Summary: Transportation District Commission of HamptonRoads; membership. Adds a member of the House of Delegates, tobe appointed by the Speaker of the House, and a member of the Senate,to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, to the TransportationDistrict Commission of Hampton Roads. Such legislative members mustrepresent districts that include certain cities in the Hampton Roadsregion. The bill also requires that nonlegislative citizen membersof the Commission appointed by the Governor have experience in oneof the following fields: transit, transportation, or land use planning;management of transit, transportation, or other public sector operations;public budgeting or finance; corporate communications; government oversight; or state or local government. The new qualifications donot affect the appointment of any current members of the Commissionuntil the expiration of their terms.

Summary: Special license plates; removal. Repeals the authorizations for issuance of special license plates no longer issued due to low plate sales, expired authorizations, or inability to issue. In addition, the bill directs the revenue shared for previous issuances and renewals and future renewals of Kids Eat Free special license plates to the Division of Community Nutrition at the Virginia Department of Health.

Summary: Aircraft; registration and licensing. Clarifies that if a civil aircraft is required to be registered with the Department of Aviation, current law allows the owner a credit against the tax paid for such registration for similar taxes paid in another state.

Summary: Vehicles; liens; abandoned vehicles; removing vehicles involved in accidents. Modernizes and improves enforcement of mechanics’ and storage liens by (i) transferring notification and auction posting requirements to the Department of Motor Vehicles (the Department); (ii) allowing for independent appraisals to establish accurate vehicle values; (iii) expanding vehicle owner searches to other states and requiring the Department to notify owners in those states; and (iv) creating a limited process for relinquishing mechanics’ and storage liens. The bill permits out-of-state requesters to obtain Virginia vehicle information for mechanics’ or storage lien or abandoned vehicle enforcement in their states, and clarifies disposal rights, auction requirements, and titling documentation for abandoned vehicles. The Department is authorized to collect administrative fees to cover the expenses associated with these duties. The bill also provides that an entity acting at the direction of law enforcement or the Department of Transportation to remove a vehicle or cargo after an accident shall not be liable for damages or claims resulting from exercise of authority, provided that the entity acted reasonably.

Summary: Vehicle registration fees; Public Safety TrustFund. Imposes an additional $4 vehicle registration fee to bedeposited into the Public Safety Trust Fund, established by the bill.The moneys in the Public Safety Trust Fund are to be used to eliminate barriers to an inclusive, diverse, and well-qualified workforce byaddressing compensation issues related to staffing, retention, andpay compression at the Department of State Police.

Summary: New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority; creation. Authorizes the creation of a regional passenger rail station authority in Planning District 4 to assist in the creation and maintenance of passenger rail in the region. The authority would be authorized to enter into revenue sharing agreements and to issue revenue bonds. The authority would be governed by a board consisting of members of each participating locality and institution of higher education.

Summary: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority;effective date. Repeals the contingent effective date for thecreation of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Suchcontingency has been met. This bill is a recommendation of the CodeCommission.

Summary: Special license plates; DUCKS UNLIMITED. Authorizes the existing special license plates for supporters of Ducks Unlimited to become revenue-sharing special license plates. From each fee collected from registrations over 1,000, $15 shall be deposited into a special account to be paid annually to Ducks Unlimited, Inc., to support its wetlands and waterfowl habitat programs in Virginia.

Summary: Funds for access roads to economic developmentsites; criteria for use of funds. Directs the Commonwealth TransportationBoard, in consultation with the Secretaries of Transportation andCommerce and Trade, to develop criteria to be used in the award offunds for access roads to economic development sites. The criteriashall take into account job creation, capital investment, and otherrelevant economic development considerations.

Summary: Virginia Highway Corporation Act; alteration of certificate of authority; powers and duties of the State Corporation Commission. Requires any application for a transfer, extension, or amendment of a certificate of authority issued under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act to include information demonstrating the financial fitness of the entity applying to operate the roadway. The bill requires an applicant for a toll increase to provide a forward-looking analysis return that will be reviewed by the Department of Transportation that demonstrates that the proposed rates will be reasonable to the user in relation to the benefit obtained, not likely to materially discourage use of the roadway, and provide the operator no more than a reasonable return. The bill also prohibits the State Corporation Commission from authorizing a toll increase if these criteria are not met or if the proposed increase is for more than one year. The bill requires an operator to receive approval from the Commission prior to refinancing any existing debt.

Summary: Entry onto land for inspection. Requires that for any project wherein the power of eminent domain may be exercised, any locality or the Commissioner of Highways to provide a landowner with  a request to enter and inspect property at least 30 days in advance. The request must be on official letterhead, and shall notify the landowner that even if permission is withheld, the locality or the Commissioner of Highways will be permitted to enter the property on the proposed date.

Summary: Repeal of reporting requirement; Departmentof Motor Vehicles and Supreme Court of Virginia. Repeals an enactmentclause that requires the Department of Motor Vehicles and the SupremeCourt of Virginia to submit an annual report regarding the implementationof a program to allow the Department to collect certain fees andfines on behalf of a district or circuit court.

Summary: Learner's permits; use of personal communications device. Eliminates the provision prohibiting a holder of a learner's permit to operate a vehicle while using a wireless communication device. Such provision was specific only to the holder of a learner's permit. Under a different current law, all drivers, including those with a learner's permit, are prohibited from holding a personal communications device while operating a vehicle.

Summary: Transportation projects; resiliency. Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to determine whether a project has been designed to be resilient when evaluating projects for the Six-Year Improvement Program and consider resiliency when establishing the Statewide Transportation Plan. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Highways to ensure resiliency is incorporated into the design standards for new construction projects.

Summary: Vehicle registration; special communication needs indicator. Expands eligibility for a special communication needs indicator on a vehicle registration to vehicle owners whose vehicle is regularly occupied by an individual who has a disability that can impair communication. Current law authorizes those vehicle owners who have a disability that can impair communication to apply for such an indicator. The bill authorizes the removal of such indicator by request in writing to the Department of Motor Vehicles.