SB718 - Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund; established, report.

2 Co-Sponsors

Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund established; report. Establishes the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a sports and entertainment campus. The Authority is composed of nine members, six of whom are appointed by the Governor and three of whom are appointed by the governing body of the City of Alexandria. Each appointed member is subject to specific criteria for appointment. The bill authorizes the Authority to hire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money, and exercise other similar powers and exempts it from the Personnel Act and the Public Procurement Act. Under the bill, the Authority may issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 40 years. Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund established; report. Establishes the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a sports and entertainment campus. The Authority is composed of nine members, six of whom are appointed by the Governor and three of whom are appointed by the governing body of the City of Alexandria. Each appointed member is subject to specific criteria for appointment. The bill authorizes the Authority to hire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money, and exercise other similar powers and exempts it from the Personnel Act and the Public Procurement Act. Under the bill, the Authority may issue bonds with a maximum maturity date of 40 years. The bill entitles the Authority to the following revenues: (i) sales tax revenues from construction and transactions on the campus, defined in the bill, but certain revenues that current law dedicates to transportation and education are excluded; (ii) all pass-through entity tax revenues and corporate income tax revenues from income generated by the company, defined in the bill, or any professional sports team or any affiliates as well as in the development and construction of the campus; and (iii) all personal income tax revenues from income generated through employment and business activity on the campus. It also authorizes the City of Alexandria to appropriate tax revenues to the Authority. The revenues shall be deposited in the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority Financing Fund, created in the bill, from which the Authority will deposit revenues into priority accounts for Authority revenues, debt service, subordinate debt service, reserves, and capital expenditures and maintenance. If the Authority determines that all such accounts are sufficiently funded, the bill directs the Authority to issue the excess to the Commonwealth and the City of Alexandria if so provided for in any bond or financing agreements.

SB394 - Carnal knowledge and sexual battery; persons detained or arrested by a law-enforcement officer.

1 Co-Sponsor

Carnal knowledge and sexual battery; persons detained or arrested by a law-enforcement officer; confidential informants, pretrial defendants or posttrial offenders; penalty. Provides that an accused is guilty of carnal knowledge of a person serving as a confidential informant, defined in the bill, if he (i) is a law-enforcement officer; (ii) knows that such person is serving as a confidential informant for the law-enforcement agency where such officer is employed; and (iii) carnally knows, without use of force, threat, or intimidation, such confidential informant while such person is serving as a confidential informant or is expected to testify in a criminal case for which the confidential informant assisted the law-enforcement agency with its investigation. The bill provides that such offense is a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides that an accused is guilty of sexual battery if he sexually abuses (a) a person detained or arrested by a law-enforcement officer and the accused is a law-enforcement officer, (b) a pretrial defendant or posttrial offender and the accused is an owner or employee of the bail company that posted the pretrial defendant's or posttrial offender's bond, or (c) a person serving as a confidential informant and the accused is a law-enforcement officer. Current law provides that sexual battery is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 6 felony for a third or subsequent offense. Carnal knowledge and sexual battery; persons detained or arrested by a law-enforcement officer; confidential informants, pretrial defendants or posttrial offenders; penalty. Provides that an accused is guilty of carnal knowledge of a person serving as a confidential informant, defined in the bill, if he (i) is a law-enforcement officer; (ii) knows that such person is serving as a confidential informant for the law-enforcement agency where such officer is employed; and (iii) carnally knows, without use of force, threat, or intimidation, such confidential informant while such person is serving as a confidential informant or is expected to testify in a criminal case for which the confidential informant assisted the law-enforcement agency with its investigation. The bill provides that such offense is a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides that an accused is guilty of sexual battery if he sexually abuses (a) a person detained or arrested by a law-enforcement officer and the accused is a law-enforcement officer, (b) a pretrial defendant or posttrial offender and the accused is an owner or employee of the bail company that posted the pretrial defendant's or posttrial offender's bond, or (c) a person serving as a confidential informant and the accused is a law-enforcement officer. Current law provides that sexual battery is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 6 felony for a third or subsequent offense.

SR51 - Celebrating the life of Hawes Campbell III, M.D.

2 Co-Sponsors

Celebrating the life of Hawes Campbell III, MD.

SB664 - Electric utilities; electric distribution infrastructure serving data centers.

1 Co-Sponsor

Electric utilities; electric distribution infrastructure serving data centers. Prohibits the costs associated with the construction or extension of any electric distribution infrastructure that primarily serves the load of a data center from being recovered from any other customer.

SB433 - SLIFE; Board of Education to develop and adopt policies related to supporting students.

3 Co-Sponsors

Board of Education; develop and adopt policies relating to supporting Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). Directs the Board of Education to develop and adopt policies relating to supporting Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE students) in staying in and graduating from, or otherwise completing, high school in the Commonwealth and to develop formulas for calculating high school drop-out rates and graduation rates in the Commonwealth that do not include any SLIFE student who dropped out if such student had not yet been enrolled in a public high school in the Commonwealth for at least two semesters. Board of Education; develop and adopt policies relating to supporting Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). Directs the Board of Education to develop and adopt policies relating to supporting Students with Limited and/or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE students) in staying in and graduating from, or otherwise completing, high school in the Commonwealth and to develop formulas for calculating high school drop-out rates and graduation rates in the Commonwealth that do not include any SLIFE student who dropped out if such student had not yet been enrolled in a public high school in the Commonwealth for at least two semesters.

SJR64 - Confirming appts. by the Gov. of agency heads and reconfirming appt. of Dir. of Dept. of Wildlife.

1 Co-Sponsor

Confirming appointments by the Governor of agency heads communicated to the General Assembly January 15 and 16, 2024, and reconfirming the appointment of the Director of Department of Wildlife Resources.

SJR202 - Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Douglas Kittredge.

3 Co-Sponsors

SR57 - Commending the Omicron Chi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

3 Co-Sponsors

Commending the Omicron Chi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

SB640 - Energy storage systems; clarifies the tax treatment of systems.

0 Co-Sponsors

Tax exempt property; energy storage systems. Clarifies the tax treatment of energy storage systems. The bill strikes language that overrides the provision requiring the amount of tax exemption for energy storage systems to be 100 percent if the taxing locality has implemented a revenue share for such systems.

SB608 - Community Schools, Office of; established within Department of Education.

2 Co-Sponsors

Public education; community schools; Office of Community Schools at Department of Education. Requires the Department of Education to establish the Office of Community Schools as an office within the Department for the purpose of supporting the development and growth of community schools throughout the Commonwealth in accordance with the Virginia Community School Framework.

SR612 - Commending the Rockingham County Baseball League.

1 Co-Sponsor

SR606 - Judges; nominations for election to general district court.

1 Co-Sponsor

Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.

SR605 - Judges; nominations for election to circuit court.

1 Co-Sponsor

Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.

SB284 - Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites.

1 Co-Sponsor

Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites. Provides that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center shall only be approved in areas where the data center will (i) have a minimal impact on historic, agricultural, and cultural resources and (ii) not be within one mile of a national park, state park, or other historically significant site.

SB108 - Income tax, state; standard deduction.

1 Co-Sponsor

Virginia taxable income; standard deduction. Removes the sunset on elevated standard deduction amounts for single individuals and married persons that was scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026.