Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.
Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.
Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.
Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.
Abortion; born alive infant; treatment and care; penalty. Requires every health care provider licensed by the Board of Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to (i) exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of a human infant who has been born alive following such attempt as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and (ii) take all reasonable steps to ensure the immediate transfer of the human infant who has been born alive to a hospital for further medical care. A health care provider who fails to comply with the requirements of the bill is guilty of a Class 4 felony and may be subject to disciplinary action by the Board. The bill also requires every hospital licensed by the Department of Health to establish a protocol for the treatment and care of a human infant who has been born alive following an attempt to terminate a pregnancy and for the immediate reporting to law enforcement of any failure to provide such required treatment and care.
Genetic sequencing; organ transplants; use of foreign genetic sequencing or genetic sequencer operational and research software; foreign storage of genetic sequencing data; health insurance coverage for certain foreign organ transplants; civil penalty. Prohibits medical care facilities from (i) using genetic sequencers or any operational and research software, as such terms are defined in the bill, produced in a country designated as a foreign adversary by the federal government and (ii) storing genetic sequencing data with a country designated as a foreign adversary by the federal government. The bill requires medical care facilities to certify their compliance with such provisions, under penalty of perjury, annually with the Commissioner of Health and subjects medical care facilities that violate such provisions to civil penalties. The bill also prohibits health insurance carriers from covering human organ transplants that occur in China or other designated foreign countries and subjects carriers that violate this provision to civil penalties.
Food establishment inspection exemptions; private homes and farms. Exempts from required food establishment operation inspections any private home or farm where the resident or farmer processes, prepares, or otherwise produces food if such food is (i) sold in person in the Commonwealth to an individual for his own consumption and not for resale or consignment; (ii) sold at the private home or farm; (iii) not offered for sale to be used in or offered for consumption in retail food establishments; and (iv) affixed with a label placed on the principal display panel or, for a product packaging not large enough to bear such a label, offered for sale with a sign displaying the name, physical address, and telephone number of the person preparing the food, the date the food was processed, and the statement "NOT FOR RESALE — PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION."
Marcus alert system; external database information removal. Clarifies that an individual's information may continue to appear on a voluntary Marcus alert system external database that cannot be modified by a locality after such individual reaches 18 years of age. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Driver improvement clinics; motorcycle driver improvement clinics; Motorcycle Driver Improvement Clinic Fund; created. Creates motorcycle driver improvement clinics, defined in the bill, as a subset of existing driver improvement clinics and provides requirements and parameters for the instruction and administration of the motorcycle driver improvement clinics. The bill authorizes courts to direct defendants who have committed violations while operating a motorcycle to attend a motorcycle driver improvement clinic and satisfy the requirements thereof. The bill also creates the Motorcycle Driver Improvement Clinic Fund for the operation and administration of motorcycle driver improvement clinics. The bill specifies that priority be given to the creation of motorcycle driver improvement clinics that operate as computer-based clinics.
Establishing the Rules of the House of Delegates for the 2026-2027 Sessions of the General Assembly of Virginia.
Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, as defined in the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment specifies that, notwithstanding the other provisions of the amendment, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.
Celebrating the life of Christina Kaye Shinall.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.
Celebrating the life of Brenda Mozelle Barnett Lawson.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); apportionment; congressional districts; limited authority of the General Assembly to modify. Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia related to the establishment of congressional districts. The amendment provides explicit authority for the General Assembly to modify one or more congressional districts, outside of the standard decennial redistricting cycle, in the event that any other state conducts a redistricting of the state's congressional districts outside of the standard decennial redistricting cycle or for any purpose other than complying with a state or federal court order to remedy an unlawful or unconstitutional district map. Additionally, an amendment to the Schedule of the Constitution of Virginia is proposed to specify the period of time to which such authorization is limited.
Crisis Recovery Support Network; expressing support. Expresses support for participation by Virginia in the Southern Regional Education Board's Crisis Recovery Support Network.
Salaries, contingent and incidental expenses.
Celebrating the life of Kenneth Mason Easley, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Mirabella Jean Michael Ward.
Commending the Halifax South Boston Dixie Darlings softball team.
Commending the E.C. Glass High School marching band.
Study; continuing the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding; report. Continues the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding for an additional year, through the 2027 interim. This joint resolution is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
The Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller; portrait. Authorizes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission to contract for, have painted, and have appropriately framed and placed in the Capitol a portrait of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller. This resolution is a recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
Commending the Brentsville Future Farmers of America.
Commending First Baptist Church of Midlothian.
Make-A-Will Month. Designates August, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Make-A-Will Month in Virginia.
Immunization Awareness Month. Designates August, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Immunization Awareness Month in Virginia.
Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.
Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week. Designates the third full week of October, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week in Virginia.
Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.
Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.
Nominating a person to be elected as a member of the State Corporation Commission.
Study; joint subcommittee; public transit in Hampton Roads; report. Creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a two-year study on options for providing long-term, sustainable, and dedicated operations and capital funding with cost-containment controls to ensure that the public transit systems that serve Hampton Roads, including all modes of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) service, local and express bus, light rail, passenger ferry, paratransit, on-demand microtransit, and seasonal trolley and shuttle services, other ridesharing and commuter programs, and any future modes of public transportation or mobility services that may be developed to serve the Hampton Roads region, meet the growing public transit needs of the region.
Nominating a person to be elected to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.
General Assembly; 2026 Session schedule. Establishes a schedule for the conduct of business coming before the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly of Virginia.
General Assembly; 2026 Session schedule. Establishes a schedule for the conduct of business coming before the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly of Virginia.
General Assembly; 2027 Session prefiling schedule. Establishes a schedule for the prefiling period for the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly of Virginia.
General Assembly; 2027 Session prefiling schedule. Establishes a schedule for the prefiling period for the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly of Virginia.
Establishing an inaugural committee.
Study; Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission; artificial intelligence use policies in place at institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the artificial intelligence use policies in place at institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth and evaluate each policy in terms of how it addresses academic integrity, data privacy, equity and access, transparency, and faculty autonomy and instructional agency. JLARC is further directed to develop a model policy for AI use in institutions of higher education, as well as to make recommendations for AI tools, curricula, and other resources for inclusion in a statewide clearinghouse for educators, students, and the public at large.
Commending the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic.
Myocarditis Awareness Month. Designates April, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Myocarditis Awareness Month in Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Zachary Wayne Reese.
Celebrating the life of Charles Ray Obaugh, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Anthony L. Bennett, Sr.
Internet Safety and Online Predator Awareness Day. Designates August 1, in 2026 and each succeeding year, as Internet Safety and Online Predator Awareness Day in Virginia.
Notifying the Governor of organization.
Commending the Honorable Johnny E. Morrison.
Celebrating the life of Paul Gandy Lankford.
Celebrating the life of Deborah R. Jackson.
Celebrating the life of Dorothy Leach Wood.
Eliza Kortright Monroe Hay Day. Designates May 21, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Eliza Kortright Monroe Hay Day in Virginia.
Commending the New River Valley Agency on Aging.
Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.
Commending the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
Commending the Families of the Wounded Fund.
Commending the Honorable Robert G. MacDonald.
Celebrating the life of Anthony L. Bennett, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Frankie Jacquelyn Scotton Joyner, Ph.D.
Commending Campbell's Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Commending the Greater Fredericksburg Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Jonathan Lane White.
Commending the Rural Retreat Volunteer Fire Department.
Commending the Tasley Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
Celebrating the life of William Luther Bushong.
Commending the Strasburg High School football team.
Commending the Masons' Hall Historic Preservation Foundation.
Celebrating the life of Tracey Lynn Jenkins.
Commending the Lancaster Little League senior girls' softball team.
Celebrating the life of James Paul Councill III.
Commemorating the life and legacy of Benjamin Harrison V.
Celebrating the life of Virginia Mozell Jefferson Tyler.
Commending the Richlands Area Citizens for the Arts.
Celebrating the life of Leo Michael Schweiger.
Celebrating the life of William Lorenzo Jackson, Sr.
Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges, a member of the State Corporation Commission, and a member of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Commending the James Wood High School girls' volleyball team.
Commending the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.
Commending the Portsmouth Adult Recovery Court.
Nowruz; Persian New Year. Designates the day of the spring equinox, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Nowruz in Virginia.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. Designates September, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month in Virginia.
Commending the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
Celebrating the life of George Otis Mead III.
Commending the Brentsville High School girls' flag football team.
Commending the United States Army dustoff crews of the Vietnam War.
Commending the Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team.
Commending the Hanover High School boys' volleyball team.
Celebrating the life of Charles Frederick Downs.
Commending the Front Royal Little League 12U All-Stars.
Day of Remembrance for Victims of Lynching in Virginia. Designates April 13, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as a Day of Remembrance for Victims of Lynching in Virginia. This resolution is a recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
Commending Kristy N. Somerville-Midgette, Ed.D.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Sylvester L. Turner.
Long QT Syndrome Awareness Day. Designates May 9, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Long QT Syndrome Awareness Day in Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Linwood Roy Griffin.
Commending the Virginia Society for Clinical Social Workers.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Charles W. Wormley, Sr.
Commending the Rappahannock High School football team.
Celebrating the life of Robert Bernard Keyser, Jr.
Commending the Save Brookvale History Committee.
Commending CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc.
Celebrating the life of William Edward Ross II.
Celebrating the life of Terrence Lee Schrum.
Celebrating the life of John Michel de Triquet, M.D.
Celebrating the life of Robert Wayne Grove.
Celebrating the life of Virginia Estelle Phillips Bell.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Patricia Smith Wormley.
Commending the Skyline High School wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of Leslie William Coffelt.
Celebrating the life of Annie Lois Henderson-Jenkins.
Commemorating the life and legacy of Mildred Delores Jeter Loving.
Celebrating the life of Rebecca Coggin Hubert.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Ford Carter Quillen.
Commending Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Fredericksburg.
Celebrating the life of Jane Leighton Wright Goss Hicks.
Celebrating the life of Charles Wright Sydnor, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Elijah C. Stiltner.
Commending Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University.
Celebrating the life of Frank Spencer Royal, Sr., M.D.
Commending the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.
Confirming appointment of the Director of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Confirms the appointment by the House and Senate Committees on Rules of Fritz Sassine as Director of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
Celebrating the life of Russell Elliot Wiley.
Celebrating the life of Jennifer Kellee Salzman.
Celebrating the life of Lloyd G. Edwards, Jr.
Commending the Honorable John J. Davies III.
Celebrating the life of Lucille Murray Brown.
Commending United Faith Christian Ministry.
Celebrating the life of Edith Marie Kearney Heard.
Commending the Nursing Advocacy Initiative.
Commending the Highland Telephone Cooperative.
Celebrating the life of Claudia Hantman Arko.
Commending the Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic.
Celebrating the life of Evelyn Willinette Morris-Harris.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable James A. Davis.
Commending the Honorable S. Bernard Goodwyn.
Celebrating the life of Margaret Peters Stalnaker.
Commending the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III.
Commending the Verona Volunteer Fire Company.
Celebrating the life of John Victor Mazza, Jr.
Commending Bishop Leslie Patterson, Jr., and Dr. Francene V. Patterson.
Commending the Civic Association of Brentsville and Surrounding Areas.
Commending Brigadier General Donald Wayne Hansen, USA, Ret.
Commending the Third District of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Command Sergeant Major Mitchell L. Rubenstein, USA, Ret.
United States Navy; F-35C home base. Encourages the United States Navy to select Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach as the home base for new squadrons of F-35C Lightning II stealth strike fighters.
Celebrating the life of J. Hamilton Lambert.
Celebrating the life of Vivian Margaris Kallen.
Celebrating the life of Edward A. Trott, Jr.
Commending the Virginia State University women's soccer team.
Commending the Orange Heart Medal Foundation.
Celebrating the life of Cecil Heber Breeden, Jr.
Commemorating the lives and legacies of Frank E. Young and John R. Hudgins, Jr.
Commending the Botetourt County Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Commending the Honorable Kenneth Ronald Melvin.
Commending Kasseem Daoud Dean and Alicia Augello Cook.
Commending the Greater Richmond Virginia Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
Commending the Virginia University of Lynchburg.
Commending the Princess Anne High School girls' basketball team.
Commending the Epsilon Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Commending the Virginia Community College System.
Celebrating the life of King Salim Khalfani.
Commending the Frank W. Cox High School field hockey team.
Celebrating the life of James Woodrow McGlothlin.
Commending the Virginia Telehealth Network.
Celebrating the life of George Franklin Atwell.
Commending the North Stafford High School football team.
Commending Clarksville Furniture and Flooring.
Celebrating the life of Cecil Allen Reynolds.
Celebrating the life of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Thomas Bulova, USAR.
Celebrating the life of Philip Eugene Pate.
Commending the Gospel Worship Experience Scholarship Program, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Colonel Lewis Ingles Jeffries, USA, Ret.
Commending Mount Zion Baptist Church of Triangle.
Celebrating the life of Yolanda Wyche Stokes.
Commending the Stafford County Branch of the NAACP.
Commending the Princess Anne High School debate team.
Celebrating the life of Horace Christopher Belcher.
Celebrating the life of Cecelia Taliaferro Tucker.
Commending Princess Anne High School All-Virginia Band and All-Virginia Orchestra honorees.
Commending the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Celebrating the life of John Willie Parker, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Barbara Radcliffe Grey.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Barry D. Knight.
Celebrating the life of Palma Christine Whitlow Kantsios.
Commending Caboose Brewing Company & Tavern.
Commending the Shepherd's Center of Northern Virginia.
Commending SafeSpot Children's Advocacy Center of Fairfax County.
Celebrating the life of Jane Kamps Strauss.
Commending the Fairfax Stars basketball program.
Commending Lewinsville Retirement Residence.
Celebrating the life of Alan Merrill Schuman.
Celebrating the life of Jane Pasolli Edmondson.
Commending the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce Mid-Size Business of the Year honorees.
Celebrating the life of Gerard Robert Langelier.
Commending the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year honorees.
Commending the Zeta Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Commending the Omicron Kappa Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Commending the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit Organization of the Year honorees.
Commending the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative and the National Speech & Debate Association.
Commending the River Basin Grand Winners of the Clean Water Farm Award.
Celebrating the life of Dennis P. Gallagher.
Celebrating the life of Bill Franklin Vehorn.
Commending the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year honorees.
Commending the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.
Commending the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year honorees.
Commending the first Black voters in Virginia.
Commending the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.
Celebrating the life of Joseph Williamson Luter III.
Celebrating the life of Shirley Kirby Armentrout.
Commending the Roanoke Chapter of Continental Societies, Inc.
Commending the Virginia High School Democrats.
First Virginia General Assembly; 250th anniversary; Williamsburg commemorative planning. Directs the Joint Rules Committee to develop plans for a special commemorative session or event involving the members of the General Assembly to be held in Williamsburg on October 7, 2026, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the First Virginia General Assembly meeting in regular session following independence.
Celebrating the life of William Shepard Harris, Sr.
Commending the Arlington County Bar Association.
Commemorating the legacy of Laurel Grove School.
Commending the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.
Celebrating the life of William Bruce Rutherford, USN, Ret.
Celebrating the life of Deborah Fisher Williams.
Commending Bermuda Hundred United Methodist Church.
Commending the Randolph-Macon College women's basketball team.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Charles Douglas Poindexter.
Commending the Kempsville High School gymnastics team.
Commending the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Lambda Gamma Omega Chapter.
Commending Staff Sergeant Alexis Kyles, VA ANG.
Celebrating the life of Anna Lou Aaroe Schaberg.
Commending Master Sergeant Grace Salcedo, VA ANG.
Celebrating the life of John Wendell Martin, Ph.D.
Commending the Brunswick Academy football team.
Commending Master Sergeant Shaquan Williams, VA ANG.
Celebrating the life of Kitty Clark Stevenson.
Commending Master Sergeant Solomon Drake, VA ANG.
Celebrating the life of Elizabeth Flannagan Edwards.
Commending Master Sergeant Corey Hayes, VA ANG.
Celebrating the life of Wayne Cornelius Rapp.
Commending Technical Sergeant Kadie Harris, VA ANG.
Commending Family Service of Roanoke Valley.
Commending the Roanoke Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Commending the Chatham Volunteer Fire Department.
Commending the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.
Celebrating the life of Iralin Crowder Peple.
Commending the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Victor Anthony Shaheen.
Celebrating the life of Ola Parker Willoughby.
Celebrating the life of Annabel Morgan Edge.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Franklin James West, Sr.
Commending the 23rd Regiment United States Colored Troops.
Celebrating the life of Emmett M. Burke, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins.
Commending ISSA, the Association for Cleaning and Facility Solutions.
Commending the Skyline High School wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of Richard Edelin Crouch.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable William T. Newman, Jr.
Commending the Miss Isle of Wight County Fair Scholarship Pageant.
Commending the George Wythe High School girls' basketball team.
Commending the Tri-County Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Commending the George Wythe High School boys' basketball team.
Commending the veterans of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Commending St. Johns Lodge No. 144 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Commending the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District.
Celebrating the life of John Caffrey Angell.
Commending the London Bridge Baptist Church.
Commending the Abingdon High School girls' volleyball team.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Nathan Dell.
Celebrating the life of Charles Martin Caravati, Jr., M.D.
Commending the James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Demetrios A. Julius, M.D.
Celebrating the life of Joseph Towler Knox.
Celebrating the life of Edward Marvin Page, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Harry Hudnall Ware III, M.D.
Celebrating the life of Herbert Glover Wharam, Jr.
Celebrating the life Jack Holland Spain, Jr.
Celebrating the life of William Edward Jamerson, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Charles Lorraine Cabell.
Celebrating the life of Victoria Reid Argabright.
Celebrating the life of Donald MacLean Switz, M.D.
Commending Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant and Bar.
Commending the Ebenezer United Methodist Church.
Commending the Iranian-American Community Center.
Commending Louisa County High School's Career and Technical Education program.
Commending Eastland United Methodist Church.
Commending the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Commending the first Black students to integrate Caroline County Public Schools.
Celebrating the life of Jada Mairin Samitt.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Kevin G. Swann.
Celebrating the life of James Ernest Cornett.
Commending Community Eligibility Provision schools in Virginia.
Commending the Franklin High School boys' basketball team.
Celebrating the life of Irene Cuda Rosenbaum.
Commending the Norfolk State University Alumni Association Portsmouth Chapter.
Celebrating the life of Wayne Oliver Pryor.
Commending the Rural Retreat High School wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of Michael Antoine Newsome.
Commending the Mertz Career and Technical Center.
Commending the National Women's Political Caucus of Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Michael Allen Humphries.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Gerald Edward Connolly.
Commending the Giles High School girls' volleyball team.
Celebrating the life of James Roane Dudley, M.D.
Commending the Patrick Henry High School Scholastic Bowl team.
Commending the Haymarket Police Department.
Commending Granier European Bakery and Cafe.
Commending the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry.
Commending the Frank W. Cox High School wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of Mary Gay Cobb Koerber.
Commending the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce.
Commending the First Colonial High School boys' swim and dive team.
Commending the First Colonial High School girls' swim and dive team.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Lehman D. Bates II.
Commending the Lightridge High School Marching Storm.
Celebrating the life of Charles Arthur Krouse.
Commending Operation Breaking Through, Inc.
Commending Staff Sergeant Eleanor R. Warren, VA ANG.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Kevin G. Swann.
Commending Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Commending the Charlottesville Invasive Plant Partnership.
Commending Senior Master Sergeant Zachary Enke, VA ANG.
Commending the Town of Herndon Parks & Recreation Department.
Commending Sterling United Methodist Church.
Celebrating the life of Brian Robert Bilheimer.
Celebrating the life of Thomas Vincent Van Auken, Jr.
Celebrating the life of James Richard Damaré.
Commending Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative.
Commending the Western Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council, Inc.
Commending the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus of Virginia Tech.
Commending the Lake Taylor High School football team.
Providing for House Bill No. 30 to be carried over from the 2026 Regular Session to a 2026 Special Session of the General Assembly.
Applying to the Governor to call a special session and establishing a schedule for the conduct of business coming before such special session.
Celebrating the life of Ronyell Deshawn Whitaker.
Celebrating the life of Sergeant Major Jesse James Williams, USA, Ret.
Celebrating the life of Lawrence Toliver, Sr.
Commending the Sandusky Middle School girls' basketball team.
Commending the 2026 Community Builders Award honorees of the Hampton Roads Community Action Program.
Celebrating the life of Barbara Drucker Smith.
Celebrating the life of Andrew Thomas Olaisen.
Commending the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Branden Patrick Green.
Commending the Conservation Alliance of Braemar.
Commending the Nokesville Business Association.
Celebrating the life of Wesley Thomas Worsham.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Wendell A. Johnson.
Commending the Louisa Extension Master Gardeners.
Celebrating the life of John Philip Robbins.
Commending the Manchester Middle School cheer squad.
Commending the Historic Hopewell Foundation.
Celebrating the life of Sharon Morency Bryant.
Commending the Fauquier High School Theatre Department.
Commending the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
Commending the Honorable Daniel Webster Marshall III.
Commending the Bruton High School girls' swim and dive team.
Commending the John Marshall High School boys' basketball team.
Celebrating the life of La Bravia J. Jenkins.
Commending the Reverend Dr. James Edwards III.
Commending the Rock Church School boys' basketball team.
Commending the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.
Commending the International Longshoremen's Association, Local 1248.
Celebrating the life of Bettie Minette Cooper.
Celebrating the life of Hope Tyson Lambert.
Commending the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.
Commending the Richmond Chapter of Continental Societies, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Eugene Hamilton Hurst, Jr.
Commending the veterans of the United States Armed Forces from Augusta County.
Commending the Smithfield High School KidWind Challenge teams.
Commending the Bruton High School boys' indoor track and field team.
Commending the Reverend Phillip E. Knight, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Frederick Alexander Brown.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend David Anthony Young, Sr.
Commending Solomon Wilder Jefferson, Ed.D.
Commending Fertility for Colored Girls + Guys.
Commending Master Chief Petty Officer Christopher S. Cupito, USN.
Commending the Oakton High School girls' wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend A. Lincoln James, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Lieutenant General William Morgan Keys, USMC, Ret.
Commending the Virginia Young Democrats Disability Caucus.
Commending the James River High School girls' swim and dive team.
Commending Jamie Harless.
Commending Friendship Retirement Community.
Celebrating the life of Charles Dwight Chavis.
Celebrating the life of Mildred Harlow Scott.
Celebrating the life of Jane Crittenden Talley.
Commending Area Congregations Together in Service.
Commending Hawkins-Reeve Post 7916 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Commending the Gamma Xi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Commending Bettie F. Williams Elementary School.
Commending the Varina High School football team.
Commending Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Master Technician Raul Perla.
Commending Mount Zion Baptist Church of Norfolk.
Commending the Oscar F. Smith High School football team.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Carl N. Sherrill and Jacquelyn Sherrill.
Celebrating the life of Alexander Kimari Pye.
Celebrating the life of Ny-Asia Ashante Hill.
Celebrating the life of Jasper McMickle, Sr.
Commending Master Chief Petty Officer Linda Fox, USN, Ret.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Norman Adkins Tate, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Evelyn Willinette Morris-Harris.
Celebrating the life of Everette Alexander Hicks, Sr.
Celebrating the life of August Bryant Bullock.
Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.
Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.
Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, as defined in the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment specifies that, notwithstanding the other provisions of the amendment, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.
Celebrating the life of Gloria Olderog Webb.
Commending First Baptist Church of Midlothian.
Celebrating the life of John Michel de Triquet, M.D.
Commending the Honorable Robert G. MacDonald.
Celebrating the life of William Luther Bushong.
Commending the Strasburg High School football team.
Commending the West Potomac High School boys' lacrosse team.
Commending the Radford University women's golf team.
The Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller; portrait. Authorizes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, in consultation with the Clerks of the Senate of Virginia and the House of Delegates, to contract for, have painted, and have appropriately framed and placed in the Capitol a portrait of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller. As introduced, this resolution was a recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
Celebrating the life of Tracey Lynn Jenkins.
Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.
Celebrating the life of Norman Grayden Lineburg.
Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.
Commending the Marion Senior High School girls' tennis team.
Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.
Celebrating the life of Brenda Mozelle Barnett Lawson.
Nominating a person to be elected as a member of the State Corporation Commission.
Celebrating the life of James Wade Gilley, Sr., Ph.D.
Nominating a person to be elected to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.
Commending the Richlands Area Citizens for the Arts.
Commemorating the life and legacy of Gene Vincent.
Celebrating the life of Lucille Hoback Boggess.
Study; JLARC; creation of Secretariat of Rural Affairs; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the need for and feasibility of creating a Secretariat of Rural Affairs in the Commonwealth.
Wiccocomico Pinn lineage of Northumberland County. Commends the Wiccocomico Pinn lineage of Northumberland County; recognizes documented leadership, descendant families, and land continuity; and honors the contributions of Gail Janeen Smith Toliver, the Northern Neck Indigenous Heritage Council, and the Northern Neck Indigenous Heritage Foundation.
Study; JLARC; expansion of discretionary parole eligibility; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to consult with all relevant stakeholders to study the potential impacts of expanded discretionary parole eligibility. The resolution directs JLARC to complete its first year of meetings by September 1, 2026, and to submit an interim report by March 1, 2027. Additionally, JLARC is directed to complete its second year of meetings and submit its findings and recommendations no later than December 1, 2027.
Commending the Honorable S. Bernard Goodwyn.
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Joe Billy Fleming.
Celebrating the life of Clyde Thomas Clark, Sr.
Commending the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department.
Celebrating the life of Deborah R. Jackson.
Commending the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program.
Commending the Cosby High School show choir program.
Celebrating the life of Rilda Jolene Brewer Evans.
Celebrating the life of Kevin John McDonald.
Commending the Blacksburg High School boys' golf team.
Commending the Auburn High School baseball team.
Celebrating the life of Palmer Leslie Griffith, Jr.
Celebrating the life of William Bruce Rutherford, USN, Ret.
Commending the Marion Senior High School boys' tennis team.
Celebrating the life of Raymond Rafael Colston.
Commending the Rural Retreat Volunteer Fire Department.
Celebrating the life of William Robinson Akers, Jr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Thomas Selby Ellis III.
Celebrating the life of Robert Scott Jones.
Celebrating the life of Charles Whitley Henderson.
Celebrating the life of Marqueta Neal Tyson.
Celebrating the life of Larry Allen McClure.
Celebrating the life of William M. Kline, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Anita Gordon Plaskett, Ed.D.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Ford Carter Quillen.
Celebrating the life of Everette Alexander Hicks, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Virginia Ellen Thomas Fizer.
Commending the Rappahannock High School football team.
Commending the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.
Celebrating the life of Clifford H. Walls, Jr.
Commending the Honorable S. Bernard Goodwyn.
Black Midwives Day. Designates March 14, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Black Midwives Day in Virginia.
Celebrating the life of Joseph Williamson Luter III.
Commending the Glenvar High School boys' soccer team.
National Day of Prayer. Designating the first Thursday in May, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as the National Day of Prayer in Virginia.
Celebrating the life of James Paul Councill III.
Confirming Governor's appointments; January 23. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Abigail D. Spanberger and communicated to the General Assembly January 23, 2026.
Commending the Rock Church School boys' basketball team.
Commending Cranford United Methodist Church.
Commending the Smithfield High School KidWind Challenge teams.
Celebrating the life of Joseph Franklin Viar.
Commending the Smithfield branch of the Blackwater Regional Library.
Celebrating the life of Paul Douglas Jackson.
Celebrating the life of Wilma Jean Keen Ward Compton.
Confirming Governor's appointments; October 1. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly October 1, 2025.
Commending the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
Confirming Governor's appointments; August 13. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly August 13, 2025.
Lieutenant Governor; chair. Authorizes Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears to receive a replica of the chair used by the Lieutenant Governor when presiding over the Senate.
Confirming Governor's appointments; January 12. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly January 12, 2026.
Lieutenant Governor; portrait. Establishes a committee to contract for a portrait of Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears to be painted, framed, and installed in the Capitol.
Confirming Governor's appointments; May 30. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly May 30, 2025.
Celebrating the life of John P. McSweeney, Jr.
Confirming Governor's appointments; December 1. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly December 1, 2025.
Commending the James Solomon Russell-Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives, Inc.
Confirming Governor's appointments; January 16. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly January 16, 2026.
Commending the Midlothian High School music program.
Commending the Miss Isle of Wight County Fair Scholarship Pageant.
Commending the Midlothian High School boys' tennis team.
Commending the Tri-County Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Commending the Midlothian High School softball team.
Celebrating the life of Saundra Dee Bondurant.
Celebrating the life of Walter Luther Young, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Grover Vaught, USAF, Ret.
Commending the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.
Celebrating the life of Gardner Elliott Cobb, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Rose Gartrell Vann.
Commending the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work.
Commending Bishop C. Vernie Russell, Jr., and Pastor Ronda H. Russell.
Commending the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police & Foundation.
Commending the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III.
Celebrating the life of Ola Parker Willoughby.
Celebrating the life of Bruce Randolph Murray.
Commending the Honorable Penney S. Azcarate.
Commending the George Wythe High School boys' basketball team.
Commending the George Wythe High School girls' basketball team.
Celebrating the life of Michael Allen Humphries.
Celebrating the life of James Patrick Guy II.
Celebrating the life of Master Sergeant Ronald Wade Scearce, USAF, Ret.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Jerrauld C. Jones.
Celebrating the life of Bettie Minette Cooper.
Celebrating the life of F. Patrick Kavanaugh, Jr.
Commending the University of Virginia School of Law.
Celebrating the life of Virginia Esqueda Gilpin.
Celebrating the life of Wade Wallihan Massie.
Commending the Brentsville High School girls' flag football team.
Celebrating the life of Claudia Hantman Arko.
Commending the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
Commending Woodley Hills Elementary School.
