Summary: Funeral services; transportation protectionagreements. Defines "transportation protection agreement" asan agreement that provides for the coordination and arranging of all professional services related to transportation of human remainsor cremated remains beyond the distance stated in the preneed funeralcontract. The bill clarifies that transportation protection agreementsare not considered preneed funeral contracts.

Summary: Preneed funeral contracts; declinable preneedfuneral guarantee fee. Defines "declinable preneed funeral guaranteefee" as an optional and declinable fee agreed to by a preneed funeralcontract purchaser, if offered by a seller, for which the cost ofthe supplies and services as described in the preneed funeral contractare guaranteed. The bill describes certain requirements that mustbe met for funeral service licensees to offer declinable preneedfuneral guarantee fees. The bill directs the Board of Funeral Directorsand Embalmers to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisionsof the bill.

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 HB 477.

Summary: Fort Monroe Authority; powers and duties. Renames the executive director of the Fort Monroe Authority as the chief executive officer of the Authority. This bill is identical to HB 1138.

Summary: Fort Monroe Authority; land and utility ownership. Removes the number of acres and the instrument number of the quitclaim deed recorded in the Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court of the City of Hampton on June 14, 2013, in reference to the area that is known as Fort Monroe and redefines such area to be what is shown in the land records of the City of Hampton as being owned by the Commonwealth, whether in the name of the Commonwealth or the Fort Monroe Authority. This bill is identical to HB 1139.

Summary: Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; practice of geology; definitions. Expands the definition of the practice of geology to include the performance of any professional service or work wherein the principles and methods of geology are applied, including (i) investigating, evaluating, and consulting; (ii) geological mapping; (iii) describing the natural processes that act upon the earth's materials; (iv) predicting the probable occurrence of natural processes; and (v) inspecting, planning, and performing and supervising geological work in order to enhance and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the environment. The bill also defines "geological mapping." The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to HB 287.

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 HB 352.

Summary: Virginia Freedom of Information Act; effective date of procedures for conducting meetings held through electronic communication means during declared states of emergency. Provides that the provisions for conducting a meeting by electronic means due to a state of emergency stated in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are declarative of existing law since March 20, 2020, with respect to the Governor's declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Under the bill, any meeting by a public body using electronic communication means occurring from that date until July 1, 2021, and any otherwise lawful action taken at it is validated with respect to FOIA if the body provided public notice, public access, and public comment commensurate with the requirements of existing FOIA provisions regarding electronic and closed meetings. The bill is a response to the case Berry v. Bd. of Supervisors (Va. 2023) and is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is identical to HB 816. 

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 HB 383.

Summary: Casino gaming; eligible host city. Removes the City of Richmond as an eligible host city for casino gaming establishments in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 1131.

Summary: Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors; dust sampling technicians, renovators, and accredited renovation training programs. Removes the responsibility of the Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors to promulgate regulations concerning dust sampling technicians, renovators, and accredited renovation training programs. This bill is identical to HB 1005.

Summary: Rental conveyances; leases; assignments. Relocates certain provisions of Title 55.1 (Property and Conveyances) of the Code of Virginia related to assignments of rent from a chapter related to nonresidential tenancies to a chapter related to leases. The bill corrects a technical error from the 2019 recodification of Title 55 of the Code of Virginia. This bill is identical to HB 312.

Summary: Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to HB 1381.

Summary: Alcoholic beverage control; advertisements. Directs the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to promulgate regulations that prescribe the terms and conditions under which manufacturers, brokers, importers, and wholesalers may advertise and promote alcoholic beverages via the Internet, social media, direct-to-consumer electronic communication, or other electronic means. This bill is identical to HB 522.

Summary: Manufactured home parks; resident rights. Provides that a rental agreement with a term of one year or more will not be automatically renewed if the tenant notifies the landlord in writing 60 days prior to the expiration date of such tenant's intent to not renew the agreement. The bill permits a tenant to not renew a rental agreement due to a change in terms of the agreement by the landlord if such tenant notifies the landlord of his intent to not renew the rental agreement within 30 days of receiving the notice of the change in terms. The bill allows a landlord to include in a written rental agreement a late fee, not to exceed 10 percent of the amount of the rent due and owed, for unpaid rental payments. The bill removes the right of a tenant or landlord to terminate a rental agreement with a term of 60 days or more by written notice at least 60 days prior to the termination date of the agreement. This bill is identical to HB 572. 

Summary: Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools, 0.025 percent shall be provided to each of the following: (i) the Virginia Breeders Fund; (ii) the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, for its equine programs; (iii) the Virginia Horse Center Foundation; and (iv) the Virginia Horse Industry Board. The bill also provides that, in addition to the amount horse racing licensees distribute to localities and the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund under current law, such licensees shall distribute the remainder of the percentage retained to the Commonwealth as a license tax. This bill is identical to HB 843.

