and extend the automatic renewal or continuous service offer for a period of more than 12 months to notify the consumer, as defined in the bill, of the option to cancel no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline or the end of the current contract term. Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers. Requires a supplier making automatic renewal or continuous service offers that automatically renew after more than 30 days and extend the automatic renewal or continuous service offer for a period of more than 12 months to notify the consumer, as defined in the bill, of the option to cancel no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline or the end of the current contract term.

Military centered community zones; local designation. Allows localities to establish, by ordinance, one or more military centered community zones, defined in the bill as a community that has a significant presence of military personnel living or working in the designated area and where such presence drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity. The bill provides that a locality, or another political subdivision acting on behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to businesses looking to locate within a zone for the purpose of serving the needs of the military personnel, including reduction of certain fees and taxes. In addition, the bill provides that local governing bodies are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development incentive grants to such businesses. The bill also allows a governing body to provide for certain regulatory flexibility and incentives and provides that the establishment of a military centered community zone shall not preclude the area from also being designated as an enterprise zone or from receiving support under the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program.

Statutory agents; service of process. Adds the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission to the definition of "statutory agent" when such Clerk is appointed for the purpose of service of process on any individual, corporation, or limited partnership. The bill further applies certain methods of service of process currently applicable to limited liability corporations to nonstock corporations and domestic stock corporations. The bill provides that domestic or foreign limited liability partnerships may be served by personal service on its registered agent as directed by applicable provisions of Title 50 (Partnerships). The bill further provides that whenever the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission is appointed as the statutory agent service shall be deemed sufficient upon the person or entity being served and shall be effective on the date when service is made on the Clerk, provided, however, that the time for such person or entity to respond to process sent by the Clerk shall run from the date when the certificate of compliance is filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference. Statutory agents; service of process. Adds the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission to the definition of "statutory agent" when such Clerk is appointed for the purpose of service of process on any individual, corporation, or limited partnership. The bill further applies certain methods of service of process currently applicable to limited liability corporations to nonstock corporations and domestic stock corporations. The bill provides that domestic or foreign limited liability partnerships may be served by personal service on its registered agent as directed by applicable provisions of Title 50 (Partnerships). The bill further provides that whenever the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission is appointed as the statutory agent service shall be deemed sufficient upon the person or entity being served and shall be effective on the date when service is made on the Clerk, provided, however, that the time for such person or entity to respond to process sent by the Clerk shall run from the date when the certificate of compliance is filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Public school staffing ratios; teachers; English language learner students. Requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to support divisionwide ratios of English language learner students in average daily membership to full-time equivalent teaching positions as follows: (i) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level one, one position per 25 students; (ii) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level two, one position per 30 students; (iii) for each English language learner identified as proficiency level three, one position per 40 students; and (iv) for all other English language learners, one position per 50 students. Current law requires state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to support one such teaching position per 50 English language learner students, regardless of the identified English proficiency level of such students.

Discharge plans; copies to public elementary and secondary schools. Provides that prior to the discharge of any minor or individual who has been admitted to inpatient treatment and is a student at a public elementary or secondary school, a copy of such minor's or individual's discharge plan shall be provided to the division superintendent and the division safety official in the local school division in which such minor or individual attends such school.

Virginia Human Rights Act; timelines for civil actions. Clarifies timelines for civil actions alleging unlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The bill requires any civil action for unlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act brought in an appropriate general district or circuit court to be filed within 90 days of the complainant receiving a notice of his right to file such action from the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Law. Virginia Human Rights Act; timelines for civil actions. Clarifies timelines for civil actions alleging unlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The bill requires any civil action for unlawful discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act brought in an appropriate general district or circuit court to be filed within 90 days of the complainant receiving a notice of his right to file such action from the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Law.

Use of canines in correctional and juvenile correctional facilities; prohibited acts. Provides that it is unlawful for any correctional officer or other employee of a state correctional facility or juvenile correctional facility who is permitted to handle canines to use a canine to (i) extract a prisoner from his cell or (ii) intervene in an altercation, fight, or other incident between three or fewer prisoners. The bill provides that the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall make public any policies and regulations relating to (a) the use of canines, (b) training requirements for both canines and the handlers of such canines, and (c) the supervision of the officers or employees who are permitted to handle such canines. The bill requires the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice to track all canine uses of force and all incidents in which canines were present or requested for assistance but no canine use of force occurred and to make such information available on the Departments' websites.

Capital outlay plan. Updates the six-year capital outlay plan for projects to be funded entirely or partially from general fund-supported resources.

Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units. Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as defined in the bill, as a permitted accessory use. The bill requires a person to seek a permit for an ADU from the locality, requires the locality to issue such permit if the person meets certain requirements enumerated in the bill, and restricts the fee for such permit to $100 or less. The bill prohibits the locality from requiring (i) dedicated parking for the ADU; (ii) lot sizes or setbacks for the ADU greater than that of the primary dwelling; (iii) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling; and (iv) redundant water, sewer, or septic capacity for the ADU. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Agricultural best management practices tax credit; agricultural equipment purchase tax credit; sunset date. Extends from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2030, the sunset date of the individual and corporate agricultural best management practices income tax credit and extends from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2030, the sunset date of the individual and corporate income tax credit for the purchase of conservation tillage and precision agricultural application equipment.

Board of Medicine; Board of Nursing; joint licensing of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives. Moves the professions of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives from being licensed jointly by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing to being licensed by the Board of Nursing only. Board of Medicine; Board of Nursing; joint licensing of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives. Moves the professions of advanced practice registered nurses and licensed certified midwives from being licensed jointly by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing to being licensed by the Board of Nursing only.

Department of Health Professions; informed consent requirements for hysterectomies and oophorectomies; review; report. Directs the Department of Health Professions to review and make recommendations regarding informed consent requirements for hysterectomies and oophorectomies. The bill directs the Department of Health Professions to report its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024.

Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. The bill provides that a violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill exempts (i) any person in lawful possession of a firearm who carries such firearm on or about his person and (ii) the storage of antique firearms and provides that the lawful authorization of a minor to access a firearm is not a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill also requires firearm dealers to post a notice stating such firearm storage requirements and the penalty for improperly storing such firearms.