Enterprise zones; renewal periods. Authorizes the Governor, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, to renew enterprise zones for up to four five-year renewal periods for zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, and for up to two five-year renewal periods for zones designated before July 1, 2005. Under current law, zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, may be renewed for up to three such periods and zones designated before July 1, 2005, may be renewed for up to one such period. Enterprise zones; renewal periods. Authorizes the Governor, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, to renew enterprise zones for up to four five-year renewal periods for zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, and for up to two five-year renewal periods for zones designated before July 1, 2005. Under current law, zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, may be renewed for up to three such periods and zones designated before July 1, 2005, may be renewed for up to one such period.

Criminal cases; request for a jury to ascertain punishment. Provides that an accused may withdraw a request for a jury to ascertain punishment up until the commencement of the sentencing proceeding. The bill also provides that counsel for either party shall have the right to examine jurors regarding the potential range of punishment regardless of whether the jury will ascertain punishment and that the court or counsel for either party may inform any person or juror during voir dire as to the potential range of punishment to ascertain if the person or juror can sit impartially in the guilt or sentencing phase of the case. Criminal cases; request for a jury to ascertain punishment. Provides that an accused may withdraw a request for a jury to ascertain punishment up until the commencement of the sentencing proceeding. The bill also provides that counsel for either party shall have the right to examine jurors regarding the potential range of punishment regardless of whether the jury will ascertain punishment and that the court or counsel for either party may inform any person or juror during voir dire as to the potential range of punishment to ascertain if the person or juror can sit impartially in the guilt or sentencing phase of the case.

Disabled Veteran's Passport; service-connected disability. Entitles any veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability to a Disabled Veteran's Passport for free entry into state parks and discounted services. Current law limits such passport to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability rating of 100 percent.

Students who receive home instruction; participation in interscholastic programs. Prohibits public schools from joining an organization governing interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation a student who (i) receives home instruction; (ii) has demonstrated evidence of progress for two consecutive academic years; (iii) is in compliance with immunization requirements; (iv) is a person of school age for whom public school is free; (v) has not reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current academic year; (vi) is an amateur who receives no compensation but participates solely for the educational, physical, mental, and social benefits of the activity; (vii) complies with all disciplinary rules and is subject to all codes of conduct applicable to all public high school athletes; and (viii) complies with all other rules governing awards, all-star games, maximum consecutive semesters of high school enrollment, parental consents, physical examinations, and transfers applicable to all high school athletes. The bill provides that no local school board is required to establish a policy to permit students who receive home instruction to participate in interscholastic programs. The bill permits reasonable fees to be charged to students who receive home instruction to cover the costs of participation in such interscholastic programs, including the costs of additional insurance, uniforms, and equipment.

Early childhood care and education system; need-based and demand-based funding. Requires, for the purpose of addressing family demand and preferences for affordable, high-quality early childhood care and education services, state general funds to be provided to support the provision of services to families for early childhood care and education, as specified in the general appropriation act. The bill requires the Department of Education to report each year by November 15 on the projected general funds needed for the upcoming two fiscal years based on cost of quality rate per child in order to (i) maintain the current number of slots at early childhood care and education programs, (ii) increase the number of slots using a projected growth report, and (iii) increase the number of slots to fully accommodate parent demand and eliminate waitlists. The bill requires such projected general funds to be based on the annual per-child cost, determined as set forth in the bill, for the Virginia Preschool Initiative, the Mixed Delivery Program, and the Child Care Subsidy Program, the current eligibility criteria for such programs, and maximization of certain regularly recurring federal funds. The bill requires each regional entity established by the Board of Education pursuant to applicable law, each local school division, and each locality to annually indicate the number of slots needed, respectively, in the region for the Mixed Delivery Program, the local school division for the Virginia Preschool Initiative, and the locality for the Child Care Subsidy Program. The bill requires the Department of Education to (a) reallocate by July 1 any slots with available funding from the Child Care Subsidy Program and the Mixed Delivery Program, (b) make adjustments based on family preferences following the fall enrollment periods, and (c) first expend all current-year state general funds in providing funding for slots.

