Home instruction; parents; criteria. Removes the four enumerated criteria–holding a high school diploma, being a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education, providing the child with a program of study or curriculum that may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner, or providing evidence of the ability to provide an adequate education for the child–by which a parent is permitted to provide home instruction for his school-age child. The bill does not affect the requirement for such a parent to annually provide a description of the home instruction curriculum before the school year begins and evidence of the child's academic progress after the school year ends. Home instruction; parents; criteria. Removes the four enumerated criteria–holding a high school diploma, being a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education, providing the child with a program of study or curriculum that may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner, or providing evidence of the ability to provide an adequate education for the child–by which a parent is permitted to provide home instruction for his school-age child. The bill does not affect the requirement for such a parent to annually provide a description of the home instruction curriculum before the school year begins and evidence of the child's academic progress after the school year ends.

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.

Common interest communities; residents providing certain services exemption. Provides that a resident of a common interest community association who provides bookkeeping, billing, or recordkeeping services for such community for compensation shall be presumed to be an independent contractor. The bill also exempts common interest community associations from the definition of "employer" where a resident provides such services.

Motor vehicle sales and use tax; exemptions; transfers; limited liability companies. Provides that no motor vehicle sales and use tax shall be imposed on vehicle transfers from (i) an individual, partnership, or limited liability company to a corporation or limited liability company or (ii) from a corporation or limited liability company to an individual, partnership, or limited liability company if (a) the transfer is incidental to the formation, organization, or dissolution of a corporation or limited liability company in which the individual, partnership, or limited liability company holds the majority interest in both entities and (b) the transfer to a limited liability company is not a precursor to a transfer of control of the assets of the company to avoid motor vehicle sales and use taxes. Under current law, transfers from (1) an individual or partnership to a corporation or limited liability company or (2) from a corporation or limited liability company to an individual or partnership are exempt from the motor vehicle sales and use tax if the transfer is incidental to the formation, organization, or dissolution of a corporation or limited liability company in which the individual or partnership holds the majority interest.

Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties; issuance of marriage license. Provides that no person authorized to issue a marriage license shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill also requires that such lawful marriages be recognized in the Commonwealth regardless of the sex, gender, or race of the parties. The bill provides that religious organizations or members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makes several changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under the Program subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General, (ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academic performance and good standing, and (iv) providing that upon acceptance, grant funds shall be disbursed to the applicable institution of higher education for credit against the recipient's student account. Institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makes several changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under the Program subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General, (ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academic performance and good standing, and (iv) providing that upon acceptance, grant funds shall be disbursed to the applicable institution of higher education for credit against the recipient's student account.

Parking Lot Solar Development Program and Fund; report. Directs Parking Lot Solar Development Program and Fund; report. Directs the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to establish by January 1, 2025, a Parking Lot Solar Development Program for the purpose of encouraging development of distributed parking lot solar projects up to one megawatt in size in the Commonwealth. The bill also creates the Parking Lot Solar Development Fund for the purposes of (i) funding solar renewable energy credit values at an updated 10-year levelized incentive level through the renewable energy certificate market using a solar financing model as described in the bill, (ii) implementing and administering the Parking Lot Solar Development Program, and (iii) implementing and administering an alternative auction site that sets a fixed price for solar renewable energy credits not sold in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to engage in a stakeholder consultation to evaluate the current costs of solar installations and incentive levels across market segments and study benefits to grid security and reliability, ratepayers, and environmental goals of the Commonwealth by December 1, 2024, and every five years thereafter. The bill also directs the Commission to consult with agencies and stakeholders to develop an online mapping database of potential parking lot solar sites for development in the Commonwealth by December 1, 2024. Finally, the bill requires the Department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, to submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding the implementation of the Parking Lot Solar Development Program for the preceding fiscal year by November 1, 2025.

Board of Housing and Community Development; stakeholder advisory group; report. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development (the Board) to convene a stakeholder advisory group including fire code officials to evaluate and recommend revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to permit Group R-2 occupancies to be served by a single exit, provided that the building has not more than six stories above grade plane. The bill requires the stakeholder advisory group to submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024.

Investment of public funds. Allows any qualified public entity of the Commonwealth to invest in asset-backed securities that are guaranteed by the United States or any agency thereof.

