Net energy metering; solar interconnection; cost recovery. Provides that an electric distribution company shall pay 33 cents ($0.33) per kilowatt-hour per day for the costs of lost electricity production for any and all delays beyond the regulatory notice period required by the State Corporation Commission related to net energy metering. The bill requires that, for the purposes of net energy metering, an eligible customer-generator shall bear all reasonable costs of equipment required at the eligible customer-generator's premises for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system, including commercially reasonable costs of additional controls, tests, or liability insurance. Additionally, the bill allows for cost recovery by Phase I and Phase II Utilities for electric distribution grid transformation projects that support the interconnection of generating facilities using energy derived from sunlight that are owned or contracted by eligible customer-generators, subject to the Commission finding those costs to be reasonable and prudent in accordance with existing law. Net energy metering; solar interconnection; cost recovery. Provides that an electric distribution company shall pay 33 cents ($0.33) per kilowatt-hour per day for the costs of lost electricity production for any and all delays beyond the regulatory notice period required by the State Corporation Commission related to net energy metering. The bill requires that, for the purposes of net energy metering, an eligible customer-generator shall bear all reasonable costs of equipment required at the eligible customer-generator's premises for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system, including commercially reasonable costs of additional controls, tests, or liability insurance. Additionally, the bill allows for cost recovery by Phase I and Phase II Utilities for electric distribution grid transformation projects that support the interconnection of generating facilities using energy derived from sunlight that are owned or contracted by eligible customer-generators, subject to the Commission finding those costs to be reasonable and prudent in accordance with existing law.

Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2026.

Candidates for office; persons entitled to have name printed on ballot, required reports. Provides that a person who fails to file at least one of the campaign finance reports required by law to be filed in an election year by July 20 is not entitled to have his name printed on the ballot at the general election for the office sought. Candidates for office; persons entitled to have name printed on ballot, required reports. Provides that a person who fails to file at least one of the campaign finance reports required by law to be filed in an election year by July 20 is not entitled to have his name printed on the ballot at the general election for the office sought.

Surrogacy brokers; repeal of prohibition against. Repeals the statute prohibiting any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or other entity from accepting compensation for recruiting or procuring surrogates or accepting compensation for otherwise arranging or inducing an intended parent and surrogate to enter into surrogacy contracts. Under current law, any violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Electors for President and Vice President; binding of electors; vacancies. Provides that an elector who is selected by the state convention of any political party and who, at the convening of the electors after the election, refuses to present a ballot, presents an unmarked ballot, or presents a ballot marked in violation of his oath stating that he would, if elected, cast his ballot for the candidates for President and Vice President nominated by the party that selected the elector, or as the party may direct in the event of the death, withdrawal, or disqualification of the party nominee, is deemed to vacate the office of elector. The bill provides that the other electors present shall immediately fill such vacancy in the same manner as a vacancy due to an elector's death or failure or inability to attend. The bill applies the same provisions to electors who are named in a petition of qualified voters not constituting a political party. The bill contains technical amendments that consolidate into a single chapter the provisions of Title 24.2 relating to presidential electors.

Health insurance; ethics and fairness in carrier business practices. Makes various changes to requirements governing the business practices of health carriers in the processing and payment of claims. The bill prescribes criteria for what constitutes a "clean claim." The bill prohibits a carrier from imposing any retroactive denial of a previously paid claim or in any other way seeking recovery or refund of a previously paid claim unless the carrier specifies in writing the specific claim or claims for which the retroactive denial is to be imposed or the recovery or refund is sought and the carrier has provided a written explanation of why the claim is being retroactively adjusted. The bill provides that the time limit for a retroactive denial is 12 months; however, a provider and a carrier may agree in writing that recoupment of overpayments by withholding or offsetting against future payments may occur after such 12-month limit. The bill requires carriers, beginning no later than July 1, 2025, to make available an electronic means for providers to determine whether an enrollee is covered by a health plan that is subject to the State Corporation Commission's jurisdiction. The bill provides that the ethics and fairness requirements apply to the carrier and provider, regardless of any vendors, subcontractors, or other entities that have been contracted by the carrier or the provider to perform their duties. The bill provides that if a carrier's claim denial is overturned following completion of a dispute review, the carrier is required to consider the claims impacted by such decision as clean claims and all applicable laws related to the payment of a clean claim apply. The bill prohibits a provider from filing a complaint with the State Corporation Commission for failure to pay claims unless such provider has made a reasonable effort to confer with the carrier in order to resolve the issues related to all claims that are under dispute. Finally, the bill requires all provider contracts, amendments, and notices and certain other communications to be delivered electronically.

