Department of Medical Assistance Services; establishment of neurobehavioral science unit; waiver services for individuals with traumatic brain injury and neurocognitive diagnoses; work group. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek authority through the state plan for medical assistance services to implement a neurobehavioral science unit and to submit an amendment to the state plan for medical assistance services to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to receive federal approval to administer neurorestorative and rehabilitative services for qualifying individuals with traumatic brain injury and neurocognitive diagnoses. The bill authorizes the Department to promulgate emergency regulations to implement the neurobehavioral science unit and the traumatic brain injury and neurocognitive diagnoses services waiver upon approval and directs the Department to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to provide updates on the progress and the implementation of the neurobehavioral science unit and the traumatic brain injury and neurocognitive diagnoses services waiver.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; community services boards; quarterly stakeholder meetings. Provides that every community services board shall conduct stakeholder meetings at least four time per year to discuss challenges, identify opportunities for improvement, and collaboratively work towards effective solutions. The bill requires each community services board to submit an annual report of such meetings to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and authorizes the Director of the Department to provide guidance and recommendations to such boards and to revise funding in response to such reports.

Counties, cities and towns; powers of local government; conveyance of real property; public hearing requirement. Adds to the list of exemptions from the requirement imposed upon localities to hold a public hearing prior to the disposition of real property owned by such locality the conveyance of any utility easement necessary to provide utilities to residential properties adjacent to property owned by the locality. Current law only excludes from such public hearing requirement (i) the leasing of real property to another public body, political subdivision, or authority and (ii) the conveyance of site development or utility easements related to transportation projects across public property.

Best interests of the child; assuring frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Provides that, in determining the best interests of a child for purposes of custody and parenting time arrangements, upon request of either party, the court shall assure a minor child of frequent and continuing contact with both parents so as to maximize the amount of time the minor child spends with each parent.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee to personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee to personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections.

Elections administration; duties of the Department of Elections; required election and voter participation information on the Internet. Requires the Department of Elections to provide information for voters on its website, including (i) the role of and contact information for the State Board of Elections, the Department of Elections, local electoral boards, and general registrars and (ii) information about absentee voting, polling hours, Virginia's voter identification requirements and acceptable forms of identification, the casting of ballots, and a means for voters to find their polling place. The bill requires such website to allow a voter to review his current voter registration information and voting history. The bill also requires that the Department provide a version of its website in which all parts are translated into any language that is spoken by a language minority group, including that any page linked to a translated page also be translated. Elections administration; duties of the Department of Elections; required election and voter participation information on the Internet. Requires the Department of Elections to provide information for voters on its website, including (i) the role of and contact information for the State Board of Elections, the Department of Elections, local electoral boards, and general registrars and (ii) information about absentee voting, polling hours, Virginia's voter identification requirements and acceptable forms of identification, the casting of ballots, and a means for voters to find their polling place. The bill requires such website to allow a voter to review his current voter registration information and voting history. The bill also requires that the Department provide a version of its website in which all parts are translated into any language that is spoken by a language minority group, including that any page linked to a translated page also be translated.

School boards; model memorandum of understanding; partnerships with certain mental health services providers; provision and expansion of virtual mental health services. Directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that sets forth the parameters for the provision of mental health teletherapy by such provider to public school students enrolled in the local school division. Current law only requires the development, adoption, and distribution of a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a public or private community mental health services provider. The bill also permits each school board to adopt policies and procedures to increase the accessibility of school-based mental health services for students enrolled in each school division who may not have access to mental health services otherwise by providing or expanding virtual mental health resources and establishing or expanding a partnership with (i) a public or private community mental health services provider that offers school-based teletherapy to students or (ii) a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that provides mental health teletherapy to students. School boards; model memorandum of understanding; partnerships with certain mental health services providers; provision and expansion of virtual mental health services. Directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services, to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that sets forth the parameters for the provision of mental health teletherapy by such provider to public school students enrolled in the local school division. Current law only requires the development, adoption, and distribution of a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a public or private community mental health services provider. The bill also permits each school board to adopt policies and procedures to increase the accessibility of school-based mental health services for students enrolled in each school division who may not have access to mental health services otherwise by providing or expanding virtual mental health resources and establishing or expanding a partnership with (i) a public or private community mental health services provider that offers school-based teletherapy to students or (ii) a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider that provides mental health teletherapy to students.

