Summary: Investment of public funds. Allows any qualified public entity of the Commonwealth to invest in asset-backed securities that are guaranteed by the United States or any agency thereof. This bill is identical to SB 510.

Summary: Office of the Children's Ombudsman; powers.Grants the Children's Ombudsman with regard to children receivingchild-protective services, in foster care, or placed for adoptionand children who may have died as a result of alleged abuse or neglectthe power to directly oversee local departments of social services,reverse the decisions of local departments of social services, andpetition a court to reverse any custody or visitation changes madeas a result of the error of a local department of social services.

Summary: Department of Health Professions; veterinarymedicine; exceptions for care of animals injured in line of duty.Provides an exception to the unauthorized practice of veterinarymedicine for any law-enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergencymedical services personnel who provides emergency treatment to anyanimal in his care that is injured in the line of duty.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; unlawful detainer action; emergency hearings. Provides for an emergency hearing to occur on a summons for unlawful detainer filed by an owner of a residential single family dwelling unit if the court finds based upon the evidence that (i) no rental agreement exists or has ever existed between the owner and the occupant; (ii) the occupant occupies such dwelling unit without permission of such owner; and (iii) the owner has given such occupant a written notice to vacate such dwelling unit at least 72 hours prior to the date of filing. Under the bill, an emergency hearing on such summons shall occur as soon as practicable, but not more than 14 days from the date of filing.

Summary: Industrial hemp; maximum THC concentration.Increases from 0.6 percent to one percent, in the definition ofindustrial hemp, the maximum allowable concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) in the plant Cannabis sativa. The bill allows the Commissionerof Agriculture and Consumer Services to destroy Cannabis sativa foundto have a THC concentration greater than one percent only if suchCannabis sativa is intended for human consumption; reduces the applicationand registration requirements for any person seeking to grow, dealin, or process industrial hemp; and prohibits the Board of Agricultureand Consumer Services and the Commissioner from adopting any regulationthat prohibits the use of industrial hemp or hemp products in theproduction of any commercial feed product regulated by the Board.

Summary: Alcoholic beverage control; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility licenses. Allows the Board of Directorsof the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue annualmixed beverage performing arts facility licenses to persons operatingfood concessions at any performing arts amphitheater, arena, or similarfacility that has a total capacity in excess of 3,000 patrons andis located in the City of Virginia Beach.

Summary: Common interest communities; pesticides; prohibitionon use. Clarifies that common interest community associationsmay ban the use of pesticides in or upon any common area or commonelement, as defined in relevant law. The bill also allows such associationsto establish reasonable restrictions on the use of pesticides withinthe common interest community if such use might reasonably affectany lot, common area, unit, or common element.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; early termination for military personnel; stop movement order; emergency. Allows certain military personnel to terminate a rental agreement upon receipt of a stop movement order issued in response to a local, national, or global emergency that is effective for either an indefinite period or for a period of not less than 30 days and that prevents the service member from occupying the leased dwelling unit for a residential purpose. The bill also allows such military personnel to terminate a rental agreement after receiving any permanent change of station order or temporary duty order in excess of three months' duration. Current law allows such termination only for orders requiring a departure of 35 miles or more from the dwelling unit. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to SB 213.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; expiration. Extends the expiration of the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program to July 1, 2025. Currently, the Program is set to expire on July 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. This bill is identical to SB 50.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; routine maintenance; notice to tenant. Requires landlords to include in the tenant's notice of routine maintenance the last date on which such maintenance may possibly be performed. The bill also requires landlords to perform routine maintenance within 14 days of delivering such notice to the tenant.

Summary: Resale Disclosure Act; delivery of resale certificate; remedies. Provides that failure to deliver a resale certificate within 14 days, as required by the Resale Disclosure Act, deems the resale certificate unavailable. The bill grants a purchaser three days from the date of ratification of the contract or the date of receipt of the resale certificate or notice that such certificate is unavailable, as applicable, to cancel the contract. Additionally, the bill (i) excludes from the resale certificate requirements of the Act an initial disposition of a lot to a person who is not acquiring the lot for his own residence and (ii) allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser's agent. Current law excludes the resale certificate requirements of the Act for any initial disposition, regardless of its intended use, and only allows a resale certificate to be delivered to a purchaser. Finally, the bill mandates the seller to be responsible for all fees associated with the preparation and delivery of the financial update but allows the settlement agent or other requesting party to pay such fees up front, regardless of whether such settlement agent or other requesting party requests to be reimbursed for such fees from the seller.

Summary: Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; definition of a real estate broker. Adds to the definition of "real estate broker" any individual or business entity who sells or offers to sell, buys or offers to buy, negotiates, or otherwise deals in real estate contracts, including assignable contracts, on two or more occasions in any 12-month period for compensation or valuable consideration. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to SB 358. 

Summary: Common interest communities; residents providingcertain services exemption. Provides that a resident of a commoninterest community association who provides bookkeeping, billing,or recordkeeping services for such community for compensation shallbe presumed to be an independent contractor. The bill also exemptscommon interest community associations from the definition of "employer"where a resident provides such services.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage; termination by landlord. Requires a landlord, prior to giving a tenant 21 days' notice of his intention to terminate the rental agreement for a dwelling unit that has been damaged or destroyed by fire or casualty, to (i) make a reasonable effort to meet with the tenant to discuss reasonable alternatives and to offer the tenant a substantially similar unit, if one is available, or (ii) determine that the damage was caused by the tenant's failure to maintain the dwelling unit in accordance with certain provisions. Current law allows the landlord to terminate such agreement by giving the tenant 14 days' notice of his intention to terminate on the basis of the landlord's determination that such damage requires the removal of the tenant and that the use of the premises is substantially impaired. The bill requires the landlord, upon receiving a request from the tenant after the tenant has received such notice, to reevaluate the extent of damage and habitability of such unit unless the landlord has determined that the damage was caused by the tenant's failure to maintain the dwelling unit.

Summary: Common interest communities; foreclosure remedy. Prohibits certain bills to enforce a lien from being entertained if the real estate is the judgment debtor's primary residence and the judgment is for assessments levied by certain common interest community associations if the amount secured by one or more judgments exclusive of interest and costs does not exceed $5,000. The bill also requires such common interest community associations to maintain individual assessment account records. Finally, the bill requires such associations to maintain records of any recorded lien during the effective duration of such lien. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. This bill is identical to SB 341.

Summary: Common interest communities; reserve studies; special assessment rescission or reduction. Removes certain provisions of the Property Owners' Association Act and the Virginia Condominium Act that authorize associations governed by such Acts to rescind or reduce certain assessments necessary for the maintenance and upkeep of the common area or other association responsibilities, including maintenance, repair, and replacement of capital components. The bill also authorizes such associations to borrow money for certain purposes and assign all revenues to be received by such association to its creditors. Finally, the bill defines the term "reserve study" as a capital budget planning tool used to determine the physical status and estimated repair or replacement cost of capital components and an analysis of association funding capacity to maintain, repair, and replace capital components.

Summary: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a rental dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not promptly corrected, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of tenants or occupants of the premises, a locality may institute an action for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the rental dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the property where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the property, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to SB 479. 

Summary: Housing; Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program created; affordable dwelling unit policy incentives; report. Creates the Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. To be eligible for a grant from the Program, a locality is required to make a change to its zoning policies to allow for by-right development that is expected to further the goal of creating and maintaining mixed-income communities, affordable housing, and moderately priced housing, as those terms are defined in the bill. The Department of Housing and Community Development is required to establish certain guidelines for the Program and to notify eligible localities of the existence and purpose of the Program no later than September 1, 2024. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.

Summary: Department of Planning and Budget; RegulatoryBudget Program established; report. Directs the Department ofPlanning and Budget to establish a Regulatory Budget Program underwhich each executive branch agency subject to the AdministrativeProcess Act shall reduce overall regulatory requirements by 30 percentby January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Department to report tothe Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chairman of the SenateCommittee on Rules on the status of the Program no later than October1 of each year, beginning October 1, 2025. Finally, the bill provides that the Department, in consultation with the Office of the Governor,shall issue guidance for agencies regarding the Program and how anagency can comply with the requirements of the Program. The billhas an expiration date of January 1, 2027.

Summary: Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate board; continuing education requirements for real estate brokers and salespersons. Increases from eight to 11 the number of hours of continuing education an applicant for relicensure as a real estate broker or salesperson shall complete in the topics of ethics and standards of conduct, fair housing, legal updates and emerging trends, real estate agency, and real estate contracts. The bill also decreases from eight to five the number of hours of general elective courses such applicants shall complete. The bill directs the Real Estate Board to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill against current licensees beginning in such licensee's next full renewal cycle following the effective date of such regulations. This bill is identical to SB 330.

Summary: Official emblems and designations; state pollinator; European honey bee. Designates the honey bee (Apis mellifera)as the official state pollinator. The bill contains a technical amendment.

Summary: Henrietta Lacks Commission; sunset date.Changes the sunset of the Henrietta Lacks Commission from July 1,2026, to July 1, 2024.

Summary: Department of Human Resource Management; recruitment policy; direct work experience. Requires the Department of HumanResource Management to develop a statewide recruitment policy designedto provide guidance to state agencies on how to remove postsecondarydegree requirements from hiring considerations and recruit qualifiedemployees utilizing appropriate baseline requirements, the specificsof which are outlined in the bill.

Summary: Department of General Services; Division ofPurchases and Supply; disposition of surplus materials; technological equipment. Permits the Department of General Services to establish procedures for a buy-back or trade-in agreement with a purchasingvendor for surplus technological equipment.

Summary: Virginia Tourism Authority; powers; historically accurate advertising. Requires the Virginia Tourism Authority, in consultation with The Library of Virginia, the Virginia African American Advisory Board, and other subject matter experts, to create guidelines for the Authority's publications and advertising materials to ensure the accurate representation in such publications and advertising materials of the experiences of enslaved persons at and the contributions of enslaved persons to properties in the Commonwealth with a historic link to slave ownership.

Summary: Virginia College Savings Plan; renamed CommonwealthSavers Plan. Renames the Virginia College Savings Plan as the Commonwealth Savers Plan.

Summary: Actions against real estate appraisers or appraisal management companies; statute of limitations. Provides that no action for damages or other relief alleging that a certified general real estate appraiser, a certified residential real estate appraiser, a licensed residential real estate appraiser, or an appraisal management company committed malpractice or negligence or an error, mistake, omission, or breach in an appraisal or appraisal report, whether based on contract or tort, shall be brought unless it is filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue within five years from the date of the alleged malpractice, negligence, error, mistake, omission, or breach. The bill provides exceptions for actions alleging fraud and proceedings initiated by the Real Estate Appraiser Board. The bill provides that any action for damages or other relief alleging that a certified general real estate appraiser, a certified residential real estate appraiser, a licensed residential real estate appraiser, or an appraisal management company committed malpractice or negligence or an error, mistake, omission, or breach in an appraisal or appraisal report before July 1, 2024, shall be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue within two years of the occurrence of such malpractice, negligence, error, mistake, omission, or breach, regardless of the date of discovery of such occurrence.

Summary: Office of the Children's Ombudsman; children's residential facility. Authorizes the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to request that the Department of Social Services, the local department of social services, a children's residential facility, or a child-placing agency grant access and provide consent to interview children in foster care who are the subject of or the complainant in an investigation. The bill also contains technical amendments.