Summary: Establishment by localities of certain real estate contract disclosures prohibited. Prohibits localities from establishing or enforcing a mandatory disclosure requirement for a real estate licensee, any party to a contract for the sale or listing of residential real property, or any authorized agent of such party. The bill provides that prohibited mandatory disclosures include mandatory notifications in contracts, contract amendments or addenda, advertising, other promotional materials, and subsequent deeds after the initial deed is recorded, related to the sale of residential real estate. This bill is identical to SB 354.

Summary: Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gougingprovisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing priorto the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlordswho are under the ordinance may be required to give at least two months'written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent bymore than the locality's calculated allowance, described in the billas the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent duringany 12-month period, in effect at the time of the increase. The bill sets such allowance as equal to the annual increase in the ConsumerPrice Index or seven percent, whichever is less, states that suchallowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year, and requires the locality to publish such allowance on itswebsite by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined inthe bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also allows alocality to establish an anti-rent gouging board that will developand implement rules and procedures by which landlords may apply forand be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by theordinance. Finally, the bill provides that a locality may establisha civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set outin the ordinance.

Summary: Civil penalties for certain local property violations; industrial and commercial areas. Allows localities by ordinanceto charge enhanced civil penalties for certain local property violationson property that is zoned or utilized for industrial or commercial purposes.

Summary: Purchase of development rights for affordablehousing. Permits any local government to purchase development rights or accept the donation of development rights in an effortto preserve and provide affordable housing. The bill grants local governments the powers necessary to carry out the purchase of suchdevelopment rights. The bill prohibits the conversion or diversionof such affordable housing once the development rights are purchased unless the local government determines that such diversion is essentialto the development and growth of the locality and in accordance withthe locality's comprehensive plan.

Summary: Local government powers; regulation of tobacco, nicotine, and hemp product retail sale locations. Allows a locality to regulate the retail sale locations of tobacco products, nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, or hemp products intended for smoking for any such retail sale location and may prohibit a retail sale location on property within 1,000 linear feet of a child day center or a public, private, or parochial school.

Summary: C-PACE loans; residential dwellings and condominiums. Removes an exclusion for residential dwellings with fewer than fivedwelling units and condominium projects from certain requirementsrelated to a voluntary special assessment lien that secures a loanfor the initial acquisition and installation of clean energy, resiliency,or stormwater management improvements.

Summary: Local Environmental Impact Fund. Allows localities to create a permanent and perpetual fund to be known as the The bill provides that the Fund shall consist exclusively of appropriated local moneys and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf and that the Fund is to be created for the purpose of granting funds to residents or locally owned businesses for the mitigation of environmental impacts. Such grants from the Fund shall be used only for the purchase of energy efficient (i) lawn care and landscaping equipment, (ii) home appliances, (iii) HVAC equipment, or (iv) micromobility devices. The Fund shall be administered and managed by the locality.

Summary: Tax assessment districts; petition by parcelowners. Changes the threshold for petitioning a city or townfor establishment of a tax assessment district from not less thanthree-fourths of the landowners affected to the owners of not lessthan three-fourths of the parcels affected.

Summary: Charter; Town of New Market. Establishes a new charter for the Town of New Market in Shenandoah County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The proposed charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to SB 375.

Summary: Siting of energy facilities; approval by State Corporation Commission. Establishes a procedure under which an electric utility or independent power provider (applicant) is able to obtain approval for a certificate from the State Corporation Commission for the siting of an energy facility rather than from the governing body of a locality. Under the bill, applicants are authorized to submit an application to the Commission if (i) the locality fails to timely approve or deny an application; (ii) the application complies with certain requirements for Commission approval, but a host locality denies the application; or (iii) the locality amends its zoning ordinance after it has notified the applicant that its requirements are compatible with the requirements for Commission approval, and the amendment imposes additional requirements that are more restrictive. The bill provides that an applicant who is issued a certificate by the Commission for an energy facility is exempt from obtaining approvals or permits, including any land use approvals or permits under the regulations and ordinances of the locality. The bill applies to any solar energy facility with a capacity of 50 megawatts or more, any wind energy facility with a capacity of 100 megawatts or more, and any energy storage facility with a nameplate capacity of 50 megawatts or more and an energy discharge capability of 200 megawatt hours or more.

Summary: Charter; City of Bristol. Amends the City of Bristol's charter to provide for five voting precincts rather than four. The bill also replaces references to the personnel department with "human resources department" and makes changes related to the assignment of powers and duties. This bill is identical to SB 618.

Summary: County manager plan of government; powers.Broadens several powers available to counties that have adopted thecounty manager plan of government by giving such counties the optionof following general law rather than the provisions specified inthis optional form of county government. The bill also allows forthe direct election of the board chairman if approved by referendum,rather than having the board chairman chosen by other members of the county board. Currently, only Arlington County has adopted thecounty manager plan of government.

Summary: Election of certain governing bodies; conversionto single-member districts. Allows the governing body of a localitythat has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial electionsystem under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convertone or more at-large members of such body to single-member districts.The bill provides that members of such governing body in office onthe effective date of such ordinance shall complete their terms ofoffice.

Summary: Required voting districts in certain cities.Requires every city with a population of 250,000 or greater to electits council members by individual districts or wards, beginning withmunicipal elections held after January 1, 2025. The provisions ofthis bill supersede any contrary provisions of a city charter orany other provision of law.