Celebrating the life of Margaret Peters Stalnaker.
Celebrating the life of Colonel John Snider, USAF, Ret.
Celebrating the life of Marvin Sherlock Holmes, Sr.
Celebrating the life of Virginia Mozell Jefferson Tyler.
Celebrating the life of Nicholas Phillip Picerno.
Celebrating the life of Lucille Murray Brown.
Booker T. Washington Commemorative Commission; reconstituted as a joint commission. Provides for the Booker T. Washington Commemorative Commission, established originally as a Senate commission for the purpose of honoring Booker T. Washington with a statue in the Old Senate Chamber, to be reconstituted as a joint commission consisting of members of both the Senate and the House of Delegates. The commission's purpose is also expanded to study and recommend an appropriate statue to be located on Capitol Square.
Commending the Centreville Volunteer Fire Department.
Celebrating the life of John Howard Hodges.
Commending the Reverend Dr. Roberta Young-Jackson.
Commending the NAC Save Our Youth Foundation, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Harlan Ray Beckley.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Gerald Edward Connolly.
Celebrating the life of Martin Gerald Farber.
Celebrating the life of Edward Douglas Harris.
Commending the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.
Commending the Abingdon High School girls' volleyball team.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Barnie Keith Day.
Commending Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University.
Commending the Honorable Kenneth Ronald Melvin.
Commending the Western Tidewater Free Clinic.
Commending Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8545.
Celebrating the life of August Bryant Bullock.
Celebrating the life of James Woodrow McGlothlin.
Commending the Franklin High School boys' basketball team.
Commending the Virginia Black Restaurant Experience.
Celebrating the life of Eddie L. Radden, Jr.
Commending the Brunswick Academy girls' basketball team.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Charles Douglas Poindexter.
Celebrating the life of Evan Morgan Jewell.
Celebrating the life of Brian Lindsay Fortna.
Celebrating the life of Eugene Hamilton Hurst, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Carrie Taylor Carter.
Commending the Windsor Ruritan Club Pig Pickin'.
Commending the Honorable Johnny E. Morrison.
Confirming Governor's appointments; February 2. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Abigail D. Spanberger and communicated to the General Assembly February 2, 2026.
Commending the James S. Russell Middle School girls' basketball team.
Confirming Governor's appointments; February 23. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Abigail D. Spanberger and communicated to the General Assembly February 23, 2026.
Commending the Churchland High School boys' track and field team.
Colonial Capitol in the City of Williamsburg; Commemorative Session.
Commending the Gamma Omega Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Robert Elston Greene.
Celebrating the life of John William Jones, Sr., D.D.S.
Celebrating the life of Mildred Harlow Scott.
Commending the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Beta Gamma Chapter.
Commending the veterans of the United States Armed Forces from Augusta County.
Commending Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Commending the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy swim and dive team.
Commending Rose of Sharon Apostolic Church.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Wyatt Beazley Durrette, Jr.
Commending the Nansemond River High School 2025-2026 athletics program.
Celebrating the life of Charles Harry Carrico, Jr.
Commending the King's Fork High School girls' wrestling team.
Celebrating the life of Franklin Delano Yancey, Sr.
Commending the Brunswick High School girls' track and field team.
Celebrating the life of Christian A. Jurgensen III.
Commending the North Grounds Softball League.
Celebrating the life of Ashley Elizabeth Harrell.
Celebrating the life of Robert Blane Maxwell III.
Celebrating the life of Malcom Pollard McConnell III.
Commending the Lightridge High School Marching Storm.
Commending the Oakton High School girls' wrestling team.
Nominating persons to be elected to circuit court judgeships.
Celebrating the life of Charles Frederick Downs.
Nominating persons to be elected to general district court judgeships.
Commending the Brunswick Academy girls' volleyball team.
Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.
Celebrating the life of Carl Robinson Cornwell.
Celebrating the life of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, USAR.
Celebrating the life of Joanne Terenzio Blakemore.
Commending Chester and Barbara Ehrenzeller.
Celebrating the life of Edward Phillip Hickman, Jr.
Celebrating the life of Barbara Radcliffe Grey.
Celebrating the life of Mary Louise Hinton Crowther.
Commending the Battlefield High School gymnastics team.
Celebrating the life of Cecil Heber Breeden, Jr.
Celebrating the life of James Charlton Graves.
Celebrating the life of Nancy Thumma Bowles.
Commending the Families of the Wounded Fund.
Celebrating the life of Alyssa Lynn Albina Kakol.
Celebrating the life of George Baskerville Lancaster, Jr.
Commending the Reverend Darryl G. Thompson.
Celebrating the life of Ronald William Buzzeo.
Commending the Federation of Jain Associations in North America - Virginia Chapter.
Celebrating the life of Robert Selden Duvall.
Commending United States Navy ships named USS Yorktown.
Celebrating the life of William Edward Jamerson, Sr.
Commending the Varina High School football team.
Confirming Governor's appointments; March 6. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Abigail D. Spanberger and communicated to the General Assembly March 6, 2026.
Commending James C. Wright Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Catherine Agnes Martin Hudgins.
Celebrating the life of Braden Thomas Cuttler.
Celebrating the life of M. Yaqub Mirza, Ph.D.
Commending Freddie's Beach Bar and Restaurant.
Commending the Gainesville High School boys' indoor track and field team.
Celebrating the life of John Christopher Welborn.
Celebrating the life of Daniel Robert Frye.
Celebrating the life of Christopher John Tutko.
Commending the Junior Woman's Club of Loudoun.
Commending Virginia Western Community College.
Celebrating the life of Ronyell Deshawn Whitaker.
Celebrating the life of John T. Casteen III.
Celebrating the life of Eva Marie Coles Caldwell Baker.
Commending the Miller School of Albemarle baseball team.
Celebrating the life of King Salim Khalfani.
Commending Third Street Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Celebrating the life of Dorothy Lee Wilson.
Celebrating the life of Jane Pasolli Edmondson.
Commending the Mountain View High School competition cheer squad.
Commending the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Commending Lewinsville Retirement Residence.
Commending the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Commending the Salem High School Spartans boys' lacrosse team.
Commending the Independence High School boys' lacrosse team.
Commending the Independence High School girls' soccer team.
Commending the Lightridge High School scholastic bowl team.
Commending the Broad Run High School girls' tennis team.
Commending the Lightridge High School boys' soccer team.
Commending the Briar Woods High School competition cheer team.
Commending the Broad Run High School competition cheer team.
Commending the Freedom High School boys' indoor track and field team.
Commending the Independence High School golf team.
Commending the River Basin Grand Winners of the Clean Water Farm Award.
Commending the Tuscarora High School softball team.
Celebrating the life of Lawrence Max Beyer.
Celebrating the life of Donald Wise Huffman.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable John Granger Macfarlane II.
Celebrating the life of Barbara Griffis Decatur.
Celebrating the life of Robert Parrish Green.
Celebrating the life of La Bravia J. Jenkins.
Commending the Heritage High School baseball team.
Commending the Riverside High School golf team.
Commending the Riverside High School girls' volleyball team.
Commending the Loudoun County High School girls' soccer team.
Commending the Woodgrove High School wrestling team.
Commending the Riverside High School girls' lacrosse team.
Celebrating the life of Stephanie Nicole Minter.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Harry Fleisher Collins, Jr.
Commending Matt Neale, J.D., 2026 Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Celebrating the life of Nicole Gugenheim Yancey.
Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to SB 72.
Employment; paid sick leave; civil penalties; civil actions. Requires one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for all employees of private employers and state and local governments, with certain exceptions. The bill requires that employees who are employed and compensated on a fee-for-service basis accrue paid sick leave in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. The bill provides that employees transferred to a separate division or location remain entitled to previously accrued paid sick leave and that employees retain their accrued paid sick leave under any successor employer. The bill allows employers to provide a more generous paid sick leave policy than prescribed by its provisions and specifies that employees, in addition to using paid sick leave for their physical or mental illness or to care for a family member, may use paid sick leave to seek or obtain certain services or to relocate or secure an existing home due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. The bill requires the Commissioner to promulgate regulations for the implementation and enforcement of the bill's provisions by July 1, 2027.
The bill authorizes the Commissioner, in the case of a knowing violation, to subject an employer to a civil penalty not to exceed $150 for the first violation, $300 for the second violation, and $500 for each successive violation. The Commissioner or Attorney General may commence administrative proceedings or bring a civil action to enforce the bill's provisions. Additionally, the bill authorizes an aggrieved employee to bring a civil action against the employer in which he may recover double the amount of any unpaid sick leave and the amount of any actual damages suffered as the result of the employer's violation. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 199.
Overtime for certain employees; domestic workers. Adds domestic workers, as defined in the bill, to provisions related to overtime pay. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 28.
Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; duties; Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee; appointment of members. Requires the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to appoint two additional members of the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee: an employee of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services who specializes in recovery and treatment services and a representative from the Virginia State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit.
Marine Resources Commission; beneficial use of dredged material. Provides that, beginning December 1, 2027, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to promote the beneficial use of dredged material, as defined in the bill, and that the Marine Resources Commission shall require the beneficial use of dredged material for all permits involving dredged material unless such approaches are not suitable based on criteria developed by the Commission. The bill also adds the sites of projects that are consistent with the beneficial use of dredged material to the sites that are given priority consideration for the disposal of that portion of dredged material determined to be suitable for such use by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. The bill directs the Commission to establish a work group to assist in the development of any regulations or guidance to implement the provisions of the bill. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
Marine Resources Commission; beneficial use of dredged material. Provides that, beginning December 1, 2027, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to promote the beneficial use of dredged material, as defined in the bill, and that the Marine Resources Commission shall require the beneficial use of dredged material for all permits involving dredged material unless such approaches are not suitable based on criteria developed by the Commission. The bill also adds the sites of projects that are consistent with the beneficial use of dredged material to the sites that are given priority consideration for the disposal of that portion of dredged material determined to be suitable for such use by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. The bill directs the Commission to establish a work group to assist in the development of any regulations or guidance to implement the provisions of the bill. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
Enforcement of federal traffic infractions by state and local law-enforcement officers; Planning District 8. Provides that state and local law-enforcement officers may enforce federal traffic infractions on any highway within Planning District 8. This bill is identical to SB 81.
Mattress Stewardship Program established; report. Establishes the Mattress Stewardship Program that allows certain industry associations to administer the Program as a mattress recycling organization with the approval and certification from the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill requires certain producers, retailers, and renovators of mattresses to register with a certified mattress recycling organization and requires a producer to identify each mattress brand it sells or offers for sale in the Commonwealth on or before June 1, 2027. Prior to the Program going into effect, the bill requires a mattress recycling organization to submit a plan with certain criteria relating to the collection and recycling of mattresses and the implementation of the Program. The bill establishes annual reporting requirements for the mattress recycling organization. Finally, the bill establishes the powers and duties of the Department as they relate to the bill.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement; payment plan. Requires a landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, before terminating a rental agreement due to nonpayment of rent if the exact amount of rent owed is less than or equal to one month's rent plus any late charges contracted for in the rental agreement and as provided by law, to serve upon such tenant a written notice informing the tenant of the exact amount due and owed and offer the tenant a payment plan under which the tenant must pay the exact amount due and owed in equal monthly installments over a period of the lesser of six months or the time remaining under the rental agreement. The bill prohibits the landlord from charging any additional late fees during the payment plan period in connection with the unpaid rental amount for which the tenant entered into the payment plan so long as the tenant makes timely payments in accordance with the terms of the payment plan. The bill also outlines the remedies a landlord has if a tenant fails to pay the exact amount due and owed or enter into a payment plan within five days of receiving notice or if a tenant enters into a payment plan and after such plan becomes effective fails to pay rent when due or fails to make a payment under the terms of the agreed-upon payment plan. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Voter registration; cancellation of registration, sources of data. Requires that, except on the basis of (i) a written request from the voter to have his registration cancelled or (ii) a certified or authenticated copy of a death certificate purporting to be issued by a governmental official or agency, the general registrar may not cancel the registration of any voter based on data or reports provided to him by any source other than the Department of Elections or a state agency approved to provide such data or reports by the State Board of Elections. The bill also reinstates a provision prohibiting the general registrar from cancelling the registration of (a) certain members of the uniformed service of the United States who are on active duty, (b) certain persons who reside temporarily outside of the United States, or (c) any spouse or dependent residing with such persons.
Elections; offenses; soliciting or accepting bribe to influence or procure voter registration; penalty. Provides that no person shall solicit or accept directly or indirectly any money or any thing of value in exchange for his or another's decision to register or not register to vote. The bill also provides certain exceptions to the prohibitions on soliciting or accepting bribes to influence a person to vote or to register to vote.
Manufacturing or sale of cosmetic products with certain ingredients prohibited. Prohibits any person from manufacturing, selling, delivering, offering for sale, or using in connection with a consumer transaction any cosmetic product that contains certain ingredients that are listed in the bill. The bill exempts retailers that do not (i) manufacture cosmetics containing prohibited ingredients or (ii) knowingly sell or offer for sale cosmetics containing prohibited ingredients. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and specifies that its provisions do not apply to or restrict the continued sale by a retailer of cosmetics in existing inventory before July 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 864.
Public school teachers; terms of employment; reemployment of teacher who has received continuing contract status; written notice required. Requires written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract to be given by the teacher by June 15 of each year; otherwise, the contract continues in effect for the ensuing year in conformity with local salary stipulations, including increments. Current law requires such written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract to be given by either the teacher or the school board by June 15 of each year. This bill is identical to SB 117.
Killing of deer damaging residential plants and certain property. Allows the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer when such deer cause damage to residential plants and the Director or his designee determines, upon inspection, that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. Upon a landowner or lessee's request, the bill also requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill antlerless deer on commercial agricultural production lands when such deer cause damage to fruit trees, Christmas trees, crops, horticultural plants, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production within the Commonwealth. When such damage is caused by antlered deer, the bill requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer if the Director or his designee determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. The bill also changes the extent to which a person can assist in hunting when his hunting license has been revoked or suspended in the Commonwealth by prohibiting such person from assisting in hunting until the hunting restriction has been lifted. Current law allows such a person to assist in hunting after a certain period of time.
Affordable dwelling unit program; City of Roanoke. Adds the City of Roanoke to the list of localities with authority to provide for an affordable dwelling unit program. The bill provides that such change shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly. The bill also requires the Virginia Housing Development Authority to analyze the potential efficacy of the provisions of the bill for the provision of affordable housing in the City of Roanoke and to report the results of such analysis no later than November 1, 2026.
Department of Housing and Community Development; loans for the construction of mixed income housing; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, to create a two-year pilot program that would provide loan origination and servicing activities for mixed income housing and submit a report on its findings to the General Assembly by November 1 of each year of the pilot program. The bill provides that any funding for the pilot program, subject to the appropriation act, shall be utilized from up to 15 percent of the annual deposit made to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This bill is identical to HB 820 and SB 490.
Board of Education; through-year growth assessment system eliminated. Eliminates the requirement that the Board of Education establish, in lieu of a one-time end-of-year assessment, a through-year growth assessment system, aligned with the Standards of Learning, for the administration of reading and mathematics assessments in grades three through eight. The bill removes from current law other provisions relating to the administration of such through-year growth assessments.
Voter registration; list maintenance; third-party data exchanges; approval by State Board of Elections. Requires the Commissioner of Elections, prior to entering into or terminating a memorandum of understanding or modifying the terms of an existing memorandum of understanding with any third party for the exchange of voter registration data, to submit the proposed memorandum of understanding, the reason for termination, or the proposed modifications, as appropriate, to the State Board of Elections for review and approval. Approval shall require a vote of two-thirds of the State Board. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Elections to apply for, enter into, and maintain membership for the Commonwealth in the Electronic Registration Information Center.
Purchase, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, or is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, transfers, or purchases a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 749.
Department of Conservation and Recreation; Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation, when updating the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, to identify areas where marshes may migrate in the face of sea level rise.
Labor and employment; payment of wages; minimum wage and overtime wages; misclassification of workers; prevailing wage rate; civil actions. Provides that an employer that violates provisions relating to minimum wage, overtime wages provisions, the misclassification of workers, or the prevailing wage rate is subject to civil actions for the applicable remedies, damages, or other relief available in an action brought pursuant to the civil action provisions currently available for the nonpayment of wages. Such provisions currently available provide that an employee may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover payment of the wages, and the court is required to award the wages owed, an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, plus prejudgment interest thereon, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. Under current law, if the court finds that the employer knowingly failed to pay wages to an employee, the court is required to award the employee an amount equal to triple the amount of wages due and reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill also prohibits an employer from taking certain retaliatory actions against an employee because the employee reports any information or allegation in good faith that, if true, amounts to a violation of any federal or state law or regulation to a supervisor, manager, or officer, or to any governmental body or law-enforcement official, including a report made in the ordinary course of the employee's employment, regardless of whether such report refers to a particular law or regulation.
Affirmative defense or reduced penalty for mental illness, neurocognitive disorder, or intellectual or developmental disability. Provides an affirmative defense to prosecution of a person for assault or assault and battery against certain specified persons for which the enhanced Class 6 felony and six-month mandatory minimum apply if such person proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that at the time of the assault or assault and battery (i) the person's behaviors were a result of (a) mental illness or (b) a neurocognitive disorder, including dementia, or an intellectual disability or a developmental disability such as autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, or (ii) the person met the criteria for issuance of an emergency custody order.
The bill requires such person or his counsel to give notice in writing to the attorney for the Commonwealth at least 60 days prior to his trial in circuit court, or at least 14 days if the trial date is set within 21 days of his last court appearance, of his intention to present such evidence. Additionally, if such notice is not given, and the person proffers such evidence at his trial as a defense, then the court may in its discretion either allow the Commonwealth a continuance or, under appropriate circumstances, bar such person from presenting such evidence; any such continuance shall not be counted for speedy trial purposes pursuant to relevant law.
Lastly, the bill provides that if such person does not prove that his behaviors were a result of his mental illness, intellectual disability, developmental disability, or neurocognitive disorder but the evidence establishes that his mental illness, intellectual disability, developmental disability, or neurocognitive disorder otherwise contributed to his behaviors, the finder of fact may find such person guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that such affirmative defense shall not be construed to allow an affirmative defense for voluntary intoxication. This bill is identical to SB 335.
Deferred disposition in a criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities; expungement. Adds developmental disabilities to the autism and intellectual disability deferred disposition statute. The bill also provides that when a court defers and dismisses a charge pursuant to the autism, intellectual disability, or developmental disability deferred disposition statute, such charge may be considered as otherwise dismissed for purposes of expungement of police and court records. The bill also (i) clarifies that the defendant may request a hearing to determine the appropriateness of a deferred disposition at any time before or after any plea and (ii) provides that no statement made by the defendant at such a hearing is admissible in any criminal proceeding, except that any such statement made under oath may be admissible in a criminal proceeding for perjury or for purposes of impeachment in a criminal matter. This bill is identical to SB 416.
Relocation or modification of easement by owner of servient estate. Establishes that any easement may be relocated or modified either (i) by filing with each clerk of the circuit court of the city or county in which the easement or any part of the easement is located a written agreement evidencing the consent of the easement holder, as defined in the bill, and the consent of any other affected persons or (ii) in the absence of such agreement, upon petition to the circuit court and notice to all interested parties. The bill also provides that certain easements enumerated in the bill shall not be subject to a relocation or modification upon petition to the circuit court. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Early childhood care and education; terminology. Updates throughout the Code of Virginia the term "family day home" to "home-based child care" and the term "family day system" to "home-based child care system." The bill permits the Department of Education to phase in such terminology changes over a period time to ensure that any necessary changes to its information technology systems can be integrated into future systems upgrades in order to minimize costs.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; noncompliance as defense to action for possession for nonpayment of rent. Removes the provision requiring that a tenant in possession of a dwelling unit, prior to asserting a defense against an action for rent or possession, pay into court the amount of rent found by the court to be due and unpaid and for such amount to be held by the court pending the issuance of an order. The bill also limits the discretion of the court in actions for possession based upon nonpayment of rent and actions for rent by a landlord when the tenant is in possession of a dwelling unit. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Department of Education; compliance with and enforcement of prohibition on false statements as to school division or attendance zone residency; evaluation; report. Directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Virginia State Crime Commission and such other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate, to evaluate and make recommendations on compliance with and enforcement of the provisions of applicable law prohibiting any person from knowingly making a false statement concerning the residency of a child in a particular school division or school attendance zone for the purpose of improving the efficacy of enforcing statutory residency requirements for enrollment in a particular school division while ensuring consequences or penalties for violations of such requirements are commensurate with such violations. The bill directs the Department to submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2026, a report on its findings and recommendations.
Divorce; adultery; filing; parties living separate and apart; work group; report. Specifies that a divorce may be decreed on the grounds of adultery, provided that such adultery occurred prior to the final separation of the parties. The bill further allows for a divorce from bed and board to be decreed on the application of either party upon the parties living separate and apart; under current law, a divorce from bed and board may only be decreed for cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, willful desertion, or abandonment. The bill specifies that no waiting period is required for the filing for such a divorce, but the decree of such a divorce may only be decreed pursuant to certain requirements otherwise specified in the law. The bill further directs the Virginia Family Law Coalition, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section, to convene a work group to consider whether to eliminate fault-based grounds for divorce in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice no later than December 1, 2026.
Conventional home mortgage loans; assumption provisions. Requires any lender for any conventional home mortgage loan secured on or after July 1, 2026, by a mortgage or deed of trust on owner-occupied residential real estate located in the Commonwealth to include provisions in such loan to allow for any of the existing borrowers to purchase the property interest of another borrower on the loan by assuming the seller's portion of the mortgage in connection with a decree of annulment or divorce if the assuming borrower qualifies for the underlying loan, as determined by the lender.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers; purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; penalties; report. Transitions and provides a more comprehensive structure for the current licensing and enforcement responsibilities related to liquid nicotine and retail tobacco products from the Department of Taxation to a permitting system administered by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill requires the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage and Control Authority to conduct an unannounced buyer operation at least once every 24 months to verify a permittee, defined in the bill, is not selling retail tobacco products to persons under 21 years of age. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 620.
Motor vehicle glass repair and replacement; emissions inspection; penalties. Establishes various notice requirements for motor vehicle glass repair shops, defined in the bill, and provides that a violation of such requirements is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill permits a motor vehicle to qualify for an emissions inspection waiver if such vehicle has failed an inspection and the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system is in a not-ready condition to be tested when presented for reinspection. This bill is identical to SB 767.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; retaliatory conduct prohibited. Adds numerous actions to the list of prohibited retaliatory actions by a landlord against a tenant under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act and specifies actions by a tenant for which a landlord may not retaliate. The bill modifies and expands the list of actions a landlord may take without violating the prohibition on retaliation. The bill allows a tenant, when the landlord has unlawfully retaliated, to recover actual damages and to assert retaliation as a defense in any action brought against him for possession. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; application; notice, deposit, fee, and additional information. Provides that, prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant, a landlord shall first notify the applicant in writing or by posting in a manner accessible to a prospective tenant certain information relating to the rental application process. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; exemption of certain courses and programs of instruction from certification requirement. Exempts from the requirement to be certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia any course or program of instruction on Scrum, Kanban, or other Agile-based methods or frameworks, provided that no such exempted course or program of instruction exceeds the number of hours required by the certifying body.
Medical cannabis program; product labels; delivery. Changes the requirements for what is included on medical cannabis product labels affixed by pharmaceutical processors to include (i) the total milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) included in the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product, both defined in the bill; (ii) the number of milligrams of THC and CBD in each serving of the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product; and (iii) the total percentage of THC and CBD included in the inhalable cannabis product, defined in the bill. Under current law, the product label of any medical cannabis product is required to include the total percentage and milligrams of THC and CBD included in the product and the number of milligrams of THC and CBD in each serving.
The bill also allows a pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility to dispense or deliver cannabis products in person to a patient or such patient's registered agent, parent, or legal guardian at any residence, including a temporary residence or business. However, the bill prohibits dispensing or delivering cannabis products to (a) any military base, child day center, school, or correctional facility; (b) the State Capitol; or (c) any public gathering places, including sporting events, festivals, fairs, races, concerts, and terminals of public transportation companies. The bill also specifies that all transportation or delivery of usable cannabis, botanical cannabis, cannabis oil, or cannabis products, whether by an employee or delivery agent, shall comply with all relevant laws and regulations and provides that the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority may suspend or revoke the privileges of any employee or delivery agent to transport or deliver such products for failure to comply.
The bill also provides that the 12-month stability testing period for medical cannabis products begins on the date the cannabis product is tested, rather than the date of product registration approval and that any medical cannabis product with an expiration date exceeding 12 months shall be supported by stability testing measured from the testing date, rather than the date of product registration approval. The bill contains technical amendments.
Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices; local regulation; installation by tenants; consumer protection. Prevents a locality from prohibiting the use of a small portable solar generation device, as defined in the bill, on a residential structure, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill includes provisions related to the installation of small portable solar generation devices by tenants and prevents landlords from prohibiting such installation in certain circumstances. Under the bill, small portable solar generation devices are excluded from the provisions of net metering programs applicable to eligible agricultural customer-generators, eligible customer-generators, or small agricultural generating facilities. The bill also permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility, municipal utility, electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish a notification form for a customer of an electric utility or cooperative to install a small portable solar generation device and directs the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to convene a work group to evaluate and develop recommendations regarding the safety standards and requirements applicable to small portable solar generation devices. Certain provisions of the bill become effective on January 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 289 and HB 928 and is identical to SB 250.
Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Air Pollution Control Board to establish and maintain a market-based trading program consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program, as defined in existing law, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating units in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 802.
Use of school buses for public purposes by local governing bodies; insurance reimbursement. Permits any local governing body that use school buses for certain public purposes pursuant to an agreement with a school board to reimburse the school board for the proportionate share of any insurance costs, both fixed and variable, of such buses incurred by such school board that are attributable to the use of such buses pursuant to such agreement in lieu of the existing statutory requirement for such a local governing body to supply sufficient insurance for such school buses.
Workers' compensation; employer's offset in event of recovery. Amends provisions related to an employer's offset for recovery in certain actions brought under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The bill requires that lifetime medical award benefits and ongoing indemnity award benefits shall remain in full force and effect if the claimant is under such an award at the time that recovery is effected, subject to the employer offset provisions. Under the bill, an employer's credit shall be applied as a continuing, pro rata reduction to benefits otherwise payable under an existing award until the employer's required credit is exhausted. The bill also removes language limiting an employee's entitlement to compensation and expenses for medical, surgical, and hospital attention and funeral expenses.
Workers' compensation; employer's offset in event of recovery. Amends provisions related to an employer's offset for recovery in certain actions brought under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The bill requires that lifetime medical award benefits and ongoing indemnity award benefits shall remain in full force and effect if the claimant is under such an award at the time that recovery is effected, subject to the employer offset provisions. Under the bill, an employer's credit shall be applied as a continuing, pro rata reduction to benefits otherwise payable under an existing award until the employer's required credit is exhausted. The bill also removes language limiting an employee's entitlement to compensation and expenses for medical, surgical, and hospital attention and funeral expenses.
Workers' compensation; employer's offset in event of recovery. Amends provisions related to an employer's offset for recovery in certain actions brought under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The bill requires that lifetime medical award benefits and ongoing indemnity award benefits shall remain in full force and effect if the claimant is under such an award at the time that recovery is effected, subject to the employer offset provisions. Under the bill, an employer's credit shall be applied as a continuing, pro rata reduction to benefits otherwise payable under an existing award until the employer's required credit is exhausted. The bill also removes language limiting an employee's entitlement to compensation and expenses for medical, surgical, and hospital attention and funeral expenses.
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; eminent domain. Expands the authority of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to exercise the power of eminent domain.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; employment services organizations. Amends provisions related to the powers and duties of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to allow the Department to implement any remediation or enhancement measure for employment services organizations as may be authorized by the Governor pursuant to existing law and develop regulations for program implementation. The bill also directs the Department to amend relevant regulations of the Virginia Administrative Code to reflect the intent of the General Assembly to specifically reference "employment services organizations" in such regulations.
Prior authorization; requiring physician review for denial. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from making an adverse determination of a prior authorization request (i) for prescription drugs unless such denial has been reviewed and approved by a licensed physician or, if a licensed physician is not available, by a licensed pharmacist or (ii) for health care services unless such adverse determination has been reviewed and approved by (a) a licensed physician; (b) in the case of mental health services, a licensed mental health provider if a licensed physician is unavailable; or (c) in the case of dental services, a licensed dentist if a licensed physician is unavailable.
Health insurance; ethics and fairness in carrier business practices; downcoded claims. Prohibits a carrier, intermediary, administrator, or representative of a carrier from downcoding a claim unless the decision to downcode is determined by a person or electronic system that reflects correct coding standards and considers all relevant patient data from the billing provider in making the determination. The bill requires a carrier, intermediary, administrator, or representative that downcodes a claim to provide certain notice to the provider. The bill requires that all downcoding dispute decisions are reviewed and adjudicated by a natural person.
Local government; certain towns; suspension of officers, study, remedial plan, and meeting requirements. Provides that any member of a governing body in any locality, who has been employed by any governmental agency that is a component part of and that is subject to the ultimate control of the governing body of which he is a member, is deemed to have continuing personal interest in that agency for a period of two years following the termination of such employment. The bill also requires the court, in a criminal proceeding against an officer of any town in Planning District 8 with a population between 8,000 and 10,000 alleging the commission of a felony offense, to enter an order suspending the officer pending the resolution of such proceeding and any related proceeding for the officer's removal. The bill requires any such town to also procure a study by a public institution of higher education to evaluate the condition and status of the town's debt, infrastructure, utilities, and other significant liability risks. Such town is required to adopt a plan consistent with the study to address such town's needs, as identified in the study, in a fiscally appropriate manner that does not jeopardize the town's bond rating. The bill also prohibits the town council of any such town from voting on matters that have not been properly published at least three days prior to the vote as part of a town council agenda or otherwise approved as additional agenda items or as amendments to existing agenda items by a three-fourths vote of all the members of the council at the start of the meeting. The bill requires that any full-time town manager of such town must be a resident of the Commonwealth unless the town council has waived such requirement by a majority vote. This bill is identical to SB 648.
