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Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Marine Resources Commission; study of ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of Atlantic menhaden; report. Introduced by: R. Lee Ware (R - HD 72). Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Marine Resources Commission and certain stakeholders, as provided in the bill, to conduct a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the Atlantic menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth. The bill requires VIMS to provide a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources no later than October 1, 2027.
12/12/23 House: Committee Referral Pending
12/12/23 House: Reffered to Committe on Rules
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 by voice vote
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Fossil fuel projects moratorium; transitioning energy workers; environmental justice protections. Introduced by: Michael J. Jones (D - HD 77). Establishes a moratorium, effective January 1, 2025, on any approval by any state agency or political subdivision required for (i) electric generating facilities that generate fossil fuel energy through the combustion or use of a fossil fuel resource, (ii) import or export terminals for fossil fuel resources, (iii) modification of an import or export terminal for a fossil fuel resource, (iv) gathering lines or pipelines for the transport of any fossil fuel resource that requires the use of public land or eminent domain on private property, (v) modification of such gathering lines or pipelines, (vi) refineries of a fossil fuel resource, (vii) facilities that change the physical state of fossil fuels for the purposes of transporting such fuels, and (viii) exploration for any type of fossil fuel, unless preempted by applicable federal law. The measure requires the establishment of job training programs and energy worker protections, transitional assistance for workers in the fossil fuel industry and affected communities, and environmental justice protections.
12/18/23 House: Committee Referral Pending
12/18/23 House: Referred to Committe on Rules
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (6-Y 0-N)
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Commissioner of Health; work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealths drinking water; report. Introduced by: Nadarius E. Clark (D - HD 84). Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024.
12/18/23 House: Committee Referral Pending
12/18/23 House: Referred to Committe on Rules
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 by voice vote
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Department of Conservation and Recreation; variances to general permit requirements for certain impounding structures; hazard potential classifications study; report. Introduced by: Robert D. Orrock, Sr (R - HD 66). Requires the Soil and Water Conservation Board to develop a process by which an owner may submit a request only to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a temporary or permanent variance to the general permit requirements for certain impounding structures for its review and consideration. The bill directs the Department to study issues relating to hazard potential classifications for impounding structures in the Commonwealth and report its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1, 2024. The bill also directs the Department to advise the Governor and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources of any variances to the general permit requirements granted by the Department.
01/04/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/04/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/15/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources
01/17/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (8-Y 2-N)
01/24/24 House: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N)
01/26/24 House: Motion to rerefer to committee agreed to
01/26/24 House: Rereferred to Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
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Reports relating to PFAS; Department of Environmental Quality; one-time report. Introduced by: David L. Bulova (D - HD 11). Requires all facilities that have engaged since January 1, 2021, in the manufacture of or knowing use in the production process of one or more chemicals listed as PFAS target analytes to produce a one-time report on the use of such chemicals. The report shall be limited to facilities that discharge to (i) a surface water under a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) or (ii) a publicly owned treatment works under an industrial pretreatment program permit or other written authorization issued by a local permit control authority. The report shall be submitted to the Department and, if such facility discharges to a publicly owned treatment works, also to the local permit control authority no later than October 1, 2024. The bill also requires certain facilities to perform a limited PFAS discharge characterization during the one-year period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, for each waterway discharge outfall consisting of representative quarterly monitoring using the applicable laboratory test method, as specified in the bill. Such facilities shall report results to the Department and, if the facility discharges to a publicly owned treatment works, also to the local permit control authority, within 30 days after the end of each quarter.
01/04/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/04/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/15/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB1085-Rasoul) by voice vote
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Companion bill SB 284
Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites. Introduced by: Joshua E. Thomas (D - HD 21). 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-half mile of a national park, state park, or other historically significant site.
01/05/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/05/24 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/24/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2
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Companion bill SB 285
Siting of data centers; site assessment. Introduced by: Joshua E. Thomas (D - HD 21). Requires a locality, prior to any approval for the siting of a data center, to perform a site assessment to examine the effect of the data center on water usage and carbon emissions as well as any impacts on agricultural resources within the locality.
