Housing opportunity tax credit. Increases, for calendar years 2023 through 2025, the amount of housing opportunity tax credits that may be claimed from $60 million per calendar year to $100 million per calendar year.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); tax and finance; exempt property; affordable housing tax exemption. Provides that the General Assembly may by general law authorize the governing body of any county, city, town, or regional government to provide for the exemption from local real property taxation, or a portion thereof, within such restrictions and upon such conditions as may be prescribed, of real estate owned and occupied by persons of low income. Such general law shall require that (i) the real property is a single family habitation and has been owned and continuously occupied as the sole dwelling of the owner of such real property for a prescribed minimum number of years, (ii) the assessment on the property has increased by a prescribed percentage or more from the previous year or over a number of previous years, and (iii) the taxes on such property are current or the owner of such property has entered into a plan for payment of any delinquent taxes and shall establish the annual household income limits to qualify for such exemption. Constitutional amendment (first reference); tax and finance; exempt property; affordable housing tax exemption. Provides that the General Assembly may by general law authorize the governing body of any county, city, town, or regional government to provide for the exemption from local real property taxation, or a portion thereof, within such restrictions and upon such conditions as may be prescribed, of real estate owned and occupied by persons of low income. Such general law shall require that (i) the real property is a single family habitation and has been owned and continuously occupied as the sole dwelling of the owner of such real property for a prescribed minimum number of years, (ii) the assessment on the property has increased by a prescribed percentage or more from the previous year or over a number of previous years, and (iii) the taxes on such property are current or the owner of such property has entered into a plan for payment of any delinquent taxes and shall establish the annual household income limits to qualify for such exemption.

Human smuggling; penalties. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person who, with the intent to obtain a pecuniary benefit, knowingly and with the intent to evade the immigration laws of the United States uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other means of conveyance to transport another person in or through the Commonwealth and knows or should have known that such person being transported is likely to be exploited for the financial gain of another. Human smuggling; penalties. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person who, with the intent to obtain a pecuniary benefit, knowingly and with the intent to evade the immigration laws of the United States uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other means of conveyance to transport another person in or through the Commonwealth and knows or should have known that such person being transported is likely to be exploited for the financial gain of another. The bill provides that any person who commits human smuggling (i) in a manner that creates a substantial likelihood that the individual being smuggled will suffer serious bodily injury or death, (ii) by smuggling a child younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense, or (iii) while knowingly possessing a firearm during the commission of the offense is guilty of a Class 3 felony. The bill also provides that any person who commits human smuggling and as a direct result of the commission of the offense the individual being smuggled (a) became a victim of human trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, sexual assault, or aggravated sexual assault or (b) suffered serious bodily injury or death is guilty of a Class 2 felony.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; waiver usage flexibility for local community services boards. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to amend their regulations to allow local community services boards the discretion to convert allocated Community Living waivers to Family and Individual Support waivers and Building Independence waivers if the Community Living waivers are not being utilized and will not be utilized in the foreseeable future. The bill requires DMAS to seek any necessary federal approvals to effectuate this modification through the submission of a state plan for medical assistance services amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Virginia Longitudinal Data System and Virginia Workforce Data Trust; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Education to convene a work group to review the current capabilities and future needs of the Virginia Longitudinal Data System and the Virginia Workforce Data Trust and, based on the results of such review, develop a work plan for improving the Virginia Longitudinal Data System. Virginia Longitudinal Data System and Virginia Workforce Data Trust; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Education to convene a work group to review the current capabilities and future needs of the Virginia Longitudinal Data System and the Virginia Workforce Data Trust and, based on the results of such review, develop a work plan for improving the Virginia Longitudinal Data System.

Unlawful dissemination or sale of images of another; penalty. Expands the current categories of images that are unlawful to disseminate or sell to include any videographic or still image that depicts another person whose genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast are not exposed but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in the bill. Unlawful dissemination or sale of images of another; penalty. Expands the current categories of images that are unlawful to disseminate or sell to include any videographic or still image that depicts another person whose genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast are not exposed but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in the bill. The bill adds to the statute of limitations for the misdemeanor offense of unlawful creation of the image of another to provide that a prosecution shall be commenced within five years of the commission of the offense or within one year of the date the victim discovers the offense or, by the exercise of due diligence, reasonably should have discovered the offense, whichever is later. The bill creates the same statute of limitations for the offense of unlawful dissemination or sale of the image of another. Current law starts the statute of limitations for the offense of unlawful creation of the image of another upon the commission of the offense.

