Certain individuals in foster care, in the custody of the Department of Social Services, or considered a special needs adoption; parameters of higher education grants; point of contact for support and guidance. Expands to include each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth the requirement to provide grants to certain individuals who were in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or were considered a special needs adoption; adds mandatory education and general fees and, in the case of baccalaureate public institutions of higher education, the cost of room and board to the amount of such grants; and makes eligible for such grants any individual who meets certain other eligibility criteria and was in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or was considered a special needs adoption at any time after he turned 14. Current law requires such an individual to have been in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or considered a special needs adoption at the time that his high school diploma or equivalency examination certificate was awarded. The bill also requires each public institution of higher education to identify at least one employee of the institution to serve as a point of contact for each enrolled student who was in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or was considered a special needs adoption in order to provide such student with support and guidance, including support and guidance relating to financial aid and any associated applications or other required paperwork. Certain individuals in foster care, in the custody of the Department of Social Services, or considered a special needs adoption; parameters of higher education grants; point of contact for support and guidance. Expands to include each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth the requirement to provide grants to certain individuals who were in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or were considered a special needs adoption; adds mandatory education and general fees and, in the case of baccalaureate public institutions of higher education, the cost of room and board to the amount of such grants; and makes eligible for such grants any individual who meets certain other eligibility criteria and was in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or was considered a special needs adoption at any time after he turned 14. Current law requires such an individual to have been in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or considered a special needs adoption at the time that his high school diploma or equivalency examination certificate was awarded. The bill also requires each public institution of higher education to identify at least one employee of the institution to serve as a point of contact for each enrolled student who was in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or was considered a special needs adoption in order to provide such student with support and guidance, including support and guidance relating to financial aid and any associated applications or other required paperwork.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; routine maintenance; notice to tenant. Requires landlords to include in the tenant's notice of routine maintenance the last date on which such maintenance may possibly be performed. The bill also requires landlords to perform routine maintenance within 14 days of delivering such notice to the tenant. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; routine maintenance; notice to tenant. Requires landlords to include in the tenant's notice of routine maintenance the last date on which such maintenance may possibly be performed. The bill also requires landlords to perform routine maintenance within 14 days of delivering such notice to the tenant.

Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; training; powers and duties of guardian; annual reports by guardians; information required. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to develop and provide training for court-appointed guardians by July 1, 2025. The bill requires a court-appointed guardian and any skilled professional retained by such guardian to perform guardianship duties to complete the initial training developed by the Department within four months after the date of qualification of such guardian. Under the bill, guardians appointed prior to July 1, 2025, must complete such training by January 1, 2027. The bill further requires a guardian to include in his annual report to the local department of social services a statement as to whether such training has been completed.

Siting of data centers; site assessment. Requires a locality, prior to any approval for the siting of a data center, to require disclosure of water and power usage at full build-out and perform a site assessment to examine the effect of the data center on water usage, the regional electric grid, and carbon emissions as well as any impacts on agricultural, historic, and cultural resources within the locality.

Workers' compensation; notice of right to dispute claim. Requires that when an employee's workers' compensation claim is denied, an employer or insurer shall include in its letter denying benefits a notice that the employee has a right to dispute the claim denial through the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.

Use, display, or concealment of firearm in committing certain felonies; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of a separate felony if he carries about his person any pistol, shotgun, rifle, or other firearm that is hidden from common observation while committing or attempting to commit certain other felonies. The bill also increases from three to five years for a first offense and from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentences for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

Department of Wildlife Resources; killing of deer, elk, or bear damaging fruit trees, crops, livestock, or personal property. Allows the owner or lessee of lands upon which damage to fruit trees, crops, livestock, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production has occurred to solicit the opinion of a district biologist in a neighboring district when, after an assessment by the district biologist for the lands upon which such damage has occurred, authorization to kill an animal is not granted by the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee.

Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill, to be paid from public funds that is anticipated to exceed $2,500 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. If the final travel expense exceeds the previously approved amount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination. Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill, to be paid from public funds that is anticipated to exceed $2,500 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. If the final travel expense exceeds the previously approved amount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination.