Sports betting; prohibition on use of credit cards. Prohibits the Director of the Virginia Lottery from approving the use of credit cards as a method for sports bettors to fund sports betting accounts. The bill also requires a permit holder to take reasonable measures to prohibit the acceptance of credit cards to fund sports betting accounts on its sports betting platform.
Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own employees; and (iii) if such county or city subsequently elects to provide its own system of public transportation, adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining and ensure all employees of such private company are offered employment with such subsequent public transportation system without loss of compensation or benefits. The bill clarifies that the bill only applies to actions occurring on or after the effective date and excludes any action taken, contract signed, liability incurred, or right accrued prior to July 1, 2026, from the requirements. Finally, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to convene a work group to develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the bill and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 731.
State officers and employees; state agencies to establish alternative work schedules; reporting requirement. Adds to the annual reporting requirements of each state agency the requirement to include what percentage of changes to the number of employees participating in telecommuting and alternative work is a result of changes in workforce size, a reclassification of positions, or an expansion of telecommuting and alternative work opportunities and the number of employees approved and denied telecommuting and alternative work eligibility. The bill also requires the Department of Human Resource Management to review and publish on its website the statewide telecommuting and alternative work schedule policy every two years.
Driving while intoxicated; refusal of tests; repeat offenders; ignition interlocks. Permits a court to issue a restricted license with immediate installation of ignition interlock systems for certain offenders charged with driving while intoxicated, refusal of tests, or repeat offender violations. The bill also directs the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program to convene a work group to evaluate the provisions governing driving or operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and submit recommendations and a draft report to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2026. Current law requires various time limits of driver's license suspension for such violations before a restricted license may be issued.
Prevailing wage rate for public works contracts; localities. Requires each state agency or locality, when procuring services or letting contracts for public works paid for in whole or in part by state or local funds, or when overseeing or administering such contracts for public works, to ensure that its bid specifications or other public contracts applicable to the public works require bidders, offerors, contractors, and subcontractors to pay wages, salaries, benefits, and other remuneration to any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform services in connection with the public contract for public works at a rate no less than the prevailing wage rate. The bill also amends the definition of "public works" to include work performed at certain institutions of higher education and to exclude work performed at a non-governmental property or facility used to provide broadband or other telecommunications services. Under the bill, a contractor or subcontractor may be liable to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry for liquidated damages for violating the prevailing wage requirements in the bill. Under the bill, any interested party shall have standing to challenge bid specifications, project agreements, or other public contracts for public works that violate the provisions of the bill. The bill requires institutions of higher education to expressly agree to comply with the public works contract requirements. Under the bill, the Commissioner shall determine the prevailing wage based on a survey of wages and benefits paid in each area, as defined in the bill, conducted every two years. The bill includes factors for the Commissioner to consider in determining a prevailing wage rate. The bill directs the Commissioner to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 518.
Covenants not to compete; health care professionals; civil penalty. Adds health care professionals as a category of employee with or upon whom no employer shall enter into, enforce, or threaten to enforce a covenant not to compete. The bill defines "health care professional" as any person licensed, registered, or certified by the Board of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, or Social Work. The bill provides that any employer that violates the prohibition against covenants not to compete with a health care professional is subject to the civil penalty in current law of $10,000 for each violation. This bill is identical to SB 128.
Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote or otherwise retaliating against a prospective or current employee for not providing wage or salary history or requesting a wage or salary range; (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill incorporates HB 1164 and is identical to SB 215.
Possession of an item containing residue of a controlled substance; penalty. Creates the offense of possession of residue of a controlled substance with a tiered system of punishment. Currently, possession of any amount of a controlled substance has a tiered system of punishment as if there is a usable amount of such controlled substance.
Elections; administration; acceptance of certain gifts and funding; approval required. Removes the prohibition on accepting property and services provided by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or any other expense incurred in the conduct of elections. Conditions the acceptance of money or grants of greater than $1,000 given by a private individual or nongovernmental entity for the purpose of funding voter education and outreach programs, voter registration programs, or any other expense incurred in the conduct of elections on approval of such funding by a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the State Board of Elections or the local governing body.
Elections; challenges to a voter or voter's registration. Eliminates the process by which any voter could challenge, in a polling place on the day of an election, the right of any other voter to cast a ballot. The bill also eliminates the process by which any three voters could challenge a voter's registration before the general registrar; such challenges may still be made by filing a petition with the circuit court of the county or city where the voter is registered.
Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill provides that no retail sales may occur prior to January 1, 2027. Effective January 1, 2027, the bill also moves oversight of the retail sale of certain regulated hemp products from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. This bill is identical to SB 542.
Prohibiting certain acts in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement in certain protected areas; exceptions; penalties. Prohibits certain federal civil immigration enforcement activities in certain protected areas including any courthouse, within 40 feet of any polling place or building used as a meeting place for the local electoral board while the electoral board meets to ascertain the results of an election, and any place or facility owned by the Commonwealth that is a hospital or other health care facility, a school or public institution of higher education, or an office of the attorney for the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any civil arrest in a courthouse pursuant to a civil administrative warrant, subject to certain exceptions such as service or enforcement of an order for failure to pay child support or for any arrest occurring in connection with a court proceeding that is taking place or is scheduled to take place. The bill provides that such provisions shall not apply when such arrest is authorized by a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena.
The bill also authorizes a local school board to include in its written school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plan a procedure for notifying school board employees and parents of enrolled students of the presence of certain individuals on school property for immigration investigation or enforcement purposes. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that requires an individual present on campus to investigate compliance with, enforce, or assist in an investigation or enforcement of any federal immigration law to present a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena before accessing any nonpublic area of the campus. This bill incorporates HB 1260, HB 1265, HB 1440, and HB 1442 and is identical to SB 351.
Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty. Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits any such new products from being sold, offered for sale, leased, or rented in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards. The bill excludes any energy or water conservation standards set aside by a court or any product if federal law preempts the application of the minimum energy and water conservation standards to such a product, including any product or product categories where there is a requirement to develop a standard under the EPCA.
Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer, including the Commonwealth and its agencies and political subdivisions, from using coercion or issuing a threat to an employee based on immigration status in furtherance of committing a violation of the Virginia Minimum Wage Act or provisions related to the payment of wages. An aggrieved employee is permitted to file a complaint with the Commissioner of Labor and Industry within 180 days of the alleged coercive action or threat. The bill authorizes the Commissioner to investigate such complaints and, if the allegation is substantiated, to impose a civil penalty in the following amounts: (i) up to $5,000 for the first violation, (ii) up to $9,000 for the second violation, and (iii) up to $12,000 for any subsequent violation. The bill provides that any such penalty assessed shall be paid to the Commissioner for deposit into the General Fund. The bill also authorizes the Commissioner to seek injunctive relief as may be necessary for enforcement.
Photo speed monitoring devices; photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals; school bus video-monitoring systems; proof of violation; certain persons swearing to or affirming certificates; training. Authorizes retired sworn law-enforcement officers, registered special conservators of the peace, and technicians employed by a locality to swear to or to affirm certificates for the purposes of enforcement of violations recorded by traffic light signal violation monitoring systems, traffic control device violation monitoring systems, photo speed monitoring devices, or school bus video-monitoring systems upon completion of a training course developed and approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill also requires law-enforcement officers swearing to or affirming such certificates to complete such training course. These provisions of the bill have an effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop, approve, and make available such training course no later than January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 59.
Local law-enforcement agencies; firearm give-back or buy-back programs. Allows for any county or city law-enforcement agency and any town law-enforcement agency to develop policies and procedures to implement either a firearm give-back program or a firearm buy-back program by January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter. The bill enumerates several requirements to be included in such policies. The bill also requires local law-enforcement agencies to submit an annual report to the Department of State Police. The bill states that proceeds generated from the sale or auction of a returned firearm shall be deposited into the locality's general fund or used solely for the administration of the locality's firearm give-back program or firearm buy-back program.
Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 347.
Custody and visitation arrangements for minor; custody evaluation; report. Provides that a circuit or district court may order a custody evaluation to assist with determining the custody or visitation arrangements for a minor. Current law provides that such custody evaluations can be ordered in a proceeding for custody or visitation before a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The bill also directs the Board of Psychology, in consultation with the Board of Medicine, to convene a stakeholder advisory group to study the availability of qualified mental health professionals willing to serve as court-appointed experts in family law proceedings and to report its findings and any recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice and House Committee on Health and Human Services no later than November 1, 2026.
Elections; absentee and provisional ballots; cure process. Requires that, if the electoral board determines that any person having submitted a provisional vote was not entitled to vote as a result of a material error or omission on the provisional ballot form, the registrar is required to promptly notify the voter by telephone or email of the error or omission and to provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted. The voter is entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the Monday after the election. The bill moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. The bill also requries the Department of Elections to issue guidance to local election officials on the uniform processing and counting of provisional ballots, including any provisional ballot cast by a person submitting a registration application on the same day as the election.
Elections; absentee and provisional ballots; cure process. Requires that, if the electoral board determines that any person having submitted a provisional vote was not entitled to vote as a result of a material error or omission on the provisional ballot form, the registrar is required to promptly notify the voter by telephone or email of the error or omission and to provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted. The voter is entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the Monday after the election. The bill moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. The bill also requries the Department of Elections to issue guidance to local election officials on the uniform processing and counting of provisional ballots, including any provisional ballot cast by a person submitting a registration application on the same day as the election. This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs. Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP.
Department of Housing and Community Development; loans for the construction of mixed income housing; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, to create a two-year pilot program that would provide loan origination and servicing activities for mixed income housing and submit a report on its findings to the General Assembly by November 1 of each year of the pilot program. The bill provides that any funding for the pilot program, subject to the appropriation act, shall be utilized from up to 15 percent of the annual deposit made to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This bill is identical to HB 196 and SB 490.
Minimum off-street parking requirements in certain areas. Provides that a locality shall not require, as a condition of zoning approval, minimum off-street parking for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development located within a designated area, as defined in the bill, in amounts exceeding (i) 0.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit for multifamily or mixed-use residential development and (ii) one parking space per dwelling unit for one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses. The bill also provides that no locality shall adopt or enforce any provision of a zoning ordinance that imposes minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development located within a designated area in excess of such limitations. The bill further provides that any locality with a population greater than 20,000 shall, by ordinance, provide for an administrative reduction of minimum off-street parking requirements of not less than 20 percent for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use development proposed on parcels not located within a designated area. This bill incorporates HB 262.
Siting of battery energy storage projects; commercial solar photovoltaic generation facilities; permitted accessory use. Deems battery energy storage projects as a permitted accessory use in all zoning districts on any parcel of land that is subject to an approved special exception, as defined in the bill, for a commercial solar photovoltaic generation facility, if such battery energy storage project is located within the boundaries of the parcel covered by the existing special exception and complies with any applicable federal, state, and local safety or fire codes and environmental regulations. The bill prohibits a host locality from requiring a special exception or any other local land use approval on such battery energy storage project. The bill clarifies that nothing in the provisions of the bill shall be construed to (i) limit the authority of a host locality to enforce compliance with applicable codes or ensure the safe operation of the battery energy storage project or (ii) preclude the developer of a battery energy storage project from negotiating a siting agreement with the host locality. The bill also clarifies that any battery energy storage project for which an initial interconnection request has been filed with an electric utility or a regional transmission organization prior to July 1, 2030, and is constructed in accordance with the provisions of the bill shall be subject to the applicable local ordinance and regulation in effect on July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 443.
Revision of Title 30. Creates proposed Title 30.1 (General Assembly) as a revision of existing Title 30 (General Assembly). Proposed Title 30.1 consists of 16 chapters divided into three subtitles: Subtitle I (The General Assembly and Members Thereof), Subtitle II (The Legislative Branch of Government), and Subtitle III (Legislative Commissions, Councils, Committees, and Other Legislative Entities). The bill organizes the laws in a more logical manner, removes obsolete and duplicative provisions, and improves the structure and clarity of statutes. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Code Commission.
Secretary of Public Safety; firearm violence. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety to convene a work group to develop policy and legislative recommendations to establish the Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center. The bill allows the work group to (i) meet both in-person and virtually, (ii) have small group breakouts for the purpose of advancing work in a timely and efficient manner, and (iii) collaborate with experts and other representatives as needed. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and any legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 364.
Voter registration; list maintenance activities, cancellation procedures, required record matches. Requires certain, specified identification information to be included on the lists received by the Department of Elections (the Department) for list maintenance purposes and requires the Department, upon receiving any such list, to do an initial comparison of the information included on such list with the list of registered voters and to determine the confidence score for any match. The Department is required to transmit matches with a confidence score of at least 80 to the appropriate general registrars. The bill prohibits the use of voter data received from another state or jurisdiction or through a list comparison for list maintenance purposes when the data file does not include a unique identifier for each individual whose information is contained in the data file. The bill requires the Department to annually review all sources of data utilized for list maintenance activities for the purpose of determining the validity, completeness, accuracy, and reliability of the data received from each source, and to include the results of such review in its annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections regarding its list maintenance activities. The bill provides that the Department of Elections may only use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE Program) operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the sole purpose of individually verifying that voters listed in the Virginia voter registration system are United States citizens. The Department of Elections is prohibited from (i) using information received from the SAVE Program as the sole reason for rejecting a registration application, (ii) uploading lists of registered voters to the SAVE Program for verifying their citizenship status in bulk, or (iii) transferring any information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any subdivision thereof beyond the minimum information necessary. The bill requires the general registrars to send notice prior to cancelling a voter's registration regardless of the reason for cancellation. Lastly, the bill clarifies that when a voter's registration is cancelled, a cancellation record must be created, and that such records are public in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the National Voter Registration Act. The bill includes numerous technical amendments for organizational purposes. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 966.
Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation. Authorizes the governing body of any locality in Planning District 8 to provide by ordinance for the placement and operation of a photo speed monitoring device by a law-enforcement agency in a safety red zone, defined in the bill, for the purpose of recording vehicle speed violations in such safety red zone. The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and requires summonses issued for such vehicle speed violations to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that, for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of photo speed monitoring devices render such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons.
The bill also limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the vehicle speed violation.
The bill directs the Commissioner of Highways to develop criteria for designating a highway segment as a high-risk pedestrian corridor for purposes of identifying safety red zones.
The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
TPA-certified optometrists; sale and dispensation of Schedule VI controlled substances; requirements. Permits TPA-certified optometrists to sell and dispense Schedule VI controlled substances to their own patients provided that they obtain a license to do so from the Board of Pharmacy and comply with requirements related to dispensation, storage, packaging, labeling, recordkeeping, and reporting of the controlled substances sold and dispensed. The bill permits the Board of Optometry and the Board of Pharmacy to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and establish a limited-use license for TPA-certified optometrists pursuant to the bill. The bill exempts such initial regulations from the APA requirements. This bill is identical to SB 212.
Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; board of directors; plan of operation; filing of claims; awards and coverage for expenses or services. Makes various changes to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund. The bill provides that a civil action arising out of or related to a birth-related neurological injury against a participating hospital or physician shall be referred to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. Under the bill, the costs of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission maintaining an electronic filing system for the submission of petitions shall be reimbursed from the Fund. Under the bill, the Auditor of Public Accounts shall receive and review any audit conducted on the accounts of the Fund. The bill includes compensation for services provided by an education advocate. The bill requires the Program's board of directors to include a relative of a current or former beneficiary, allows for the electronic submission of claims, and expands discovery of parties to a claim. The bill further requires the Program's board of directors to establish a blanket surety bonding program for all employees with access to the Fund and requires the board to meet at least once monthly. Finally, the bill increases from $100,000 to $500,000 the amount that may be awarded to families whose infant has sustained a birth-related neurological injury. This bill is identical to SB 398.
Possession or transportation of firearms, firearms ammunition, stun weapons, or explosives or carrying of concealed weapons by persons convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person who, on or after July 1, 2026, commits assault or assault and battery against a person he intentionally selected because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or ethnic or national origin and is subsequently adjudicated delinquent or convicted of such offense from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting any firearm or ammunition for a firearm, any stun weapon, or any explosive material or carrying a concealed weapon, a violation of which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Health Coordination Network Program; patient data collection. Renames the Smartchart Network Program as the Health Coordination Network Program and relocates it within the Code. The bill expands patient level data elements and requires the Commissioner of Health to enter into contract with an authorized nonprofit organization to create, operate, maintain, and administer the Health Coordination Network Program.
Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to SB 493.
Discretionary parole eligibility guidelines. Requires the Virginia Parole Board to complete discretionary parole criteria guidelines, described in the bill, for each prisoner eligible for parole.
Local authority to test and monitor the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries. Allows a locality to provide for testing and monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as defined in relevant law, of the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries using an applicable test method established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill prohibits any expenses from such testing and monitoring from being eligible for reimbursement from the Sludge Management Fund.
School boards; high school students; establishment of certain goals for completion of certain applications for student financial aid required; provision of data and guidance relating to student financial aid applications. Requires each school board to (i) annually provide to each high school student and the parent of each high school student guidance and other informational materials on student financial aid applications, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of promoting awareness of federal and state financial aid programs, resources, eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and other processes and requirements; (ii) utilize federally available data to establish a five-year goal for encouraging and increasing the completion of student financial aid applications by high school students during the students' final school year before graduation; and (iii) annually post in a publicly accessible location on its website federally available data relating to student financial aid applications and submit to the Department of Education a report on the progress toward achieving the five-year goal established pursuant to clause (ii). The bill clarifies that nothing in the bill shall be construed to require any school board to establish a goal of universal completion of a student financial aid application prior to graduation by each high school student in the school division. The bill also prohibits any school board or employee thereof from disclosing any personally identifiable information relating to the requirements set forth in the bill to any individual or entity outside of the school division. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to provide to each school board (a) by the beginning of each school year, the website containing federally available data on the rates of completion of student financial aid applications; (b) guidance or other informational materials on student financial aid applications; and (c) guidance and other informational resources designed to support school boards in making progress toward the five-year goals established pursuant to the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.
Substantial Risk Order Reporting System established. Requires the Department of State Police to establish a Substantial Risk Order Reporting System for the purpose of tracking and reporting substantial risk orders by locality and to publish such reports on a monthly basis and make such reports available to the public online. The bill provides that the Department shall remove the names and other personal identifying information from the data before the reports are published.
Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges. Limits a treasurer's lien issued with respect to wages or salary to 25 percent of the delinquent taxpayer's disposable earnings in a single pay period. The 25 percent limitation shall not apply (i) if the lien issuer determines that the adjusted gross income of the delinquent taxpayer exceeds 250 percent of the poverty guideline amount adjusted for household size; (ii) if the treasurer determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the delinquent taxpayer or the property assessed with such taxes is no longer in the jurisdiction, or the taxpayer is attempting to flee the jurisdiction or is improperly disposing of assets with the intent to hinder or delay the collection of the delinquent taxes; or (iii) to any portion of the delinquent obligation collected by the delinquent taxpayer and held in trust to remit to the local governing authority. This bill is identical to SB 597.
Department of Education; culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services; guidance and policies. Requires, no later than October 1, 2027, the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and provide to each local school board guidance on the adoption of policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students in the local school division and permits any school board to develop and adopt policies in the local school division that are consistent with the guidelines adopted and provided by the Department of Education.
Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision and (b) been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students. The bill also provides that the requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of the bill shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.
Department of Education; artificial intelligence system use in instructional settings; development of AIS safety guidance required; AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program established; report. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with school divisions and other relevant stakeholders, to compile information on current uses of artificial intelligence systems (AIS) for student instruction in public schools in the Commonwealth and to establish and post in a publicly accessible location on its website guidance for the safe, ethical, and equitable use of AIS in instructional settings in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill requires each school board to establish, implement, and enforce policies consistent with the guidance developed by the Department in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill also directs the Department to establish and oversee the AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program for the purpose of funding, evaluating, and scaling innovative uses of AIS in public elementary and secondary schools by providing support to school divisions in piloting AIS applications for instruction, tutoring, student engagement, operational efficiency, and teacher support and to submit an annual report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1. The Pilot Program has an expiration date of July 1, 2030. This bill is identical to SB 394.
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 April 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning April 1, 2028. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly net earnings, not to exceed 100 percent of the statewide average weekly net earnings, 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. This bill is identical to SB 2.
Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation. Directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and requires summonses issued for such vehicle speed violations to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that, for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of photo speed monitoring devices render such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons.
The bill provides that any person against whom an enforcement action is carried out by a locality or law-enforcement agency, pursuant to the authority granted for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, where the enforcement action was based upon a willful disregard for applicable law, shall be entitled to an award of compensatory damages and to an order remanding the matter to the locality with a direction to carry out any further enforcement in a manner consistent with the law and may be entitled to reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The bill also provides that if a locality fails to comply with such an order, the court may order that the locality shall be ineligible to receive any funds collected from enforcement using photo speed monitoring devices, in excess of those used for its photo speed monitoring device program, and that the court shall order that any such excess funds be deposited in the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program until the locality comes into compliance with such order.
The bill also limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the vehicle speed violation.
The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
Local departments of social services; child abuse and neglect; recorded interviews. Requires local departments of social services, unless otherwise demonstrated by good cause shown, to record any child welfare interview, defined in the bill. Under the bill, any person may record any communications between themselves and child-protective services personnel that take place during the course of an investigation or family assessment. Under current law, only a person who is suspected of abuse or neglect of a child and who is the subject of an investigation or family assessment may record such communications.
Collective bargaining by public employees; individual home care providers; Virginia Home Care Council established; Public Employee Relations Board established; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill establishes the Virginia Home Care Council within the Department of Medical Assistance Services to promote the stability of the individual provider workforce in the Commonwealth and tasks the Council with serving as the public employer of individual providers, as defined in the bill, for purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill repeals a provision that declares that in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate any regulations necessary to effectuate the bill's provisions by July 1, 2028, and provides that upon the establishment of the Public Employee Relations Board, such regulations shall be transferred to the Board. The bill provides that until such regulations are adopted, no petitions or elections shall take place pursuant to the bill's provisions except pursuant to an ordinance or resolution adopted under current law. This bill is identical to SB 378.
Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. Allows for the administrative approval of development and construction of housing on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations or certain property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and provides that zoning ordinances shall allow the by-right development and construction of housing on real property owned by such organizations, subject to various conditions and limitations. The bill provides that the review of such developments be completed pursuant to general law and states that localities shall not require a special exception, special use permit, conditional use permit, rezoning, or any discretionary review or approval process. The bill requires that at least 60 percent of the housing development's total units be for affordable housing and that the housing development remain affordable for at least 30 years. The bill also provides that all such housing is subject to local real property taxation following completion, unless explicitly exempted by the locality. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and expires on January 1, 2031. This bill is identical to SB 388.
Enforcement of vehicle liens; property value. Increases from $12,500 to $17,000 the maximum value of property that may be sold at public auction to satisfy a lien on a motor vehicle without petitioning for a court order for the sale of such property. This bill is identical to SB 17.
Fishing license requirements; exemptions; free fishing days. Increases from three to six days the maximum number of free fishing days, during which a person is allowed to fish without a fishing license, that the Board of Wildlife Resources may designate for inland waters in the Commonwealth and the Commissioner of Marine Resources may designate for saltwater recreational fishing in the Commonwealth.
Department of Social Services; corrective action plans and assumption of temporary control of local boards and local departments. Grants the Commissioner of Social Services the authority to create and enforce a corrective action plan for any local board of social services or local department of social services that (i) fails to administer public assistance and social services programs in accordance with applicable laws and regulations or (ii) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child or adult. The bill permits similar authority for any local board of social services that (a) fails to provide child welfare services in accordance with applicable law or regulations or (b) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child. Under the bill, if a local board or department fails to comply with a corrective action plan, the Commissioner has the authority to temporarily assume control of all or part of the local board's operations. The bill also provides that, when a local board of social services or local department of social services requests assistance, the Commissioner has the authority to utilize staff of the Department of Social Services or contract with private entities to provide public assistance and social services programs in the locality served by the local board or department. The bill also adds adult services to the definition of "social services" for purposes of Title 63.2 (Welfare (Social Services)).
Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; regulations; service providers; emergency medical simulations; cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Directs the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to adopt regulations requiring certain providers to (i) conduct regular emergency medical simulations and train employees that regularly engage with people receiving services to prepare such employees to recognize and respond to situations where individuals receiving services require emergency medical treatment and (ii) require at least one employee trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to be on duty at each location where services are delivered.
Virginia Military Institute; task force. Establishes a task force to examine higher education at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The bill directs the task force to determine VMI's responsiveness to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's 2021 report on the institution and to explore and recommend other changes to be made to distance VMI from the Lost Cause narrative, foster an inclusive environment, and address any other concerns raised by the task force. The task force is required to complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and to report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; membership and duties; work groups. Revises the membership and duties of the governing board of each public institution of higher education by, among other things, increasing from four years to six years the terms of each member of the governing board and requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of the institution's organizational structure. The bill also directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene work groups for the purpose of developing model shared governance policies, in accordance with the provisions of the bill, and for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on (i) institutional structures and processes relating to legal counsel; (ii) the current selection and use of outside legal counsel by public institutions of higher education; (iii) a process by which (a) the governing board of any public institution of higher education, the Governor, or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility, upon determining that the legal counsel of a public institution of higher education is not acting in the best interests of the institution, including due to a conflict of interest, failure to defend the lawful authority of the public institution of higher education, or failure to comply with state law, may request the Attorney General to review the adequacy of such legal representation and (b) upon a determination by the Attorney General or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility that such institution is not receiving adequate legal representation, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may request additional representation or approve alternate counsel as necessary to protect the interests of the institution; and (iv) policies for requiring any individual member of a governing board of a public institution of higher education to recuse himself from or not participate in any vote or decision of the governing board on any matter in which he has a personal or pecuniary interest or any partisan or ideological interest that would compromise his ability to vote or act objectively and in accordance with the primary duties set forth in relevant law. This bill incorporates HB 780, HB 939, and HB 1069 and is identical to SB 494.
Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund; recovery for breach of extended service contracts. Authorizes any person who is awarded a final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Commonwealth for any loss or damage resulting from a breach of an extended service contract for a motor vehicle to recover the unpaid amount on the judgment from the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund, subject to certain limitations.
Sickle Cell Coordinated Access Network established. Directs the State Health Commissioner, in coordination with the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems Authority, to establish and maintain the Sickle Cell Coordinated Access Network to provide health care providers in the Commonwealth with real-time consultation and support from sickle cell specialists. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 813.
Powers and duties for operation of local and regional correctional facilities and courthouse security; attorney access to courthouses and communication and visitation with incarcerated clients; penalty. Provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees or law-enforcement officers to bypass any security screening required to enter a courthouse, such sheriff shall also exempt from the security screening any attorney who displays a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and a government-issued identification. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any attorney who has had his license to practice law in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked and who displays a Virginia State Bar-issued bar card in an effort to be exempt from the security screening. The bill also requires any telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication system for prisoners that is offered by a sheriff or jail superintendent who operates a local or regional correctional facility to include a confidential means for a prisoner to communicate with his attorney at regular and reasonable times.
Electric utilities; pilot programs for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. Amends annual funding commitments for the purposes of the annual pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals conducted by Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power Company. Under the bill, Appalachian Power Company is required to continue its pilot program at no less than $1 million and no greater than $1.5 million annually. Dominion Energy Virginia is required to continue its pilot program at no less than $156 million and no greater than $204 million for the time period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending July 1, 2038. The bill extends the sunset date of such pilot programs from July 1, 2028, to July 1, 2038.
The bill also provides that Dominion Energy Virginia may recover costs associated with certain electrical facilities that have been approved by the State Corporation Commission as of December 1, 2033, provided that certain requirements are met and notwithstanding any limitations on such cost recovery in current law. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to propose to the Commission, in any proceeding to determine rates for generation and distribution services commencing after January 1, 2027, and before July 1, 2033, that certain costs related to capacity procurement requirements and distribution infrastructure investments are allocated to the utility's customer class approved to serve customers with a contracted or measured electric demand of 25 megawatts or greater and an anticipated or measured average annual electric load factor of 75 percent or greater. The bill provides that certain customers in manufacturing, industrial, or consumer goods warehousing and distribution activities other than data storage may elect to remain on their existing rate schedule.
The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia, in connection with its first proceeding to determine rates for generation and distribution services commencing after July 1, 2026, to include in its petition to the Commission a proposal to revise its tariff for supplementary, maintenance, or standby service for customers with power plants, effective as of January 1, 2028. The bill provides that the Commission shall only approve such proposal if it determines that such tariff will not adversely affect other retail customers or the utility in a manner contrary to the public interest, and any revised tariff terms shall include protections against stranded cost risks to the utility customer base. Additionally, the bill authorizes Dominion Energy Virginia to file a petition for the securitization of certain deferred fuel costs.
The bill requires the Commission, in evaluating certain petitions, to require to the greatest extent it finds in the public interest the use of wages, salaries, benefits, and other remuneration to any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform services in connection with a contract contemplated pursuant to such petition at the prevailing wage rate and to the greatest extent practicable, the use of a skilled workforce through registered apprenticeship programs for any authorized demand flexibility programs, utility-related procurement through utility-owned or third-party providers, and an evaluation of other potential opportunities to develop Virginia's skilled workforce by requiring minimum apprenticeship program requirements for such electric generation or energy storage facility work. This bill incorporates HB 634.