Xylazine; manufacturing; selling; giving; distributing; possessing; veterinary use exemption; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses xylazine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture xylazine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell xylazine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense xylazine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer xylazine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

Purchase of firearms; waiting period; penalty. Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law.

Civil penalties for certain local property violations; industrial and commercial areas. Allows localities by ordinance to charge enhanced civil penalties for certain local property violations on property that is zoned or utilized for industrial or commercial purposes.

Arrest, summons, etc., quotas; prohibition; civil penalty. Provides that any person employed by a law-enforcement agency or any agency or department employing law-enforcement officers who implements a formal or informal quota for arrests made, summonses issued, traffic stops conducted, warnings given, or commercial motor vehicle safety inspections performed is subject to a $10,000 civil penalty for each offense and if such formal or informal quota involves threats, intimidation, coercion, or modification of working conditions to subordinate officers, such employee is subject to a $25,000 civil penalty for each offense. The bill also prohibits a law-enforcement agency or any agency or department employing law-enforcement officers from posting data regarding the number of arrests, summonses, traffic stops, warnings, or commercial motor vehicle safety inspections for the purpose of creating competition between officers with respect to arrests, summonses, traffic stops, warnings given, or commercial motor vehicle safety inspections. Current law prohibits formal and informal quotas for the number of arrests made and summonses issued within a designated period of time and allows agencies to use such information for any purpose other than as a quota.

Siting of data centers; parks, schools, and residential areas. Requires that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center, as defined in the bill, be approved only for areas that are one-quarter mile or more from federal, state, or local parks, schools, and property zoned or used for residential use.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; annual review of medication and treatment for sickle cell disease; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to conduct an annual review of all medications and forms of treatment for sickle cell disease, and services for enrollees with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease, that are eligible for coverage under the state plan for medical assistance services. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations by November 15 each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health and to the Joint Commission on Health Care. Department of Medical Assistance Services; annual review of medication and treatment for sickle cell disease; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to conduct an annual review of all medications and forms of treatment for sickle cell disease, and services for enrollees with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease, that are eligible for coverage under the state plan for medical assistance services. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations by November 15 each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health and to the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Study; Department of Energy; local governments; purchases of clean energy; report. Requests the Department of Energy to study the barriers for local governments to directly purchase clean energy or to facilitate the purchase of clean energy by their constituents. In conducting its study, the Department shall consider existing ways for local governments to purchase clean energy and promote access to clean energy for their constituents, evaluate barriers and develop recommendations relating to reducing such barriers for local governments to purchase clean energy and encouraging the purchase of and access to clean energy by local governments and their constituents, and consult with relevant stakeholders as needed.

Department of Education; model policy on student cell phone use during instructional time; local adoption. Requires the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model policy whereby public elementary and secondary school students are prohibited from possessing or using personal cell phones or other personal handheld communication devices during instructional time at school. The bill requires the Department, in developing and adopting such model policy, to seek to balance the interests of students' academic achievement, cognitive development, safety, and general well-being and permits the Department to include appropriate exceptions in extraordinary circumstances such as emergency situations or situations involving the need to contact the student's parents. The bill requires each school board to develop and adopt a policy that is consistent with such model policy adopted by the Department.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists; professional wetland delineator certification requirements. Replaces the requirement that an applicant with a bachelor's degree in a relevant field have four years of relevant experience to be certified as a professional wetland delineator with three years of such experience. For applicants seeking certification through experience, the bill reduces to three years the required experience that the applicant must have in wetland science research or as a teacher of wetlands curriculum in an accredited institution of higher education in order to be certified. Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists; professional wetland delineator certification requirements. Replaces the requirement that an applicant with a bachelor's degree in a relevant field have four years of relevant experience to be certified as a professional wetland delineator with three years of such experience. For applicants seeking certification through experience, the bill reduces to three years the required experience that the applicant must have in wetland science research or as a teacher of wetlands curriculum in an accredited institution of higher education in order to be certified.