01/05/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/05/24 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/24/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2
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Department of Environmental Quality; protection of existing tidal and nontidal wetlands; wetland restoration and creation; work group; report. Introduced by: Shelly A. Simonds (D - HD 70). Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a work group to develop (i) strategies for protecting the existing tidal and nontidal wetlands of the Commonwealth and (ii) plans for wetland restoration and creation to address losses and adverse impacts from human activities and climate change. The bill specifies that such work group shall include certain relevant stakeholders and will focus on (a) evaluating existing approaches to wetland conservation strategies in the Commonwealth and other states, (b) identifying wetlands adaption areas where tidal wetlands can persist in the landscape, and (c) exploring the circumstances in which climate can impact the wetlands' health and survival. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 1, 2024.
01/06/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/06/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 by voice vote
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Department of Environmental Quality; enforcement of regulations; Clean Water Act; cooling water intakes at power plants. Introduced by: Nadarius E. Clark (D - HD 84). Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to promptly enforce federal regulations implementing a provision of the federal Clean Water Act for cooling water intakes at power plants to reduce negative impacts on fish populations in the waters of the Commonwealth.
01/08/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/08/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/19/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/22/24 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 by voice vote
01/24/24 House: Continued to 2025 in Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (22-Y 0-N)
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Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act; local government ordinances; criteria for local governments; Resource Protection Area exceptions. Introduced by: Patrick A. Hope (D - HD 1). Amends the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to require the State Water Control Board, in developing criteria for local governments to use as they consider development in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, to allow use and development of land that is reasonable in the circumstances and does not deprive the owner of all economically viable use of the property. The bill also requires a locality subject to the Act to provide exclusive authority in its implementing ordinance to the local governing body and certain boards and commissions of the locality to grant exceptions to any land development within a Resource Protection Area, as defined by the State Water Control Board, or expanded by the locality in accordance with such rules of the Board. The bill allows any adjacent or otherwise affected property owner to seek certain equitable remedies against the locality in the appropriate circuit court.
01/08/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/08/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (10-Y 0-N)
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Companion bill SB 464
Fisheries Innovation for Sustainable Harvest Fund established. Introduced by: Alex Q. Askew (D - HD 95). Establishes the Fisheries Innovation for Sustainable Harvest Fund for the purposes of supporting and promoting the economic growth and development of Virginia's seafood economy. The Fund shall be administered by the Marine Resources Commission for the sole purpose of supporting and promoting the economic growth and development of Virginia's seafood economy while enhancing the sustainability of Virginia's marine fisheries resources through the awarding of grants, revolving loans, or other financial tools. The bill provides that the Commercial Fishing Advisory Board shall advise the Commission on expenditures from the Fund and also requires royalties collected by the Commission on or after July 1, 2024, as a result of the generation or transmission of electrical or compressed air energy from certain offshore renewable sources to be credited to the Fund. The bill also provides that any such royalties appropriated to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium under current law shall instead be appropriated to the Fund.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/19/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/22/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (9-Y 0-N)
01/22/24 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
01/24/24 House: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
01/24/24 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/25/24 House: Assigned App. sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
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Interference with commercial fishing vessel; penalties. Introduced by: Hillary Pugh Kent (R - HD 67). Provides that a person who approaches a commercial fishing vessel without the consent of the owner or person in charge of such vessel with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass the captain or crew of such vessel or interfere with the operations of such vessel is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill makes it a Class 6 felony to communicate to another person by any means any threat to (i) kill or do bodily injury to a person or persons engaged in the activity of commercial fishing on the waters of the Commonwealth or (ii) bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damage any commercial fishing vessel, and increases this penalty to a Class 5 felony if such threat places the captain or crew in reasonable apprehension of death or bodily injury. The bill makes it a Class 6 felony to intentionally or recklessly damage, injure, tamper with, deface, or destroy a commercial fishing vessel or any associated gear. Finally, the bill deems a person to be ineligible for any hunting or fishing license for a certain period of time if such person is found guilty of an offense set out in the bill.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
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Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committees. Introduced by: Alfonso H. Lopez (D - HD 3). Requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (the Preparedness Fund) and adds the Advisory Review Committee to the list of those with whom the Department is required to consult in establishing guidelines regarding the distribution and prioritization of loans and grants from the Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund (the Revolving Fund) and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the Advisory Review Committee to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of grants or loans from the Revolving Fund to particular local governments and establishing the interest rates and repayment terms of such loans. The bill requires the Department to make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans from the two Funds and the actions taken thereon, post such applications within 15 calendar days of the loan or grant round application deadline, and provide an opportunity for a 30-day public comment period prior to each new loan offering to solicit feedback on proposed revisions to the funds' manuals.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/24/24 House: Referred from Appropriations by voice vote
01/24/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
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Local Environmental Impact Fund. Introduced by: Alfonso H. Lopez (D - HD 3). Allows localities to create a permanent and perpetual fund to be known as the Local Environmental Impact Fund. The bill provides that the Fund shall consist exclusively of appropriated local moneys and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf, and that the Fund is to be created for the purpose of granting funds to residents or locally owned businesses for the mitigation of environmental impacts. Such grants from the Fund shall be used only for the purchase of energy efficient (i) lawn care and landscaping equipment, (ii) home appliances, (iii) HVAC equipment, or (iv) micromobility devices. The Fund shall be administered and managed by the locality.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/23/24 House: Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2