Superintendent of Public Instruction; duties; fixed and actual school staffing ratios. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to biennially calculate, compare, and report to the Board of Education and the General Assembly the differences between the fixed staffing ratios in the Standards of Quality funding formula and the actual staffing ratios in local school divisions in the Commonwealth so that such fixed staffing ratios can be regularly adjusted as needed to more closely approximate such actual staffing ratios.

Department of Education and Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; work group; regional workforce development and child care initiative in Southwest Virginia; report. Requires the Department of Education and the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to jointly establish and appoint such members as such departments deem appropriate to a work group to monitor the implementation of the regional workforce development and child care initiative being implemented by the United Way of Southwest Virginia, the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia, Food City, and the Town of Abingdon in Abingdon and in four other locations throughout the surrounding region. The bill requires such work group to monitor the extent to which such initiative achieves its stated goals, including in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, teacher training, and access to child care, and to report its findings and any associated recommendations for the replication of such initiative in other regions of the Commonwealth to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy, the House Committee on Education, the House Committee on General Laws, the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than November 1, 2025.

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term.

Employment; training and education; harassment and workplace discrimination. Requires each employer with 50 or more employees, including the Commonwealth and its agencies, institutions, and political subdivisions, to provide annual interactive training and education regarding harassment and workplace discrimination, as both terms are defined in the bill, by July 1, 2025. The bill includes specific training and education requirements for supervisory and nonsupervisory employees, seasonal and temporary employees who are hired to work for less than six months, and migrant and seasonal agricultural workers. The training and education required under the bill must be provided by an educator or human resources professional with knowledge and expertise in the subject matter and must include a method for employees to electronically save a certificate of completion of such training and education. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to make online courses for the required training available on its website beginning January 1, 2025.

Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028. Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028.

Institutions of higher education; sexual misconduct policies; civil penalty. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to appoint and convene a task force on combating sexual violence for the purpose of developing a base sexual misconduct campus climate survey to be distributed to institutions of higher education no less than annually. The bill defines "institution of higher education" as any public institution of higher education or any private institution of higher education. The bill permits each institution of higher education to append campus-specific questions to the base survey and, within 120 days after completion of the survey, requires each institution to submit a summary of the results to the Director of the Council and post a summary of the results on the institution's website in an easily accessible manner. The bill also requires survey data to be posted on the Council's website. Institutions of higher education; sexual misconduct policies; civil penalty. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to appoint and convene a task force on combating sexual violence for the purpose of developing a base sexual misconduct campus climate survey to be distributed to institutions of higher education no less than annually. The bill defines "institution of higher education" as any public institution of higher education or any private institution of higher education. The bill permits each institution of higher education to append campus-specific questions to the base survey and, within 120 days after completion of the survey, requires each institution to submit a summary of the results to the Director of the Council and post a summary of the results on the institution's website in an easily accessible manner. The bill also requires survey data to be posted on the Council's website. The bill directs each institution of higher education to establish a written memorandum of understanding with a sexual assault crisis center, domestic violence center, or other victim support service in order to provide sexual assault victims with immediate access to a confidential, independent advocate who can provide a trauma-informed response that includes an explanation of options for moving forward. Currently, only Richard Bland College and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education are required to enter into such agreements. The bill requires each institution of higher education to include in its campus security policy the designation of at least one confidential resource advisor whose role shall be to serve as a confidential resource for students and employees to discuss alleged acts of sexual misconduct and receive information on resources available to such students or employees. The bill creates a statutory privilege between the confidential resource advisor and a student or employee who is sharing information with such confidential resource advisor. The bill sets out required awareness programming and training for students and employees to be conducted each year by each institution of higher education. The bill also requires each institution of higher education to adopt a policy on sexual misconduct that includes information set out in the bill and provides information that the institution shall provide to parties involved in an alleged incident of sexual misconduct. The bill sets forth data reporting requirements of sexual misconduct incidences and investigations that each institution of higher education shall prepare annually. After reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing, upon determination that an institution of higher education has violated or failed to carry out any provision or any rule adopted under the bill, the Director of the Council may impose a civil penalty upon such institution for each violation not to exceed $150,000, which shall be adjusted for inflation annually, or one percent of an institution's annual operating budget, whichever is lower.