Institutions of higher education; campus safety and emergency preparedness training; first-year completion and biennial review. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to develop and implement policies requiring that a campus safety and emergency preparedness training program be provided to and completed by all first-year students by the last day of each student's first academic term and reviewed biennially by each returning student at such institution. The bill provides that such training program will focus on active shooter event preparedness and may be offered in any format and include any supplementary materials as the governing board of each such institution deems appropriate. Finally, the bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to encourage private institutions of higher education to develop and implement policies requiring a campus safety and emergency preparedness training program be provided to each first-year student by the last day of each student's first academic term and reviewed biennially by each returning student at such institution. Institutions of higher education; campus safety and emergency preparedness training; first-year completion and biennial review. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to develop and implement policies requiring that a campus safety and emergency preparedness training program be provided to and completed by all first-year students by the last day of each student's first academic term and reviewed biennially by each returning student at such institution. The bill provides that such training program will focus on active shooter event preparedness and may be offered in any format and include any supplementary materials as the governing board of each such institution deems appropriate. Finally, the bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to encourage private institutions of higher education to develop and implement policies requiring a campus safety and emergency preparedness training program be provided to each first-year student by the last day of each student's first academic term and reviewed biennially by each returning student at such institution.

Financial institutions; reporting financial exploitation of elderly or vulnerable adults. Permits a financial institution to allow an elderly or vulnerable adult, as defined in the bill, to submit and periodically update a list of trusted persons whom such financial institution or financial institution staff, as defined in the bill, may contact in the case of the suspected financial exploitation of such adult. The bill also permits a financial institution to conduct a training to instruct its staff on how to identify and report the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult internally at such financial institution, to a designated trusted contact, and to various other authorities. The bill directs the Bureau of Financial Institutions of the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish guidelines for such training by January 1, 2026. The bill provides that no financial institution staff that have received such training shall be liable in any civil or administrative proceeding for disclosing the suspected financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult pursuant to the bill's provisions if such disclosure was made in good faith and with reasonable care. The bill provides that no financial institution that has provided such training shall be liable for any such disclosure by financial institution staff.

General oyster-planting ground leases; riparian assignments; Marine Resources Commission. Directs the Marine Resources Commission to not issue or renew any private leases for general oyster-planting grounds in the Commonwealth on or after July 1, 2024, and to promulgate regulations to conform to the provisions of the bill. The bill returns any general oyster-planting grounds that are unassigned or currently leased by the Commission to public oyster rocks, beds, and shoals that are unassignable to any person for private use but does not curtail the length of time remaining on existing leases.

Localities; liability for owning or operating vehicle. Provides that in any case in which a locality is the owner of, or operator through medium of a driver of, or otherwise is the insured under the policy upon a vehicle involved in an accident, or is self-insured, the defense of governmental immunity shall not be a bar to action or recovery of damages arising from such accident against such locality.

Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team established; penalty; report. Establishes the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team to develop and implement procedures to ensure that fetal and infant deaths occurring in the Commonwealth are analyzed in a systematic way. The bill requires the Team to compile triennial statistical data regarding fetal and infant deaths and to make such data available to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Department of Health. The bill provides that information and records obtained or created by the Team and portions of meetings of the Team at which individual fetal and infant deaths are discussed shall be confidential.

Conservation of trees; Town of Vienna. Allows the Town of Vienna, by ordinance, to require that a subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy 10 years after development is projected to meet specified coverage criteria. Under current law, the criteria apply to tree canopy coverage 20 years after development.

Concealed handgun permit applications; fingerprints required by local governments. Requires an applicant for a concealed handgun permit or a renewal of such permit to submit fingerprints as part of the application. The bill provides that any demonstrated administrative costs associated with such fingerprints taken shall be the responsibility of and shall be assessed to the applicant. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025. Concealed handgun permit applications; fingerprints required by local governments. Requires an applicant for a concealed handgun permit or a renewal of such permit to submit fingerprints as part of the application. The bill provides that any demonstrated administrative costs associated with such fingerprints taken shall be the responsibility of and shall be assessed to the applicant. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.