Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Changes references relating to coastal resilience policy from the Coastal Policy Center at William and Mary School of Law to the Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative at The College of William and Mary in Virginia to reflect the dissolution of the Coastal Policy Center. The bill also adds the Collaborative to the list of entities with whom the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources may seek input and consultation in setting coastal resilience policies.

Department of General Services; Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; review of procurement process; employment services organizations. Directs the Department of General Services, in cooperation with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, to perform a comprehensive review of the process for procuring goods and services from employment services organizations. The bill provides that such review shall examine the current process for procurement, potential set-asides or percentage goals, and whether employment services organizations should be housed alongside small, women-owned, or minority-owned businesses within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity.

Health professions; universal licensure; requirements. Requires health regulatory boards within the Department of Health Professions to recognize licenses or certifications issued by other United States jurisdictions, as defined in the bill, as fulfillment for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth if certain conditions are met. The bill also requires such health regulatory boards to recognize work experience as fulfillment for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth if certain conditions are met. The bill does not apply to licensure for physicians or dentists.

Celebrating the life of Zenobia Helen Miller Taylor.

Commending Freedom High School.

Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; boards of visitors; membership. Requires the board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to include two nonvoting, advisory representatives consisting of (i) one faculty member of the institution elected by the institution's faculty or such institution's faculty senate or its equivalent and (ii) one staff member of the institution selected by the institution's staff in the manner deemed appropriate by such staff members. The bill clarifies that such nonvoting, advisory faculty and staff representatives are separate and apart from the membership of the governing board of any such institution and are not counted in the membership of any such governing board. Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; boards of visitors; membership. Requires the board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to include two nonvoting, advisory representatives consisting of (i) one faculty member of the institution elected by the institution's faculty or such institution's faculty senate or its equivalent and (ii) one staff member of the institution selected by the institution's staff in the manner deemed appropriate by such staff members. The bill clarifies that such nonvoting, advisory faculty and staff representatives are separate and apart from the membership of the governing board of any such institution and are not counted in the membership of any such governing board.

Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board established; report. Creates the Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board to advise the Governor and General Assembly on ways to improve economic and cultural links between Virginia and Ireland, with a focus on the areas of commerce and trade, art and education, and general government. The bill requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly.

Celebrating the life of Jackie Duckette Hunter.

Zoning ordinance and amendments thereto; special exceptions; appeal. Clarifies that a claim (i) challenging the procedures employed or (ii) stating a decision is void ab initio for any reason relating to a local governing body's final decision on a proposed zoning ordinance, or on an amendment of or special exception to such ordinance, only be filed within 30 days of such decision in a circuit court having jurisdiction of the land. The bill provides that the provisions of the bill are declarative of existing law and are effective retroactively to any decision made by a local governing body prior to July 1, 2024.

Celebrating the life of Helen Delores Bandy.

Child abuse; mandatory reporters. Adds to the list of persons who are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect employees of the Department of Labor and Industry whose duties include ensuring compliance with child labor laws.

Public schools; instructional time; competency-based education. Requires the Board of Education to provide local school boards maximum flexibility to waive existing instructional clock hour requirements by developing alternative instructional time models in accordance with the Board's regulations and guidelines relating to instructional time waivers. The bill directs the Board, when revising its regulations and adopting Standards of Accreditation, to provide flexibility for school boards to develop programs that provide for acceleration, remediation, and multiple pathways to graduation that permit students to demonstrate competency at different rates. The bill also requires the Board to update, by December 1, 2024, its Guidelines for Graduation Requirements: Local Alternative Paths to Standard Units of Credit (Alternatives to the 140-Clock-Hour Requirement) to include guidance regarding (i) waiver pathway options to allow students time within the school day to complete work-based learning opportunities; (ii) advanced learning opportunities focused on problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship skills; (iii) content that provides technical knowledge, skills, and competency-based applied learning; (iv) a method for approving alternative programs, including dual enrollment courses as specified in the bill; (v) other instructional time models adopted to meet instructional hour requirements through a variety of learning modalities; and (vi) offering instructional and learning opportunities including innovative, advanced, and enrichment programs for the full school year. Finally, the bill requires the Board to submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2024, a report on its progress in implementing the provisions of the bill.

Virginia Code Commission; work group to recommend exemptions from the Dam Safety Act; low hazard potential impounding structures. Directs the Virginia Code Commission to convene a work group to recommend exemptions from the requirements of the Dam Safety Act for low hazard potential impounding structures where failure is not expected to cause loss of human life or material economic damage. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology summarizing the work and any recommendations of the work group by November 1, 2024.

Department of Education; development and distribution of fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet; requirements. Requires the Department of Education to develop, in collaboration with the Department of Health, a fentanyl education and awareness informational one-sheet designed to promote awareness of the dangers associated with and the prevalence of fentanyl and provide essential information on fentanyl overdose prevention and preparedness among high school-age students. The bill requires the Department of Education to make available to each school board and post in a publicly accessible location on its website such informational one-sheet and to annually review and update such informational one-sheet in collaboration with the Department of Health to ensure its currency and accuracy. The bill requires each public high school or secondary school that includes grades nine through 12 to annually distribute such informational one-sheet to each student in grades nine through 12 within the first two weeks of the school year.

Juveniles; adjudication of delinquency. Specifies that a delinquent child is a child 11 years of age or older who has committed a delinquent act. Currently, there is no minimum age for a child to be adjudicated delinquent. The bill provides that if a juvenile younger than 11 years of age is found to have committed a delinquent act, the juvenile shall not be proceeded upon as delinquent; however, the court may make any orders of disposition authorized for a child in need of services or a child in need of supervision. The bill includes in the definition of "child in need of services" a child younger than 11 years of age who has committed a delinquent act. Juveniles; adjudication of delinquency. Specifies that a delinquent child is a child 11 years of age or older who has committed a delinquent act. Currently, there is no minimum age for a child to be adjudicated delinquent. The bill provides that if a juvenile younger than 11 years of age is found to have committed a delinquent act, the juvenile shall not be proceeded upon as delinquent; however, the court may make any orders of disposition authorized for a child in need of services or a child in need of supervision. The bill includes in the definition of "child in need of services" a child younger than 11 years of age who has committed a delinquent act. Finally, the bill includes in the offense of causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc., any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition that causes a child younger than 11 years of age to commit a delinquent act. Under current law, any person who commits such offense is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.