Summary: Charter; City of Martinsville; town status;referendum. Amends the charter for the City of Martinsville torequire the circuit court for the City of Martinsville, prior tonotifying the Supreme Court of the City's adoption of an ordinanceand petition for an order granting town status to the City, to firstrequire an election to be held on the following question: "Shall theCity of Martinsville become a town?" The bill provides that if amajority of the qualified voters of the City voting on the questionare in favor of the transition from city to town status, the specialcourt shall enter the order granting town status in accordance withthe procedures, requirements, and provisions of general law.

Summary: Location of assisted living facilities and grouphomes. Prohibits localities from allowing certain assisted livingfacilities and group homes with eight or fewer residents approvedby the locality on or after July 1, 2024, to be located within onemile of a similar pre-existing assisted living facility or group home,provided such enforcement is in compliance with applicable stateand federal fair housing laws.

Summary: Persons occupying street for commercial use;civil penalty. Allows cities and towns by ordinance to establisha uniform schedule of civil penalties for commercial use of a street, avenue, park, bridge, or any other public place or public propertyor any public easement of a city or town, in a manner not permittedto the general public, without having first legally obtained the consent of the city or town. The bill provides that the schedule ofcivil penalties shall be uniform for each type of specified violation,and the penalty for any one violation, unless elsewhere authorized, shall not exceed (i) $500 for the initial penalty, (ii) $1,000 forthe second violation, or (iii) $1,500 for the third or subsequentviolation.

Summary: Charter; City of Richmond. Makes extensiveupdates to the charter for the City of Richmond. Many changes inthe bill have the effect of removing outdated or duplicative provisionsand more closely aligning the city's powers with those set out ingeneral law. Other changes include authorizing compensation to individualcouncil members as may be set by the city council by resolution ascompensation for attending meetings of standing committees or othermeetings of the city council, in addition to the sums permitted by general law. In addition, the bill authorizes the city council tofix an additional sum to be paid to the president and vice presidentof the city council, notwithstanding the limitations set out in generallaw. The bill makes the city's chief administrative officer, ratherthan the mayor, responsible for making certain recommendations tothe council concerning the personnel system. Further changes in thebill provide for additional protected classes to include all of theprotected classes recognized under general law. The bill also removesthe requirement that the mayor annually submit a capital budget programto the city council and authorizes the city's chief administrativeofficer, not the mayor, to make transfers between completed projectsand projects that are incomplete. The bill contains numerous technicalamendments.

Summary: Human trafficking response teams. Requires attorneys for the Commonwealth to establish multidisciplinary human trafficking response teams. The bill provides that each team shall hold a meeting, at least annually, to (i) discuss implementation of protocols and policies; (ii) establish and review guidelines for the community's response to various forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking; and (iii) review protocols for the trauma-informed, victim-centered collection, preservation, and secure storage of evidence from physical evidence recovery kit examinations. The bill also provides that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act shall not apply to human trafficking response teams, with certain exceptions.

Summary: Residential dwelling units; rentals for 30 consecutive days or longer. Prohibits a locality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that bans the rental of residential dwelling units for 30 consecutive days or longer. The bill allows a locality by ordinance to regulate such rental if such regulations (i) are reasonable and (ii) do not exceed the requirements for an owner-occupied residential property or a residential property rented for a lease term of 12 months or more in the same zoning district. This bill is identical to SB 308. 

Summary: Local prohibition or regulation of gas-poweredleaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may byordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.The ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty.

Summary: Charter; City of Portsmouth; emergency. Amends the charter for the City of Portsmouth by aligning dates for nomination of candidates and the filling of city council vacancies with state law. The bill also updates a Code of Virginia reference and contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 106.

Summary: Zoning; civil penalties; commercial uses.Allows enhanced civil penalties for zoning violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses. The bill also requires that for any violation involving nonpermitted commercial uses, a person who admitsliability shall be required to abate or remedy the nonpermitted commercialuse violation within a period of time specified by the locality thatis no less than 30 days but no more than 24 months from the dateof admission of liability.

Summary: State parks; First Responder and Veteran Passport;discounted entry and parking. Establishes a First Responder andVeteran Passport that entitles a first responder or a veteran ofthe Armed Forces of the United States or other military service toreceive a 50 percent discount on parking and admission fees at stateparks in the Commonwealth.

Summary: Historic preservation. Provides that the filing of a building permit or demolition application shall stay a locality from issuing any permit to raze or demolish a historic landmark, building, or structure until 30 days after the rendering of the final decision of the governing body of the locality pursuant to a historic preservation ordinance.

Summary: Vacant buildings; registration. Permits any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law to register such building annually. This bill is identical to SB 48 and is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

Summary: Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, or intended actions. Standardizes the frequency with which and length of time in which notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published. The notice provisions included in the bill are organized into three groups: (i) publication required at least seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action; (ii) publication required twice, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the second notice appearing no less than seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action; and (iii) publication required three times, with the first notice appearing no more than 35 days before and the third notice appearing no less than seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action. The bill also standardizes descriptive information in such notices related to (a) proposing, amending, or repealing ordinances; (b) local budget adoption; and (c) zoning ordinances and planning-related actions. This bill is identical to SB 413.