Restaurant exemptions; certain organizations participating in fundraising events. Clarifies that the provision in current law that exempts certain organizations from provisions applicable to restaurants, including churches, fraternal or school organizations, organizations that are exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and volunteer fire departments and volunteer emergency medical services agencies, applies when such organizations offer food for sale to the public as a participant in an occasional fundraising event, provided that certain conditions are met. Current law exempts such organizations from provisions applicable to restaurants when such organizations hold occasional fundraisers that offer food for sale to the public, provided that certain conditions are met. Restaurant exemptions; certain organizations participating in fundraising events. Clarifies that the provision in current law that exempts certain organizations from provisions applicable to restaurants, including churches, fraternal or school organizations, organizations that are exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and volunteer fire departments and volunteer emergency medical services agencies, applies when such organizations offer food for sale to the public as a participant in an occasional fundraising event, provided that certain conditions are met. Current law exempts such organizations from provisions applicable to restaurants when such organizations hold occasional fundraisers that offer food for sale to the public, provided that certain conditions are met.

Primary elections; candidates for nomination; withdrawal of candidacy resulting in unopposed primary; primary cancellation and nomination procedure. Provides that if a person who is a candidate for nomination by a political party at a primary election and who appears on the ballot for such election withdraws his candidacy on or after the forty-fourth day before but prior to the Tuesday immediately preceding the primary election, and the result of such withdrawal is one remaining candidate who is now unopposed, the remaining candidate will be declared the party's nominee for the office sought and the primary election will be canceled. The bill requires the notice of withdrawal to be signed and notarized and to be submitted to the general registrar, who then transmits it to the local electoral board and the State Board of Elections along with a certification that the remaining candidate is now unopposed for nomination. The State Board is required to declare the remaining candidate to be the nominee within one calendar day of receiving such notice, and the local electoral board is then required to petition the circuit court for the cancellation of the primary election. Finally, the bill directs the State Board to prescribe procedures for canceling a primary election, including instructions for locking and securing voting systems, disposition of marked and unmarked absentee ballots, and voter notification. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide a copy of such form to the transferee. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from such person if such law-enforcement officer has reason to believe that such person has not relinquished all firearms in his possession.

Central State Hospital; psychiatric bed allocation. Directs Central State Hospital to designate additional beds as forensic and psychiatric beds.

Study; Department of Transportation; bridge from Surry County to James City County; report. Requests the Department of Transportation to study the need and options for constructing a bridge from Hog Island in Surry County to James City County and to submit a report of its finding no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Prostitution; solicitation; penalties. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for a third or subsequent offense of solicitation of prostitution from an adult. The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to solicit prostitution from any minor. Under current law, any person who solicits prostitution from a minor is guilty of a Class 6 felony if the minor is 16 years of age or older or a Class 5 felony if the minor is younger than 16 years of age. Finally, the bill increases the fines for certain offenses related to sex trafficking from $100 to $1,000 and from $500 to $2,500, respectively.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; expiration. Extends the expiration of the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program to July 1, 2025. Currently, the Program is set to expire on July 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

Felony homicide; certain drug offenses; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; dissemination and availability of online transition resources. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in partnership with relevant entities, to ensure that online resources are readily available and disseminated to all individuals of age to transition from school to post-school activities and their families. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission. Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; dissemination and availability of online transition resources. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in partnership with relevant entities, to ensure that online resources are readily available and disseminated to all individuals of age to transition from school to post-school activities and their families. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.

Virginia Regional Industrial Facilities Act; Planning Districts 13 and 14. Adds Planning Districts 13 (Southside) and 14 (Commonwealth Regional Commission) to the list of areas where localities may create a regional industrial facility authority that contains a town and only one city or county rather than at least two cities or counties. Virginia Regional Industrial Facilities Act; Planning Districts 13 and 14. Adds Planning Districts 13 (Southside) and 14 (Commonwealth Regional Commission) to the list of areas where localities may create a regional industrial facility authority that contains a town and only one city or county rather than at least two cities or counties.