Nurse practitioners; patient care team provider; autonomous practice. Allows certain nurse practitioners to oversee patient care teams by changing "patient care team physician" to "patient care team provider." The bill defines "patient care team provider" as a patient care team physician, as defined in relevant law, or a nurse practitioner who meets certain requirements. The bill also lowers from five years to two years the amount of full-time clinical experience required before an advanced practice registered nurse may practice without a practice agreement. Nurse practitioners; patient care team provider; autonomous practice. Allows certain nurse practitioners to oversee patient care teams by changing "patient care team physician" to "patient care team provider." The bill defines "patient care team provider" as a patient care team physician, as defined in relevant law, or a nurse practitioner who meets certain requirements. The bill also lowers from five years to two years the amount of full-time clinical experience required before an advanced practice registered nurse may practice without a practice agreement.

Casino gaming; limits on required local referendums. Provides that the governing body of any eligible host city that holds a local referendum on the question of whether casino gaming should be permitted in such city that subsequently fails shall be prohibited from holding another referendum on the same question for a period of three years from the date of the last referendum.

Photo speed monitoring devices; location. Authorizes the governing body of any county, city, or town to provide by ordinance for the placement and operation of photo speed monitoring devices in any location deemed necessary by the locality for the purposes of recording violations resulting from the operation of a vehicle in excess of the speed limit. The bill provides the same requirements for such devices, information collected from such devices, and any enforcement actions resulting from information collected from such devices as current law applies to the use of such devices in school crossing zones and highway work zones. The bill requires that two signs, rather than one, be placed warning of such device if the device is placed somewhere other than a school crossing zone or highway work zone.

Department of Education; uniform system of discipline for disruptive student behavior. Requires the Department of Education to establish, within its regulations governing student conduct, and each school board to adhere to, a uniform system of discipline for disruptive behavior and the removal of a student from a class that includes, among other things, (i) criteria for teachers to remove disruptive students from their classes, including a requirement for a teacher to remove a disruptive student from a class if the disruptive behavior is violent and a requirement to implement a three-strike system for nonviolent disruptive behavior whereby a teacher is required to remove a student from a class if the student repeats or continues the nonviolent disruptive behavior after the teacher provides two warnings to the student; (ii) a prohibition against holding a teacher liable for taking reasonable actions or utilizing reasonable methods to control a physically disruptive or violently disruptive student; and (iii) appropriate exceptions and modifications for children with disabilities based on the unique needs of each such student.

Public school funding; At-Risk Program established. Establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at risk, including prevention, intervention, or remediation activities required pursuant to Standard 1 (§ 22.1-253.13:1); teacher recruitment programs and incentives; Dropout Prevention; community and school-based truancy officer programs; Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); Project Discovery; programs for English language learners; the hiring of additional school counselors, testing coordinators, and licensed behavior analysts; and programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training and requires a portion of the state funding provided for such At-Risk Program to be allocated to school divisions on a flat per-student percentage rate set out in the general appropriation act and a portion of such funding to be allocated to school divisions on a variable rate set out in the general appropriation act based on the concentration of poverty in the school division. Public school funding; At-Risk Program established. Establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at risk, including prevention, intervention, or remediation activities required pursuant to Standard 1 (§ 22.1-253.13:1); teacher recruitment programs and incentives; Dropout Prevention; community and school-based truancy officer programs; Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); Project Discovery; programs for English language learners; the hiring of additional school counselors, testing coordinators, and licensed behavior analysts; and programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training and requires a portion of the state funding provided for such At-Risk Program to be allocated to school divisions on a flat per-student percentage rate set out in the general appropriation act and a portion of such funding to be allocated to school divisions on a variable rate set out in the general appropriation act based on the concentration of poverty in the school division.

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. The bill specifies that covered individuals shall not include state employees, constitutional and other local officers, and employees of local school divisions and that funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Finally, the bill requires the Commission to update its 2021 Paid Family and Medical Leave study to include an assessment of the budgetary impacts of extending the benefits of the program to exempt individuals. Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. The bill specifies that covered individuals shall not include state employees, constitutional and other local officers, and employees of local school divisions and that funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Finally, the bill requires the Commission to update its 2021 Paid Family and Medical Leave study to include an assessment of the budgetary impacts of extending the benefits of the program to exempt individuals.

Vehicle inspections; new motor vehicles. Extends the timeframe following the first inspection of a new motor vehicle in which such vehicle must be inspected from 12 months after the first inspection to either 36 months after the first inspection or within such time as such new motor vehicle reaches a mileage of 36,000 miles. The bill provides that the inspection approval sticker provided by the Department of State Police for such new motor vehicle shall designate its validity period and directs the Department to develop, create, and distribute such new stickers.

Candidates for office; electronic petitions. Allows for the collection of signatures by electronic means, requires the State Board of Elections to prescribe candidate petitions forms in both paper and electronic formats, and provides formal requirements for signatures on electronic petitions. The bill also makes technical amendments to provide uniformity in requirements for such petitions.