Local departments of social services; employee criminal background checks. Establishes a process for local departments of social services to conduct background checks for current or prospective employees and prohibits local departments from employing any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense that relates to his employment. The bill includes criteria for the local department to consider when deciding if a criminal offense related to employment is relevant when hiring a specific employment position.

School bus video-monitoring system; citations. Prohibits a contract between a private vendor and a school division for the operation of school bus video-monitoring systems to capture passing stopped school bus violations from requiring a minimum quota of violations captured or citations issued for the video-monitoring system to be deployed. School bus video-monitoring system; citations. Prohibits a contract between a private vendor and a school division for the operation of school bus video-monitoring systems to capture passing stopped school bus violations from requiring a minimum quota of violations captured or citations issued for the video-monitoring system to be deployed.

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2024, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park where he knows or has reason to know that children are present. A violation is a Class 6 felony.

Criminal justice training academies; curriculum. Provides that an approved criminal justice training academy may utilize an alternative curriculum and lesson plans that meet or exceed the compulsory minimum training standards without seeking a waiver from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Under current law, the Department is required to develop a uniform curriculum to be used at all criminal justice training academies unless a waiver to the uniform curriculum is granted by the Department. Criminal justice training academies; curriculum. Provides that an approved criminal justice training academy may utilize an alternative curriculum and lesson plans that meet or exceed the compulsory minimum training standards without seeking a waiver from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Under current law, the Department is required to develop a uniform curriculum to be used at all criminal justice training academies unless a waiver to the uniform curriculum is granted by the Department.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference. Provides preference as it relates to procurement for a bidder who is a resident of Virginia and then a bidder whose goods are produced in the United States. For the procurement of goods by manufacturers, when the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a resident of Virginia and the bid of any Virginia resident is within 10 percent of such bid, the bill gives the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a Virginia resident the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Furthermore, if the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is a resident of another state and such state allows a resident a percentage preference or price-matching preference for the procurement of goods, the bill grants a like preference to responsive and responsible bidders who are residents of Virginia. Under the bill, an eligible bidder that is a Virginia resident shall be granted the greater of either preference. The bill exempts a public body from the provisions of the bill if such public body is rendered ineligible to receive federal funding due to the provisions of the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027. Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference. Provides preference as it relates to procurement for a bidder who is a resident of Virginia and then a bidder whose goods are produced in the United States. For the procurement of goods by manufacturers, when the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a resident of Virginia and the bid of any Virginia resident is within 10 percent of such bid, the bill gives the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a Virginia resident the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Furthermore, if the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is a resident of another state and such state allows a resident a percentage preference or price-matching preference for the procurement of goods, the bill grants a like preference to responsive and responsible bidders who are residents of Virginia. Under the bill, an eligible bidder that is a Virginia resident shall be granted the greater of either preference. The bill exempts a public body from the provisions of the bill if such public body is rendered ineligible to receive federal funding due to the provisions of the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027. Finally, the bill directs the Department of General Services to report to the General Assembly regarding the bill's efficacy, including any retaliatory action taken by other states, no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session.

Department of Energy; work group on critical infrastructure sectors; report. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors' usage of fuel for energy and feedstock and impact on jobs, capital investments, and state and local revenue. The bill requires the work group to also assess (i) the impact of the Commonwealth's critical infrastructure sectors on natural gas service or retail natural gas supply choice as provided in relevant law and individually metered propane service or non-utility gas service in accordance with relevant law and (ii) the impact of any public entity enacting an ordinance, building code, contractual provision, fee, permit, or other requirement that limits, prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting, or prevents critical infrastructure sectors within their boundaries from acquiring fuel. The bill requires the work group to complete its evaluation and submit its findings and any recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 1, 2024.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; local arbitration agreements. Allows a participating locality, for any procurement solicitation or contract exceeding $10,000 for goods and services, to require the bidder or offeror to disclose certain information regarding pre-dispute arbitration clauses, defined in the bill, in employment, civil rights, and certain consumer disputes, and provides that a locality may consider the policies and practices related to arbitration of each bidder and offeror. The bill also provides that a participating locality shall require the bidder or offeror to provide written or electronic submissions to allow the locality to ascertain (i) whether the bidder or offeror requires persons with whom it is in a work relationship or prospective work relationship to sign or otherwise enter into a contract containing a pre-dispute arbitration clause that would cover an employment or civil rights dispute and (ii) whether the bidder or offeror requires consumers to sign or otherwise enter into a contract containing a pre-dispute arbitration clause as a condition of downloading mobile applications or using websites to pay a school district for goods, services, or fees. The bill authorizes a participating locality to cancel, terminate, or suspend, in whole or in part, the contract of any contractor that has violated a provision of the bill and to declare the contractor ineligible for further contracts with such locality for up to five years.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.

