Private security services business; training requirements; human trafficking. Requires the compulsory minimum, entry-level, and in-service training standards for an unarmed security officer, armed security officer, courier, security canine handler, and alarm respondent to include a training requirement on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking. The bill provides that the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall have the power and duty to develop an online course to meet such training requirement.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Water facilities; staffing; licensed operators. Requires sewage treatment works, classified waterworks, and classified water treatment facilities to employ a licensed operator. The bill establishes a protocol for responding to an unexpected vacancy of the licensed operator position. The bill also permits remote monitoring of the facility by the licensed operator upon a demonstration of sufficient technology for the remote operator to adequately monitor the waterworks or treatment facility and manage onsite operators. Water facilities; staffing; licensed operators. Requires sewage treatment works, classified waterworks, and classified water treatment facilities to employ a licensed operator. The bill establishes a protocol for responding to an unexpected vacancy of the licensed operator position. The bill also permits remote monitoring of the facility by the licensed operator upon a demonstration of sufficient technology for the remote operator to adequately monitor the waterworks or treatment facility and manage onsite operators.

Department of Conservation and Recreation; variances to general permit requirements for certain impounding structures; hazard potential classifications study; report. Requires the Soil and Water Conservation Board to develop a process by which an owner may submit a request only to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a temporary or permanent variance to the general permit requirements for certain impounding structures for its review and consideration. The bill directs the Department to study issues relating to hazard potential classifications for impounding structures in the Commonwealth and report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1, 2024. The bill also directs the Department to advise the Governor and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources of any variances to the general permit requirements granted by the Department. Department of Conservation and Recreation; variances to general permit requirements for certain impounding structures; hazard potential classifications study; report. Requires the Soil and Water Conservation Board to develop a process by which an owner may submit a request only to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a temporary or permanent variance to the general permit requirements for certain impounding structures for its review and consideration. The bill directs the Department to study issues relating to hazard potential classifications for impounding structures in the Commonwealth and report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1, 2024. The bill also directs the Department to advise the Governor and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources of any variances to the general permit requirements granted by the Department.

Virginia Retirement System; service retirement allowance; hazardous duty. Provides that members of the State Police Officers' Retirement System, political subdivision employees eligible for enhanced hazardous duty coverage, and members of the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System who are eligible for a hazardous duty supplement shall receive such supplement amount from the date of retirement. Under current law, the supplement is only allowed from the date of retirement until (i) for the State Police Officers' Retirement System and political subdivisions with enhanced hazardous duty coverage, the member's retirement age under federal social security laws and (ii) for the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System, the member's sixty-fifth birthday. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025, and provides that its provisions apply only to eligible members who retire on and after July 1, 2025. Virginia Retirement System; service retirement allowance; hazardous duty. Provides that members of the State Police Officers' Retirement System, political subdivision employees eligible for enhanced hazardous duty coverage, and members of the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System who are eligible for a hazardous duty supplement shall receive such supplement amount from the date of retirement. Under current law, the supplement is only allowed from the date of retirement until (i) for the State Police Officers' Retirement System and political subdivisions with enhanced hazardous duty coverage, the member's retirement age under federal social security laws and (ii) for the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System, the member's sixty-fifth birthday. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025, and provides that its provisions apply only to eligible members who retire on and after July 1, 2025.

Nolle prosequi or dismissal prior to preliminary hearing; subsequent indictment. Provides that no person who was arrested on a warrant charging him with a felony offense shall be denied a preliminary hearing upon the question of whether there is probable cause to believe that he committed that offense and no indictment shall be returned in a court of record against any such person for such felony offense or any other offense arising out of the same facts and circumstances prior to such hearing unless such hearing is waived in writing by the accused. Nolle prosequi or dismissal prior to preliminary hearing; subsequent indictment. Provides that no person who was arrested on a warrant charging him with a felony offense shall be denied a preliminary hearing upon the question of whether there is probable cause to believe that he committed that offense and no indictment shall be returned in a court of record against any such person for such felony offense or any other offense arising out of the same facts and circumstances prior to such hearing unless such hearing is waived in writing by the accused. The bill provides that, on motion of the defendant made within 21 days of service of any such indictment upon such defendant that is returned without a preliminary hearing, the court shall stay prosecution in that court and remand the case to district court for a preliminary hearing. Upon conducting the preliminary hearing, the district court shall either (i) on a finding of probable cause, certify such indictment to the circuit court for further proceedings or (ii) if no probable cause is found, certify such finding to the circuit court, which shall dismiss such indictment with or without prejudice. Lastly, the bill tolls the time period to try an accused upon remand of an indictment to the district court for a preliminary hearing and restarts such time period upon a finding of probable cause by the district court.

