Department of Environmental Quality; review and authorization of projects; hearing and appeal. Allows any person aggrieved by the final decision of the Department of Environmental Quality regarding the authorization of a project and who has participated in a proceeding for a permit to construct or operate a small renewable energy project under procedures adopted by the Department to seek judicial review of such action in accordance with the Administrative Process Act in the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond within 30 days of such decision. The bill requires the court to hear and decide such action as soon as practicable after the date of filing.

Juvenile parole; juvenile correctional centers. Provides that any person sentenced to a term of life imprisonment or who has a cumulative term of active sentences that total more than 20 years, regardless of whether such sentences were imposed during a single sentencing hearing or multiple sentencing hearings, for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was a juvenile and who has served at least 20 consecutive years of incarceration, including any period of commitment in a juvenile correctional center, shall be eligible for parole. Under current law, any period of commitment in a juvenile correctional center for any sentences for such juvenile offender is not considered as a portion of the minimum of 20 years of incarceration served in order for such offender to be eligible for parole.

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Department of Forestry; Office of Farmland Preservation transferred. Transfers from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Forestry the Office of Farmland Preservation and its powers and duties and reporting requirements, the Virginia Farm Link Program, the Century Farm Program, and the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund. The bill renames the Office as the Office of Working Lands Preservation. The bill makes technical amendments to effectuate the transfer and requires the Department of Environmental Quality to report to the Department of Forestry by July 1 of each year certain enumerated information about nonpoint source nutrient credits certified in the previous year that involve land use conversion.

Tax exempt property; energy storage systems. Clarifies the tax treatment of energy storage systems. The bill strikes language that overrides the provision requiring the amount of tax exemption for energy storage systems to be 100 percent if the taxing locality has implemented a revenue share for such systems.

Collections of fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, etc.; duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth; consultation with clerk. Requires that at least 30 days prior to the execution of a contract with a private attorney or private collection agency to undertake the collection of fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, and restitution, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall consult with the clerk of the circuit court. Collections of fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, etc.; duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth; consultation with clerk. Requires that at least 30 days prior to the execution of a contract with a private attorney or private collection agency to undertake the collection of fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, and restitution, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall consult with the clerk of the circuit court.

Employee protections; medicinal use of cannabis oil. Amends the provision that prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee for such employee's lawful use of cannabis oil pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner for the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee's diagnosed condition or disease, with certain exceptions, by specifying that such use must conform to the laws of the Commonwealth and that such protections extend to the employees of the Commonwealth and other public bodies.

Reduction of local law enforcement budget prohibited; exception. Provides that no local governing body shall approve a budget that will reduce the total funds appropriated for local law-enforcement purposes from the preceding fiscal year except by unanimous vote of all members elected to the governing body.

First-time homebuyer tax credit. Creates a tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for individuals or married couples filing jointly who sell residential real property that is the taxpayer's primary residence and is located in the Commonwealth to a first-time homebuyer, as defined by the bill. Such credit will be equal to two percent of the sales price of the property, not to exceed $5,000.

Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools, 0.025 percent shall be provided to each of the following: (i) the Virginia Breeders Fund; (ii) the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, for its equine programs; (iii) the Virginia Horse Center Foundation; and (iv) the Virginia Horse Industry Board. The bill also provides that, in addition to the amount horse racing licensees distribute to localities and the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund under current law, such licensees shall distribute the remainder of the percentage retained to the Commonwealth as a license tax.

Long-term services and support screening; PACE programs; emergency. Allows qualified staff of programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) to conduct the required long-term services and supports screening in accordance with requirements established by the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Under the bill, when a screening team determines that it is unable to complete a long-term services and supports screening within 30 days, or an individual requests enrollment in a PACE program, the screening team shall decide which entity can most expeditiously conduct the screening. Under the bill, qualified staff of a PACE program shall conduct the screening if the screening team determines that it is the most expeditious option. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and contains an emergency clause.

Department of Education; Virginia Community College System; regional career and technical education program. Directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, the Board of Education, the school board and division superintendent of Tazewell County Public Schools, and representatives of the governing boards of comprehensive community colleges located in Tazewell County and contiguous counties to study the feasibility of and make recommendations on developing a plan for establishing a regional career and technical education program for all students in grade levels six through 12 who reside in Planning District 2. Department of Education; Virginia Community College System; regional career and technical education program. Directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, the Board of Education, the school board and division superintendent of Tazewell County Public Schools, and representatives of the governing boards of comprehensive community colleges located in Tazewell County and contiguous counties to study the feasibility of and make recommendations on developing a plan for establishing a regional career and technical education program for all students in grade levels six through 12 who reside in Planning District 2.

Carrying a firearm or explosive material into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exception for highway rest areas. Provides that the prohibition on carrying a firearm or explosive material in any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth shall not apply to any highway rest area.

School crossing zones. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition. School crossing zones. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition.

Crimes; offenses against the sovereignty of the Commonwealth; unfaithful delegates to a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States; penalties. Provides that a delegate or interim delegate to a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States may not vote or otherwise act beyond the authority granted in his commission, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that a delegate or interim delegate who exceeds the scope of his authority is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also provides that any individual who knowingly bribes, threatens, intimidates, or unlawfully obstructs or attempts to bribe, threaten, intimidate, or unlawfully obstruct any delegate or interim delegate to the such convention is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Crimes; offenses against the sovereignty of the Commonwealth; unfaithful delegates to a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States; penalties. Provides that a delegate or interim delegate to a convention for proposing amendments held under Article V of the Constitution of the United States may not vote or otherwise act beyond the authority granted in his commission, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that a delegate or interim delegate who exceeds the scope of his authority is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also provides that any individual who knowingly bribes, threatens, intimidates, or unlawfully obstructs or attempts to bribe, threaten, intimidate, or unlawfully obstruct any delegate or interim delegate to the such convention is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Weapons; possession or transportation; hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly possess in or transport into the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at the public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition.