Charter; Town of Smithfield. Amends the charter for the Town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County to reflect the town's shift from May to November municipal elections. The bill also updates or repeals outdated provisions of the town's charter.

Commonwealth information security requirements. Exempts cybersecurity information, defined in the bill, from the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act while in possession of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA). The bill requires VITA to keep such cybersecurity information confidential unless the Chief Information Officer or his designee authorizes publication or disclosure of reports or aggregate cybersecurity information. Commonwealth information security requirements. Exempts cybersecurity information, defined in the bill, from the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act while in possession of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA). The bill requires VITA to keep such cybersecurity information confidential unless the Chief Information Officer or his designee authorizes publication or disclosure of reports or aggregate cybersecurity information.

Public school funding; English language learner students and children with disabilities. Requires, in addition to the positions supported by basic aid, state funding, pursuant to the general appropriation act, to be provided to cover (i) the actual average school division cost to educate children with disabilities and (ii) a per-pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on for English language learner and special education students.

Campaign finance; appeal of penalties. Provides for an appeal process for any person or committee assessed a civil penalty under the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006. Upon petition, the State Board of Elections may provide relief to the petitioner for good cause shown. Such relief may include forgiveness of all or a portion of an assessed civil penalty, the retroactive extension of a deadline, or other appropriate remedy. Campaign finance; appeal of penalties. Provides for an appeal process for any person or committee assessed a civil penalty under the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006. Upon petition, the State Board of Elections may provide relief to the petitioner for good cause shown. Such relief may include forgiveness of all or a portion of an assessed civil penalty, the retroactive extension of a deadline, or other appropriate remedy.

Agricultural best management practices tax credit; sunset date. Extends the sunset date of the individual and corporate agricultural best management practices tax credit from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2030.

Tax credit; nonfamily adoptions. Creates a $4,000 nonrefundable tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for an individual or married couple who, during the taxable year, finalize a legal nonfamily adoption as defined in the bill.

Department of Energy; building standards for certain local buildings. Requires the Department of Energy, upon request, to provide technical assistance to localities, subject to available budgetary resources, as localities implement mandates related to onsite renewable energy generation, energy storage, and resilience standards for construction or renovation of certain public buildings. The bill also makes several technical and clarifying changes to the existing statute, in part by defining or redefining existing terms found in the statute.

Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program; surplus funds. Provides that beginning in fiscal year 2025, in any fiscal year in which there is a surplus of general fund revenues, as that term is defined in the bill, the Governor shall include in his proposed budget an appropriation of 10 percent of such surplus for the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program for the purpose of funding projects consistent with the objectives of the Program.

Local wetlands boards; permit application approval. Changes the standard for approval of a wetlands permit application from three members of a five-member wetlands board or four members of a seven-member wetlands board to a simple majority of those board members present and voting. The bill also changes the standard for approval of a coastal primary sand dune permit application from three members of a five-member wetlands board or four members of a seven-member wetlands board to a simple majority of a quorum of such board. The bill requires certain localities to amend the related ordinances to conform to the provisions of the bill no later than January 1, 2025.

Study; JLARC; creation of Secretariat of Rural Affairs; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the need for and feasibility of creating a Secretariat of Rural Affairs in the Commonwealth.

Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill provides that the ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty and that the funds from such civil penalties may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses.

Food inspections; private homes; pickles and acidified vegetables; gross sales. Increases from $3,000 to $9,000 the gross sales annual revenue cap for sales of pickles and other acidified vegetables that have an equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower and are processed and prepared in a private home without an inspection as otherwise required to operate a food establishment. The bill expands the exemption for private homes where the resident processes and prepares certain food products to allow for such person to sell the food at a temporary event that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days. The bill also clarifies that such person may advertise such food products over the Internet provided that the sale takes place in person and complies with certain restrictions. Food inspections; private homes; pickles and acidified vegetables; gross sales. Increases from $3,000 to $9,000 the gross sales annual revenue cap for sales of pickles and other acidified vegetables that have an equilibrium pH value of 4.6 or lower and are processed and prepared in a private home without an inspection as otherwise required to operate a food establishment. The bill expands the exemption for private homes where the resident processes and prepares certain food products to allow for such person to sell the food at a temporary event that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days. The bill also clarifies that such person may advertise such food products over the Internet provided that the sale takes place in person and complies with certain restrictions.

School board duties; appointment and employment of division superintendents; oversight. Requires each school board to appoint, employ, and provide oversight for a division superintendent and provides that nothing in the Code of Virginia or the regulations of the Board of Education shall be construed to prohibit the school board from providing such oversight.

Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote a prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospective employee for not providing wage or salary history; and (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate.

Board of Health; hospital regulations; use of smoke evacuation systems during surgical procedures. Requires the Board of Health to amend its regulations to require that every hospital where surgical procedures are performed adopt a policy requiring the use of a smoke evacuation system for all planned surgical procedures. The bill defines "smoke evacuation system" as smoke evacuation equipment and technologies designed to capture, filter, and remove surgical smoke at the site of origin and to prevent surgical smoke from making ocular contact or contact with a person's respiratory tract. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025, and is identical to