Dangers and victims of communism; recognition; Standards of Learning and programs of instruction. Requires the Governor to annually issue a proclamation setting the seventh day of November as Victims of Communism Day and requiring such day to be suitably observed in each public elementary and secondary school in the Commonwealth as a day honoring the approximately 100 million individuals who have fallen victim to communist regimes around the world and to be suitably observed by a public exercise in the Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor may designate in such proclamation. The bill also requires the Board of Education to include in the history and social science Standards of Learning in grades six through 12 and each school board to emphasize in its Standards-aligned program of instruction in grades six through 12 the study of the dangers of communism.

Quarters for magistrates; certain minimum standards for security and accessibility. Establishes certain minimum standards for ensuring security and accessibility in quarters for magistrates.

Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election for a local or constitutional office that is not shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted on the same day as other results are canvassed by the local electoral board and that final tabulation for and election for a local or constitutional office that is shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted at a centralized facility under the supervision of the Department of Elections. The bill specifies that ranking data is required to be made publicly available by the Department and requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also limits a risk-limiting audit of an election conducted using ranked choice voting to the first choice rankings reported on voting systems. Finally, the bill directs the Department to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election for a local or constitutional office that is not shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted on the same day as other results are canvassed by the local electoral board and that final tabulation for and election for a local or constitutional office that is shared by more than one county or city is required to be conducted at a centralized facility under the supervision of the Department of Elections. The bill specifies that ranking data is required to be made publicly available by the Department and requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also limits a risk-limiting audit of an election conducted using ranked choice voting to the first choice rankings reported on voting systems. Finally, the bill directs the Department to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Board of zoning appeals; appeal to general district court. Provides that in the case of an appeal from the board of zoning appeals of an order, requirement, decision, or determination of a zoning administrator, a person aggrieved by any such order, requirement, decision, or determination may file the petition with the clerk of the general district court that shall have jurisdiction to hear such appeal.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined in the bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training in the investigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined in the bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training in the investigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.

Comprehensive community colleges; authority to offer and confer certain baccalaureate degrees. Authorizes the State Board for Community Colleges, subject to approval and certification by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia of a proposal submitted for such purpose, to establish an upper division of any comprehensive community college consisting of the third and fourth years of baccalaureate degree programs that lead to occupations in a high-demand field and confer baccalaureate degrees in such degree programs. The bill requires any proposal submitted to the Council for such purpose to include (i) the information required for application for Council certification pursuant to relevant law; (ii) any information necessary to establish that the applicable comprehensive community college meets the requirements for Council certification and accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; (iii) the specific baccalaureate degree programs the State Board is seeking approval to offer at the applicable comprehensive community college and information to establish that such baccalaureate degree programs lead to occupations in a field that meets the criteria of a high-demand field, as set forth in the bill; and (iv) any other information that the Council deems necessary. Comprehensive community colleges; authority to offer and confer certain baccalaureate degrees. Authorizes the State Board for Community Colleges, subject to approval and certification by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia of a proposal submitted for such purpose, to establish an upper division of any comprehensive community college consisting of the third and fourth years of baccalaureate degree programs that lead to occupations in a high-demand field and confer baccalaureate degrees in such degree programs. The bill requires any proposal submitted to the Council for such purpose to include (i) the information required for application for Council certification pursuant to relevant law; (ii) any information necessary to establish that the applicable comprehensive community college meets the requirements for Council certification and accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; (iii) the specific baccalaureate degree programs the State Board is seeking approval to offer at the applicable comprehensive community college and information to establish that such baccalaureate degree programs lead to occupations in a field that meets the criteria of a high-demand field, as set forth in the bill; and (iv) any other information that the Council deems necessary.

Net energy metering; eligible customer-generators and eligible agricultural customer-generators. Provides that no contract, lease, or arrangement by which a third party owns, maintains, or operates an electrical generating facility on an eligible customer-generator's property shall constitute the sale of electricity or cause the customer-generator or the third party to be considered an electric utility by virtue of participating in net energy metering. The bill prohibits an eligible customer-generator or eligible agricultural customer-generator from being required to provide proof of liability insurance or to purchase additional liability insurance as a condition of interconnection. The bill exempts eligible customer-generators and eligible agricultural customer-generators that operate a battery storage device of capacity commensurate with and equal to or greater than that of the electrical generating facility and in conjunction with the electrical generating facility from standby charges. The bill provides that any eligible customer-generator or eligible agricultural customer-generator may participate in demand response, energy efficiency, or peak reduction from dispatch of onsite battery service, provided that the compensation received is in exchange for a distinct service that is not already compensated by net metering credits for electricity exported to the electric distribution system or compensated by any other utility program or tariff.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment; pilot program. Directs the Department of Veterans Services to establish a pilot program to make electroencephalogram (EEG) combined transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment available for military members, veterans, first responders, law-enforcement officers, and certain agents of federal agencies and family members of the aforementioned individuals. The bill requires the Department to establish regulations for administration of the pilot program. Transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment; pilot program. Directs the Department of Veterans Services to establish a pilot program to make electroencephalogram (EEG) combined transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment available for military members, veterans, first responders, law-enforcement officers, and certain agents of federal agencies and family members of the aforementioned individuals. The bill requires the Department to establish regulations for administration of the pilot program.

Institutions of higher education; campus safety; governing boards of certain educational institutions; employment of security services and personnel authorized. Authorizes the governing board of certain educational institutions, including the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, the New College Institute, the Roanoke Higher Education Authority, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, to establish and maintain a campus security department and to employ security personnel. Under current law, the governing board of any such educational institution is only authorized to contract for security services.

Stormwater management regulations; enterprise data center operations. Directs the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations that require certain stormwater management techniques for land disturbances related to the construction, expansion, or operation of an enterprise data center operation, as defined in the bill, that is located within one mile of any land owned or operated as a unit of the National Park Service or designated as a Virginia State Park or state forest.

Institutions of higher education; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program. Makes several changes to the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, including (i) making the provisions relating to the requirements and conditions for eligibility for and award of grants under the Program subject to regulations as prescribed by the Adjutant General, (ii) eliminating the requirement to satisfy financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester, (iii) simplifying the requirements relating to academic performance and good standing, and (iv) providing that any grant awarded shall be in an amount equivalent to the difference between the full cost of tuition and fees at the institution of higher education less any other educational benefits for which an individual is eligible as a member of the National Guard.

Invasive plant species; retail sales; civil penalty. Requires, for the retail sale of any invasive plant species for outdoor use on a list established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant display signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of such signage no later than October 1, 2024, and requires the Commissioner to issue a stop sale order and mark or tag a plant in a conspicuous manner when an invasive plant is for sale at a retail establishment without appropriate signage. In such case, the bill requires the Commissioner to give written notice of a finding made to the owner, tenant, or person in charge of such retail establishment and requires the stop sale order issued to remain in effect until the required signage is posted. Any retail establishment that violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500.

Optometrists; expert witness testimony. Allows an optometrist to testify as an expert witness in a court of law on certain matters within the scope of his practice.

Voter registration; cancellation of registration by voter convicted of a felony; notice prior to cancellation. Requires the general registrar to mail a notice to all persons known by him to have been convicted of a felony prior to canceling any such person's voter registration. The bill specifies that such notice shall inform the person of the report from the Department of Elections based on information received from the Central Criminal Records Exchange indicating his felony conviction and allow such person to submit evidence that his right to vote has been restored within 14 days of the date the notice was mailed. The bill requires the general registrar to cancel the registration of such person who does not respond within 14 days.

Charter; City of Virginia Beach; board of equalization. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach by expanding the board of equalization from four members to five members and an alternate.