SJR68 - Celebrating the life of Thomas Alvin Lester, Sr.

1 Co-Sponsor

SJR56 - Celebrating the life of Michael Anthony Harper.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB4 - Constitutional amendment; property tax exemption for certain surviving spouses (voter referendum).

1 Co-Sponsor

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty. Provides for a referendum at the November 5, 2024, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that would expand the real property tax exemption that is currently available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action to be available to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty with a Line of Duty determination from the U.S. Department of Defense.

SB578 - Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities, competitive procurement process.

1 Co-Sponsor

Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities; competitive procurement process; Department of Energy. Provides that the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from offshore wind generation facilities owned by persons other than a public utility and located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth is in the public interest. The bill states that, except for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, the purchase or development of offshore wind facilities or the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from such facilities shall include a competitive procurement process held by the Department of Energy. The bill specifies that Dominion Energy Virginia may submit a bid but shall not participate in evaluating bids or making selections in such process. Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities; competitive procurement process; Department of Energy. Provides that the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from offshore wind generation facilities owned by persons other than a public utility and located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth is in the public interest. The bill states that, except for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, the purchase or development of offshore wind facilities or the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from such facilities shall include a competitive procurement process held by the Department of Energy. The bill specifies that Dominion Energy Virginia may submit a bid but shall not participate in evaluating bids or making selections in such process.

SB114 - Local tax credits; emergency services providers.

1 Co-Sponsor

Local tax credits; emergency services providers. Enables localities to by ordinance provide a credit against taxes and fees imposed by the locality to an individual who provides approved emergency services in the locality. As defined in the bill, "approved emergency services" include professional or volunteer local law enforcement or first responders who provide emergency services to a nonprofit organization or to the locality. The bill specifies that the credit shall not be applied against any property taxes or payments in lieu of property taxes but otherwise gives localities discretion to determine which taxes or fees are permissible uses of the credit. Under current law, localities may only provide such credit to volunteer first responders. Local tax credits; emergency services providers. Enables localities to by ordinance provide a credit against taxes and fees imposed by the locality to an individual who provides approved emergency services in the locality. As defined in the bill, "approved emergency services" include professional or volunteer local law enforcement or first responders who provide emergency services to a nonprofit organization or to the locality. The bill specifies that the credit shall not be applied against any property taxes or payments in lieu of property taxes but otherwise gives localities discretion to determine which taxes or fees are permissible uses of the credit. Under current law, localities may only provide such credit to volunteer first responders.

SJR107 - Commending Michael E. Stone.

1 Co-Sponsor

SB192 - Sales and use tax exemption; data centers.

2 Co-Sponsors

Sales and use tax exemption; data centers. Requires data center operators to meet certain energy efficiency standards in order to be eligible for the sales and use tax exemption for data center purchases. Under the bill, a data center operator shall be eligible for the exemption only if such operator demonstrates that (i) its facilities either (a) have a power usage effectiveness score of no greater than 1.2 or (b) for data centers co-located in buildings with other commercial uses, achieve an energy efficiency level of no less than the most efficient 15 percent of similar buildings constructed in the previous five years and (ii) it will procure carbon-free renewable energy and associated renewable energy certificates from facilities equal to 90 percent of its electricity requirements or that its electricity will be otherwise derived from non-carbon-emitting, renewable sources. Sales and use tax exemption; data centers. Requires data center operators to meet certain energy efficiency standards in order to be eligible for the sales and use tax exemption for data center purchases. Under the bill, a data center operator shall be eligible for the exemption only if such operator demonstrates that (i) its facilities either (a) have a power usage effectiveness score of no greater than 1.2 or (b) for data centers co-located in buildings with other commercial uses, achieve an energy efficiency level of no less than the most efficient 15 percent of similar buildings constructed in the previous five years and (ii) it will procure carbon-free renewable energy and associated renewable energy certificates from facilities equal to 90 percent of its electricity requirements or that its electricity will be otherwise derived from non-carbon-emitting, renewable sources.

SB711 - Taxation; secrecy of information; taxpayer waiver.

1 Co-Sponsor

Taxation; secrecy of information; taxpayer waiver. Allows a taxpayer to waive confidentiality and secrecy of information provisions of Virginia law with respect to tax information upon executing a written acknowledgement waiver.

SB496 - Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board; Virginia investment performance grants.

