SR50 - Commending John Ray Grisham, Jr.

40 Co-Sponsors

SB107 - Campaign finance; fundraising during special sessions prohibited.

5 Co-Sponsors

Campaign finance; fundraising during special sessions prohibited. Prohibits campaign fundraising by a member of the General Assembly or statewide official on any day the General Assembly is scheduled to meet during a special session. Currently, such campaign fundraising is prohibited only during regular sessions of the General Assembly.

SB283 - Free school meals; work group to study offering to students statewide.

3 Co-Sponsors

Free school meals; stakeholder work group; report. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to convene a stakeholder work group to study the estimated impact of offering free school meals to students statewide, identify options for reducing or eliminating student and school meal debt, and make recommendations on options for leveraging other programs funded at the state and federal levels for the provision of student school meals. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding by November 1, 2024. Free school meals; stakeholder work group; report. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to convene a stakeholder work group to study the estimated impact of offering free school meals to students statewide, identify options for reducing or eliminating student and school meal debt, and make recommendations on options for leveraging other programs funded at the state and federal levels for the provision of student school meals. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding by November 1, 2024.

SB710 - Judges; maximum number each judicial district and circuit.

5 Co-Sponsors

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit. Increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twentieth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the First, Ninth, Fifteenth, and Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuits. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia.

SJR95 - Celebrating the life of Commander Edward S. Stolle, Jr., USN, Ret.

40 Co-Sponsors

SB14 - Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in counties & cities to support schools.

9 Co-Sponsors

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. The bill removes the requirement that such a tax must have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

SJR15 - Large animal veterinarians; Board of Veterinary Medicine, et al., to study shortage.

4 Co-Sponsors

Study; Board of Veterinary Medicine; shortage of large animal veterinarians; report. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, to complete a two-year study of the shortage of large animal veterinarians, with technical assistance provided by relevant stakeholders, including a member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, respectively. Study; Board of Veterinary Medicine; shortage of large animal veterinarians; report. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, to complete a two-year study of the shortage of large animal veterinarians, with technical assistance provided by relevant stakeholders, including a member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Senate of Virginia, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, respectively.

SJR148 - Celebrating the life of Trevor Bryan Brown.

2 Co-Sponsors

SB129 - Forest Sustainability Fund; fund allocation.

3 Co-Sponsors

Forest Sustainability Fund; fund allocation. Provides that moneys from the Forest Sustainability Fund must be allocated proportionally among localities that forgo tax revenues as a result of the use value assessment and taxation for real estate devoted for forest use. The bill specifies that no locality shall receive an allocation of more than four percent or less than one-half of one percent of available funds from the Fund.

SB373 - Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements, civil action.

21 Co-Sponsors

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. The bill specifies that covered individuals shall not include state employees, constitutional and other local officers, and employees of local school divisions and that funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Finally, the bill requires the Commission to update its 2021 Paid Family and Medical Leave study to include an assessment of the budgetary impacts of extending the benefits of the program to exempt individuals. Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2027. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. The bill specifies that covered individuals shall not include state employees, constitutional and other local officers, and employees of local school divisions and that funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. Finally, the bill requires the Commission to update its 2021 Paid Family and Medical Leave study to include an assessment of the budgetary impacts of extending the benefits of the program to exempt individuals.