State parks; First Responder and Veteran Passport; discounted entry and parking. Establishes a First Responder and Veteran Passport that entitles a first responder or a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or other military service to receive a 50 percent discount on parking and admission fees at state parks in the Commonwealth.

Commending Debra Hamilton Farley, Ph.D.

Zoning ordinances; adequate public facilities. Allows a locality to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions. The bill provides that a locality that makes a determination of inadequate facilities may reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on that determination.

Alcoholic beverage control; summary suspension; timeline. Provides that when special agents of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority are conducting an initial investigation for purposes of summary suspension and the 48-hour time limit for such initial investigation expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the special agents may submit their findings from such initial investigation any time prior to the close of business on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

Foster Child Scholarship Program; established. Establishes Foster Child Scholarship Program; established. Establishes the Foster Child Scholarship Program (the Program), to be administered by the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing school-age children in foster care the option to attend the participating public or private school of their caregiver's choice. The bill provides that any student is eligible to participate in the Program who (i) is a foster child, (ii) resides in a school division in the Commonwealth, (iii) is subject to compulsory attendance requirements, and (iv) is entering kindergarten or was eligible to enroll at a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth during the semester immediately preceding the semester or term for which the child's parent initially applies for the Program or who is entering kindergarten. The bill provides that the caregiver of any eligible student may apply for the Program and, upon approval of such application, receive an annual scholarship, through quarterly disbursements into such eligible student's Foster Child Scholarship Account (FCSA), for the purposes of paying for education-related expenses, as set forth in the bill, at the participating school of the caregiver's choice in which the eligible student enrolls under the Program. The bill contains provisions relating to (a) the Department's powers and duties in administering the Program, including establishing and implementing policies and procedures for reviewing and approving applications, conducting public awareness campaigns, establishing procedures for audit and review of FCSAs and of participating schools, and establishing procedures and requirements for the management of and disbursing of funds into FCSAs; (b) the duties of participating schools in the Program relating to the acceptance of eligible students participating in the Program; (c) requirements for the division superintendent of each school division to report each year to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to report each year to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, on data relating to participation in the Program by eligible students and participating schools; and (d) the conditions and limitations to which caregivers of eligible students must agree in order to participate in the Program.

Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception of communications; Superintendent of State Police. Allows the Superintendent of State Police or his designee, if the Superintendent so designates in writing, to apply to a judge of competent jurisdiction for an order authorizing the interception of wire, electronic, or oral communications. The bill adds commercial sex trafficking and racketeering to the list of offenses for which an order authorizing the interception of wire, electronic, or oral communications may be sought. The bill also provides that an application for an order authorizing the interception of a wire, electronic, or oral communication may be verified by the Chief Deputy Attorney General, as designated by the Attorney General.

Joint Commission on Technology and Science; analysis of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to conduct an analysis of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in the Commonwealth and the creation of a Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Commission. JCOTS shall submit a report of its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Communications, Technology and Innovation and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024. Joint Commission on Technology and Science; analysis of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to conduct an analysis of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in the Commonwealth and the creation of a Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Commission. JCOTS shall submit a report of its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Communications, Technology and Innovation and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024.