Summary: Uniform Statewide Building Code; violations; fines. Increases from $2,500 to $5,000 the minimum amount and from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount that any person, firm, or corporation shall be fined when convicted of a third or subsequent offense of violating the provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code committed within 10 years of another such offense after having been at least twice previously convicted of such an offense. The bill also adds penalties for similar violations committed by owners of a blighted multifamily property. This bill is identical to HB 578.

Summary: Alcoholic beverage control; sale and delivery of mixed beverages and pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption; third-party delivery license; sunset; repeal. Repeals the July 1, 2024, sunset on provisions that allow (i) distillers that have been appointed as agents of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, mixed beverage restaurant licensees, and limited mixed beverage restaurant licensees to sell mixed beverages for off-premises consumption and (ii) farm winery licensees to sell pre-mixed wine for off-premises consumption. The bill also repeals, effective July 1, 2026, third-party delivery licenses. The bill requires the Authority to convene a work group to review third-party delivery licenses and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 15, 2024. This bill is identical to HB 688.

Summary: Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic meetings. Amends the number of all-virtual public meetings that public bodies, with certain exceptions, may convene in a calendar year to no more than two times per calendar year or 50 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater. Current law limits the number of all-virtual public meetings to no more than two times per calendar year or 25 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater. The bill also provides that with respect to all-virtual public meetings, when audio-visual technology is available, a member of a public body shall, for purposes of a quorum, be considered absent from any portion of the meeting during which visual communication with the member is voluntarily disconnected or otherwise fails or during which audio communication involuntarily fails. This bill is identical to HB 894. 

Summary: Charitable gaming. Amends charitable gaming law to allow, as a condition of receiving a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming, certain organizations to use a predetermined percentage of its receipts for expenses related to the rental of real property where such real property is involved in the operation of the organization and used for lawful religious, charitable, community, or educational purposes. The bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from promulgating electronic gaming regulations that prohibit (i) devices that display spinning, rotating, or rolling reels or animations or flashing lights; (ii) devices that accept vouchers; or (iii) the purchase and play of an electronic pull tab with a single press or touch of a button. This bill is identical to HB 523.

Summary: Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate brokers; places of business. Defines "place of business" for real estate brokers. The bill requires every principal broker to have readily available to the public in his primary place of business the firm license, principal broker license, and the license of every salesperson and broker active with the firm and requires each branch office, defined in the bill, to have readily available to the public the branch office license and a roster of every salesperson or broker assigned to that branch office. Finally, the bill requires any nonresident real estate broker residing in a state that mandates resident real estate brokers of the Commonwealth to maintain a place of business in such mandating state to maintain a place of business in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 1237.

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 authorized 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. However, the settlement agent or other requesting party may pay such fees up front, regardless of whether such requesting party requests to be reimbursed for such fees from the seller.

Summary: Consumer protection; creation of Unfair Real Estate Service Agreement Act. Creates the Unfair Real Estate Service Agreement Act and adds any violations of the Act to the list of prohibited violations of relevant consumer protection laws in the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any real estate service agreement, defined in the bill, that is effective and binding for more than one year from its effective date from (i) purporting to run with the land or bind future owners of interests in the residential real property identified in the service agreement; (ii) allowing the service provider to assign or transfer the right to provide services under the service agreement without notice to and written agreement of all parties to the service agreement; or (iii) purporting to create a lien, encumbrance, or other real property security interest on the residential real property identified in the service agreement. This bill is identical to HB 1243.

Summary: Line of Duty Act; payment of benefits. Increases from $25,000 to $75,000 the death benefit payout under the Virginia Line of Duty Act for a death caused by occupational cancer, respiratory disease, or hypertension or heart disease for those deaths that will occur on or after January 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 321.

Summary: Social Work Licensure Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the The Compact allows social workers who have or are eligible for an active, unencumbered license in the compact member state where they reside to apply for a multistate license. After verifying eligibility, the social worker is granted a multistate license that authorizes practice in all other compact member states. The Compact takes effect when it is enacted by a seventh member state. This bill is identical to HB 326.

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 HB 917.

Summary: Board of Accountancy; powers and duties. Repeals the requirement for an annual audit of the Board of Accountancy and amends several Code provisions relating to the Board. The bill changes the Secretariat of the Board from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to the Secretary of Finance. The bill authorizes the Board to initiate complaints against (i) individuals or firms claiming to hold a Virginia license, as defined in the bill, and (ii) unlicensed individuals or firms using the certified public accountant title in Virginia, as defined in the bill. The bill also grants the Executive Director of the Board the power to request and receive reports from the Central Criminal Records Exchange in conjunction with the Executive Director's investigative and enforcement powers. Finally, the bill directs the Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 1337.