Health insurance; coverage for maternal mental health screenings. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for maternal mental health screenings. The bill requires such coverage to include at least one maternal mental health screening to be conducted during pregnancy, at least one additional screening to be conducted during the first six weeks of the postpartum period, and additional medically necessary postpartum screenings. Additionally, the bill provides that coverage for a prescription drug for the treatment of a maternal mental health condition shall not be subject to prior authorization requirements unless there are clinically significant safety or efficacy concerns.
Eminent domain; certificate of take; description of property. Clarifies that a certificate of take in any eminent domain matter may include a combination of one or more plats, drawings, or plans to provide the description of the property being taken as required by law.
Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program established; duties; report. Creates the Severe Maternal Morbidity Surveillance and Review Program (SMM Program) to identify, analyze, and review instances of severe maternal morbidity. The bill directs the Department of Health to develop a reporting system for hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to report findings and recommendations, as well as a model protocol for conducting reviews of severe maternal morbidity. The bill requires all hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to participate in the SMM Program and report their findings and recommendations to the Department of Health on an annual basis. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Local departments of social services; payment of reasonable funeral expenses. Permits the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations allowing local departments of social services to pay the reasonable funeral expenses of a decedent who was a recipient of social services or Supplemental Security Income.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; rental agreement noncompliance; victim of family abuse. Removes the requirement that a tenant who is a victim of family abuse provide the landlord prompt notification should the perpetrator return to the dwelling unit to prevent the landlord from terminating a lease solely due to such act of family abuse occurring in the dwelling unit or on the premises by a perpetrator barred from the dwelling unit. Under the bill, if the tenant provides the landlord with a copy of the protective order, should the perpetrator not already be barred from the unit by the landlord, the lease shall not be terminated due solely to an act of family abuse against the tenant by a perpetrator barred from the dwelling unit.
Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalties for failure to report. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person required to file a report, pursuant to relevant law, who fails to do so as soon as possible, but not longer than 24 hours after having reason to suspect a reportable offense of child abuse or neglect where such reportable offense is alleged to have occurred at a private or state-operated hospital, institution, or facility to which children have been committed or where children have been placed for care and treatment. The bill also provides that a second or subsequent conviction is a Class 6 felony.
The bill further expands the mandatory reporting requirements for certain enumerated persons in their professional or official capacities to include certain offenses related to children and certain obscenity and related offenses and applies all such mandatory reporting requirements to all public and private school athletics program coaches, directors, and adult volunteers, including those associated with interscholastic teams and clubs. Under current law, the mandatory reporting requirements apply to such enumerated persons who suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child and to public or private sports organization or team athletic coaches, directors, or adult volunteers.
Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education Program established. Directs the Department of Health to establish the Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education Program to raise public awareness of and provide education on sickle cell trait.
State Board of Local and Regional Jails; administrative and supervisory authority. Directs the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to convene a work group to evaluate the feasibility of transferring the administrative and supervisory authority of the State Board of Local and Regional Jails (the State Board) from the Department of Corrections to another state agency or an independent oversight body. The bill requires the work group to submit its plan, recommended timeline, and any legislative proposals to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026.
Limitations on enforcement of judgments; docketing of general district court judgments in the circuit court. Provides that, for judgments entered in the general district court on or after July 1, 2026, where enforcement of such judgments is sought by a debt buyer, the docketing of an abstract of such judgment in the circuit court shall not effect the 10-year limitation period to enforce such judgment. Under current law, such docketing allows a general district court judgment to be treated as a judgment entered by the circuit court and may be extended in the same manner as a judgment entered by the circuit court.
Teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff position exits; data collection; disaggregation by race; reason for exit. Requires each school board to report to the Department of Education annually the number and type of teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff position exits in the school division, disaggregated by the race of the individual who exited the position. The bill also provides that for each such exit occurring during the reporting year, the reason for the exit, including whether the exit was voluntary or involuntary, shall be collected and reported. This bill is identical to SB 785.
Regulation of contractors; solar installation companies; sale, lease, or power purchase of solar energy systems; civil penalty. Authorizes the Board for Contractors (the Board) to require specific contract provisions and disclosures relating to the sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system, as defined in the bill. The bill requires a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system to have a written contract that includes specific provisions related to the solar installation company, system design and performance or production guarantees, and information related to invoices and payments. The bill includes several mandatory disclosures to be included with a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system. Under the bill, a willful violation of such requirements shall be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $2,500 per violation. The bill also directs the Board to adopt regulations and update existing regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 823.
Owners of sewage treatment works; land application, marketing, or distribution of sewage sludge; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; testing requirements. Directs any owner of a sewage treatment works land applying, marketing, or distributing sewage sludge in the Commonwealth, beginning January 1, 2027, to collect representative samples of the sewage sludge intended to be land applied, marketed, or distributed and have such samples analyzed by an accredited laboratory for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The bill mandates certain outcomes for the land application of such sewage sludge depending on the concentration of PFAS in such sewage sludge. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality to modify all Virginia Pollution Abatement permits for the land application of sewage sludge and Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for sewage treatment works that include sewage sludge prepared for land application, marketing, or distribution as soon as practicable. The bill requires the Department to utilize the PFAS Expert Advisory Committee (PEAC) or convene a work group to study and recommend approaches to reduce the occurrence of PFAS in sewage sludge intended for land application within the Commonwealth. The Department is required to report the recommendations of the PEAC or work group to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by November 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 386.
Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank; established; report. Creates the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank to finance clean energy projects, greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects, and other qualified projects through the strategic deployment of public funds in the form of grants, loans, credit enhancements, and other financing mechanisms. An advisory board consisting of nonlegislative citizen members and ex officio members shall oversee the Bank and provide recommendations related to the Bank and its effectiveness. The bill contains provisions for (i) the powers and duties of the Bank, (ii) lending practices, (iii) a strategic plan, (iv) an investment strategy, (v) public outreach requirements, (vi) audits, and (vii) reporting requirements. This bill is identical to SB 225.
School nurses; sickle cell disease training. Directs local school divisions to require school nurses to complete, within six months of employment and at least every three years thereafter, an online or in-person course of instruction approved by the Board in collaboration with the Department of Health regarding recognition and management of sickle cell disease. This bill is identical to SB 822.
Petersburg Parking Authority Act. Authorizes the creation of the Petersburg Parking Authority. The bill grants to the Authority various powers, including the authority to construct, operate, and lease parking facilities, contract with outside entities, issue revenue bonds and revenue refunding bonds, and acquire property. The bill also exempts the Authority from taxation.
Health insurance; claims experience information. Provides that provisions requiring insurers to provide policyholders with certain claims experience information apply to all employee welfare benefit plans and include pharmacy benefits claims.
Victims of crime; reimbursement for expenses; work group. Provides that all medical fees expended in the gathering of evidence through anonymous trace evidence collection kit examinations conducted on victims complaining of strangulation pursuant to relevant law shall be paid by the Commonwealth through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund (also known as the Virginia Victims Fund) administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. The bill states that such victims shall not be required to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law-enforcement authorities in order to be provided with such medical exams.
Under current law, all medical fees expended in the gathering of evidence through physical evidence recovery kit examinations conducted on victims complaining of sexual assault are paid by the Commonwealth via the Fund, and victims complaining of sexual assault are not required to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law-enforcement authorities in order to be provided with such forensic medical exams.
The bill expands the powers and duties of the Commission to adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind suitable rules and regulations to include a distinct policy for the payment of anonymous trace evidence collection kit examinations.
Lastly, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to discuss and submit recommendations for certain matters related to the reimbursement process for forensic medical examinations, enumerated in the bill. The bill directs the work group to submit a report with recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 812.
Electric utilities; virtual power plant pilot program; Phase I Utilities. Requires Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to conduct a pilot program to evaluate methods to optimize demand through various technology applications, including the establishment of virtual power plants, by July 1, 2027. The bill requires the pilot program to evaluate electric grid capacity needs and the ability of such virtual power plants to provide grid services, including peak-shaving, during times of peak electric demand.
Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies; closed meetings; disclosure of certain law-enforcement records. Provides an exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to allow closed meetings for discussion or consideration by any law-enforcement civilian oversight body established pursuant to general law or established by a local governing body before July 1, 2020, and operating in a manner consistent with such law of the criminal investigative files, audit findings, and deliberations regarding police operations related to a specific complaint before the body involving any violation or attempted violation of certain offenses. The bill allows inspection of certain law-enforcement records concerning juveniles by such civilian oversight bodies when required to perform their duties and by any independent policing auditor, manager, director, or other person appointed by the local governing body to support such civilian oversight body. Finally, the bill allows disclosure of certain information regarding crimes involving sexual assault, sexual abuse, or family abuse to such civilian oversight body and independent policing auditor, manager, director, or other person appointed by the local governing body.
Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings; exceptions; penalty. Prohibits any law-enforcement officer, defined in the bill, from wearing a facial covering, defined in the bill, while engaged in the performance of his official duties. The bill sets out several exceptions to such prohibition, including protective facial coverings to protect against disease, infection, and exposure to toxic substances and facial coverings worn by any law-enforcement officer assigned to a special weapons and tactics team while engaged in the performance of his official duties with such team. The bill subjects the law-enforcement officer to disciplinary action, including dismissal, demotion, suspension, transfer, or decertification, and creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any law-enforcement officer who wears a facial covering in violation of the provisions of the bill unless the law-enforcement agency that employs such law-enforcement officer has adopted and established a written policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings. The bill also directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop a model policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings by law-enforcement officers. This bill is identical to SB 352.
Election of certain governing bodies; single-member districts required. Requires every locality with a population of 400,000 or greater to elect the members of its governing body from single-member districts.
Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects; levy; report. Authorizes the State Corporation Commission, in reviewing any application submitted by a public utility for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an electrical transmission line of 500 kilovolts filed between January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, to approve up to four applications for qualifying projects to be constructed in whole or in part underground as part of the pilot program for underground transmission lines and to provide an expedited review of any such application. The bill removes certain provisions related to the existing pilot program.
Under the bill, a project shall be qualified if (i) the Commission finds that an engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to place the proposed line in whole or in part underground, (ii) the application contains certain information regarding projections of project costs, (iii) the application contains evidence that the governing body of each locality in which at least a portion of the proposed line will be placed underground supports the project's inclusion in the program and agrees to meet its related funding obligations, and (iv) the Commission finds the overall cost of the project reasonable and consistent with the public interest. The bill permits the Commission to deny an application for a project that otherwise meets the criteria to qualify, provided that the Commission publicly shares its rationale for doing so.
The bill requires at least 50 percent of the marginal costs, as defined in the bill, of the portion of a qualifying project chosen to be placed underground within a locality pursuant to its provisions to be paid by such locality. The bill permits such a locality to meet such requirement through imposing a levy on electric utility customers within the locality, issuing a general obligation bond subject to a referendum, or allocating its own funds. The bill extends the Commission's final report deadline for the pilot program from December 1, 2024, to December 1, 2034.
Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects; levy; report. Authorizes the State Corporation Commission, in reviewing any application submitted by a public utility for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an electrical transmission line of 500 kilovolts filed between January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, to approve up to four applications for qualifying projects to be constructed in whole or in part underground as part of the pilot program for underground transmission lines and to provide an expedited review of any such application. The bill removes certain provisions related to the existing pilot program.
Under the bill, a project shall be qualified if (i) the Commission finds that an engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to place the proposed line in whole or in part underground, (ii) the application contains certain information regarding projections of project costs, (iii) the application contains evidence that the governing body of each locality in which at least a portion of the proposed line will be placed underground supports the project's inclusion in the program and agrees to meet its related funding obligations, and (iv) the Commission finds the overall cost of the project reasonable and consistent with the public interest. The bill permits the Commission to deny an application for a project that otherwise meets the criteria to qualify, provided that the Commission publicly shares its rationale for doing so.
The bill requires at least 50 percent of the marginal costs, as defined in the bill, of the portion of a qualifying project chosen to be placed underground within a locality pursuant to its provisions to be paid by such locality. The bill permits such a locality to meet such requirement through imposing a levy that meets certain requirements on electric utility customers within the locality, issuing a general obligation bond subject to a referendum, allocating its own funds, or any combination of such methods. The bill extends the Commission's final report deadline for the pilot program from December 1, 2024, to December 1, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 827.
Department of Social Services; centralized intake system for reports or complaints of child abuse or neglect; response to complaints within 24 hours for children under three years of age. Establishes a centralized hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to establish and maintain a hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and specifies that the Department shall determine the validity of such reports and complaints. The bill eliminates the requirement that local departments must be capable of receiving and responding to reports and complaints of abuse or neglect and instead requires that any complaint of child abuse or neglect received by a local department shall be immediately forwarded to the Department's child abuse and neglect hotline. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill also directs the Department of Social Services to (i) promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027, and (ii) contract with a third party by August 1, 2026, to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the screening process used for child protective services complaints across Virginia.
Electric utilities; construction of certain electrical transmission lines; siting requirements. Requires the State Corporation Commission, in order to approve the construction of an electrical transmission line of 138 kilovolts or more, to determine that the corridor or route chosen for the line will avoid or reasonably minimize adverse impact to the greatest extent reasonably practicable on dwelling houses. For overhead transmission lines of 500 kilovolts or more constructed by Dominion Energy Virginia, the bill directs the Commission to prioritize approving corridors or routes for construction for which the center is located farther than 150 feet from any dwelling house, public or private school building, day care, or place of worship unless no other practicable alternative exists.
Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for impersonating a law-enforcement officer while wearing a facial covering, as that term is defined in the bill, and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation.
Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise may be served within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means.
High school athletic coaches; sickle cell trait guidance and resources. Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a Superintendent's memo no later than the start of the 2026–2027 school year containing guidance and resources for public high school athletic coaches on risks and strategies for student-athletes with sickle cell trait.
High school athletic coaches; sickle cell trait guidance and resources. Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a Superintendent's memo no later than the start of the 2026–2027 school year containing guidance and resources for public high school athletic coaches on risks and strategies for student-athletes with sickle cell trait.
Appointment of administrator; property damage claims. Allows for the appointment of an administrator in any case in which it is represented that a civil action for property damage arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth. Under current law, such appointments are limited to civil actions for personal injury and wrongful death. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Virginia Housing Commission; Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; comprehensive review of required disclosures; report. Directs the Virginia Housing Commission to convene a stakeholder advisory group to assist the Commission in conducting a comprehensive review of (i) required disclosures for a buyer to beware, (ii) current methods for a buyer to receive a residential property disclosure statement, and (iii) the statutory language related to residential property disclosure statements and the language used in such disclosure statements. The bill further directs the Commission to develop recommendations based on such review and stakeholder input to improve efficiency, transparency, and the consumer experience while maintaining legal protections for all parties. The bill requires the Commission to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than October 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 477.
Certified violence prevention professional; certification. Establishes requirements for use of the title "certified violence prevention professional" and directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations setting forth (i) requirements for use of the title, (ii) requirements for education and training programs necessary to meet the requirements for certification, (iii) qualifications for training entities, (iv) limitations on the number of approved training entities, and (v) other regulations as deemed necessary.
Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns or any firearm modified to be operable as an assault firearm on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. Under current law, the prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, only in certain localities, and only when such firearms are loaded. A violation of this prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Possession, transportation, or purchase of certain firearms by certain persons; penalty. Provides additional exceptions, outlined in the bill, for persons younger than 18 years of age to possess or transport handguns or assault firearms anywhere in the Commonwealth. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for persons younger than 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or assault firearm anywhere in the Commonwealth.
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 April 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning April 1, 2028. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly net earnings, not to exceed 100 percent of the statewide average weekly net earnings, 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. This bill is identical to HB 1207.
Enforcement of vehicle liens; property value. Increases from $12,500 to $17,000 the maximum value of property that may be sold at public auction to satisfy a lien on a motor vehicle without petitioning for a court order for the sale of such property. This bill is identical to HB 1288.
Children; adjudication of delinquency. Specifies that "delinquent child" means a child 11 years of age or older who has committed a delinquent act. Currently, there is no minimum age for a child to be adjudicated delinquent. The bill provides that if a child younger than 11 years of age is found to have committed an act that would be delinquent if committed by a child 11 years of age or older, the child shall not be proceeded upon as delinquent and the court shall (i) dismiss any petition alleging such child has committed an act that would be delinquent if committed by a child 11 years of age or older and (ii) order that the court records pertaining to such petition be expunged pursuant to relevant law. The bill allows the attorney for the Commonwealth to file a petition alleging that such child is in need of services and if such child is found to be in need of services, the court may make any orders of disposition authorized under relevant law. The bill also provides that any funding that is available to provide services to a child 11 years of age or older who is proceeded upon as delinquent shall also be made available to a child younger than 11 years of age who is found to have committed an act that would be delinquent if committed by a child 11 years of age or older in order to provide such child with the same services. The bill includes in the definition of "child in need of services" a child younger than 11 years of age who has committed an act that would be delinquent if committed by a child 11 years of age or older.
The bill adds that a child may be taken into immediate custody when such child is alleged to be in need of services or supervision and there is a clear and substantial danger to the safety of the child's family or the safety of the public. Currently, a child may be taken into immediate custody when such child is alleged to be in need of services or supervision and there is a clear and substantial danger to the child's life or health. Finally, the bill includes in the offense of causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc., any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition that (a) causes a child younger than 11 years of age to commit an act that would be delinquent if committed by a child 11 years of age or older or (b) causes any child to participate in or become a member of a criminal street gang in violation of existing law. Under the bill, any person who commits such offense is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Plea agreements and court orders; prohibited provisions. Prohibits plea agreements and court orders executed or entered on or after July 1, 2026, from containing any provision that purports to waive, release, or extinguish a defendant's (i) rights under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of Virginia; (ii) right to file a petition requesting expungement of the police records and the court records; or (iii) right to have criminal history record information and court records sealed. The bill provides that any such prohibited provision of a plea agreement or court order is void and unenforceable as against public policy.
The bill provides that such prohibition does not apply to any plea agreements, written agreements, or court orders entered into by a defendant and the Commonwealth in certain cases.
The bill further provides that any waiver, release, or extinguishment of rights under the Fourth Amendment permissible by law shall be no longer than the period of supervised probation imposed against the defendant; if the defendant is not placed on supervised probation, it shall be no longer than five years.
Discovery; methods of delivery; report. Requires the Commonwealth, upon request by the accused or his counsel, to copy or photograph any discovery materials or evidence the accused is permitted to inspect and review, including relevant police reports, criminal records, dashboard camera footage, and body-worn camera footage, and requires the Commonwealth to provide copies to the accused or his counsel, subject to the redaction, restricted dissemination, and protective order provisions of the relevant Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia and unless such material is prohibited from being distributed by law. The bill also directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to evaluate and report, no later than November 1, 2026, the feasibility, costs, and other impacts with requiring the attorney for the Commonwealth to provide counsel of record for the accused a copy of any relevant police report at least 10 days prior to trial or preliminary hearing.
Overtime for certain employees; domestic workers. Adds domestic workers, as defined in the bill, to provisions related to overtime pay. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 27.
Department of Energy; demand response programs; evaluation and assessment; report. Directs the Department of Energy to evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of such evaluation and assessment by November 1, 2026.
Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties. Provides that any person who impersonates a law-enforcement officer (i) while committing or attempting to commit aggravated murder, first or second degree murder, abduction, rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, or sexual battery or (ii) while circumventing, bypassing, or attempting to circumvent or bypass any security measure of any business, commercial building, residence, building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, or building owned or leased by a locality or any agency thereof is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 5 felony.
Voter registration; list maintenance; data sharing; requiring membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Requires the Commissioner of Elections to apply for, enter into, and maintain membership for the Commonwealth in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).
Photo speed monitoring devices; photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals; school bus video-monitoring systems; proof of violation; certain persons swearing to or affirming certificates; training. Authorizes retired sworn law-enforcement officers, registered special conservators of the peace, and technicians employed by a locality to swear to or to affirm certificates for the purposes of enforcement of violations recorded by traffic light signal violation monitoring systems, traffic control device violation monitoring systems, photo speed monitoring devices, or school bus video-monitoring systems upon completion of a training course developed and approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill also requires law-enforcement officers swearing to or affirming such certificates to complete such training course. These provisions of the bill have an effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop, approve, and make available such training course no later than January 1, 2027. This bill incorporates SB 81 and is identical to HB 684.
Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) from up to five to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days of a new House being sworn in during a Senate election year, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days of a new Senate being sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime. These provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall give substantial weight to when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. The bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal.
The bill also requires that if parole is denied for any such juvenile offender, each Board member shall identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast, including any youth-related factor and evidence of maturity and rehabilitation that was considered. The bill requires that the Board provide to such prisoner for whom parole is denied recommendations to demonstrate commitment to rehabilitation and at the next hearing, the Board is required to consider whether the prisoner has followed such recommendations. The bill also requires the Board to annually review the cases of such juvenile offenders eligible for parole. This bill is identical to HB 318.
Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which a person adjudicated delinquent or convicted of certain felony offenses involving, or violations of probation or community supervision related to, the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remains incarcerated or on probation or community supervision on July 1, 2026, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to HB 26.
Department of Juvenile Justice; commitment of juveniles to Department; petition to extend duration of indeterminate commitment. Creates a process by which the Department of Juvenile Justice, upon determining that a juvenile currently committed to the Department should continue such commitment beyond the high end of the length of stay guidelines established by the State Board of Juvenile Justice, may petition the court that ordered a juvenile's indeterminate commitment to the Department to extend such juvenile's commitment. The bill requires the Department to file such petition at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the high end of the length of stay range, along with a report on the juvenile's progress. If the Department determines fewer than 60 days before expiration that an extension is necessary, it shall file a petition for review that includes a statement explaining the specific circumstances causing the late filing. The bill provides that the court shall schedule a hearing on the petition at which the court shall consider such progress report and may consider additional evidence as described in the bill. The bill provides that, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court shall order either that the juvenile be released or that the juvenile's period of commitment be extended for a period not to exceed six months, provided that such extension does not exceed the limitations for an indeterminate commitment provided by current law. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
Department of Juvenile Justice; commitment of juveniles to Department; petition to extend duration of indeterminate commitment. Creates a process by which the Department of Juvenile Justice, upon determining that a juvenile currently committed to the Department should continue such commitment beyond the high end of the length of stay guidelines established by the State Board of Juvenile Justice, may petition the court that ordered a juvenile's indeterminate commitment to the Department to extend such juvenile's commitment. The bill requires the Department to file such petition at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the high end of the length of stay range, along with a report on the juvenile's progress. If the Department determines fewer than 60 days before expiration that an extension is necessary, it shall file a petition for review that includes a statement explaining the specific circumstances causing the late filing. The bill provides that the court shall schedule a hearing on the petition at which the court shall consider such progress report and may consider additional evidence as described in the bill. The bill provides that, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court shall order either that the juvenile be released or that the juvenile's period of commitment be extended for a period not to exceed six months, provided that such extension does not exceed the limitations for an indeterminate commitment provided by current law. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
Parking enforcement; issuance of a summons or parking ticket. Removes the population requirement for a locality to be authorized to, by ordinance, authorize law-enforcement officers, other uniformed employees of the locality, and uniformed personnel serving under contract with the locality to issue a summons or parking ticket for a violation of an ordinance regulating the parking, stopping, and standing of vehicles. Existing law grants such authority to localities having a population of at least 40,000. This bill is identical to HB 783.
Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to HB 2.
Emergency and temporary detention transportation. Clarifies that the term "law-enforcement officer" as used in relevant law relating to emergency and involuntary civil transportation includes retired law-enforcement officers, defined in the bill, for the purposes of laws related to emergency custody and involuntary temporary detention. The bill also permits an alternative transportation provider to provide transportation of a person in the temporary detention process in a safe manner if the alternative transportation provider is (i) an employee of, or the person providing services pursuant to a contract with, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or (ii) an employee of a private or state hospital within the confines of the Commonwealth.
The bill provides that, for purposes of transporting a minor during the temporary detention process, an alternative transportation provider is deemed available if it states it is available to take custody from law enforcement within six hours of issuance of the temporary detention order or an order changing the transportation provider. The bill also provides the alternative transportation provider shall maintain custody from the time custody is transferred by the primary law-enforcement agency until custody is transferred to the temporary detention facility, including while awaiting transport and during transport.
The bill also specifies when a law-enforcement agency or alternative transportation provider providing transportation of a minor in the temporary detention process may transfer custody of such minor to a facility or location where the minor is awaiting transport. When a bed becomes available at the temporary detention facility, the bill provides that facility or location shall notify the law-enforcement agency or alternative transportation provider specified on the order, which shall then return to transport the minor to the facility of temporary detention.
This bill incorporates SB 395. The provisions of this bill are identical to both HB 681 and HB 976.
Enforcement of federal traffic infractions by state and local law-enforcement officers; Planning District 8. Provides that state and local law-enforcement officers may enforce federal traffic infractions on any highway within Planning District 8. This bill is identical to HB 77.
Security policies for courthouses and local or regional correctional facilities; penalty. Adds several provisions relating to courthouse and courtroom security. The bill requires the chief judge of each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court to set a policy regarding the use and possession of portable electronic devices by visitors to the court. The bill authorizes such chief judge to condition the use and possession of portable electronic devices upon certain limitations.
The bill also provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees to bypass any security screening required to enter a courthouse, such sheriff shall also exempt from the security screening any attorney who displays a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and a government-issued identification. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any attorney who has had his license to practice law in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked and who displays a Virginia State Bar-issued bar card in an effort to be exempt from the security screening.
Finally, the bill requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop and establish minimum standards to ensure that attorneys have sufficient opportunities to have confidential visits with their clients and requires sheriffs or jail superintendents to provide a telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication method for prisoners in local correctional facilities to communicate with attorneys.
Photo speed monitoring devices, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems; placement and operation; violation enforcement; civil penalties. Authorizes state and local law-enforcement agencies to place and operate pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones, and high-risk speed corridors for purposes of recording pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill requires local law-enforcement agencies implementing or expanding the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems, prior to the implementation or expansion of such systems, to conduct a public awareness program for such implementation or expansion.
The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and violations captured by the other devices authorized by this bill and requires summonses issued for such violations captured by such devices to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of these devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that, for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of such devices render such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons.
The bill also limits the use of such devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, respectively, provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the violation.
Selling, giving, or distributing a tianeptine product; civil penalty. Provides that a retail establishment that sells, gives, or distributes a tianeptine product, without a prescription, is subject to a civil penalty in the amount of $2,500 for a first violation and a civil penalty in the amount of $5,000 for a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period. The bill also provides that such provisions shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute.
Exemptions from jury service upon request; certain caretakers of persons with serious health conditions. Adds as persons who may be exempt from jury service upon request (i) a person with legal custody of and responsible for the care of a child under 18 years of age who has a serious health condition and (ii) the familial caretaker, defined in the bill, of a person with a serious health condition.
Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether other states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from such other state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth, provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state accessible 24 hours a day, (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer, and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill prevents a Virginia resident, except for an active duty service member or such service member's spouse, who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit from using a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill requires the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2026, to determine whether the requirements and qualifications of those states' laws are adequate to prevent possession of a permit or license by persons who would be denied a permit in the Commonwealth and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements or qualifications by December 1, 2026. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are adequate to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth.
Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police shall determine whether other states' concealed handgun permit requirements are substantially similar to the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from such other state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth, provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state accessible 24 hours a day, (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer, and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill exempts an active duty service member or such service member's spouse from the requirements of the bill. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill also directs the Department of State Police (the Department) to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2026, to determine whether the requirements of those states' laws are substantially similar to the Commonwealth's concealed carry permit requirements and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements by December 1, 2026. The bill requires the Department to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are substantially similar to the requirements of the bill to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth.
Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General shall determine whether other states' concealed handgun permit requirements are substantially similar to the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from such other state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth, provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state accessible 24 hours a day, (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer, and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill exempts an active duty service member or such service member's spouse from the requirements of the bill. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill also directs the Office of the Attorney General to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2026, to determine whether the requirements of those states' laws are substantially similar to the Commonwealth's concealed carry permit requirements and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements by December 1, 2026. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are substantially similar to the requirements of the bill to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth.
Office of the Children's Ombudsman; powers and duties; report; recommendations. Makes a number of changes to the Office of the Children's Ombudsman (the Office). The bill expands the Office's access to certain records and reports and allows the Office to report certain complaints to the Office of the Inspector General. Under the bill, the Office is required to report findings and recommendations related to failures by state agencies to protect children to the Governor or General Assembly upon request. Under current law, such reports are made to the General Assembly. The bill makes certain changes to the Office's reporting and recommendation requirements. Finally, the bill adds and amends several definitions related to the Office.
Elections; primary election; when filings to be made; extension for incumbents failure to file. Provides that if an incumbent office holder fails to file the necessary paperwork to qualify to be on the ballot for a primary election for the office he holds by the deadline for filing such paperwork, then the deadline for such paperwork is extended by five days for any filer other than the incumbent. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Covenants not to compete; health care professionals; civil penalty. Adds health care professionals as a category of employee with or upon whom no employer shall enter into, enforce, or threaten to enforce a covenant not to compete. The bill defines "health care professional" as any person licensed, registered, or certified by the Board of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, or Social Work. The bill provides that any employer that violates the prohibition against covenants not to compete with a health care professional is subject to the civil penalty in current law of $10,000 for each violation. This bill is identical to HB 627.
Obstructing reproductive health care facility; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who (i) by force or threat of force, or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, another person because such other person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services, defined in the bill, or (ii) intentionally damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, a reproductive health care facility, defined in the bill, because such facility provides reproductive health services. The bill also provides that the provisions of the bill shall not be construed to place any restriction on the content of any message that anyone may wish to communicate to anyone else, either inside or outside the regulated areas.
Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit; study to examine organization and boundaries of certain judicial districts; report. Increases by one the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twelfth and Fifteenth Judicial Districts. The bill further increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the Twentieth and Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuits. Under the bill, the provisions relating to increasing the number of judges in the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Finally, the bill directs the Judicial Council of Virginia to study the organization and boundaries of the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits and to submit an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2026.
As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill incorporates SB 780.
Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications. Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a result of a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon his release from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote. The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Elections certain information for incarcerated persons with a pending date of release and requires the Department of Elections to process the information and make the necessary changes to the voter registration system to permit such persons to register to vote by the date of the person's scheduled date of release. On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the bill to provide a voter registration application, information on returning the form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an official release document to serve as a safety net for voter registration. The bill also amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetency for purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote until that capacity has been reestablished. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, contingent upon the approval of the constitutional amendments at the November 3, 2026, general election. This bill is identical to HB 964.
Health insurance; ethics and fairness in carrier business practices; downcoded claims. Prohibits a carrier, intermediary, administrator, or representative of a carrier from downcoding a claim unless the decision to downcode is determined by a person or electronic system that reflects correct coding standards and considers all relevant patient data from the billing provider in making the determination. The bill requires a carrier, intermediary, administrator, or representative that downcodes a claim to provide certain notice to the provider. The bill requires that all downcoding dispute decisions are reviewed and adjudicated by a natural person.
Elections; candidates for office; challenges to candidate qualifications. Requires any legal action relating to a person's eligibility to appear on the ballot on the basis that such person did not meet all qualifications or fulfill all requirements for candidacy to be filed in a circuit court and served on all parties (i) at least 90 days before the date of a general election; (ii) at least 65 days before the date of a primary election; (iii) at least 70 days before the date of a special election held on the same date as the general election; or (iv) for any special election held at a time other than a general election, (a) at least 55 days before the date of the special election or (b) within 10 days of any writ of election or order calling for a special election to be held less than 60 days after the issuance of the writ or order. The bill specifies that any such legal action will be given precedence on the docket and be decided by the circuit court no later than 10 days before the date on which ballots for that election are made available for absentee voting. The bill also specifies that candidates who are nominated at a primary election cannot be later challenged on the basis of facts that were present prior to the primary election and could have been raised in a challenge to such candidate's eligibility for the primary ballot.
Protection of employees; covenants not to compete; discharged employees. Provides that no covenant not to compete, as such term is defined in existing law, between an employer and an employee is enforceable if such employer discharges such employee from employment without providing severance benefits or other monetary payment to such employee that is disclosed upon execution of the covenant not to compete, unless the employee is discharged for cause. This bill incorporates SB 569.
Minor elementary or secondary school students admitted to inpatient treatment; certain disclosures to certain school personnel upon discharge. Provides that in the event that the facility to which a minor elementary or secondary school student is admitted to inpatient treatment determines that such minor student requires additional educational services upon discharge from the facility, the parents of such student may opt in to the disclosure, prior to or at the time of such minor student's discharge from the facility, of such determination by the facility to a mental health professional employed in such minor student's school or, if applicable, by the school division in which the student is enrolled. The bill also provides that, in the event that the facility to which a minor elementary or secondary school student is admitted to inpatient treatment determines, based on communications from such minor student to a mental health service provider at such facility, that the student poses a specific and immediate threat to cause serious bodily injury or death to an identified or readily identifiable person or persons at the time of the student's discharge from the facility, the facility shall disclose, prior to or at the time of discharge in accordance with the requirements set forth in relevant law, such determination to a mental health professional employed in such minor student's school or, if applicable, by the school division. The bill also prohibits any such facility from withholding discharge of such a student for the purpose of making any such disclosure. The provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Expands the option to use ranked choice voting from only elections for county board of supervisors and city councils to any local governing body. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill provides for copying damaged or defective ballots that cannot be properly counted by electronic voting systems. The bill allows localities to request risk-limiting audits of elections conducted using ranked choice voting and provides that no such election may be included in any random drawing required to satisfy the general requirements for risk-limiting audits. The bill specifies that the State Board is required to produce generalized voter education materials on ranked choice voting and is also permitted to create and modify recount procedures to the extent necessary to accommodate a recount of an election. The bill directs the Department of Elections to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Finally, the bill repeals the 2031 expiration of the option to use ranked choice voting in elections, making such option permanent. This bill is identical to HB 630.
Real property tax; partial exemption for repurposing underutilized structures for residential use; local incentives. Permits localities to provide partial real estate taxation exemptions for converted real property where such conversion establishes a residential structure that has set aside at least 30 percent of the structure for households with a per capita income at or below 80 percent of the locality's median income or where the building owner is subject to an agreement with the Commonwealth or the locality regarding the provision of affordable housing. Localities have discretion to determine (i) whether a converted building qualifies for the partial exemption, (ii) any additional restrictions and conditions, (iii) whether the exemption is the amount equal to the increase in assessed value or a percentage of such increase resulting from the repurposing of the structure, and (iv) the length of time the exemption will run with the land, not to exceed 15 years.
The bill provides that, at any time a building for which its owner claims a partial exemption no longer meets the requirements to receive such exemption, the locality may recapture all or a portion of the exemption granted in the immediately preceding year. Further, if a building owner that claims an exemption as described by the bill sells the building for which he is claiming the exemption and, after the sale, the property no longer meets the requirements described by the bill, the purchaser shall be subject to a penalty. The building owner shall provide written notification of the partial exemption to the purchaser. The bill also permits localities to grant tax incentives or provide regulatory flexibility to qualifying converted real property.
Board of Health; restaurants; major food allergen labeling. Directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations requiring all restaurants that alter or substitute food due to a consumer-identified food allergy or sensitivity to place an identifying marker on any food item prepared for delivery or carry out service that has been altered or substituted.
Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program; permissible use of scholarship funds. Expands the permissible uses of scholarship funds under the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program by permitting eligible students and their lineal descendants to use such funds to attend an accredited two-year or four-year institution of higher education outside of the Commonwealth but establishes an initial annual cap of $5,000 for any such scholarship.
Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; loan and grant program; deferment of interest accrual and repayment obligations. Provides that for funds disbursed to localities, federally recognized tribes, and Virginia recognized tribes primarily for the purpose of implementing flood prevention and protection projects and studies in areas that are subject to recurrent flooding, interest on loans shall not accrue and repayment obligations shall not come into effect for loans or grants until completion of the project or study for which such funds are disbursed. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
Employment; paid sick leave; civil penalties; civil actions. Requires one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for all employees of private employers and state and local governments, with certain exceptions. The bill requires that employees who are employed and compensated on a fee-for-service basis accrue paid sick leave in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. The bill provides that employees transferred to a separate division or location remain entitled to previously accrued paid sick leave and that employees retain their accrued paid sick leave under any successor employer. The bill allows employers to provide a more generous paid sick leave policy than prescribed by its provisions and specifies that employees, in addition to using paid sick leave for their physical or mental illness or to care for a family member, may use paid sick leave to seek or obtain certain services or to relocate or secure an existing home due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. The bill requires the Commissioner to promulgate regulations for the implementation and enforcement of the bill's provisions by July 1, 2027.
The bill authorizes the Commissioner, in the case of a knowing violation, to subject an employer to a civil penalty not to exceed $150 for the first violation, $300 for the second violation, and $500 for each successive violation. The Commissioner or Attorney General may commence administrative proceedings or bring a civil action to enforce the bill's provisions. Additionally, the bill authorizes an aggrieved employee to bring a civil action against the employer in which he may recover double the amount of any unpaid sick leave and the amount of any actual damages suffered as the result of the employer's violation. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates SB 372 and is identical to HB 5.
TPA-certified optometrists; sale and dispensation of Schedule VI controlled substances; requirements. Permits TPA-certified optometrists to sell and dispense Schedule VI controlled substances to their own patients provided that they obtain a license to do so from the Board of Pharmacy and comply with requirements related to dispensation, storage, packaging, labeling, recordkeeping, and reporting of the controlled substances sold and dispensed. The bill permits the Board of Optometry and the Board of Pharmacy to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and establish a limited-use license for TPA-certified optometrists pursuant to the bill. The bill exempts such initial regulations from the APA requirements. This bill is identical to HB 1006.
Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote or otherwise retaliating against a prospective or current employee for not providing wage or salary history or requesting a wage or salary range; (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill is identical to HB 636.
Director of the Department of Corrections; placement of inmates. Directs the Director of the Department of Corrections to continue accepting and reviewing applications for the confinement of inmates from a state party to the Interstate Corrections Compact entered into pursuant to relevant law, but prohibits any placement of any such inmate at the Red Onion State Prison until such time as the General Assembly reauthorizes such placement by act of assembly.
Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation; summons. Requires a second summons for a vehicle speed violation captured by a photo speed monitoring device to be mailed if a summoned person fails to appear on the date of return set out in the first summons mailed. If the summoned person fails to appear after the second summons, the bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to issue or renew the vehicle registration certificate or the license plate issued for such vehicle until the required civil penalties and any administrative fees have been paid and any applicable reinstatement processes required by the Department of Motor Vehicles have been completed.
The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and requires summonses issued for such vehicle speed violations to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that, for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of photo speed monitoring devices render such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons.
The bill provides that any person against whom an enforcement action is carried out by a locality or law-enforcement agency, pursuant to the authority granted for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, where the enforcement action was based upon a willful disregard for applicable law, shall be entitled to an award of compensatory damages and to an order remanding the matter to the locality with a direction to carry out any further enforcement in a manner consistent with the law and may be entitled to reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The bill also provides that if a locality fails to comply with such an order, the court may order that the locality shall be ineligible to receive any funds collected from enforcement using photo speed monitoring devices, in excess of those used for its photo speed monitoring device program, and that the court shall order that any such excess funds be deposited in the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program until the locality comes into compliance with such order.
The bill also limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the vehicle speed violation.
The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
Distributed Energy Resources Task Force established; reports; sunset. Establishes the Distributed Energy Resources Task Force as an advisory commission within the executive branch with the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy to advance the Commonwealth's transition toward integrated distributed energy resource markets and to support the Commonwealth's compliance with certain regulations. The bill describes the membership, powers, and duties of the Task Force and requires the Task Force to submit various reports to the Governor, the State Corporation Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 285.
Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank; established; report. Creates the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank to finance clean energy projects, greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects, and other qualified projects through the strategic deployment of public funds in the form of grants, loans, credit enhancements, and other financing mechanisms. An advisory board consisting of nonlegislative citizen members and ex officio members shall oversee the Bank and provide recommendations related to the Bank and its effectiveness. The bill contains provisions for (i) the powers and duties of the Bank, (ii) lending practices, (iii) a strategic plan, (iv) an investment strategy, (v) public outreach requirements, (vi) audits, and (vii) reporting requirements. This bill is identical to HB 1444.
Local competitive bidding for compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal infrastructure; civil penalty. Allows the governing body of a locality to give preference to compost or other products containing organic soil amendments produced within such locality in the case of a tie bid when determining the award of any contract for compost or other products containing soil amendments to be purchased for use by such locality. The bill also provides that any locality may by ordinance require that certain generators, as defined in the bill, of large quantities of organic waste separate the organic waste from other solid waste and ensure that the organic waste is diverted from final disposal in a refuse disposal system by any of a variety of specified waste diversion activities. The ordinance may also establish civil penalties for violations of the ordinance, but a locality shall first issue a warning to a generator that violates the ordinance. Finally, the bill expresses that it is the intent of the General Assembly that new public school buildings and facilities and improvements and renovations to existing public school buildings and facilities include waste disposal infrastructure, as defined in the bill, that includes a place for the disposal of trash, recyclables, and food scraps and a sink for liquid waste. This bill is identical to HB 1011.
Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons; class actions; violations of Virginia Consumer Protection Act; award of damages. Provides that one or more members of a class may, as representative parties on behalf of all members, bring a civil action or may be proceeded against in a civil action, provided that (i) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (ii) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (iii) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and (iv) the representative parties shall fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. The bill further sets out the procedure to certify a class action, the duties of counsel appointed in a class action, the various orders a court may issue during the course of a class action, and the process by which a settlement, voluntary dismissal, or compromise may occur. The bill also applies the procedure by which an individual may be awarded damages in an action for a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to a class action. Finally, the bill permits the Court of Appeals to permit an appeal to be taken from an order certifying a class in accordance with the provisions of the bill or any other order that is not a final order of the circuit court in a class action. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 449.
Expungement of police and court records. Permits the expungement of police and court records relating to an initial charge when a person is arrested, charged, summonsed, or indicted for the commission of an infraction, a crime, or a civil offense and such person is not ultimately convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine the facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date. The bill also permits that a petition may request expungement of the police and court records for multiple charges arising out of separate transactions or occurrences. The bill also provides that if a person was the subject of a delinquency or traffic proceeding and was not ultimately adjudicated delinquent or convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date, such matter is eligible for expungement. Lastly, the bill (i) allows certain deferred dispositions to be eligible for expungement; (ii) requires the attorney for the Commonwealth, if he files an objection to the petition for expungement, to include the factual basis for such objection; (iii) provides that the unavailability of certain information shall not be a basis for refusing expungement; (iv) requires the court, if it finds potential manifest injustice to the petitioner, to order expungement; (v) provides that the existence of a prior conviction alone shall not be a sufficient basis to deny an expungement; (vi) allows any person whose petition for relief is the subject of an appeal to proceed under a pseudonym pursuant to relevant law; and (vii) allows specifically identified emergency or preliminary protective orders to be expunged. The bill has a delayed effective date of December 1, 2026.
Fire Programs Fund; work group; report. Directs the Department of Fire Programs to establish a work group to evaluate the funding formula for the distribution of aid to localities through the Fire Programs Fund.
Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices; local regulation; installation by tenants; consumer protection. Prevents a locality from prohibiting the use of a small portable solar generation device, as defined in the bill, on a residential structure, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill includes provisions related to the installation of small portable solar generation devices by tenants and prevents landlords from prohibiting such installation in certain circumstances. Under the bill, small portable solar generation devices are excluded from the provisions of net metering programs applicable to eligible agricultural customer-generators, eligible customer-generators, or small agricultural generating facilities. The bill also permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility, municipal utility, electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish a notification form for a customer of an electric utility or cooperative to install a small portable solar generation device and directs the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to convene a work group to evaluate and develop recommendations regarding the safety standards and requirements applicable to small portable solar generation devices. Certain provisions of the bill become effective on January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 395.
Electric utilities; pilot programs for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. Amends annual funding commitments for the purposes of the annual pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals conducted by Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power Company. Under the bill, Appalachian Power Company is required to continue its pilot program at no less than $1 million and no greater than $1.5 million annually. Dominion Energy Virginia is required to continue its pilot program at no less than $156 million and no greater than $204 million for the time period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending July 1, 2038. The bill extends the sunset date of such pilot programs from July 1, 2028, to July 1, 2038.
The bill also provides that Dominion Energy Virginia may recover costs associated with certain electrical facilities that have been approved by the State Corporation Commission as of December 1, 2033, provided that certain requirements are met and notwithstanding any limitations on such cost recovery in current law. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to propose to the Commission, in any proceeding to determine rates for generation and distribution services commencing after January 1, 2027, and before July 1, 2033, that certain costs related to capacity procurement requirements and distribution infrastructure investments are allocated to the utility's customer class approved to serve customers with a contracted or measured electric demand of 25 megawatts or greater and an anticipated or measured average annual electric load factor of 75 percent or greater. The bill provides that certain customers in manufacturing, industrial, or consumer goods warehousing and distribution activities other than data storage may elect to remain on their existing rate schedule.
The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia, in connection with its first proceeding to determine rates for generation and distribution services commencing after July 1, 2026, to include in its petition to the Commission a proposal to revise its tariff for supplementary, maintenance, or standby service for customers with power plants, effective as of January 1, 2028. The bill provides that the Commission shall only approve such proposal if it determines that such tariff will not adversely affect other retail customers or the utility in a manner contrary to the public interest, and any revised tariff terms shall include protections against stranded cost risks to the utility customer base. Additionally, the bill authorizes Dominion Energy Virginia to file a petition for the securitization of certain deferred fuel costs.
Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty. Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits any such new products from being sold, offered for sale, leased, or rented in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards. The bill excludes any energy or water conservation standards set aside by a court or any product if federal law preempts the application of the minimum energy and water conservation standards to such a product, including any product or product categories where there is a requirement to develop a standard under the EPCA.
Virginia Human Rights Act; menopause or perimenopause; discrimination prohibited; report. Prohibits discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act on the basis of menopause or perimenopause for purposes of nondiscrimination in government programs, public accommodation, employment hiring, and reasonable employer accommodation. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, to conduct a study on menopause and perimenopause in the workforce, menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments, and the scope of existing menopause-related and perimenopause-related policies and to develop best practices related to menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments. The bill directs the Commissioners to submit such report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2028, and to post such report on the Department of Labor and Industry's website. This bill is identical to HB 1173.
State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report. Directs the Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), Appalachian Power, and Dominion Energy Virginia, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. Provided that the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions to engage independent consulting services, the Department and the Commission shall complete the analysis and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.
Recovery residences; regulations. Establishes certain requirements for recovery residences and directs the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Board) to promulgate regulations to establish minimum certification standards for recovery residences. The bill also requires that the regulations promulgated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) related to the certification of recovery residences require that no recovery residence, or operator, employee, or agent of a recovery residence, require a resident to participate in medical or psychological services, including clinical substance use treatment, that such recovery residence receives financial benefit from, either directly or indirectly, as a condition of entering or continuing residence at such recovery residence. The bill requires the Department to monitor credentialing agencies providing credentials to recovery residences to ensure criteria related to certification complies with regulations and specifies that no such credentialing agency shall provide credentials to a recovery residence that is owned or operated by an individual who is employed by or in a position of authority at such credentialing agency, or an immediate family member of any such individual. The bill also requires that referrals to recovery residences made by the Department, any agency of the Commonwealth, or by a court may only be made to recovery residences that are certified.
Under the bill, the Department and the Virginia Housing Commission are directed to study and make recommendations for establishing regulations for licensed providers of clinical substance use treatment services that offer housing as a benefit for individuals participating in treatment services but are not licensed or certified as a recovery residence. The bill also directs the Board to promulgate regulations to authorize the Department to expand data reporting requirements for certified and conditionally certified recovery residences and directs the Department to promulgate regulations regarding sharing of data related to recovery residences with the public. Finally, the bill continues the work group established in 2025 by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to make recommendations regarding oversight and transparency for recovery residences and requires the Department to administer the work group.
The provisions of the bill related to promulgation of regulations have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 931.
Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Panel established; maximum fair price; annual reports; civil penalties. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to establish the Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Panel to conduct data analyses, develop policy recommendations, and identify implementation barriers related to strategies to improve prescription drug affordability, enhance price transparency, and strengthen data collection practices for prescription drugs across public and private payers. The bill requires the Panel to (i) report annually on prescription drug pricing trends and any policy recommendations on legislation to improve prescription drug affordability and (ii) provide quarterly updates on prescription drug pricing trends. The bill requires each pharmacy benefits manager to provide to the Panel, upon request, certain information relating to the dispensation of a referenced drug, as defined in the bill.
The bill prohibits prescription drug manufacturers or wholesale distributors permitted or licensed in the Commonwealth from accepting payment at an amount higher than the maximum fair price established by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to federal law for the sale of a referenced drug intended for use by individuals in the Commonwealth. Under the bill, an entity that violates such prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 per violation. The bill also prohibits a manufacturer subject to its provisions from removing a referenced drug from sale distribution in the Commonwealth for the purpose of avoiding the impact of the bill's rate limitations without providing certain prior notice. Under the bill, a manufacturer that violates such prohibition on removing a referenced drug without the required notice is subject to a civil penalty equal to the greater of $100,000 or the total amount of annual savings for the referenced drug, as determined by the Board of Pharmacy. This bill is identical to HB 483.
Drug manufacturers; 340B Drug Pricing Program; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program within the Commonwealth, with emphasis on governance, transparency, and the availability of pharmacy services in rural and underserved areas. The bill requires the work group to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services by November 1, 2026.
Department of Housing and Community Development; administration of Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to review and develop criteria and guidelines for the administration of the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program in consultation with the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia First Cities Coalition, the Virginia Municipal League, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association. The bill requires such criteria to include (i) award prioritization for (a) localities experiencing an above average and high level of fiscal stress as designated by the Commission on Local Government in its most recent Report on Comparative Revenue Capacity, Revenue Effort, and Fiscal Stress of Virginia's Cities and Counties and (b) localities experiencing a significant decrease in commercial real estate assessments and (ii) the amount and type of local matches with consideration of both monetary and non-monetary contribution requirements. The bill requires the Director of the Department to report the Department's findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on General Laws no later than November 1, 2026.
Department of Housing and Community Development; administration of Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to review and develop criteria and guidelines for the administration of the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program in consultation with the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia First Cities Coalition, the Virginia Municipal League, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association. The bill requires such criteria to include (i) award prioritization for (a) localities experiencing an above average and high level of fiscal stress as designated by the Commission on Local Government in its most recent Report on Comparative Revenue Capacity, Revenue Effort, and Fiscal Stress of Virginia's Cities and Counties and (b) localities experiencing a significant decrease in commercial real estate assessments and (ii) the amount and type of local matches with consideration of both monetary and non-monetary contribution requirements. The bill requires the Director of the Department to report the Department's findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on General Laws no later than November 1, 2026.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements; report. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any construction contract, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs and maintain records of compliance with applicable laws. The bill requires written authorization from a state public body before any party to a construction contract provides remuneration to more than one independent contractor when such contract is valued at greater than $5 million. If a construction contract with a local public body is valued at greater than $5 million the prime contractor shall provide written notification to the local public body justifying remuneration to any independent contractor. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Effective in due course, the bill requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct an 18-month evaluation regarding the feasibility of requiring public bodies to hire apprentices on public works contracts. The bill also directs the Department of General Services and the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines to assist state public bodies in making the determinations required to issue an authorization allowing a contractor, subcontractor, or other party to a public works contract to provide remuneration to an independent contractor in connection with such contract. The Department of General Services shall publish such guidelines on its website no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1046.
Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission; Department of Corrections; probation and parole officers; subscriber agreements with clerks' offices; secure remote access to nonconfidential court records. Provides that any clerk of a circuit court who provides secure remote access to nonconfidential court records shall allow both the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission and the Department of Corrections to enter into a single subscriber agreement authorizing the Commission and the Department, respectively, to have secure remote access to nonconfidential court records, provided that the subscriber agreement (i) identifies all staff members who require such secure remote access to perform their duties as required by law and (ii) complies with all other relevant law. Current law requires an individual subscriber agreement for each person or staff member who is authorized to have secure remote access to nonconfidential court records.
Affirmative defense or reduced penalty for mental illness, neurocognitive disorder, or intellectual or developmental disability. Provides an affirmative defense to prosecution of a person for assault or assault and battery against certain specified persons for which the enhanced Class 6 felony and six-month mandatory minimum apply if such person proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that at the time of the assault or assault and battery (i) the person's behaviors were a result of (a) mental illness or (b) a neurocognitive disorder, including dementia, or an intellectual disability or a developmental disability such as autism spectrum disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, or (ii) the person met the criteria for issuance of an emergency custody order.
The bill requires such person or his counsel to give notice in writing to the attorney for the Commonwealth at least 60 days prior to his trial in circuit court, or at least 14 days if the trial date is set within 21 days of his last court appearance, of his intention to present such evidence. Additionally, if such notice is not given, and the person proffers such evidence at his trial as a defense, then the court may in its discretion either allow the Commonwealth a continuance or, under appropriate circumstances, bar such person from presenting such evidence; any such continuance shall not be counted for speedy trial purposes pursuant to relevant law.
Lastly, the bill provides that if such person does not prove that his behaviors were a result of his mental illness, intellectual disability, developmental disability, or neurocognitive disorder but the evidence establishes that his mental illness, intellectual disability, developmental disability, or neurocognitive disorder otherwise contributed to his behaviors, the finder of fact may find such person guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that such affirmative defense shall not be construed to allow an affirmative defense for voluntary intoxication. This bill is identical to HB 246.
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting. The bill additionally prohibits armed militia from another state, territory, or district from entering the Commonwealth for the purpose of active military duty over the objection of the Governor without meeting certain conditions. The bill allows certain members of the General Assembly to request that the Attorney General assess the legality of the deployment of the (i) National Guard of another state within the Commonwealth or (ii) Virginia National Guard. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to deployments of the Virginia National Guard. This bill is identical to HB 286.
Condemnation of conservation or open-space easement; compensation. Provides that if a person takes by condemnation any land subject to a conservation easement or open-space easement, such person shall compensate the Commonwealth and the locality in which such land is located for certain tax credits and values enumerated in the bill. The bill specifies that any such compensation paid to the Commonwealth shall be in addition to compensation required by other provisions of law.
Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. Makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity from the mother prior to the offspring turning four months of age, except that wildlife offspring may be prematurely separated if a medical necessity exists pursuant to a written order from a veterinarian with appropriate species-specific experience and expertise licensed to practice in the Commonwealth. The bill excludes the following from its provisions: (i) agricultural animals; (ii) noncommercial transfers or trades between accredited zoological facilities; (iii) an accredited zoological facility, as defined in the bill, that retains the mammalian wildlife offspring separated by such zoological facility; (iv) the Department of Wildlife Resources, a person operating under a wildlife rehabilitator, scientific collection, or endangered and threatened species permit approved by the Department, or a person operating under a species recovery plan approved by the Department; (v) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; or (vi) any person rendering emergency neonatal aide, including the temporary separation of up to 72 hours until a licensed veterinarian can be engaged for assessment and treatment. The bill also makes it unlawful to intentionally and for commercial purposes propagate mammalian wildlife of different species, also known as hybridization. This bill is identical to HB 112.
Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 711.
Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Provides that any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present shall store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. Under the bill, any person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill also requires any dealer, as that term is defined in current law, to post a written notice informing the public of the penalty imposed for failure to comply with the bill's provisions. This bill is identical to HB 871.
Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Provides that any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present shall store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. Under the bill, any person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill also requires any dealer, as that term is defined in current law, to post a written notice informing the public of the penalty imposed for failure to comply with the bill's provisions.
Prohibiting certain acts in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement in certain protected areas; exceptions; penalties. Prohibits certain federal civil immigration enforcement activities in certain protected areas including any courthouse, within 40 feet of any polling place or building used as a meeting place for the local electoral board while the electoral board meets to ascertain the results of an election, and any place or facility owned by the Commonwealth that is a hospital or other health care facility, a school or public institution of higher education, or an office of the attorney for the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any civil arrest in a courthouse pursuant to a civil administrative warrant, subject to certain exceptions such as service or enforcement of an order for failure to pay child support or for any arrest occurring in connection with a court proceeding that is taking place or is scheduled to take place. The bill provides that such provisions shall not apply when such arrest is authorized by a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena. The bill also authorizes a local school board to include in its written school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plan a procedure for notifying school board employees and parents of enrolled students of the presence of certain individuals on school property for immigration investigation or enforcement purposes. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that requires an individual present on campus to investigate compliance with, enforce, or assist in an investigation or enforcement of any federal immigration law to present a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena before accessing any nonpublic area of the campus. This bill is identical to HB 650.
Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings; exceptions; penalty. Prohibits any law-enforcement officer, defined in the bill, from wearing a facial covering, defined in the bill, while engaged in the performance of his official duties. The bill sets out several exceptions to such prohibition, including protective facial coverings to protect against disease, infection, and exposure to toxic substances and facial coverings worn by any law-enforcement officer assigned to a special weapons and tactics team while engaged in the performance of his official duties with such team. The bill subjects the law-enforcement officer to disciplinary action, including dismissal, demotion, suspension, transfer, or decertification, and creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any law-enforcement officer who wears a facial covering in violation of the provisions of the bill unless the law-enforcement agency that employs such law-enforcement officer has adopted and established a written policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings. The bill also directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop a model policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings by law-enforcement officers. This bill is identical to HB 1482.
Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving prescription contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. Additionally, the bill requires any health benefit plan that provides coverage for hormonal contraceptives to provide point-of-sale coverage without cost-sharing at in-network pharmacies for hormonal contraceptives available over-the-counter. This bill is identical to HB 1182.
Secretary of Public Safety; firearm violence. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety to convene a work group to develop policy and legislative recommendations to establish the Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center. The bill allows the work group to (i) meet both in-person and virtually, (ii) have small group breakouts for the purpose of advancing work in a timely and efficient manner, and (iii) collaborate with experts and other representatives as needed. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and any legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 969.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; noncompliance as defense to action for possession for nonpayment of rent. Removes the provision requiring that a tenant in possession of a dwelling unit, prior to asserting a defense against an action for rent or possession, pay into court the amount of rent found by the court to be due and unpaid and for such amount to be held by the court pending the issuance of an order. The bill also limits the discretion of the court in actions for possession based upon nonpayment of rent and actions for rent by a landlord when the tenant is in possession of a dwelling unit.
Collective bargaining by public employees; individual home care providers; Virginia Home Care Council established; Public Employee Relations Board established; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill establishes the Virginia Home Care Council within the Department of Medical Assistance Services to promote the stability of the individual provider workforce in the Commonwealth and tasks the Council with serving as the public employer of individual providers, as defined in the bill, for purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill repeals a provision that declares that in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate any regulations necessary to effectuate the bill's provisions by July 1, 2028, and provides that upon the establishment of the Public Employee Relations Board, such regulations shall be transferred to the Board. The bill provides that until such regulations are adopted, no petitions or elections shall take place pursuant to the bill's provisions except pursuant to an ordinance or resolution adopted under current law. This bill is identical to HB 1263.