01/25/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (4-Y 3-N)
01/26/24 House: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (11-Y 9-N)
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Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; Office of Commonwealth Resilience; Interagency Resilience Working Group; Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committee. Introduced by: Hillary Pugh Kent (R - HD 67). Moves the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) from under the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to under the Governor and creates an Office of Commonwealth Resilience to support the CRO in his functions and duties. The bill requires the CRO to convene an Interagency Resilience Working Group to support the coordination of planning and implementation of resilience efforts, eliminates the position of Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the CRO to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of loans or grants from the Fund. The bill requires the Department to make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans from the two Funds and the actions taken thereon.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/09/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules
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Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank; created. Introduced by: Alfonso H. Lopez (D - HD 3). Creates the Virginia Green Infrastructure Bank, an authority to promote and catalyze investment in qualified projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, assist climate-impacted communities, and promote environmental justice. The bill requires the Bank to be governed by a board of directors with the authority to hire a president and create a nonstock corporation to carry out the powers and duties of the bank.
01/09/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/23/24 House: Referred from Labor and Commerce by voice vote
01/23/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources
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Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; powers and duties. Introduced by: Bonita G. Anthony (D - HD 92). Requires the Department of Energy's Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to identify and monitor any federal grant programs, loan programs, or other opportunities for federal funding to further the Commonwealth's energy efficiency goals. The bill also requires the Division to aid businesses in the Commonwealth, industries, utilities, academic institutions, state and local governments, and private institutions in securing federal funding for energy efficiency efforts as part of its duty to encourage efforts to develop energy resources and energy conservation programs.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources
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Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources; coastal resilience policy; research university collaborative. Introduced by: M. Keith Hodges (R - HD 68). Requires the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and all relevant agencies, when setting coastal resilience policies, issuing permits, and evaluating grant proposals to seek input and consultation from the Commonwealth's research university collaborative. Current law permits the Secretary to seek input and consultation from such collaborative when setting coastal resilience policies. The bill removes the Virginia Coastal Policy Center from such collaborative and provides that such collaborative may include any other institution in the Commonwealth conducting coastal resilience research. The bill also requires the Secretary to utilize such collaborative's expertise, research, and data analysis for the implementation of water management techniques and coastal resilience strategies. Under current law, such requirements by the Secretary are permissive.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (6-Y 4-N)
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Department of Wildlife Resources; singular license for waterfowl blinds in Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authorities. Introduced by: M. Keith Hodges (R - HD 68). Requires the Department of Wildlife Resources to develop a singular license and license plate supplied with such license for all stationary blinds granted to and located on property owned by the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority and the Northern Neck Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)
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Department of Environmental Quality; PFAS; identification; monitoring; PFAS Advisory Committee established; report. Introduced by: Sam Rasoul (D - HD 38). Requires the owner or operator of a publicly owned treatment works to monitor PFAS levels, as defined in the bill, in effluent, influent, and biosolids at least quarterly and report all such monitoring data on an applicable discharge monitoring report required by federal regulations. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department), in certain circumstances, to develop a PFAS action plan to identify and address sources of certain PFAS detected in a public water system's raw water source, perform outreach efforts regarding PFAS contamination, report annually on its activities, and work with certain entities in developing its PFAS action plans. The bill requires certain facilities that manufacture or use PFAS to report the use of such chemicals to the Department and to monitor such PFAS at least quarterly unless at another frequency at the direction of the Director of the Department. The bill also directs the Department and the Virginia Department of Health to jointly establish a PFAS Advisory Committee to assist with PFAS-related activities and appoint such committee's members to include legislative members and a wide range of nonlegislative citizen members and to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the Committee's activities and recommendations.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
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Companion bill SB 402
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; blue catfish work group; report. Introduced by: M. Keith Hodges (R - HD 68). Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in collaboration with certain stakeholders, to convene a work group to evaluate strategies to reduce the negative ecological effects of blue catfish and to increase the sales and marketing of blue catfish. The bill requires the work group to (i) review past and ongoing efforts to promote the creation of a market for blue catfish, (ii) identify and explore potential sectors for the blue catfish market, and (iii) identify any actions that the Commonwealth can take to promote and expand the market for blue catfish. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Chairmen of the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Appropriations by December 1, 2024.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
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Virginia Port Authority; Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program; grant funding; projects. Introduced by: M. Keith Hodges (R - HD 68). Clarifies the circumstances under which the Virginia Port Authority may award grant funding from the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program for the construction and management of dredged material. The bill provides that such funding may be used for the lease, purchase, or development of upland containment areas where dredged material can be selectively excavated and used beneficially for environmental restoration or for mitigation of coastal erosion. The bill also amends an existing provision allowing funding for the mitigation of coastal erosion or flooding of dredged materials to require such dredged materials be from an approved waterway dredging project conducted by the Commonwealth.