Sales tax; additional local tax for schools; Prince Edward County. Adds Prince Edward County to the list of localities that are authorized to impose an additional local sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent in order to provide revenue for the construction or renovation of schools.

Public school staffing ratios; school counselors; specialized student support positions. Decreases from one to 325 to one to 250 the ratio of full-time equivalent school counselors required to be employed by each local school board per student enrolled in the local school division. The bill also increases the number of specialized student support positions required to be employed by each local school board from at least three to at least four such positions per 1,000 students in the local school division. Such specialized student support positions include school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts, and other licensed health and behavioral positions.

Public school funding; certain calculations. Places several parameters on Standards of Quality funding calculations performed by the Department of Education, including (i) requiring the Department, when calculating the cost of salaries under the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include facilities staff and transportation staff salaries in the calculation of any cost of competing adjustment to salaries for instructional and support positions that is provided as part of the state share of basic aid pursuant to the general appropriation act; (ii) requiring the Department, when estimating the cost of any compensation supplement for instructional and support positions under the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include and estimate the cost of such a compensation supplement for facilities staff; (iii) prohibiting the Department from applying any cap on inflation rate adjustments to non-personal cost categories during the biennial process of rebenchmarking the direct aid to public education budget; and (iv) requiring the Department to utilize a three-year average of the most recently available data to calculate the composite index of local ability-to-pay for each school division.

Conservation of trees during land development process in certain localities. Expands authority of certain localities to adopt an ordinance providing for the planting and replacement of trees during the development process by allowing a tree canopy fund that currently applies to the planting of trees on public property to include maintenance of trees on public property and planting and maintenance of trees on private property. The bill removes a provision that requires that any funds collected for the purposes of the tree canopy fund be returned to the original contributor if not spent within five years but maintains the requirement that such funds be spent within five years. The bill also includes an expansion of the canopy credit.

Improvements, repairs, or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property; petition for entry. Allows an owner or lessee of real property who seeks to improve, repair, or maintain his property to petition the circuit court for a license to enter adjoining property for the purpose of performing the improvements, repairs, or maintenance when the property is so situated that it is impossible to perform the improvements, repairs, or maintenance without entering such adjoining property and permission to enter such adjoining property has been denied. The bill provides that such license shall be granted by the court in an appropriate case upon such terms as justice requires. No such entry shall be deemed a trespass, and the licensee shall be liable to the adjoining owner or his lessee for actual damages occurring as a result of the entry.

Health Insurance Reform Commission; assessment of certain legislation. Requires the Health Insurance Reform Commission, whenever the Chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce or the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor requests that the Commission assess a legislative measure containing a mandated health insurance benefit or provider, to complete its assessment and submit a report for each such request within 24 months.

Public school teachers; licensure requirements; one-year local eligibility license; alternate routes and flexibility. Requires the Board of Education to include in its teacher licensure regulations provisions authorizing each school board, upon recommendation of the division superintendent or the school board and in accordance with the criteria set forth in the bill, to issue a one-year, nonrenewable local eligibility license that is only valid within the issuing school division to any individual who (i) received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, (ii) has experience or training in a subject or content area as the school board and division superintendent may deem appropriate for the applicable teaching position or endorsement area, and (iii) is not seeking to provide instruction in special education or eligible for collegiate professional or postgraduate professional licensure. The bill establishes several requirements, criteria, and conditions relating to a local eligibility license. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030. Public school teachers; licensure requirements; one-year local eligibility license; alternate routes and flexibility. Requires the Board of Education to include in its teacher licensure regulations provisions authorizing each school board, upon recommendation of the division superintendent or the school board and in accordance with the criteria set forth in the bill, to issue a one-year, nonrenewable local eligibility license that is only valid within the issuing school division to any individual who (i) received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, (ii) has experience or training in a subject or content area as the school board and division superintendent may deem appropriate for the applicable teaching position or endorsement area, and (iii) is not seeking to provide instruction in special education or eligible for collegiate professional or postgraduate professional licensure. The bill establishes several requirements, criteria, and conditions relating to a local eligibility license. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.

Electric utilities; State Corporation Commission; energy policy of the Commonwealth. Requires the State Corporation Commission to ensure that the Commonwealth implements the energy policy of the Commonwealth, as defined by relevant law, 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 that each incumbent electric utility has joined. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that plans, petitions, or proposals from utilities that do not ensure such implementation at the lowest reasonable cost are not in the public interest.

Photo speed monitoring devices; pole-mounted speed display sign. Requires a pole-mounted speed display sign, defined in the bill, to be placed between 250 and 1,000 feet from any photo speed monitoring device that is in use.