Owners of sewage treatment works; land application, marketing, or distribution of sewage sludge; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; testing requirements. Directs any owner of a sewage treatment works land applying, marketing, or distributing sewage sludge in the Commonwealth, beginning January 1, 2027, to collect representative samples of the sewage sludge intended to be land applied, marketed, or distributed and have such samples analyzed by an accredited laboratory for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The bill mandates certain outcomes for the land application of such sewage sludge depending on the concentration of PFAS in such sewage sludge. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality to modify all Virginia Pollution Abatement permits for the land application of sewage sludge and Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for sewage treatment works that include sewage sludge prepared for land application, marketing, or distribution as soon as practicable. The bill requires the Department to utilize the PFAS Expert Advisory Committee (PEAC) or convene a work group to study and recommend approaches to reduce the occurrence of PFAS in sewage sludge intended for land application within the Commonwealth. The Department is required to report the recommendations of the PEAC or work group to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by November 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1443.
Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. Allows for the administrative approval of development and construction of housing on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations or certain property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and provides that zoning ordinances shall allow the by-right development and construction of housing on real property owned by such organizations, subject to various conditions and limitations. The bill provides that the review of such developments be completed pursuant to general law and states that localities shall not require a special exception, special use permit, conditional use permit, rezoning, or any discretionary review or approval process. The bill requires that at least 60 percent of the housing development's total units be for affordable housing and that the housing development remain affordable for at least 30 years. The bill also provides that all such housing is subject to local real property taxation following completion, unless explicitly exempted by the locality. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and expires on January 1, 2031. This bill incorporates SB 367 and is identical to HB 1279.
Department of Education; artificial intelligence system use in instructional settings; development of AIS safety guidance required; AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program established; report. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with school divisions and other relevant stakeholders, to compile information on current uses of artificial intelligence systems (AIS) for student instruction in public schools in the Commonwealth and to establish and post in a publicly accessible location on its website guidance for the safe, ethical, and equitable use of AIS in instructional settings in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill requires each school board to establish, implement, and enforce policies consistent with the guidance developed by the Department in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill also directs the Department to establish and oversee the AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program for the purpose of funding, evaluating, and scaling innovative uses of AIS in public elementary and secondary schools by providing support to school divisions in piloting AIS applications for instruction, tutoring, student engagement, operational efficiency, and teacher support and to submit an annual report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1. The Pilot Program has an expiration date of July 1, 2030. This bill is identical to HB 1186.
Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; board of directors; plan of operation; filing of claims; awards and coverage for expenses or services. Makes various changes to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund. The bill provides that a civil action arising out of or related to a birth-related neurological injury against a participating hospital or physician shall be referred to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. Under the bill, the costs of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission maintaining an electronic filing system for the submission of petitions shall be reimbursed from the Fund. Under the bill, the Auditor of Public Accounts shall receive and review any audit conducted on the accounts of the Fund. The bill includes compensation for services provided by an education advocate. The bill requires the Program's board of directors to include a relative of a current or former beneficiary, allows for the electronic submission of claims, and expands discovery of parties to a claim. The bill further requires the Program's board of directors to establish a blanket surety bonding program for all employees with access to the Fund and requires the board to meet at least once monthly. Finally, the bill increases from $100,000 to $500,000 the amount that may be awarded to families whose infant has sustained a birth-related neurological injury. This bill incorporates SB 434 and is identical to HB 1007.
Deferred disposition in a criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities; expungement. Adds developmental disabilities to the autism and intellectual disability deferred disposition statute. The bill also provides that when a court defers and dismisses a charge pursuant to the autism, intellectual disability, or developmental disability deferred disposition statute, such charge may be considered as otherwise dismissed for purposes of expungement of police and court records. The bill also (i) clarifies that the defendant may request a hearing to determine the appropriateness of a deferred disposition at any time before or after any plea and (ii) provides that no statement made by the defendant at such a hearing is admissible in any criminal proceeding, except that any such statement made under oath may be admissible in a criminal proceeding for perjury or for purposes of impeachment in a criminal matter. This bill is identical to HB 247.
Therapeutic interchange and adaptation. Authorizes pharmacists to perform therapeutic interchanges by substituting a drug with another drug in the same therapeutic class when such substitution lowers the cost or is cost-neutral to the patient or the prescribed drug is in a drug shortage and the substitution conforms to Board of Pharmacy regulations. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to determine which therapeutic classes of drugs shall be eligible for therapeutic interchange and which classes shall be prohibited. The bill also authorizes pharmacists to adapt prescriptions by changing the dosage form or quantity of a medication or by completing missing information on a prescription when there is evidence to support such change.
Alcoholic beverage control; government stores; distiller's licensees as agents of the Board; sale of alcoholic beverages. Allows certain holders of a distiller's license appointed as agents of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to sell spirits, beer, wine, or cider for on-premises or off-premises consumption, provided that the spirits, beer, wine, or cider are manufactured within the same licensed premises or on contiguous premises of such agent licensed as a distillery, brewery, or winery. Under current law, such agents of the Board are permitted to give samples of such alcoholic beverages.
The bill also increases the amount of spirits such distiller's licensees may give or sell to any person per day from three ounces to six ounces and requires such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available at all times when spirits are served. The bill provides that such food may be provided by food trucks, patrons providing their own food, or the agent of the Board and specifies that failure of such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available may result in the Board's reconsideration of the agency agreement appointing such holder of a distiller's license or its officers and employees as agents of the Board.
The bill requires the Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of distiller's licensees with the provisions of this bill and report such data to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026, and again by November 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Authority to convene a stakeholders group to review the manufacturer event licenses and off-site sales privileges granted to manufacturing licensees and report its findings and any recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services no later than December 1, 2026. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2028.
Department of Health; State Health Commissioner; nursing homes; periodic medical visits and resident assessments; oversight and accountability. Requires all nursing homes to notify the resident of a nursing home, the resident's family, and the Department of Health if a federally required physician visit does not take place. The bill also requires each nursing home to conduct a comprehensive assessment on an annual basis to determine each resident's needs and describe each resident's capability to perform daily life functions. Such assessments must be reviewed at least once every 92 days, and more frequently in the event of a significant change in the resident's physical or mental condition.
The bill directs the Department of Health and State Health Commissioner to take steps to improve care quality, protect residents, and strengthen oversight and accountability of nursing homes in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department to enhance recruitment efforts and expand workforce capacity in the Office of Licensure and Certification, accelerate training and onboarding initiatives, and explore measures to reduce administrative burdens. The bill requires the Commissioner to submit an annual report with recommendations for continuing improvement of nursing home quality and oversight. This bill incorporates SB 555.
Unemployment insurance; benefit eligibility conditions; lockout exception to labor dispute disqualification. Amends the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act's labor dispute disqualification provision to provide that a lockout by an employer shall not constitute a labor dispute and that locked-out employees who are otherwise eligible for benefits shall receive such benefits unless (i) the recognized or certified collective bargaining representative of the locked-out employees refuses to meet under reasonable conditions with the employer to discuss the issues giving rise to the lockout, (ii) there is a final adjudication under the federal National Labor Relations Act that such representative has refused to bargain in good faith with the employer, or (iii) the lockout is the direct result of such representative's violation of an existing collective bargaining agreement.
Photo speed monitoring devices; highway work zones; workers present. Limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the violation.
Absentee voting in person; available the second and third Sunday before all elections. Requires absentee voting in person to be made available for a minimum of five hours between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the second and third Sunday immediately preceding all elections.
Siting of battery energy storage projects; commercial solar photovoltaic generation facilities; permitted accessory use. Deems battery energy storage projects as a permitted accessory use in all zoning districts on any parcel of land that is subject to an approved special exception, as defined in the bill, for a commercial solar photovoltaic generation facility, if such battery energy storage project is located within the boundaries of the parcel covered by the existing special exception and complies with any applicable federal, state, and local safety or fire codes and environmental regulations. The bill prohibits a host locality from requiring a special exception or any other local land use approval on such battery energy storage project. The bill clarifies that nothing in the provisions of the bill shall be construed to (i) limit the authority of a host locality to enforce compliance with applicable codes or ensure the safe operation of the battery energy storage project or (ii) preclude the developer of a battery energy storage project from negotiating a siting agreement with the host locality. The bill also clarifies that any battery energy storage project for which an initial interconnection request has been filed with an electric utility or a regional transmission organization prior to July 1, 2030, and is constructed in accordance with the provisions of the bill shall be subject to the applicable local ordinance and regulation in effect on July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 891.
Department of Education; public school teacher licensure requirements; comprehensive review of alternative licensure pathways; stakeholder work group; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department) to convene a stakeholder work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the alternative licensure pathways, as that term is defined in the bill, available to public school teachers in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on improving the quality, efficacy, and outcomes of such alternative licensure pathways. The bill directs the Department to submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health (i) by October 1, 2026, an interim report on the preliminary findings and initial recommendations of the work group and (ii) by October 1, 2027, a final report on the findings and recommendations of the work group.
Department of Education; public school teacher licensure requirements; comprehensive review of alternative licensure pathways; stakeholder work group; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department) to convene a stakeholder work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the alternative licensure pathways, as that term is defined in the bill, available to public school teachers in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on improving the quality, efficacy, and outcomes of such alternative licensure pathways. The bill directs the Department to submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health (i) by October 1, 2026, an interim report on the preliminary findings and initial recommendations of the work group and (ii) by October 1, 2027, a final report on the findings and recommendations of the work group.
Intentional discharge of untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth; civil penalty. Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $50,000 per violation for any person found to have intentionally discharged untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; liquefied petroleum gas fitters; service disconnection requirements; civil penalties. Requires a liquefied petroleum gas fitter, within 14 days after receiving a customer's request to discontinue liquefied petroleum gas delivery service, to offer in writing to remove any remaining liquefied petroleum gas from such customer's storage tank and reimburse the customer for the cost of the removed liquefied petroleum gas at the prevailing rate, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, if a customer accepts such offer, the liquefied petroleum gas fitter shall carry out such removal and reimbursement within 30 days after such acceptance. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Virginia Stock Corporation Act. Makes various changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, many of which conform the Act to recent changes to the Model Business Corporation Act produced by the Corporate Laws Committee of the American Bar Association's Business Law Section. Among other things, the bill (i) addresses the authority of a board of directors to delegate authority with respect to the issuance of shares to a committee of the board and one or more of the corporation's officers, (ii) removes the requirement for the cessation of shareholder agreements when a corporation becomes a public corporation, (iii) requires a corporation to maintain in its records certain shareholder agreements, (iv) removes the requirement for a corporation to maintain its financial statements for the three most recent fiscal years, and (v) authorizes a corporation to submit a matter to a vote of its shareholders even if, after approving the matter, the board of directors determines it no longer recommends such matter. This bill is identical to HB 316.
Electric utilities; virtual power plant program; electric cooperatives. Authorizes electric cooperatives to establish and implement a virtual power plant program. The bill defines a virtual power plant as an aggregation of distributed energy resources, enrolled either directly with an electric cooperative or indirectly through an aggregator, that are operated in coordination to provide one or more grid services. Under the bill, an electric cooperative may offer incentives to residential customers to purchase battery storage devices and is required to evaluate various methods to optimize demand. This bill is identical to HB 562.
Department of Housing and Community Development; loans for the construction of mixed income housing; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, to create a two-year pilot program that would provide loan origination and servicing activities for mixed income housing and submit a report on its findings to the General Assembly by November 1 of each year of the pilot program. The bill provides that any funding for the pilot program, subject to the appropriation act, shall be utilized from up to 15 percent of the annual deposit made to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This bill is identical to HB 196 and HB 820.
Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 1022.
Public institutions of higher education; governing boards; membership and duties; work groups. Revises the membership and duties of the governing board of each public institution of higher education by, among other things, increasing from four years to six years the terms of each member of the governing board and requiring the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies defining and implementing shared governance among the components of the institution's organizational structure. The bill also directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene work groups for the purpose of developing model shared governance policies, in accordance with the provisions of the bill, and for the purpose of studying and making recommendations on (i) institutional structures and processes relating to legal counsel; (ii) the current selection and use of outside legal counsel by public institutions of higher education; (iii) a process by which (a) the governing board of any public institution of higher education, the Governor, or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility, upon determining that the legal counsel of a public institution of higher education is not acting in the best interests of the institution, including due to a conflict of interest, failure to defend the lawful authority of the public institution of higher education, or failure to comply with state law, may request the Attorney General to review the adequacy of such legal representation and (b) upon a determination by the Attorney General or the General Assembly or a committee thereof with relevant oversight responsibility that such institution is not receiving adequate legal representation, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may request additional representation or approve alternate counsel as necessary to protect the interests of the institution; and (iv) policies for requiring any individual member of a governing board of a public institution of higher education to recuse himself from or not participate in any vote or decision of the governing board on any matter in which he has a personal or pecuniary interest or any partisan or ideological interest that would compromise his ability to vote or act objectively and in accordance with the primary duties set forth in relevant law. This bill incorporates SB 381 and is identical to HB 1385.
Vested rights; rulings or orders of the local circuit court. Provides that a landowner's vested rights in a specific residential project shall not be affected by a subsequent ruling or order of the local circuit court applicable to a zoning ordinance amendment when such ruling or order affects at least 25 individual parcels within a locality unless the significant affirmative governmental act approving such residential project is the direct subject of the ruling or order.
Vehicle equipment; films on windshields. Authorizes the application of clear film to the windshield of a vehicle, so long as it is maintained in a condition consistent with federal requirements.
Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals. The bill requires such utilities to submit the results of such requests for proposals as part of their 2027 plans and petitions for approval for the development of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity, which plans are required under existing law. This bill is identical to HB 1065.
Comprehensive crisis system; Marcus alert system; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability crisis services; written plan. Allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to amend the written plan created pursuant to relevant law after the publication of such written plan, provided that (i) the stakeholders listed in relevant law are consulted during the development of any new language to be added to such written plan and (ii) a public comment period of no less than 30 days is held prior to the finalization of such written plan. The bill also provides that the written plan shall serve as the operational framework for relevant components of the comprehensive crisis system and the Marcus alert system and that state agencies and local implementing partners shall align their policies, procedures, and operations on an ongoing basis with the requirements and guidance set forth in the written plan, as amended. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 453.
Commission on Electric Utility Regulation; name change. Renames the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation as the Energy Commission of Virginia. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Prevailing wage rate for public works contracts; localities. Requires each state agency or locality, when procuring services or letting contracts for public works paid for in whole or in part by state or local funds, or when overseeing or administering such contracts for public works, to ensure that its bid specifications or other public contracts applicable to the public works require bidders, offerors, contractors, and subcontractors to pay wages, salaries, benefits, and other remuneration to any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform services in connection with the public contract for public works at a rate no less than the prevailing wage rate. The bill also amends the definition of "public works" to include work performed at certain institutions of higher education and to exclude work performed at a non-governmental property or facility used to provide broadband or other telecommunications services. Under the bill, a contractor or subcontractor may be liable to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry for liquidated damages for violating the prevailing wage requirements in the bill. Under the bill, any interested party shall have standing to challenge bid specifications, project agreements, or other public contracts for public works that violate the provisions of the bill. The bill requires institutions of higher education to expressly agree to comply with the public works contract requirements. Under the bill, the Commissioner shall determine the prevailing wage based on a survey of wages and benefits paid in each area, as defined in the bill, conducted every two years. The bill includes factors for the Commissioner to consider in determining a prevailing wage rate. The bill directs the Commissioner to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill incorporates SB 370 and is identical to HB 569.
Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; Forest Sustainability Fund. Adds management of the Forest Sustainability Fund to the powers and duties of the Office of Working Lands Preservation within the Department of Forestry. This bill is identical to HB 543.
Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $34 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $191,255,000, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $4 billion and create and maintain at least 500 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to HB 1076.
Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units. Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as defined in the bill, as a permitted accessory use. The bill requires a person to seek a permit for an ADU from the locality, requires the locality to issue such permit if the person meets certain requirements enumerated in the bill, and restricts the fee for such permit to $500 or less. The bill prohibits the locality from requiring (i) setbacks for the ADU that are greater than the setback required for the primary dwelling or the setback required for accessory structures on the residential lot, whichever is less; (ii) conditions for ADUs that are more restrictive than those for single-family dwellings within the same zoning area with regard to height, rear, or side setbacks, lot size or coverage, or building frontage; or (iii) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license; municipality or nonprofit organization. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, broker, importer, or wholesaler to sponsor or provide support, including equipment, staff, financial, and other support, for a special event for which a municipality or nonprofit organization has been issued a banquet license when such special event is to be held on the grounds of a museum or a government-registered national, state, or local historic site at which the municipality or nonprofit organization is licensed to operate a gift shop, provided that any retail license issued to the premises has been deactivated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the duration of such special event. The bill limits such municipalities or nonprofit organizations to no more than eight banquet licenses for such special events per year. This bill is identical to HB 1343.
Medical malpractice information disclosures; report. Requires insurers who issue medical malpractice liability insurance polices covering health care providers in the Commonwealth to disclose, for the preceding calendar year, information regarding (i) premiums; (ii) claims activity; (iii) claim payments and litigation costs; and (iv) insurer financial condition. The bill further requires every hospital or health system licensed in the Commonwealth that maintains self-insurance, captive insurance, risk retention arrangements, or other retained financial risk for medical malpractice liability to disclose information regarding (a) the numbers of physicians and health care providers covered under the malpractice liability program; (b) claims activity; (c) malpractice expenditures; and (d) the total malpractice liability expenditures for the reporting year. The bill further requires such insurers, hospitals, and health care systems to provide a list of verdicts during the reporting year in medical malpractice actions in which the jury verdict exceeded the medical malpractice limitation on recovery. The bill provides that such disclosures and information be submitted to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and to the ranking Delegate and Senator of the minority party serving on such Committees on or before September 1, 2026, for the 2025 calendar year and on or before March 31 of each year thereafter for the preceding calendar year.
Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill provides that no retail sales may occur prior to January 1, 2027. Effective January 1, 2027, the bill also moves oversight of the retail sale of certain regulated hemp products from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. This bill incorporates SB 671 and SB 826 and is identical to HB 642.
Marijuana and hemp products; enforcement. Amends various provisions of law to increase enforcement and penalties related to the illegal sale of marijuana or marijuana products by persons licensed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA). The bill also requires the Board of Directors of the CCA to create and require a decal for retail marijuana store licensees to prominently display on the premises of such store that allows consumers to electronically verify the validity of such store's license from the Board. The bill requires such decal to be displayed by licensees, with a civil penalty of $10,000 for each day that such decal is not displayed in the establishment. The bill also creates a $10,000 civil penalty for creating or falsifying such decal. The bill allows the Board to issue a notice of violation and order to cease unlicensed activity to any person who is engaged in the cultivation, processing, distribution, or selling of marijuana or marijuana products in violation of current law, and if the Board issues such notice and order, it may also order the seizure of such marijuana or marijuana products. Any person who intentionally removes such notice and order or sticker without authorization of the Board is subject to a civil penalty prescribed by the Board, not to exceed $5,000. The bill also specifies that the Chief Executive Officer of the Board or investigators appointed by him shall be sworn to enforce the provisions of the Cannabis Control Act and Board regulations and have the authority to investigate violations of the statutes and regulations the CCA is required to enforce. The bill also revises certain provisions related the assessment of civil penalties against manufacturers and sellers of certain industrial hemp extracts and foods containing industrial hemp extracts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to sell or offer for sale a substance intended for human consumption, orally or by inhalation, that (i) contains more than 0.3 percent total tetrahydrocannabinol or (ii) contains more than two milligrams of total tetrahydrocannabinol per package. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to analyze the current efforts in the Commonwealth to combat the sale of illicit cannabis products and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, on General Laws, and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations, on General Laws and Technology, on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026.
Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements. Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to (i) issue a confidential annual report to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles containing the aggregate data regarding the average fare collected from passengers, the total time driven by TNC partners while transporting a passenger, and the total amount earned by TNC partners in connection with prearranged rides; (ii) disclose to TNC partners information about the deactivation process; (iii) provide a weekly summary that includes the total fare collected from passengers, the total amount earned, and the percentage earned by such TNC partner that week; and (iv) provide an itemized receipt within 24 hours of the completion of each ride. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1270.
Certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. Requires any water user required to register water withdrawal and use data to the State Water Control Board that provides water to another person offsite to include in its report, submitted on its regular reporting schedule, the total volume of potable water and, reported separately, the total volume of reclaimed water, as defined in the bill, provided during each month for each of the following categories: (i) a data center with an air permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) to the extent available without utility billing system modifications, (a) domestic purposes, (b) commercial and industrial purposes, separately or combined as available, and (c) all other non-categorized purposes. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 496.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; joint and cooperative procurement; construction exception. Excludes certain intergovernmental support agreements pursuant to federal law from provisions of law under the Virginia Public Procurement Act that provide an exception for construction where a public body may purchase from another public body's contract if the request for proposal or invitation to bid specified that the procurement was a cooperative procurement being conducted on behalf of other public bodies.
Elections; absentee and provisional ballots; process and timing for rejected absentee ballot applications, returned absentee ballots, and rejected provisional ballots. Requires the electoral board to make publicly available a list of persons having submitted an ID-ONLY provisional ballot no later than noon on the day following the election. If the electoral board determines that any person who submitted a provisional vote was not entitled to vote as a result of a material error or omission on the provisional ballot form, the registrar is required to promptly notify the voter in writing or by email of the error or omission and to provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted. The voter is entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the Monday after the election. The bill also requires the list of absentee ballot applicants to be updated daily and to include whether each application has been accepted or rejected and, if it has been rejected, the reason for rejection or, if it has been accepted, the status of the absentee ballot. Registrars are also required to enter such information into the voter registration system, and such information is required to be made available to voters via a free-access system made available by the Department of Elections. The bill removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election.
Elections; absentee and provisional ballots; process and timing for rejected absentee ballot applications, returned absentee ballots, and rejected provisional ballots. Requires the general registrar to promptly notify a voter by telephone or email of an error or omission on the provisional ballot form and to provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted if the electoral board determines that such voter who submitted a provisional vote was not entitled to vote as a result of a material error or omission on the provisional ballot form. The voter is entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the Monday after the election. The bill also requires the list of absentee ballot applicants to be updated daily and to include whether each application has been accepted or rejected and, if it has been rejected, the reason for rejection or, if it has been accepted, the status of the absentee ballot. Registrars are also required to enter such information into the voter registration system, and such information is required to be made available to voters via a free-access system made available by the Department of Elections. The bill removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. Finally, the bill requires the Department to issue guidance to local election officials on the uniform processing and counting of provisional ballots. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Motor vehicle insurance; unauthorized addition of insured drivers prohibited. Prohibits an insurance carrier authorized to issue motor vehicle liability insurance policies from automatically adding any person to the list of persons insured under a motor vehicle owner's policy or to the household of a named insured for purposes of such policy based solely on certain information enumerated in the bill.
Mechanics and storage liens; abandoned vehicles; vehicle records. Removes the requirement that the Department of Motor Vehicles, when searching for owner or lienholder information for a vehicle titled in another jurisdiction for (i) the enforcement of a mechanic's or storage lien or (ii) determining ownership of an abandoned vehicle, ascertain such information by contacting the other jurisdiction. The bill retains the requirement that the Department ascertain such information upon initiation of a search by the bailee or person in possession of an abandoned vehicle.
Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges. Limits a treasurer's lien issued with respect to wages or salary to 25 percent of the delinquent taxpayer's disposable earnings in a single pay period. The 25 percent limitation shall not apply (i) if the lien issuer determines that the adjusted gross income of the delinquent taxpayer exceeds 250 percent of the poverty guideline amount adjusted for household size; (ii) if the treasurer determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the delinquent taxpayer or the property assessed with such taxes is no longer in the jurisdiction, or the taxpayer is attempting to flee the jurisdiction or is improperly disposing of assets with the intent to hinder or delay the collection of the delinquent taxes; or (iii) to any portion of the delinquent obligation collected by the delinquent taxpayer and held in trust to remit to the local governing authority. This bill is identical to HB 1100.
Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund; grant procedures. Requires the grant procedure to govern funds awarded to local and regional jails for the planning or operation of substance use disorder treatment services and transition services for persons with substance use disorder who are incarcerated in local and regional jails to include requirements that (i) any grant awarded shall be made for up to three years and (ii) an applicant for a grant submit a plan demonstrating how such applicant will become independently financially viable within the time period for which the grant is awarded. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 455.
Nonjudicial disciplinary proceedings in the Virginia National Guard. Removes the restriction on nonjudicial disciplinary proceedings that prevents reduction in rank for members with more than 10 years of service who are in the rank of E-5 or above.
Motion picture production tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the motion picture production tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2026 to taxable year 2030. This bill is identical to HB 400.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers; purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; penalties; report. Transitions and provides a more comprehensive structure for the current licensing and enforcement responsibilities related to liquid nicotine and retail tobacco products from the Department of Taxation to a permitting system administered by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill requires the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage and Control Authority to conduct an unannounced buyer operation at least once every 24 months to verify that a permittee, defined in the bill, is not selling retail tobacco products to persons under 21 years of age. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 308.
Virginia Human Rights Act; procedures for a charge of unlawful discrimination. Provides that, for the purposes of nondiscrimination in places of public accommodation, "place of public accommodation" includes educational institutions. The bill reduces from 15 to five the number of employees in the definition of "employer" for purposes of nondiscrimination in employment. The bill also amends from 300 days to two years the timeframe for filing a complaint alleging unlawful discrimination with the Office of the Attorney General.
Department of Social Services; corrective action plans; centralized hotline for reports or complaints of child abuse or neglect. Establishes a centralized hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and grants the Commissioner of Social Services the authority to create and enforce a corrective action plan for any local board of social services or local department of social services that (i) fails to administer public assistance and social services programs in accordance with applicable laws and regulations or (ii) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child or adult. The bill permits similar authority for any local board of social services that (a) fails to provide child welfare services in accordance with applicable law or regulations or (b) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child. Under the bill, if a local board or department fails to comply with a corrective action plan, the Commissioner has the authority to temporarily assume control of all or part of the local board's operations. The bill also provides that, when a local board of social services or local department of social services requests assistance, the Commissioner has the authority to utilize staff of the Department of Social Services or contract with private entities to provide public assistance and social services programs in the locality served by the local board or department.
The bill requires the Department of Social Services to establish and maintain a hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and specifies that the Department shall determine the validity of such reports and complaints. The bill eliminates the requirement that local departments must be capable of receiving and responding to reports and complaints of abuse or neglect and instead requires that any complaint of child abuse or neglect received by a local department shall be immediately forwarded to the Department's child abuse and neglect hotline. The bill also adds adult services to the definition of "social services" for purposes of Title 63.2 (Welfare (Social Services)).
The bill directs the Department of Social Services to (1) promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and (2) contract with a third party by August 1, 2026, to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the screening process used for child protective services complaints across Virginia. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a Social Services Task Force to develop a comprehensive improvement plan to address changes needed within the State Department of Social Services and the local departments of social services.
The provisions of the bill related to centralized intake have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report. Provides that for the purposes of a permit by rule for a small renewable energy project under existing law, a small renewable energy project includes an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, to (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program. The bill also directs the Department to report its findings to the Air Pollution Control Board by December 1, 2026.
Local government; certain towns; suspension of officers, study, remedial plan, and meeting requirements. Provides that any member of a governing body in any locality, who has been employed by any governmental agency that is a component part of and that is subject to the ultimate control of the governing body of which he is a member, is deemed to have continuing personal interest in that agency for a period of two years following the termination of such employment. The bill also requires the court, in a criminal proceeding against an officer of any town in Planning District 8 with a population between 8,000 and 10,000 alleging the commission of a felony offense, to enter an order suspending the officer pending the resolution of such proceeding and any related proceeding for the officer's removal. The bill requires any such town to also procure a study by a public institution of higher education to evaluate the condition and status of the town's debt, infrastructure, utilities, and other significant liability risks. Such town is required to adopt a plan consistent with the study to address such town's needs, as identified in the study, in a fiscally appropriate manner that does not jeopardize the town's bond rating. The bill also prohibits the town council of any such town from voting on matters that have not been properly published at least three days prior to the vote as part of a town council agenda or otherwise approved as additional agenda items or as amendments to existing agenda items by a three-fourths vote of all the members of the council at the start of the meeting. The bill requires that any full-time town manager of such town must be a resident of the Commonwealth unless the town council has waived such requirement by a majority vote. This bill is identical to HB 505.
Virginia Self-Service Storage Act; disposal of abandoned personal property in certain cases; definitions. Creates a process by which the owner of a self-service storage facility may dispose of the personal property of an occupant of a leased storage space when such personal property has been left in such leased storage space or on the property of the self-service storage facility following the termination or nonrenewal of a rental agreement, provided that such noncompliance did not involve a failure to meet any financial or monetary obligation. The bill also clarifies that an occupant's last known address may be updated pursuant to a specific method as may be required by the terms of the rental agreement.
Department of Housing and Community Development; housing development database. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to collect from each locality and make available to the public, localities, state agencies, and other state and regional public entities in a centralized, machine-readable, screen reader compatible database various data for each new and existing housing development in each locality in the Commonwealth, including data related to the number of housing development plans submitted and approved by the locality and the average approval timeline for housing development plans.
Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs. Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill specifies that each regulatory board must report such revisions to DPOR or DHP and requires each agency to report such revisions to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate or compact licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP.
Department of Criminal Justice Services; powers and duties; local and regional jails; repeal of model addiction recovery program. Removes the requirement that the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, develop a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 454.
Motor vehicle insurance; use of certain factors to establish rates prohibited. Prohibits an insurer from refusing to insure, refusing to continue to insure, or limiting the amount or extent of motor vehicle insurance coverage, or charge an individual a different rate for the same motor vehicle insurance coverage, solely because of such individual's consumer credit information or credit-based insurance score. The bill also directs the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance to study the use by insurers of an insured's or applicant's consumer credit information or credit-based insurance score in connection with underwriting motor vehicle insurance polices and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by October 1, 2027.
