Counties Cities And Towns
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local planning commission; action on proposed plats, site plans, and development plans. [HB-1356]
Local planning commission; action on proposed plats, site plans, and development plans; residential use. Requires local planning commissions to use the same approval process for residential development projects as is currently required for commercial development projects.
Sponsored by: Rep. David Owen
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Gettr Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Campaign finance; exemption for candidates for certain office or directors. [HB-1346]
Elections; campaign finance; exemptions for candidates for certain offices; directors of soil and water conservation districts. Provides that a candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district may also seek an exemption from the requirement that he designate a separate campaign depository by certifying that (i) he has not and will not contribute any money to his own campaign and (ii) he has not and will not expend any money in the course of the campaign. The bill also provides that a candidate for local office or for director of
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Sponsored by: Rep. Robert Bloxom
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0110) on 03/20/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local fiscal distress; determination by Auditor of Public Accounts, state intervention. [SB-645]
Local fiscal distress; determination by Auditor of Public Accounts; state intervention. Sets out a procedure for determining when localities are in fiscal distress, as defined in the bill, and when state intervention may be necessary. The bill requires the Auditor of Public Accounts to develop criteria for a preliminary determination that a locality may be in fiscal distress. The bill also requires the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget to identify any amounts remaining unexpended from general fund appropriations in the state budget
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0426) on 04/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local government; ongoing health care for employees exposed to toxic materials. [SB-650]
Department of Fire Programs; work group; options for local government employees who respond to emergencies with toxic material exposure. Directs the Department of Fire Programs to convene a work group to identify and analyze options to help ensure that local government employees who respond to emergencies that expose them to toxic materials have appropriate preemptive and ongoing health care and are able to pay any health expenses related to such emergency and its aftereffects that are not covered by relevant health insurance plans. The work group
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Sponsored by: Sen. Aaron Rouse
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0363) on 04/02/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local law enforcement; reduction of budget prohibited, exception. [SB-612]
Reduction of local law enforcement budget prohibited; exception. Provides that no local governing body shall approve a budget that will reduce the total funds appropriated for local law-enforcement purposes from the preceding fiscal year except by unanimous vote of all members elected to the governing body.
Sponsored by: Sen. John McGuire
Continued To 2025 In Local Government (15-y 0-n) on 01/29/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; seizure, impounding, and disposition. [SB-516]
All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; seizure, impounding, and disposition. Authorizes the governing body of any city to provide by ordinance for the lawful seizure, impounding, and disposition of an illegally operated all-terrain vehicle or off-road motorcycle operated on a highway or sidewalk within such city.
Sponsored by: Sen. Angelia Williams Graves
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0510) on 04/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Casino gaming; eligible host cities. [SB-429]
Casino gaming; eligible host cities. Reduces from five to four the number of cities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth by removing Richmond from the list of eligible host cities.
Sponsored by: Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg
Stricken At Request Of Patron In General Laws And Technology (15-y 0-n) on 01/24/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Public utilities; municipal utilities, disconnection of service, consumer protections. [SB-480]
Public utilities; municipal utilities; disconnection of service; limitations; report; consumer protections. Suspends electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities subject to the regulation of the State Corporation Commission from disconnecting service to a residential customer for nonpayment of bills or fees during a state of emergency declared by the Governor and provides that such suspension lasts for 30 days after such declaration of the state of emergency. The bill suspends such electric and gas utilities from disconnecting service to a residential
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0790) on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Comprehensive plan; locality may consider adopting a healthy communities strategy. [SB-595]
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
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lamont Bagby
Senate Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Vacant bldg. registration; Town of Waverly with authority to require owner to register annually. [SB-478]
Vacant building registration; Town of Waverly; civil penalty. Adds the Town of Waverly to the list of localities with the authority to require the owner of buildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and that meet the definition of "derelict building" to register such buildings on an annual basis and to impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $100 to defray the cost of processing such registration. Failure to register is punishable by a $200 civil penalty and in some cases a $400 civil penalty.
Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Incorporated By Local Government on 01/15/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. [SB-479]
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a rental dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not promptly corrected, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of tenants or occupants of the premises, a locality may institute an action for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the rental dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition,
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Governor: Vetoed By Governor on 05/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Elections; ranked choice voting, locally elected offices. [SB-428]
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Clarifies the requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires the results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election night, except that such results must clearly be identified as preliminary and based on the first rankings in a ranked choice voting election. The bill provides that final tabulation for an election is required to be conducted on the same day as other
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Sponsored by: Sen. Adam Ebbin
Senate Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Residential development in certain areas; affordable housing. [SB-430]
Residential development in certain areas; affordable housing. Provides that any type of residential use that is permitted in a locality shall be considered a conforming residential use on any parcel other than parcels zoned for (i) agriculture, (ii) conservation, or (iii) a different residential use. The bill states that no local ordinance shall require that a special exception, special use, or conditional use permit be obtained for a conforming residential use and that rights under existing zoning shall be considered vested pursuant to existing
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Sponsored by: Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg
Continued To 2025 In Local Government (15-y 0-n) on 01/29/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Boiler and pressure vessel operators; certification by localities. [SB-641]
Certification of boiler and pressure vessel operators by localities. Repeals an existing statute that allows localities by ordinance to require certification of boiler and pressure vessel operators.
Sponsored by: Sen. Christie New Craig
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 03/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Blighted and derelict properties in certain localities; rate of tax. [SB-477]
Blighted and derelict properties in certain localities; rate of tax. Allows the governing body of a locality with a score of 100 or higher on the fiscal stress index to levy a real property tax on blighted and derelict properties at a rate exceeding the rate applicable to the general class of real property by up to 15 percent on blighted properties and by up to 30 percent on derelict properties. Blighted and derelict properties in certain localities; rate of tax. Allows the governing body of a locality with a score of 100 or higher on the fiscal
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Senate Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Distressed localities, certain; TAX, et al., to assess tax relief. [SB-564]
Individual income tax subtraction; income earned in certain localities. Directs the Department of Taxation and the Commission on Local Government to assess the need for income tax relief in double distressed localities in the Commonwealth that have experienced significant loss of population since 2013. The Department and the Commission must report on their recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2024. Individual income
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Sponsored by: Sen. Lashrecse Aird
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0599) on 04/05/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission. [SB-567]
Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission. Establishes a procedure under which an electric utility or independent power provider (applicant) is able to obtain approval for a certificate from the State Corporation Commission for the siting of an energy facility rather than from the governing body of a locality. Under the bill, applicants are authorized to submit an application to the Commission if (i) the locality fails to timely approve or deny an application; (ii) the application complies with certain requirements
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Sponsored by: Sen. Creigh Deeds
Continued To 2025 In Commerce And Labor (15-y 0-n) on 02/09/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Campaign finance; exemption for candidates for certain office or directors. [SB-577]
Elections; campaign finance; exemptions for candidates for certain offices; directors of soil and water conservation districts. Provides that a candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district may also seek an exemption from the requirement that he designate a separate campaign depository by certifying that (i) he has not and will not contribute any money to his own campaign and (ii) he has not and will not expend any money in the course of the campaign. The bill also provides that a candidate for local office or for director of
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Sponsored by: Sen. Mark Obenshain
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0124) on 03/20/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Travel expenses; local officials. [SB-549]
Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill, to be paid from public funds, as defined in the bill, that is anticipated to exceed $5,000 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. The bill specifies that if the final travel expense exceeds the previously approved amount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination. The bill requires
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Sponsored by: Sen. Scott Surovell
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 03/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority, comprehensive plan. [SB-597]
Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority; comprehensive plan. Authorizes any locality in the Commonwealth to provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program by amending the zoning ordinance of such locality. Current law restricts such authorization to counties with an urban county executive form of government or county manager plan of government and certain other localities. This bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025. Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority; comprehensive plan. Authorizes any locality
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Sponsored by: Sen. Jeremy McPike
Senate Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/17/2024