1 Co-Sponsor

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Act; Virginia investment performance grants; Virginia economic development incentive grants. Reduces the local funding match requirement for GO Virginia grants from being equal to the grant amount to being at least equal to half of the grant amount until July 1, 2028. The bill adds the Secretary of Labor to the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. The bill also requires, for a Virginia investment performance grant award determination that includes a job creation requirement, an eligible manufacturer or research and development service to pay an average wage, excluding fringe benefits, that is no less than the prevailing average wage for such new jobs. Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2024, (i) the aggregate amount of Virginia investment performance grants payable to all grant recipients in any fiscal year shall not exceed $7 million and (ii) grants shall be payable in amounts up to $5 million per eligible manufacturer or research and development service in five equal, annual installments of up to $1 million, beginning in the first year after verification of capital investment and pledged employment. The bill also provides that eligible companies shall be eligible to receive Virginia economic development incentive grants in the first year after verification that requirements applicable to such grant are satisfied. The bill contains an enactment clause clarifying that no existing agreement entered into prior to the effective date of the bill shall be impacted by the bill. Virginia Growth and Opportunity Act; Virginia investment performance grants; Virginia economic development incentive grants. Reduces the local funding match requirement for GO Virginia grants from being equal to the grant amount to being at least equal to half of the grant amount until July 1, 2028. The bill adds the Secretary of Labor to the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. The bill also requires, for a Virginia investment performance grant award determination that includes a job creation requirement, an eligible manufacturer or research and development service to pay an average wage, excluding fringe benefits, that is no less than the prevailing average wage for such new jobs. Under the bill, beginning July 1, 2024, (i) the aggregate amount of Virginia investment performance grants payable to all grant recipients in any fiscal year shall not exceed $7 million and (ii) grants shall be payable in amounts up to $5 million per eligible manufacturer or research and development service in five equal, annual installments of up to $1 million, beginning in the first year after verification of capital investment and pledged employment. The bill also provides that eligible companies shall be eligible to receive Virginia economic development incentive grants in the first year after verification that requirements applicable to such grant are satisfied. The bill contains an enactment clause clarifying that no existing agreement entered into prior to the effective date of the bill shall be impacted by the bill.

SB667 - Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.

1 Co-Sponsor

Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement. Removes the authority to make commitments related to accelerated permitting, property tax classifications, and other such issues in an agreement between a qualified company and a locality for purposes of the Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund.

SB535 - School crossing zones; expands definition of zones to include areas surrounding schools, etc.

1 Co-Sponsor

School crossing zones. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition. School crossing zones. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition.

SB337 - Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area; continued withdrawal permit for residential well.

1 Co-Sponsor

Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area; continued residential withdrawals. Directs the State Water Control Board to waive the expiration of any ground water withdrawal permit for a well that serves exclusively residential users, is located in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area north of the Occoquan River, and is located within five miles of any commercial or industrial permitted ground water withdrawal. The bill provides that such waiver shall continue in force until the commercial or industrial permitted ground water withdrawals have been halted for five years. The Department of Environmental Quality shall then assess whether the termination of the commercial or industrial permitted ground water withdrawals has substantially mitigated the stress upon the aquifer and redetermine whether the permit for the residential well shall be renewed.

SB706 - Drug Treatment Court Act; eligibility.

1 Co-Sponsor

Drug Treatment Court Act; eligibility. Replaces the restriction that renders persons convicted of certain violent felonies or acts of violence within the preceding 10 years ineligible to participate in a drug treatment court with a restriction on participation if any of the following conditions apply: (i) the offender is presently charged with a felony offense or is convicted of a felony offense while participating in any drug treatment court where (a) the offender carried, possessed, or used a firearm or any dangerous weapon during such offense; (b) the death or serious bodily injury of any person occurred during such offense; or (c) the use of force against any other person besides the offender occurred during such offense or (ii) the offender was previously convicted as an adult of any felony offense that involved the use of force or attempted use of force against any person with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

SB95 - Preliminary analysis of breath to determine alcoholic content of blood; failure to advise person.

1 Co-Sponsor

Preliminary analysis of breath to determine alcoholic content of blood; failure to advise person of rights. Provides that if a police officer or a member of any sheriff's department fails to advise a person of his rights to refuse a preliminary breath test, any preliminary breath test sample shall not be admissible by the Commonwealth in any motion to suppress for the purpose of determining probable cause. Preliminary analysis of breath to determine alcoholic content of blood; failure to advise person of rights. Provides that if a police officer or a member of any sheriff's department fails to advise a person of his rights to refuse a preliminary breath test, any preliminary breath test sample shall not be admissible by the Commonwealth in any motion to suppress for the purpose of determining probable cause.

SJR226 - Commending Hybla Valley Elementary School.

1 Co-Sponsor