Department of Transportation; quick-build traffic calming projects; report. Requires the Department of Transportation to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to develop a process for localities in Planning District 8 to plan, prioritize, and implement quick-build traffic calming projects to address safety issues in school crossing zones. Department of Transportation; quick-build traffic calming projects; report. Requires the Department of Transportation to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to develop a process for localities in Planning District 8 to plan, prioritize, and implement quick-build traffic calming projects to address safety issues in school crossing zones.

Requisite training and education achievements of physician assistants. Permits the Board of Medicine to grant provisional licensure as a physician assistant to applicants pending the results of an examination, as defined in the bill. Such provisional license is valid for six months or until an applicant obtains full licensure, whichever is shorter. The bill directs the Board to revoke the provisional licensure of an applicant who fails an examination but provides that an applicant may reapply for provisional licensure if such applicant has failed no more than one examination. Under current law, the Board may grant provisional licensure pending the outcome of an examination at its discretion. Requisite training and education achievements of physician assistants. Permits the Board of Medicine to grant provisional licensure as a physician assistant to applicants pending the results of an examination, as defined in the bill. Such provisional license is valid for six months or until an applicant obtains full licensure, whichever is shorter. The bill directs the Board to revoke the provisional licensure of an applicant who fails an examination but provides that an applicant may reapply for provisional licensure if such applicant has failed no more than one examination. Under current law, the Board may grant provisional licensure pending the outcome of an examination at its discretion.

Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia.

Adoption tax credit. Creates a tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 that may be claimed by an individual or married couple filing jointly for qualified adoption expenses, as defined in the bill. The bill imposes certain limitations on who may claim this credit and how much credit may be claimed based on a taxpayer's Virginia adjusted gross income.

Commending the Freedom High School football team.

Vacant buildings; registration. Permits any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law to register such building annually.

Nonliving shoreline stabilization structures; regulations; Marine Resources Commission. Directs the Marine Resources Commission to promulgate regulations regarding the types of repairs or maintenance to nonliving shoreline stabilization structures in existence prior to July 1, 2020, that are exempt from or require permits.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit. Increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twentieth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the First, Ninth, Fifteenth, and Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuits. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia.

Drug Treatment Court Act; name change. Renames the Drug Treatment Court Act as the Recovery Court Act. The bill also directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to rename the state Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee as the Recovery Court Advisory Committee.

Local government actions related to comprehensive plans, local planning commissions, subdivision plats and site plans, and zoning ordinances; approval process. Makes several changes to local government land use approval processes, including (i) prohibiting use of the comprehensive plan as the basis, in whole or in part, for the disapproval of a site plan that is otherwise in conformity with duly adopted standards, ordinances, and statutes and (ii) allowing automatic approval of certain land use applications rather than a right to petition the circuit court, as provided under current law, if a locality does not approve or disapprove the application within the required timeframe. The bill also reduces from 12 months to four months the time within which a locality must initially act upon certain proposed zoning ordinance amendments and requires a locality to act on all such proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance or map that it has previously disapproved within 45 days after an amended proposal has been resubmitted for approval.

Vehicle exhaust systems; inspection and administrative fee. Prohibits passenger vehicle exhaust systems from emitting noise in excess of 95 decibels in Planning District 8 on a highway; any driveway or premises of a church, school, recreational facility, or business; any governmental property open to the public; any industrial establishment providing parking space for customers, patrons, or employees; and any highway under construction or not yet open to the public. Vehicle exhaust systems; inspection and administrative fee. Prohibits passenger vehicle exhaust systems from emitting noise in excess of 95 decibels in Planning District 8 on a highway; any driveway or premises of a church, school, recreational facility, or business; any governmental property open to the public; any industrial establishment providing parking space for customers, patrons, or employees; and any highway under construction or not yet open to the public. The bill allows, in Planning District 8, a law-enforcement officer to stop a passenger vehicle he determines is emitting exhaust system noise in excess of such limit and issue a notice of an administrative fee of $250 to be assessed at the time of the vehicle's next registration renewal and establishes a process for inspecting such vehicle. The bill has a contingent effective date of January 1, 2025, provided that the Department of Environmental Quality has received the necessary funding to supply the necessary equipment for such vehicle exhaust system inspections to inspection stations. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027.

Southside Regional Recreation Authority.

Unauthorized creation of image of another; AI-generated image; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who knowingly and intentionally creates any videographic or still image using artificial intelligence of any nonconsenting person if (i) that person is totally nude, performing sexual acts, clad in undergarments, or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast and (ii) such videographic or still image appears to be or is intended to appear to be such nonconsenting person. The bill provides that if such nonconsenting person is under the age of 18, the offender is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Unauthorized creation of image of another; AI-generated image; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who knowingly and intentionally creates any videographic or still image using artificial intelligence of any nonconsenting person if (i) that person is totally nude, performing sexual acts, clad in undergarments, or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast and (ii) such videographic or still image appears to be or is intended to appear to be such nonconsenting person. The bill provides that if such nonconsenting person is under the age of 18, the offender is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. Prohibits a locality from including in an ordinance (i) limits on the total amount, density, or size of any ground-mounted solar facility or energy storage facility until such time that the total area under panels within the locality exceeds four percent of the total area within the locality or (ii) any prohibitions on the use of solar panels that comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards, provided that such installation is in compliance with any provisions of a local ordinance that establishes criteria and requirements for siting. Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. Prohibits a locality from including in an ordinance (i) limits on the total amount, density, or size of any ground-mounted solar facility or energy storage facility until such time that the total area under panels within the locality exceeds four percent of the total area within the locality or (ii) any prohibitions on the use of solar panels that comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards, provided that such installation is in compliance with any provisions of a local ordinance that establishes criteria and requirements for siting.

Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited; actions for attachment; civil penalty. Prohibits using devices such as a bullhook, axe handle, or block and tackle or engaging in certain practices in order to discipline, train, or control the behavior of an elephant. The bill provides that any person who uses such devices or engages in certain practices that inflict fear or pain on or cause physical injury to an elephant is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for the first offense and not to exceed $5,000 for subsequent violations. Finally, the bill provides that an action in equity may be brought to request an attachment for any devices prohibited by the bill against a person violating the provisions of the bill. Cruelty to elephants; pain-inflicting training tools prohibited; actions for attachment; civil penalty. Prohibits using devices such as a bullhook, axe handle, or block and tackle or engaging in certain practices in order to discipline, train, or control the behavior of an elephant. The bill provides that any person who uses such devices or engages in certain practices that inflict fear or pain on or cause physical injury to an elephant is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for the first offense and not to exceed $5,000 for subsequent violations. Finally, the bill provides that an action in equity may be brought to request an attachment for any devices prohibited by the bill against a person violating the provisions of the bill.