Summary: Department of real estate assessment; Orange County. Authorizes Orange County to establish a department of real estate assessment and to enter into an agreement with a contiguous county or city to establish a joint department of real estate assessment. Under current law, real estate assessments are made by the commissioner of the revenue, except in Accomack, Goochland, James City, and Powhatan Counties, and among those, only James City and Powhatan Counties may enter into an agreement to establish a joint department of real estate assessment.

Summary: Economic development authorities; Craig County.Allows the board of supervisors of Craig County to appoint one ofits members to the Economic Development Authority of the County ofCraig.

Summary: Enterprise zones; extension. Provides that any enterprise zone in existence as of June 30, 2024, shall be extended for a period of four years in addition to any renewal periods currently authorized by law and authorizes the Governor, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, to renew enterprise zones for up to four five-year renewal periods for zones designated on or after July 1, 2005, and for up to two five-year renewal periods for zones designated before July 1, 2005. This bill incorporates SB 722.

Summary: Military centered community zones; local designation. Allows localities to establish, by ordinance, one or more military centered community zones, defined in the bill as a community that has a significant presence of military personnel living or working in the designated area and where such presence drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity. The bill provides that a locality, or another political subdivision acting on behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to businesses looking to locate within a zone for the purpose of serving the needs of the military personnel, including reduction of certain fees and taxes. In addition, the bill provides that local governing bodies are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development incentive grants to such businesses. The bill also allows a governing body to provide for certain regulatory flexibility and incentives and provides that the establishment of a military centered community zone shall not preclude the area from also being designated as an enterprise zone or from receiving support under the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program. This bill is identical to HB 619.

Summary: Russell County Industrial Development Authority; appointments. Clarifies that the board of supervisors of Russell County may appoint nine members to its industrial development authority, which shall consist of two members from the governing body of a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial development and such other members as the board of supervisors shall agree upon. Under current law, two of the members must come from a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial development. This bill is identical to HB 1410.

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 incorporates SB 478, is identical to HB 1486, and is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

Summary: Community revitalization fund; expanding use for all localities. Expands the current provisions of law allowing for the establishment of a community revitalization fund for the purpose of preventing neighborhood deterioration to apply to all localities. Currently, only the City of Richmond is authorized to establish such a fund. This bill is identical to HB 478 and is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

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 HB 1208.

Summary: Charter; City of Colonial Heights. Amends the charter of the City of Colonial Heights by updating language related to the duties of the City Manager and City Attorney, including elimination of the City Attorney's duties to the school board and school superintendent. The bill also includes the update or repeal of various outdated provisions related to appropriations, purchasing, and capital improvements. This bill is identical to HB 227.

Summary: Conservation of trees during land development process in certain localities. Expands authority of certain localities to adopt an ordinance providing for the planting and replacement of trees during the development process by allowing a tree canopy fund that currently applies to the planting of trees on public property to include maintenance of trees on public property and planting and maintenance of trees on private property. The bill removes a provision that requires that any funds collected for the purposes of the tree canopy fund be returned to the original contributor if not spent within five years but maintains the requirement that such funds be spent within five years. The bill also includes an expansion of the canopy credit. This bill is identical to HB 459.

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: Charter; City of Virginia Beach. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach to reflect the City's transition to a city council consisting solely of single-member districts and the mayor. This bill is identical to HB 416.

Summary: Charter; Town of Smithfield. Amends the charter for the Town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County to reflect the town's shift from May to November municipal elections. The bill also updates or repeals outdated provisions of the town's charter. This bill is identical to HB 91.

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 HB 467.

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 HB 376.

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 HB 1488.

Summary: Charter; Town of Pulaski. Amends the charter for the Town of Pulaski in Pulaski County to reflect the town's shift from May to November municipal elections. The bill clarifies that the town council's membership consists of seven members, including the mayor, and provides that the mayor may vote in the council. The bill also changes the time of the election of the vice-mayor from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years at the first meeting of the council. This bill is identical to HB 1127.

Summary: Comprehensive plan; healthy communities strategy. Authorizes a locality, beginning July 1, 2024, to adopt a healthy communities strategy as part of its next and any subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan. The bill provides that the locality's strategy may include identifying (i) major sources of pollution or hazardous waste sites within the locality, (ii) policies to mitigate the unique or compounded health risks to residents that may be caused by such pollution sources or hazardous waste sites, (iii) objectives and policies to promote civic engagement in public decision-making processes by residents, (iv) objectives and policies that prioritize improvements and programs that promote healthy communities, and (v) objectives and policies that encourage linking public transit with community and health services and siting or co-locating health services in unconventional settings to ensure convenient access for all community members. This bill is identical to HB 208.

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 HB 682.