State Corporation Commission; annual report filing requirements. Permits a person authorized by a domestic or foreign stock or nonstock corporation to sign the annual report of such corporation for purposes of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act and the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Department of Health Professions; certain suspensions not considered disciplinary action. Prohibits any board of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or the Department of Health Professions issuing a suspension upon any regulant of such board pursuant to such regulant's having submitted a check, money draft, or similar instrument for payment of a fee required by statute or regulation that is not honored by the bank or financial institution named from considering or describing such suspension as a disciplinary action.

Guardians and conservators; order of appointment and certificate of qualification; annual report. Requires a petitioner to file with a petition for the appointment of a guardian, a conservator, or both a cover sheet on a form prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill requires a guardian to file an initial annual report reflecting the first four months of guardianship since qualification within six months of the date of qualification and to file the second and each subsequent annual report for each succeeding 12-month period within four months from the last day of the last 12-month period covered by the previous annual report. The bill also specifies which documents the clerk shall forward to certain entities upon the qualification of a guardian or conservator.

Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of public electric vehicle charging stations in certain localities. The bill provides that a private developer is eligible to receive grants of 70 percent of such non-utility costs for public electric vehicle charging stations installed in a city or county that meets the criteria of a distressed locality, as defined in the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

Special justices and independent evaluator fees; emergency custody and voluntary and involuntary civil admissions. Increases the fee that a special justice receives for presiding over emergency custody and voluntary and involuntary civil admissions from $86.25 to $120 for each commitment hearing and from $43.25 to $70 for each certification hearing. The bill also increases the fee that an independent evaluator receives if required to serve as a witness or an interpreter from $75 to $120 for each commitment hearing and from $43.25 to $70 for each certification hearing. Lastly, the bill specifies that any such necessary expenses incurred by such special justices or independent evaluators, or by attorneys appointed to such commitment and certification hearings, shall be paid in accordance with guidelines established by the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill contains technical amendments. Special justices and independent evaluator fees; emergency custody and voluntary and involuntary civil admissions. Increases the fee that a special justice receives for presiding over emergency custody and voluntary and involuntary civil admissions from $86.25 to $120 for each commitment hearing and from $43.25 to $70 for each certification hearing. The bill also increases the fee that an independent evaluator receives if required to serve as a witness or an interpreter from $75 to $120 for each commitment hearing and from $43.25 to $70 for each certification hearing. Lastly, the bill specifies that any such necessary expenses incurred by such special justices or independent evaluators, or by attorneys appointed to such commitment and certification hearings, shall be paid in accordance with guidelines established by the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill contains technical amendments.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; hair styling license. Adds hair styling as a profession that is regulated by the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology. The bill defines "hair styling" as arranging, dressing, curling, waving, cutting, shaping, singeing, shaving, bleaching, coloring, relaxing, or straightening, or performing similar work upon, human hair, or a wig or hairpiece, by any means, including hands or mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances.

Shared solar programs; American Electric Power; minimum bill; capacity. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program, as defined in the bill, through which customers of American Electric Power may purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to establish a minimum bill, which shall include the costs of all utility infrastructure and services used to provide electric service and administrative costs of the shared solar program, taking into account certain considerations. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a proceeding to recalculate such minimum bill within 30 days of its final order in a proceeding establishing the value of a solar renewable energy certificate as required by relevant law. The bill specifies that the Commission shall establish the shared solar program consistent with the requirements of the bill by January 1, 2025, and shall require each utility to file any associated tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementing the program by July 1, 2025. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Energy to convene a stakeholder work group to determine the amounts and forms of certain project incentives and to submit a written report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor no later than November 30, 2024.

Electric utilities; energy efficiency programs. Adds electrification to the definition of "energy efficiency program" for the purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, provided that the electrification measures reduce total onsite energy consumption and, to the maximum extent practical, seek to utilize federally authorized customer rebates for heat pump technology.

Board of Education; health education Standards of Learning; severe allergic reaction awareness training. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for health education for grade nine and grade 10 an in-person or online severe allergic reaction awareness training that includes certain topics enumerated in the bill. The bill requires each school board to incorporate such severe allergic reaction awareness training into any health education instruction provided at grades nine and 10 beginning with the school year following the Board of Education's adoption of the revised Standards of Learning for health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such severe allergic reaction awareness training and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such severe allergic reaction awareness training available to school boards. Board of Education; health education Standards of Learning; severe allergic reaction awareness training. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for health education for grade nine and grade 10 an in-person or online severe allergic reaction awareness training that includes certain topics enumerated in the bill. The bill requires each school board to incorporate such severe allergic reaction awareness training into any health education instruction provided at grades nine and 10 beginning with the school year following the Board of Education's adoption of the revised Standards of Learning for health education for grades nine and 10 incorporating such severe allergic reaction awareness training and directs the Board to, in the intermediary time, develop and post on its website guidance documents for the purpose of making such severe allergic reaction awareness training available to school boards.