01/10/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/23/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
01/29/24 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (6-Y 4-N)
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Department of Environmental Quality reports; consolidation. Introduced by Ian T. Lovejoy (R - HD 22). Consolidates varying due dates for certain reports relating to the Department of Environmental Quality to the Governor and the General Assembly to November 1 and requires such reports be submitted as part of one annual report. The bill removes the requirement that the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission submit its annual report to the Governor and General Assembly of North Carolina. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.
01/16/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/16/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources
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Companion bill SB 674
Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Introduced by Amanda E. Batten (R – HD 71). Changes references relating to coastal resilience policy from the Coastal Policy Center at William and Mary School of Law to the Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative at The College of William and Mary in Virginia to reflect the dissolution of the Coastal Policy Center. The bill also adds the Collaborative to the list of entities with whom the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources may seek input and consultation in setting coastal resilience policies.
01/18/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/18/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
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Companion bill SB 733
Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; Office of Commonwealth Resilience; Interagency Resilience Working Group; Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; Advisory Review Committee. Introduced by Phil M. Hernandez (D - HD 94). Moves the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) from under the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to under the Governor and creates an Office of Commonwealth Resilience to support the CRO in his functions and duties. The bill requires the CRO to convene an Interagency Resilience Working Group to support the coordination of planning and implementation of resilience efforts, eliminates the position of Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The bill also requires the Director to convene an Advisory Review Committee to assist in the distribution of loans and grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and adds the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the CRO to the list of those with whom the Virginia Resources Authority is required to consult in directing the distribution of loans or grants from the Fund. The bill requires the Department to make available for public inspection at the office of the Department and on a publicly accessible website records of each application for grants and loans from the two Funds and the actions taken thereon.
01/18/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/18/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
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Validity of conservation easements; open-space land; public body. Introduced by Bill Wiley (R - HD 32). Requires the public body to hold a conservation easement or the public body acquiring real property for open-space land to determine that the limitations or obligations from acquiring such easement or real property for open-space land conform in all respects to the comprehensive plan for the area in which the easement or real property is located.
01/19/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/19/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources
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Validity of conservation easements; open-space land; public body. Introduced by Bill Wiley (R - HD 32). Requires the public body to hold a conservation easement or the public body acquiring real property for open-space land to determine that the limitations or obligations from acquiring such easement or real property for open-space land conform in all respects to the comprehensive plan for the area in which the easement or real property is located.
01/19/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/19/24 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
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Water certificates or permits; compliance with water quality standards. Introduced by Debra D. Gardner (D – HD 76). Requires the State Water Control Board to ensure all activities allowed under any water certificate or permit are in compliance with the water quality standards promulgated by the Board.
01/19/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/19/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
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Virginia Institute of Marine Science; review the cumulative surface water intake effects on aquatic fauna in the Chesapeake Bay; report. Introduced by Hillary Pugh Kent (R - HD 67). Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to review the feasibility of studying cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in Virginia's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. VIMS is required to report whether the study may be conducted and, if so, report the total amount of funding necessary to conduct the study to the Governor by October 1, 2024.
01/19/24 House: Committee Referral Pending
01/19/24 House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resource
01/26/24 House: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
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