Department of Health; opioid antagonist distribution program; reports. Directs the Department of Health to maintain a list of agencies and organizations that submit requests for and receive opioid antagonists through its distribution program and requires the Department to submit a quarterly report to the Chairs of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources, House Health and Human Services Committee, Senate Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources, and Senate Subcommittee on Health, and the chair of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on its distribution of opioid antagonists. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee by December 1 of each year estimating the costs of the opioid antagonist distribution program for the following fiscal year using a methodology developed by the Department pursuant to parameters set out in the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.
Devocalization of dogs prohibited. Makes it unlawful for any person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine to perform a surgical devocalization procedure on a dog, except when such procedure is necessary to treat or relieve any injury, disease, or congenital defect that is causing or may cause the dog physical pain or harm.
Sheriffs; courthouse and courtroom security; physical location of courthouse or courtroom. Clarifies that, where a courtroom of a locality is located within the courthouse of a different county, city, or town, the sheriff, any deputy sheriff, or any law-enforcement officer of such locality shall have (i) the same police powers within and on the surrounding property of the courthouse as in his own jurisdiction and (ii) concurrent jurisdiction while present within or on the surrounding property of such courthouse, or while traveling to and returning from such courthouse, and engaged in the performance of his official duties to enforce certain laws of the Commonwealth.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan; report. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, during the first year of each new gubernatorial administration, to develop and implement a written comprehensive Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan that is designed to be enacted over the course of such gubernatorial administration's term. The Secretary is directed to submit a report detailing the progress made toward the development and implementation of the Plan to the Governor and to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1 of the first year of each new gubernatorial administration. This bill is identical to HB 512.
High school graduation requirements; application. Provides that, in the event that the Board of Education establishes or modifies any graduation requirements or diploma pathways, the Board shall only apply such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways to students who enter ninth grade at the beginning of or after the first school year of implementation of such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways. The bill is applicable beginning with students who enter the ninth grade on or after the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. This bill is identical to HB 1283.
Circuit court clerks; fees; Technology Trust Fund Fee; report; recordation tax of certain deeds; report. Increases the Technology Trust Fund Fee from $5 to $8. The bill also increases the amount of the fee to be allocated for one of the purposes as described in current law from $4 to $6. The bill authorizes the remaining $2 of the fee to be allocated to individual circuit court clerks' offices for one of the purposes as described in current law. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties. Finally, the bill directs (i) the clerk in each circuit court in the Commonwealth to provide detailed information to the Compensation Board and the Auditor of Public Accounts on the total amount of local Technology Trust Fund Fee revenue collected and expended and (ii) the Compensation Board to aggregate such information and submit a report summarizing the information to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1, 2026.
Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited in the Commonwealth; penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns or any firearm modified to be operable as an assault firearm on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. Under current law, the prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, only in certain localities, and only when such firearms are loaded. A violation of this prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates SB 312.
Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own employees; and (iii) if such county or city subsequently elects to provide its own system of public transportation, adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining and ensure all employees of such private company are offered employment with such subsequent public transportation system without loss of compensation or benefits. The bill clarifies that the bill only applies to actions occurring on or after the effective date and excludes any action taken, contract signed, liability incurred, or right accrued prior to July 1, 2026, from the requirements. Finally, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to convene a work group to develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the bill and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 547.
Financial institutions; officers and directors. Provides that the State Corporation Commission may permit, upon petition, an individual to serve as an officer or on the boards of directors of more than one financial institution if the Commission finds that the financial institutions are not in competition with each other or that one or both of the institutions might otherwise be denied capable management or direction from an individual residing in or employed in the locality served by an institution.
Financial institutions; officers and directors. Provides that the State Corporation Commission may permit, upon petition, an individual to serve as an officer or on the boards of directors of more than one financial institution if the Commission finds that the financial institutions are not in competition with each other or that one or both of the institutions might otherwise be denied capable management or direction from an individual residing in or employed in the locality served by an institution.
Public Recreational Facilities Authorities Act. Authorizes authorities established under the Public Recreational Facilities Authorities Act to make grants to any participating locality, the Commonwealth or any other political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, any federal agency, and any person to promote the purposes of the authority, including for the purpose of promoting tourism development.
Purchase, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, or is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, transfers, or purchases a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 217.
Deferred disposition in a criminal case; license suspension; driving while under the influence. Permits a trial court, for any offense based on the operation of a motor vehicle or a watercraft for which suspension of a driver's license is also required, to suspend the driver's license of a defendant when deferring disposition. The bill also allows a trial court to defer judgment for a violation of driving while intoxicated and require that the defendant participate in and successfully complete an alcohol safety action program and prohibit the defendant from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system. The bill excludes from its provisions any person with a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit or who was operating a commercial motor vehicle during the alleged violation.
Deferred disposition in a criminal case; license suspension; driving while under the influence. Permits a trial court, with the agreement of the Commonwealth if the charge is ineligible for sealing, to suspend the driver's license of a defendant for a period of not less than 10 days nor more than six months when deferring disposition. The bill also allows a trial court to defer judgment for a violation of driving while intoxicated and require that the defendant participate in and successfully complete an alcohol safety action program and prohibit the defendant from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system. The bill excludes from its provisions any person with a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit or who was operating a commercial motor vehicle during the alleged violation.
Motor vehicle glass repair and replacement; emissions inspection; penalties. Establishes various notice requirements for motor vehicle glass repair shops, defined in the bill, and provides that a violation of such requirements is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill permits a motor vehicle to qualify for an emissions inspection waiver if such vehicle has failed an inspection and the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system is in a not-ready condition to be tested when presented for reinspection. This bill is identical to HB 312.
Workers' compensation; burial expenses; annual adjustment. Increases from $10,000 to $15,000 the amount required to be paid by an employer under workers' compensation provisions for burial expenses. The bill directs the Commissioner of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission to adjust the amount of burial expenses and reasonable transportation expenses required to be paid by an employer by a percentage equivalent to the percentage increase of the United States Average Consumer Price Index published by the U.S. Department of Labor beginning January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter.
Workers' compensation; burial expenses; annual adjustment. Increases from $10,000 to $15,000 the amount required to be paid by an employer under workers' compensation provisions for burial expenses. The bill directs the Commissioner of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission to adjust the amount of burial expenses and reasonable transportation expenses required to be paid by an employer by a percentage equivalent to the percentage increase of the United States Average Consumer Price Index published by the U.S. Department of Labor beginning January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter.
Requiring fines, costs, restitution for damages, support, or community services from probationer; failure to pay. Provides that a failure of the defendant to pay any fines or costs imposed on him at the time of being placed on probation as a condition of his probation shall not, by itself, be deemed a breach of such probation unless the court finds, after notice to the defendant and his counsel and a hearing, that the defendant has willfully refused to pay. The bill provides that in assessing such failure to pay, the court shall presume that a defendant who is indigent pursuant to relevant law, or who has been deemed indigent during the pendency of a criminal or traffic case, is unable to pay such fines and costs. The bill requires the court to order such defendant relief from any alleged breach of probation, absent any specific finding to the contrary.
Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings; entry of order and recordation of certificate; disbursement of funds by circuit court clerk. Provides that the clerk of a circuit court shall, upon entry of an order in a condemnation proceeding and unless otherwise directed, promptly disburse any just compensation in the amount specified in such order and any interest accrued. The bill provides that the clerk shall disburse such funds no later than seven business days after the entry of the order or the receipt of the sum that such order directs the clerk to disburse, whichever is later. The bill also provides that counsel in a condemnation action may request, and the clerk, sheriff, or other person responsible for notifying jurors to appear in court for a trial shall make available, a copy of the jury panel to be used for such trial. The bill also requires that on the same day the certificate is recorded in the land records, it shall also be filed with the clerk.
Law-enforcement agencies; agreements with federal authority for immigration enforcement; requirements. Prohibits any state or local law-enforcement agency, defined in the bill, from maintaining, renewing, or entering into any federal immigration agreement unless such agreement contains certain provisions. The bill also prohibits any person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer to assist, cooperate with, or use any law-enforcement resources to facilitate any operation that seeks to identify, arrest, or otherwise impose a penalty upon an individual for any violation of federal civil immigration law. The bill provides that such prohibition shall not apply (i) if the authority to enforce such laws is otherwise permitted or required by law; (ii) if the person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer is presented with a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena that authorizes such enforcement; or (iii) to the transfer of custody of an adult convicted of certain violent felonies from a state, local, or regional correctional facility upon such correctional facility's receipt of a federal immigration detainer. This bill is identical to HB 1441.
Groundwater management areas; bioslurry injections in wells prohibited. Prohibits any person from conducting any bioslurry injection, as defined in the bill, in any well that has been drilled through any portion of a groundwater management area declared by regulation prior to January 1, 2020. This bill is identical to HB 1381.
Teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff position exits; data collection; disaggregation by race; reason for exit. Requires each school board to report to the Department of Education annually the number and type of teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff position exits in the school division, disaggregated by the race of the individual who exited the position. The bill also provides that for each such exit occurring during the reporting year, the reason for the exit, including whether the exit was voluntary or involuntary, shall be collected and reported. This bill is identical to HB 1437.
Alcoholic beverage control; payment of excise tax on beer, wine coolers, and wine; penalties. Specifies that the civil penalty imposed on a manufacturer, bottler, or wholesaler who fails to make any return, pay the full amount of certain taxes imposed on wine and beer, and submit certain reports is not to exceed five percent of the proper tax due if the failure is for not more than 30 days, with an additional five percent for each additional 30 days, or fraction thereof, during which the failure continues. The bill also specifies that certain taxes collected by wholesale wine licensees at the time of or prior to sale to retail licensees and reports required to be submitted along with such taxes shall be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than the fifteenth of the month.
The bill also provides a 60-day period for any such manufacturer, bottler, wholesaler, or retailer to make such return, pay the full amount of the excise tax, and submit such reports prior to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority suspending or revoking a license. The bill further provides that (i) absent willful intent to defraud the Commonwealth, a violation is deemed cured and no further action may be taken against the licensee if the manufacturer, bottler, wholesaler, or retailer files the required return, pays the full excise tax, submits all reports, and pays any civil penalties within the 60-day period and (ii) except in cases involving a false or fraudulent return with willful intent to defraud, the specified penalties are the sole penalties the Board may impose, notwithstanding any other law or regulation.
The bill also requires the Authority to implement an online electronic system for wholesale wine licensees to (a) report to the Authority the purchases and sales made during the preceding month and the amount of state wine tax collected from retailers and (b) provide payment for the amount of taxes collected, less any refunds, replacements, or adjustments by January 1, 2027.
Health insurance; mandated benefits; treatment of menopause and perimenopause. Requires each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing hospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverage on an expense-incurred basis; each corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts; and each health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment and care for menopause and perimenopause, as described in the bill.
Virginia Health Care Protection Act established; prohibition on extradition for certain crimes; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Health Care Protection Act. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in the Commonwealth or employed by the Commonwealth or any of its localities or political subdivisions may investigate, arrest, or detain any person, seek the issuance of a warrant, or otherwise assist in or provide support for any investigation involving protected health care activity, as defined in the bill, not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill creates a private right of action for any person who is aggrieved by such unlawful investigation to obtain an injunction or other equitable relief against such law-enforcement officer.
The bill creates a private right of action for any person who sustains any injury, damages, or other harm resulting from another person who, under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth, engages or attempts to engage in abusive litigation, as defined in the bill.
The bill also provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves protected health care activity within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth.
The bill provides that any subpoena under the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act or any summons for a witness for another state in a criminal case shall include an attestation, made under penalty of perjury, stating whether the subpoena or summons seeks documents, information, or testimony related to protected health care activity.
Winchester Parking Authority Act. Amends the Winchester Parking Authority Act to grant the Authority the power to sell, lease as lessor, transfer, or dispose of any property or interest acquired by it.
Official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal. Repeals the designation of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A. Bland, as set out in House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Session of 1940, as the official state song emeritus.
Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Air Pollution Control Board to establish and maintain a market-based trading program consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program, as defined in existing law, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating units in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 397.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful conduct. Directs the Fair Housing Board to promulgate regulations defining "quid pro quo harassment," "hostile environment harassment," and other terms related to unlawful conduct under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. The bill directs the Fair Housing Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; submission of annual report. Provides that the decision of whether to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report submitted by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission shall be made by consensus of a majority of the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and the ranking members of the minority party serving on such Committees. The bill provides that if no such action to rescind or redact any portion of the annual report is taken, the report shall be published within 30 days of submission. The bill provides that such 30-day time period shall begin the day the Commission submits the annual report to the General Assembly, and if the 30-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the General Assembly is lawfully closed, such period shall be extended to the next day that is not one of those days. The bill contains technical amendments.
Victims of crime; reimbursement for expenses; work group. Provides that all medical fees expended in the gathering of evidence through anonymous trace evidence collection kit examinations conducted on victims complaining of strangulation pursuant to relevant law shall be paid by the Commonwealth through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund (also known as the Virginia Victims Fund) administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. The bill states that such victims shall not be required to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law-enforcement authorities in order to be provided with such medical exams. Under current law, all medical fees expended in the gathering of evidence through physical evidence recovery kit examinations conducted on victims complaining of sexual assault are paid by the Commonwealth via the Fund, and victims complaining of sexual assault are not required to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law-enforcement authorities in order to be provided with such forensic medical exams. The bill expands the powers and duties of the Commission to adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind suitable rules and regulations to include a distinct policy for the payment of anonymous trace evidence collection kit examinations. Lastly, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to discuss and submit recommendations for certain matters related to the reimbursement process for forensic medical examinations, enumerated in the bill. The bill directs the work group to submit a report with recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 1464.
Sickle Cell Coordinated Access Network established. Directs the State Health Commissioner, in coordination with the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems Authority, to establish and maintain the Sickle Cell Coordinated Access Network to provide health care providers in the Commonwealth with real-time consultation and support from sickle cell specialists. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1391.
School nurses; sickle cell disease training. Directs local school divisions to require school nurses to complete, within six months of employment and at least every three years thereafter, an online or in-person course of instruction approved by the Board in collaboration with the Department of Health regarding recognition and management of sickle cell disease. This bill is identical to HB 1446.
Regulation of contractors; solar installation companies; sale, lease, or power purchase of solar energy systems; civil penalty. Authorizes the Board for Contractors (the Board) to require specific contract provisions and disclosures relating to the sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system, as defined in the bill. The bill requires a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system to have a written contract that includes specific provisions related to the solar installation company, system design and performance or production guarantees, and information related to invoices and payments. The bill includes several mandatory disclosures to be included with a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system. Under the bill, a willful violation of such requirements shall be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $2,500 per violation. The bill also directs the Board to adopt regulations and update existing regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1439.
Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects; levy; report. Authorizes the State Corporation Commission, in reviewing any application submitted by a public utility for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an electrical transmission line of 500 kilovolts filed between January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, to approve up to four applications for qualifying projects to be constructed in whole or in part underground as part of the pilot program for underground transmission lines and to provide an expedited review of any such application. The bill removes certain provisions related to the existing pilot program.
Under the bill, a project shall be qualified if (i) the Commission finds that an engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to place the proposed line in whole or in part underground, (ii) the application contains certain information regarding projections of project costs, (iii) the application contains evidence that the governing body of each locality in which at least a portion of the proposed line will be placed underground supports the project's inclusion in the program and agrees to meet its related funding obligations, and (iv) the Commission finds the overall cost of the project reasonable and consistent with the public interest. The bill permits the Commission to deny an application for a project that otherwise meets the criteria to qualify, provided that the Commission publicly shares its rationale for doing so.
The bill requires at least 50 percent of the marginal costs, as defined in the bill, of the portion of a qualifying project chosen to be placed underground within a locality pursuant to its provisions to be paid by such locality. The bill permits such a locality to meet such requirement through imposing a levy that meets certain requirements on electric utility customers within the locality, issuing a general obligation bond subject to a referendum, allocating its own funds, or any combination of such methods. The bill extends the Commission's final report deadline for the pilot program from December 1, 2024, to December 1, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 1487.
Department of Transportation; criteria and recommendations for the potential designation of vulnerable road user safety zones; report. Requires the Department of Transportation to develop criteria and recommendations for the potential designation of vulnerable road user safety zones in the Commonwealth in areas that have experienced elevated rates of crashes, injuries, or fatalities involving pedestrians or cyclists. The bill requires the Department to submit a report with its criteria and any recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Transportation and the House Committees on Appropriations and Transportation no later than November 1, 2026.
Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which a person adjudicated delinquent or convicted of certain felony offenses involving, or violations of probation or community supervision related to, the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remains incarcerated or on probation or community supervision on July 1, 2026, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to SB 62.
Elections; administration; procedures for removal of electoral board members and general registrars. Allows the State Board of Elections to remove any member of an electoral board or general registrar by a recorded two-thirds majority vote of all its members after a public hearing on related matters. The bill provides that any such removal or any removal proceedings instituted against an electoral board member or general registrar by the State Board shall be based on neglect of a clear ministerial duty of the office, misuse of the office, or incompetence in the performance of the duties of the office, or an unambiguous indication of a future refusal or failure to carry out the duties of the office where such refusal or failure is likely to have a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office. Such decision shall be final and not subject to appeal. The bill also allows an electoral board to remove a general registrar by a unanimous vote of all its members after a public hearing on related matters. A registrar who is so removed may file an appeal to the State Board. The bill provides that any such removal or any removal proceedings instituted against a general registrar by the electoral board shall be based on the same standards as required for removals by the State Board.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program established. Establishes the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small SWaM business, as such term is defined in the bill, utilization in all discretionary spending by executive branch agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to small SWaM businesses in instances where the prime contractor is not a small SWaM business for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. The bill provides that executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWaM business utilization rates by three percent per year until reaching the 42-percent target or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rates. In addition, the bill provides for a small SWaM business set-aside for executive branch agency and covered institution purchases of goods, services, and construction, requiring that purchases between $10,000 and $200,000 be set aside for award to certified small SWaM businesses, and a microbusiness set-aside for such purchases, requiring that such purchases up to $10,000 be set aside for award to microbusinesses.
The bill creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for purposes of collaborating with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Department of Transportation, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and covered institutions to further the Commonwealth's efforts to meet the goals established under the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance the development of small businesses, microbusinesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and service disabled veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth.
Finally, the bill requires the Director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct, or contract with an independent entity to conduct, a disparity study every five years, with the next disparity study due no later than January 1, 2031. The bill specifies that such study shall evaluate the need for enhancement and remedial measures to address the disparity between the availability and the utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses.
Applications for concealed handgun permits. Allows for alternate methods of submission of applications for concealed handgun permits by removing the requirement that such applications be submitted in writing.
Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. Makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity from the mother prior to the offspring turning four months of age, except that wildlife offspring may be prematurely separated if a medical necessity exists pursuant to a written order from a veterinarian with appropriate species-specific experience and expertise licensed to practice in the Commonwealth. The bill excludes the following from its provisions: (i) agricultural animals; (ii) noncommercial transfers or trades between accredited zoological facilities; (iii) an accredited zoological facility, as defined in the bill, that retains the mammalian wildlife offspring separated by such zoological facility; (iv) the Department of Wildlife Resources, a person operating under a wildlife rehabilitator, scientific collection, or endangered and threatened species permit approved by the Department, or a person operating under a species recovery plan approved by the Department; (v) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; or (vi) any person rendering emergency neonatal aide, including the temporary separation of up to 72 hours until a licensed veterinarian can be engaged for assessment and treatment. The bill also makes it unlawful to intentionally and for commercial purposes propagate mammalian wildlife of different species, also known as hybridization. This bill is identical to SB 344.
Criminal cases; request for a jury to ascertain punishment. Provides that an accused may withdraw a request for a jury to ascertain punishment up until the commencement of the sentencing proceeding. The bill also provides that counsel for either party shall have the right to examine jurors regarding the potential punishment, or range or ranges of punishment, regardless of whether the jury will ascertain punishment and that the court or counsel for either party may inform any person or juror during voir dire as to the potential punishment, or range or ranges of punishment, to ascertain if the person or juror can sit impartially in the guilt or sentencing phase of the case. Current law provides that the court or counsel for either party may inform any person or juror during voir dire as to the potential range of punishment to ascertain if the person or juror can sit impartially in the sentencing phase of the case.
Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and that no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies certain exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to SB 173.
Elections; general provisions; electoral board members to wear identification; civil penalty. Requires the Department of Elections to issue a standardized identification badge to the acting electoral board members of each locality. Electoral board members are required to wear such identification badge while conducting their official duties on the day of an election subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000.
Distributed Energy Resources Task Force established; reports; sunset. Establishes the Distributed Energy Resources Task Force as an advisory commission within the executive branch with the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy to advance the Commonwealth's transition toward integrated distributed energy resource markets and to support the Commonwealth's compliance with certain regulations. The bill describes the membership, powers, and duties of the Task Force and requires the Task Force to submit various reports to the Governor, the State Corporation Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 223.
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting. The bill additionally prohibits armed militia from another state, territory, or district from entering the Commonwealth for the purpose of active military duty over the objection of the Governor without meeting certain conditions. The bill allows certain members of the General Assembly to request that the Attorney General assess the legality of the deployment of the (i) National Guard of another state within the Commonwealth or (ii) Virginia National Guard. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to deployments of the Virginia National Guard. This bill is identical to SB 337.
Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) from up to five to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days of a new House being sworn in during a Senate election year, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days of a new Senate being sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime. These provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall give substantial weight to when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. The bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal.
The bill also requires that if parole is denied for any such juvenile offender, each Board member shall identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast, including any youth-related factor and evidence of maturity and rehabilitation that was considered. The bill requires that the Board provide to such prisoner for whom parole is denied recommendations to demonstrate commitment to rehabilitation and at the next hearing, the Board is required to consider whether the prisoner has followed such recommendations. The bill also requires the Board to annually review the cases of such juvenile offenders eligible for parole. This bill is identical to SB 60.
Live streaming while driving; prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person, while driving a moving motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth, from (i) initiating, participating in, or interacting with any live stream, as that term is defined in the bill, and (ii) manipulating any electronic device to enable or maintain the functions of a live stream on or with such electronic device. The bill establishes penalties for violations, in addition to any other penalties available under current law, including periods of license suspension and a fine of not more than $500 if a person who commits such a violation is involved in an accident at the time of such violation.
Health insurance; essential health benefits benchmark plan. Requires the Bureau of Insurance to select a new essential health benefits benchmark plan for the 2028 plan year, or the soonest plan year thereafter as permitted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that includes, in addition to the essential health benefits package included in the existing benchmark plan, coverage for (i) doula care services; (ii) the treatment of iatrogenic infertility; (iii) fertility treatment and diagnosis, including a maximum of three cycles per lifetime of assisted reproductive technology; (iv) hearing aids for individuals of all ages; (v) pasteurized donor human breast milk; (vi) the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome; and (vii) the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. Such mandate for coverage does not apply to the individual or small group markets. The bill has a delayed effective date pursuant to approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of certain coverage as outlined in the bill. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission.
Public schools; programs and courses of instruction; instruction on January 6 insurrection; requirements and limitations. Permits a school board to provide a program of instruction on or relating to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol to public school students only in accordance with the requirements of the bill. The bill prohibits any such program of instruction, any accompanying curriculum or instructional materials, or any instruction provided by a teacher as a part of such program of instruction from (i) describing, portraying, or presenting as credible a description or portrayal of the actions precipitating or involved in the January 6, 2021, insurrection as peaceful protest or (ii) stating, suggesting, or presenting as credible a statement or suggestion that there was extensive election fraud that could have changed or actually changed the results of the 2020 presidential election. The bill requires any such program of instruction, any accompanying curriculum or instructional materials, or any instruction provided by a teacher as a part of such program of instruction to describe the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol as an unprecedented, violent attack on U.S. democratic institutions, infrastructure, and representatives for the purpose of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons; class actions; violations of Virginia Consumer Protection Act; award of damages. Provides that one or more members of a class may, as representative parties on behalf of all members, bring a civil action or may be proceeded against in a civil action, provided that (i) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (ii) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (iii) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and (iv) the representative parties shall fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. The bill further sets out the procedure to certify a class action, the duties of counsel appointed in a class action, the various orders a court may issue during the course of a class action, and the process by which a settlement, voluntary dismissal, or compromise may occur. The bill also applies the procedure by which an individual may be awarded damages in an action for a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to a class action. Finally, the bill permits the Court of Appeals to permit an appeal to be taken from an order certifying a class in accordance with the provisions of the bill or any other order that is not a final order of the circuit court in a class action. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 229.
Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund; grant procedures. Requires the grant procedure to govern funds awarded to local and regional jails for the planning or operation of substance use disorder treatment services and transition services for persons with substance use disorder who are incarcerated in local and regional jails to include requirements that (i) any grant awarded shall be made for up to three years and (ii) an applicant for a grant submit a plan demonstrating how such applicant will become independently financially viable within the time period for which the grant is awarded. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to SB 599.
Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Panel established; maximum fair price; annual reports; civil penalties. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to establish the Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Panel to conduct data analyses, develop policy recommendations, and identify implementation barriers related to strategies to improve prescription drug affordability, enhance price transparency, and strengthen data collection practices for prescription drugs across public and private payers. The bill requires the Panel to (i) report annually on prescription drug pricing trends and any policy recommendations on legislation to improve prescription drug affordability and (ii) provide quarterly updates on prescription drug pricing trends. The bill requires each pharmacy benefits manager to provide to the Panel, upon request, certain information relating to the dispensation of a referenced drug, as defined in the bill.
The bill prohibits prescription drug manufacturers or wholesale distributors permitted or licensed in the Commonwealth from accepting payment at an amount higher than the maximum fair price established by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to federal law for the sale of a referenced drug intended for use by individuals in the Commonwealth. Under the bill, an entity that violates such prohibition is subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 per violation. The bill also prohibits a manufacturer subject to its provisions from removing a referenced drug from sale distribution in the Commonwealth for the purpose of avoiding the impact of the bill's rate limitations without providing certain prior notice. Under the bill, a manufacturer that violates such prohibition on removing a referenced drug without the required notice is subject to a civil penalty equal to the greater of $100,000 or the total amount of annual savings for the referenced drug, as determined by the Board of Pharmacy. This bill is identical to SB 271.
Streaming advertisement volume control; civil penalty. Requires a video streaming service, social media video service, or third-party advertising manager, as defined in the bill, that serves consumers residing in the Commonwealth to exercise reasonable care to normalize the audio of short-form content, as defined in the bill, so that such audio is not transmitted at a louder volume than the long-form content, also defined in the bill, it accompanies, consistent with the regulations adopted by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act for television broadcast stations, cable operators, and other multichannel video programming distributors. The bill provides that the Office of the Attorney General shall enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Department of Corrections; language services for offenders. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall take reasonable steps to provide offenders with limited English proficiency meaningful access to Department facilities, services, programs, and activities to ensure that language does not prevent Department employees from communicating effectively with such offenders.
Department of Education; history and social science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework and associated instructional guides and materials; inclusion of quality, accurate, and complete instruction on the contributions and roles of all peoples; comprehensive review; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department) to (i) conduct a comprehensive review of the history and social science Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework and any associated instructional guides and materials for the purpose of ensuring the inclusion of quality, accurate, and complete instruction on the contributions and roles of all peoples included in such Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework and (ii) submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2028, a report on the findings of such comprehensive review.
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Expands the option to use ranked choice voting from only elections for county board of supervisors and city councils to any local governing body. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill provides for copying damaged or defective ballots that cannot be properly counted by electronic voting systems. The bill allows localities to request risk-limiting audits of elections conducted using ranked choice voting and provides that no such election may be included in any random drawing required to satisfy the general requirements for risk-limiting audits. The bill specifies that the State Board is required to produce generalized voter education materials on ranked choice voting and is also permitted to create and modify recount procedures to the extent necessary to accommodate a recount of an election. The bill directs the Department of Elections to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Finally, the bill repeals the 2031 expiration of the option to use ranked choice voting in elections, making such option permanent. This bill is identical to SB 176.
Labor and employment provisions; application of law; protection of employees; definition of employer. Provides that the exemption for the Commonwealth, any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, or any public body under Title 40.1 does not apply when expressly provided otherwise. The bill defines "public body" as the term relates to labor and employment and provides that for the purposes of various requirements related to the protection of employees, the definition of "employer" includes the Commonwealth and its agencies, institutions, and political subdivisions, and any public body.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; terms and conditions of rental agreement; notice of rent increase. Requires a landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth to provide a tenant with written notice of any increase in rent for the subsequent rental agreement term at least 90 days prior to the end of such term and to include in such notice a deadline, which shall be no sooner than 30 days after such notice is delivered, by which the tenant shall advise the landlord of whether the tenant will renew the rental agreement. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Elections; absentee voting; cure process. Removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage; termination by landlord. Requires a landlord, prior to giving a tenant 21 days' notice of his intention to terminate the rental agreement for a dwelling unit that has been damaged or destroyed by fire or casualty, to (i) make a reasonable effort to meet with the tenant to discuss reasonable alternatives and offer the tenant a substantially similar dwelling unit, if one is available, or (ii) determine that the damage was caused by the tenant's failure to maintain the dwelling unit in accordance with relevant law. Current law allows the landlord to terminate such agreement by giving the tenant 14 days' notice of his intention to terminate on the basis of the landlord's determination that such damage requires the removal of the tenant and that the use of the premises is substantially impaired. The bill requires the landlord, upon receiving a request from the tenant after the tenant has received such notice, to reevaluate the extent of damage and habitability of such dwelling unit unless the landlord has determined that the damage was caused by the tenant's failure to maintain the dwelling unit. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; material noncompliance by landlord; rent escrow; relief. Removes the requirement that, prior to the granting of any relief, a tenant shall pay into escrow any amount of rent called for under the rental agreement. The bill requires the tenant, during the pendency of the action, to pay into escrow the amount of rent that becomes due within five days of the date due under the rental agreement, unless or until such amount is modified by a subsequent order of the court. The bill also provides that a failure of the tenant to make timely payments into escrow shall not be grounds for dismissal of the underlying action but may be considered by the court when issuing an order. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Home/electronic incarceration program. Provides that any court having jurisdiction for the trial of a pregnant person or a postpartum person who still has contact with their infant child and is charged with certain offenses shall assign the offender to a home/electronic incarceration program unless there is probable cause to believe that (i) the offender will not appear for trial or hearing or at such other time and place as may be directed or (ii) the offender's liberty will constitute an unreasonable danger to such person, such person's family or household members, or the public. The bill also provides that a pregnant or postpartum person assigned to home/electronic incarceration shall remain eligible for bond.
Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Provides that any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present shall store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. Under the bill, any person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill also requires any dealer, as that term is defined in current law, to post a written notice informing the public of the penalty imposed for failure to comply with the bill's provisions. This bill is identical to SB 348.
Possession of portable electronic device in district or circuit court. Requires the chief judge of each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court to set a policy regarding the use and possession of portable electronic devices by visitors to the court. The bill authorizes such chief judge to condition the use and possession of portable electronic devices upon certain limitations. The bill also requires that any such policy be conspicuously posted at the entrance of the courthouse and available on the Virginia Judicial System's website, the district or circuit court's individual website, or a local government website that also has information about such district or circuit court.
Electric utilities; integrated resource plans; State Corporation Commission to investigate electric load forecasting practices. Requires Dominion Energy to provide information related to forecasting its compliance with renewable energy portfolio standards in its integrated resource plan submitted to the State Corporation Commission, excluding information related to accelerated renewable energy buyers or customers purchasing electricity from a licensed supplier. The bill also directs the Commission to initiate a proceeding no later than March 1, 2027, to investigate electric load forecasting practices by Dominion Energy, Appalachian Power Company, and electric distribution cooperatives.
Elections administration; certain activities or conduct prohibited at polling places applicable to locations for absentee voting in person; prohibited possession of firearm within 100 feet of certain locations. Clarifies that the provisions of law prohibiting certain activities or conduct in and around a polling place shall also apply to locations where absentee voting in person is available. The bill also prohibits any person, with certain exceptions, from (i) knowingly carrying any firearm and (ii) knowingly doing so within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, the building used by the local electoral board to meet to ascertain election results, the building used to conduct a recount of an election, and other additional locations used for voting-related and elections-related activities. Under current law, this prohibition applies within 40 feet of such entrances.
Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discriminatory practices; civil actions; statute of limitations. Provides that a complaint alleging discrimination in employment in violation of the Virginia Human Rights Act shall be filed no later than two years from the day upon which the alleged discriminatory practice occurred. Under current law, the filing requirement is no later than 300 days. The bill further provides that if 180 days have passed since a complaint was filed in a local human rights commission, an aggrieved person may commence a timely civil action in an appropriate general district or circuit court. Under current law, such allowance is limited to filings in the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Law.
Recovery residences; regulations. Establishes certain requirements for recovery residences and directs the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Board) to promulgate regulations to establish minimum certification standards for recovery residences. The bill also requires that the regulations promulgated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) related to the certification of recovery residences require that no recovery residence, or operator, employee, or agent of a recovery residence, require a resident to participate in medical or psychological services, including clinical substance use treatment, that such recovery residence receives financial benefit from, either directly or indirectly, as a condition of entering or continuing residence at such recovery residence. The bill requires the Department to monitor credentialing agencies providing credentials to recovery residences to ensure criteria related to certification complies with regulations and specifies that no such credentialing agency shall provide credentials to a recovery residence that is owned or operated by an individual who is employed by or in a position of authority at such credentialing agency, or an immediate family member of any such individual. The bill also requires that referrals to recovery residences made by the Department, any agency of the Commonwealth, or by a court may only be made to recovery residences that are certified. Under the bill, the Department and the Virginia Housing Commission are directed to study and make recommendations for establishing regulations for licensed providers of clinical substance use treatment services that offer housing as a benefit for individuals participating in treatment services but are not licensed or certified as a recovery residence. The bill also directs the Board to promulgate regulations to authorize the Department to expand data reporting requirements for certified and conditionally certified recovery residences and directs the Department to promulgate regulations regarding sharing of data related to recovery residences with the public. Finally, the bill continues the work group established in 2025 by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to make recommendations regarding oversight and transparency for recovery residences and requires the Department to administer the work group. The provisions of the bill related to promulgation of regulations have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 270.
Department of Environmental Quality; Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Credit Exchange Program; certain industrial stormwater permits; nutrient credits. Provides that for the purposes of the industrial stormwater general permit nutrient reduction compliance for calendar years 2025 and 2026, the term “nutrient credit” shall include nutrient credits generated by point sources in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Credit Exchange Program, subject to certain conditions. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Quality to (i) prioritize timely and appropriate enforcement actions in the case of any industrial stormwater permittee that fails to comply for calendar years 2025 and 2026 by achieving sufficient onsite nutrient reductions or acquiring sufficient point or nonpoint source nutrient credits and (ii) convene a work group to evaluate and recommend conditions and requirements to most effectively address industrial stormwater general permit nutrient reduction compliance in future calendar years and submit a report summarizing such evaluation and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than November 1, 2026.
Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications. Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a result of a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon his release from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote. The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Elections certain information for incarcerated persons with a pending date of release and requires the Department of Elections to process the information and make the necessary changes to the voter registration system to permit such persons to register to vote by the date of the person's scheduled date of release. On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the bill to provide a voter registration application, information on returning the form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an official release document to serve as a safety net for voter registration. The bill also amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetency for purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote until that capacity has been reestablished. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, contingent upon the approval of the constitutional amendments at the November 3, 2026, general election. This bill is identical to SB 162.
Local competitive bidding for compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal infrastructure; civil penalty. Allows the governing body of a locality to give preference to compost or other products containing organic soil amendments produced within such locality in the case of a tie bid when determining the award of any contract for compost or other products containing soil amendments to be purchased for use by such locality. The bill also provides that any locality may by ordinance require that certain generators, as defined in the bill, of large quantities of organic waste separate the organic waste from other solid waste and ensure that the organic waste is diverted from final disposal in a refuse disposal system by any of a variety of specified waste diversion activities. The ordinance may also establish civil penalties for violations of the ordinance, but a locality shall first issue a warning to a generator that violates the ordinance. Finally, the bill expresses that it is the intent of the General Assembly that new public school buildings and facilities and improvements and renovations to existing public school buildings and facilities include waste disposal infrastructure, as defined in the bill, that includes a place for the disposal of trash, recyclables, and food scraps and a sink for liquid waste. This bill is identical to SB 226.
Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection. Requires the Board of Education to make available to each local school board instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, adopt, and make available to each local school board model policies and procedures, based on peer-reviewed scientific sources, pertaining to the selection of instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy, including a requirement for any such selected material to accurately portray changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the impacts of human activity on changes in weather and climate patterns, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Affordable and Special Needs Housing program; Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program; applicant notification. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to review all applications for the Affordable and Special Needs Housing program and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program and formally notify each applicant of an award or a denial no later than 90 days after the application submission deadline. Such provisions sunset on July 1, 2027.
The bill additionally designates the Department to be responsible for providing applicants initial notice of award or denial under such programs prior to any public announcement and requires the Department, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to develop guidelines that include timely notification of award or denial under such programs.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements; report. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any construction contract, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs and maintain records of compliance with applicable laws. The bill requires written authorization from a state public body before any party to a construction contract provides remuneration to more than one independent contractor when such contract is valued at greater than $5 million. If a construction contract with a local public body is valued at greater than $5 million the prime contractor shall provide written notification to the local public body justifying remuneration to any independent contractor. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Effective in due course, the bill requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct an 18-month evaluation regarding the feasibility of requiring public bodies to hire apprentices on public works contracts. The bill also directs the Department of General Services and the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines to assist state public bodies in making the determinations required to issue an authorization allowing a contractor, subcontractor, or other party to a public works contract to provide remuneration to an independent contractor in connection with such contract. The Department of General Services shall publish such guidelines on its website no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 324.
Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals. The bill requires such utilities to submit the results of such requests for proposals as part of their 2027 plans and petitions for approval for the development of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity, which plans are required under existing law. This bill is identical to SB 508.
Virginia Human Rights Act; menopause or perimenopause; discrimination prohibited; report. Prohibits discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act on the basis of menopause or perimenopause for purposes of nondiscrimination in government programs, public accommodation, employment hiring, and reasonable employer accommodation. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, to conduct a study on menopause and perimenopause in the workforce, menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments, and the scope of existing menopause-related and perimenopause-related policies and to develop best practices related to menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments. The bill directs the Commissioners to submit such report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2028, and to post such report on the Department of Labor and Industry's website. This bill is identical to SB 258.
Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving prescription contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. Additionally, the bill requires any health benefit plan that provides coverage for hormonal contraceptives to provide point-of-sale coverage without cost-sharing at in-network pharmacies for hormonal contraceptives available over-the-counter. This bill is identical to SB 361.
Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements. Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to (i) issue a confidential annual report to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles containing the aggregate data regarding the average fare collected from passengers, the total time driven by TNC partners while transporting a passenger, and the total amount earned by TNC partners in connection with prearranged rides; (ii) disclose to TNC partners information about the deactivation process; (iii) provide a weekly summary that includes the total fare collected from passengers, the total amount earned, and the percentage earned by such TNC partner that week; and (iv) provide an itemized receipt within 24 hours of the completion of each ride. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 550.
Transportation network companies; requirements; civil penalties. Adds various additional requirements for (i) transportation network companies, including ensuring options for audio and video recording of rides for TNC partners and riders and requiring a TNC partner to verify his identity through the digital platform prior to the activation of a TNC partner's account and periodically thereafter, and (ii) TNC partners, including changes to requirements for background checks and circumstances that disqualify them from acting as TNC partners, verification of identity, and prohibitions on sharing digital platform accounts or credentials. The bill imposes civil penalties for transportation network companies or TNC partners who violate certain requirements to which they are subject and provides that the funds for such civil penalties be paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the administration of certain requirements of the bill. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Law-enforcement agencies; agreements with federal authority for immigration enforcement; requirements. Prohibits any state or local law-enforcement agency, defined in the bill, from maintaining, renewing, or entering into any federal immigration agreement unless such agreement contains certain provisions. The bill also prohibits any person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer to assist, cooperate with, or use any law-enforcement resources to facilitate any operation that seeks to identify, arrest, or otherwise impose a penalty upon an individual for any violation of federal civil immigration law. The bill provides that such prohibition shall not apply (i) if the authority to enforce such laws is otherwise permitted or required by law; (ii) if the person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer is presented with a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena that authorizes such enforcement; or (iii) to the transfer of custody of an adult convicted of certain violent felonies from a state, local, or regional correctional facility upon such correctional facility's receipt of a federal immigration detainer. This bill incorporates HB 1438 and is identical to SB 783.
Vehicle weight limits; violations; owner of commercial motor vehicle hauling coal. Assigns liability for violations of certain vehicle weight limits for commercial motor vehicles hauling coal to the owner of the vehicle in violation of such weight limits. Existing law authorizes such liability to be assigned to the owner, operator, or both.
Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and that no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies certain exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 229.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force established; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, and with assistance from the Department of Social Services, the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and to evaluate and develop a plan to address any necessary improvements regarding coordination among state and federal government agencies for utility services and resources to more effectively deliver energy-efficient housing, weatherization resources, and energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least six times between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 2027. The bill specifies that such report shall include policy recommendations and a plan to ensure that weatherization-ready repairs and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits are provided to all eligible income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth residing in multifamily buildings, single-family dwellings, and manufactured homes by December 31, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 5.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not remedied within a reasonable time frame, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of a tenant or occupant of the premises, a locality may institute an action on behalf of any tenant or occupant of the premises who is injured by such material noncompliance for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the premises where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the premises, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to SB 290.
Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated. Requires a court to establish a program and allow any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of (i) community service work performed before or after imprisonment or (ii) work performed while incarcerated, defined in the bill as any work done on or after July 1, 2023, by a person confined in any local, regional, or state correctional facility who is paid a wage that is less than the Virginia minimum wage.
The bill requires such program to be available during such person's imprisonment in a local, regional, or state correctional facility. The bill provides that a person who is performing work while incarcerated shall be credited at the same rate as the community service work rate less any wages received. Under current law, a court is required to establish a program for providing an option for community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs but offering such option is not mandatory. The bill also requires the local, regional, or state correctional facility to provide confirmation of the hours worked and the credits earned for such work upon request of any person who has performed work while incarcerated or his representative.
Employee Child Care Assistance Program established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. The bill specifies that, to the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the bill clarifies that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program.
Employee Child Care Assistance Program established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. The bill specifies that, to the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the bill clarifies that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program.
Employee Child Care Assistance Program established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. The bill specifies that, to the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the bill clarifies that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program. This bill is identical to SB 3.
Public institutions of higher education; disciplinary immunity for certain individuals who make reports; Virginia Military Institute. Removes the authority granted to Virginia Military Institute to include in its sexual violence policy, code, rules, or set of standards a provision stipulating that in the event that a cadet discloses personal consumption of drugs or alcohol in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of sexual violence and the superintendent of Virginia Military Institute determines that such cadet's personal consumption of drugs or alcohol constitutes a threat to the cadet's well-being or the well-being of others, the superintendent may require such cadet to attend drug or substance use disorder counseling.
Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight except in use for hostler or utility service. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to include in an existing report the number of probable violations of federal regulations related to railroad safety investigated by the Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety and reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for enforcement. This bill is identical to SB 191.
Department of Military Affairs; feasibility of Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer; report. Directs the Department of Military Affairs to assess the feasibility of and develop recommendations related to establishing a Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer position within the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program to perform victim advocacy services. The bill requires the Adjutant General to report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice no later than November 1, 2026.
Common-law crime of suicide. Abolishes the common-law crime of suicide. Suicide is currently a common-law crime in Virginia, although there is no statutorily prescribed punishment. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and also requires the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission to review the effect and implication of abolishing the common-law crime of suicide on insurance throughout the Commonwealth and submit its findings and any recommendations by November 1, 2026, to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.
Department of Human Resource Management; State Government Internship Coordinator. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish and employ a State Government Internship Coordinator to attract high quality interns to the service of the Commonwealth with the goal of developing such interns in a manner that supports their ability to compete for positions in agencies of the Commonwealth upon conclusion of their internships and completion of their educational programs. The bill also requires the Department to establish and administer a system to provide professional development opportunities for state agency interns, intern supervisors, and human resources staff. This bill is identical to SB 286.
Reapportionment; reallocation of populations; civil commitment facilities. Requires persons civilly committed to a residential behavioral health facility administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to be counted and reallocated for redistricting and reapportionment purposes. This bill is identical to SB 88.
Retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions. Provides that retail franchise agreements shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth and prohibits any person from offering or entering into a franchise agreement that includes competition restrictions that extend beyond termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, except as a term of sale in the event that a franchisee sells a franchise to a third party or back to the franchisor. This bill is identical to SB 240.
Medical cannabis; administration to terminally ill patients; report. Directs the Department of Health to promulgate regulations specifying that hospital staff may store, dispense, and administer cannabis oil when a patient has valid certification and exempts such staff from criminal penalties for possession of cannabis oil. The bill directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to discuss the implementation process for providing cannabis products to patients in medical care facilities and report on its discussion to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 486. This bill is identical to SB 332.
Electric utilities and licensed suppliers of electricity; regional transmission entity; annual report. Requires each investor-owned utility or licensed supplier that joins or establishes the regional transmission entity (PJM Interconnection, LLC) to submit an annual report to the State Corporation Commission by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include (i) all recorded votes cast by the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, (ii) all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, and (iii) a brief description explaining how each recorded vote is in the public interest. The provisions of the bill do not apply to municipal utilities or certain electric cooperatives. This bill is identical to SB 777.
Department of Juvenile Justice; limiting room or cell confinement for minors committed to a juvenile correctional facility; report. Directs the Department of Juvenile Justice, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to establish clear standards to maximize the amount of time that a minor committed to a juvenile correctional facility spends out of the confinement of his room or cell. The bill directs the Department to study and consider the benefits to minors of limiting such confinement and the impact of such benefits on factors such as the safety of the facility and successful reentry into the community, and, in considering and studying such benefits, to develop a minimum number of hours per day that minors committed to a juvenile correctional facility shall spend out of the confinement of their rooms or cells. The bill directs the Department to report on certain data collected after developing and implementing such standards and other related training and programming to the Commission on Youth and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety by November 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Youth.
Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; penalty. Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who, when leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle, fails to securely store such handgun in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle's interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding. The bill provides that such locked container includes a locked glove compartment or a locked center console. The bill contains certain exemptions, including an exemption for a person who reports the theft or loss of such firearm to a law-enforcement agency as provided in relevant law. This bill is identical to SB 496.
Discovery; methods of delivery. Requires the Commonwealth, upon request by the accused or his counsel, to copy or photograph any discovery materials or evidence the accused is permitted to inspect and review, including relevant police reports, criminal records, dashboard camera footage, and body-worn camera footage, and requires the Commonwealth to provide copies to the accused or his counsel, subject to the redaction, restricted dissemination, and protective order provisions of the relevant Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia and unless such material is prohibited from being distributed by law.
The bill requires the attorney for the Commonwealth in any district court to provide to counsel of record for the accused, if requested, a copy of any relevant police report at least 10 days prior to the date the case is set for trial or preliminary hearing, and such report is subject to limitations on dissemination. The bill further provides that if such materials are provided to counsel of record for the accused in district court for a preliminary hearing, the circuit court shall order such counsel to provide discovery to the attorney for the Commonwealth subject to the relevant Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia prior to trial in circuit court.
Lastly, the bill provides that if at any time during the course of the proceedings it is brought to the attention of the court that the attorney for the Commonwealth has failed to comply with such provisions, the court may order the Commonwealth to permit discovery or inspection, grant a continuance, or prohibit the Commonwealth from introducing evidence not disclosed, or the court may enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances.
School board policies; unpaid educational leave for certain employee association officers; purchase of service credit. Requires each school board to adopt a policy to approve unpaid educational leave for school board employees who are state employee association executive officers and for up to two school board employees who are local employee association officers for a maximum of four years per officer. The bill permits employee association officers approved for such leave to purchase service credit with the Virginia Retirement System for such period of leave.
Commission on Federally Recognized Tribes; purpose; powers; sunset extended. Renames the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes as the Commission on Federally Recognized Tribes and expands its purpose. The bill extends the sunset of the Commission to July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Fantasy contests; regulation and taxation. Imposes (i) a 10 percent tax on a fantasy contest operator's fantasy contest revenue, with 2.5 percent of the tax revenue being allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and the remaining 97.5 percent being allocated to the general fund, and (ii) a 2.6 percent fee on a fantasy contests operator's fantasy contest revenue to be utilized by the Virginia Lottery to cover the costs of administration and regulation of fantasy contests in the Commonwealth. The bill also limits the definition of "fantasy contest" and requires fantasy contest operators to apply to the Virginia Lottery for a permit before offering any fantasy contest in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 129.
Siting of data centers; site assessment; high energy use facility. Provides that, prior to any approval of a rezoning application, special exception application, or special use permit for the siting of a new high energy use facility (HEUF), as defined in the bill, a locality shall require that an applicant perform and submit a site assessment to examine the sound profile of the HEUF on residential units and schools located within 500 feet of the HEUF property boundary. The bill also allows a locality to require that a site assessment examine the effect of the proposed facility on (i) ground and surface water resources, (ii) agricultural resources, (iii) parks, (iv) registered historic sites, and (v) forestland on the HEUF site or immediately contiguous land. The provisions of the bill shall not apply to a site with an existing legislative or administrative approval where an applicant is seeking an expansion or modification of an already existing or approved facility and such expansion does not exceed an additional 100 megawatts or more of electrical power. Finally, the bill provides that its provisions shall not be construed to prohibit, limit, or otherwise supersede existing local zoning authority. This bill incorporates HB 511 and is identical to SB 94.
Tax exemptions; Confederacy organizations. Eliminates the exemption from state recordation taxes for the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and eliminates the tax-exempt designation for real and personal property owned by the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the General Organization of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society, the Stonewall Jackson Memorial, Incorporated, the Virginia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, Inc. The bill contains technical amendments.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; evaluation of emergency management needs in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to evaluate existing emergency management needs, analyze sustainability of current funding of such needs, and review alternative funding models for such needs in other states, and to report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and General Laws and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology on or before October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 98.
State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 276.
Department of Education; assessment; certified student support agencies; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to assess the impact of developing a program to provide student support programs to students enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school through certified student support agencies, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in conducting such assessment, to consider (i) a framework by which a certified student support agency would enter into a memorandum of understanding with a school board for the purpose of providing student support programs, as defined in the bill, and suggested components of such memorandums of understanding, such as (a) documentation establishing the organization's nonprofit status, (b) a description of each student support program that such organization provides, (c) policies and procedures relating to privacy, background checks, mandated reporting, and the transmission, collection, use, and disposal of student personal information, and (d) consent forms and procedures to be used by such student support programs to obtain the necessary consent from the parent of any student under 18 years of age; (ii) the feasibility of establishing and administering a certification process for certified student support agencies; (iii) potential compliance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and subsequent penalties for noncompliance to ensure that each certified student support agency complies with such program; (iv) policies and procedures for the secure disposal of a student's personal information upon such student's withdrawal from a student support program, upon the cessation of any such program, or upon such student's graduation or transfer from the school division; and (v) cost estimates, including staffing needs, for the development and implementation of such program. The bill requires the Department to submit a report on its findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Education no later than November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 190.
High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits; certain substitutions permitted. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute the African American History course or the Advanced Placement African American Studies course for the World History I course or the World Geography course for the purpose of satisfying the history and social studies credit requirements, provided that (i) such a course is available to the student and (ii) the student is required to complete and receive a passing score on an applicable local alternative assessment or an equivalent Board-approved assessment, in order to satisfy history and social studies credit requirements for graduation. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill and to ensure that no student who makes such a substitution is required to earn a verified credit for the World History I or World Geography course in order to graduate. This bill is identical to SB 427.
Bureau of Insurance; evaluation of All-Payer Claims Database; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance (the Bureau) to conduct an evaluation of the All-Payer Claims Database and the data submitted thereto in facilitating data-driven, evidence-based improvements in access, quality, and cost of health care in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Bureau to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.
Office of the Attorney General; work group; fraudulent activity in electronic fund transfers; report. Directs the Office of the Attorney General to convene a work group to review the Electronic Funds Transfers Act, develop recommendations to aid individuals in the Commonwealth in preventing and mitigating fraudulent activity in electronic fund transfers, and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.
Victims of sex trafficking; minors; immunity to prosecution for prostitution. Provides that no minor shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for a qualifying offense, defined in relevant law, if at the time of the offense leading to such charge, such minor was a victim of sex trafficking, defined in relevant law. The bill also provides that such minor shall be referred to the local department of social services for a human trafficking or other assessment pursuant to relevant law and a law-enforcement officer or the local department of social services may take custody of such minor. Lastly, the bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in good faith shall be found liable for false arrest if it is later determined that the minor arrested was immune from prosecution.
College partnership laboratory schools; transparency. Requires, for college partnership laboratory schools that form a collaborative partnership with one or more school divisions, the parents of any enrolled student to be notified of such collaborative partnership and provided with contact information for an administrator in such partnering division that the parent can contact with questions or concerns about program administration or the student's experience at the college partnership laboratory school. The bill requires each college partnership laboratory to identify in a conspicuous and publicly accessible manner and location on the school's website the members and meeting schedule of the school's governing board; a summary of the operational, budgetary, and contractual decisions of such governing board; and the Board of Education regulations to which such school is subject.
Head Start State Collaboration Office; state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth; report. Requires the Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Department of Education, no later than December 1, 2026, to develop and recommend to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education for endorsement a report summarizing the state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth that is required to address several topics enumerated in the bill.
Casino gaming; consideration of service permit application. Provides that the Virginia Lottery (the Department) may only consider the criminal record information of an applicant for a service permit for the eight years immediately preceding the date of the application. The bill also directs the Department to issue or deny any service permit within 30 business days of receipt; requires service permits to be renewed by the Virginia Lottery Board every 10 years; requires service permit application forms to include additional space for an applicant to include a written narrative detailing important facts regarding their application; and makes the service permit application fee refundable.
Requirement for appeals bond; indigent parties; appeal of unlawful detainer. Removes the requirement for an indigent defendant, as defined in the bill, to post an appeal bond in an unlawful detainer action appealed from the general district court.
Jurisdiction of district courts in felony cases; specialty dockets; Behavioral Health Docket Act. Authorizes a general district court and a juvenile and domestic relations district court to retain jurisdiction over a felony offense for the purpose of allowing the accused to complete a specialty docket or behavioral health docket established pursuant to relevant law. Current law only explicitly provides such courts with the ability to certify felony charges to the circuit court or dismiss such charges after a preliminary hearing to determine if probable cause exists for such charges.
Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to SB 425.
Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity. Provides that a law-enforcement officer, while engaged in the performance of his duties, has a duty to render aid to any person that he observes suffering from a serious bodily injury or life-threatening condition, as circumstances objectively permit and provided that such aid may be rendered without endangering the law-enforcement officer, the person, or others. The bill also immunizes a law-enforcement officer from civil liability for any personal injury or wrongful death resulting from such rendering or withholding of such aid absent gross negligence or willful misconduct. The bill directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to adopt regulations to provide law-enforcement officers with basic medical training, including emergency first aid training.
Members of the Virginia State Bar; rules and regulations relating to schedule of fees. Increases from $250 to $350 the annual fee cap that an attorney member of the Virginia State Bar may be required to pay pursuant to any rules and regulations promulgated related to fixing a schedule of fees.
Child abuse or neglect; prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed. Clarifies that a pregnant woman's prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed by such woman's health care provider for opioid addiction recovery shall not solely be a reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected.
Department of Education; certain instructional resources; website posting. Requires the Department of Education to post in a conspicuous and publicly accessible manner on the instructional resources section of its website links to instructional resources on the Indigenous people of the Commonwealth that are developed and maintained by the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium.
Public elementary and secondary school students; consideration of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices required; exceptions; report. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, as defined in the bill, except in the case of certain enumerated serious offenses or aggravating circumstances, as defined in the bill. The bill requires each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record, as a part of the school's existing disciplinary documentation practices and consistent with the guidelines adopted by the Department of Education (the Department) pursuant to the bill, the rationale for the decision to impose exclusionary discipline, including any factors supporting the decision not to utilize an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice. The bill directs the Department to (i) add the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices to the Student Behavior and Administrative Response survey in order to annually collect and analyze data on the use of such practices and publicly post an annual report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices based on the data collected and (ii) adopt and make available guidelines and support materials for considering, monitoring, and evaluating the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. The provisions of the bill prohibiting any public school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice and requiring each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record the rationale for such decision, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Adult adoptees; access to vital records. Requires the State Registrar to provide adult adoptees access to their birth certificate upon request, provided that the requester submits an application, proof of identification, and payment and that the original birth certificate is not the certificate of birth in use, subject to amendment, or used by an individual for legal purposes. The bill directs the State Registrar to make a contact preference form available to birth parents that allows them to indicate their preference for contact by the adopted person, to be stored with the adopted person's birth certificate and provided upon the adopted person's request for the birth certificate. This bill incorporates HB 664.
Temporary detention in hospital for testing, observation, or treatment. Provides that while seeking the issuance of an order for temporary detention in a hospital for testing, observation, or treatment, or an extension of such order, the person who would be subject to such order and is currently subject to an order issued pursuant to current law shall remain in the custody of the facility where he is located for up to two hours, and any security personnel shall ensure that such person does not leave the facility while such person is unable to provide informed consent. The bill states that the person shall be permitted to leave the facility if (i) such order is not issued; (ii) the physician determines the person does not meet the requirements for temporary detention; or (iii) the person's guardian or person legally authorized to make an informed decision on his behalf refuses to consent to continued detention, testing, observation, or treatment. The bill also provides that any licensed health professional, licensed hospital, including a hospital licensed by the Department of Health pursuant to relevant law, or security personnel assisting a licensed health professional shall have no liability arising out of a claim to the extent the claim is based on a lack of consent to the detention of a person when such professional or hospital is seeking the court's or magistrate's authorization for such detention.
Secretary of Administration; work group on automatic voter registration. Directs the Department of Elections to convene a work group for the purpose of studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) in the Commonwealth. The work group shall include representatives of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General, in addition to members of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections, general registrars, and organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy. The work group is tasked with considering the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of back-end, opt-out AVR as compared to Virginia's current front-end, opt-out process and identifying the costs and benefits of moving to such a system. The Secretary of Administration is required to submit a report of the work group's findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 658.
Department of Energy; use of waste heat from data centers; findings and recommendations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to lead efforts to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers in the Commonwealth by making certain findings and recommendations and convening a work group to provide expertise, assistance, and feedback on the Department's efforts. The bill requires the Department to submit a report of its efforts, findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations no later than September 1, 2026.
Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program; extension of program; percentage goal to decrease premium. Directs the State Corporation Commission to apply to the appropriate federal agencies under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for an extension of the existing State Innovation Waiver authorizing the Commonwealth to implement a reinsurance program. The existing State Innovation Waiver is set to expire on January 1, 2028. Additionally, the bill removes the 20 percent upper limit of the premium reduction goal under the Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission.
Payment of costs when proceedings deferred and defendant placed on probation. Provides that for any deferral entered into on or after July 1, 2026, pursuant to relevant law, the court shall not require the defendant to pay such costs or other fees imposed pursuant to relevant law as a term or condition of his deferral. The bill states that upon fulfillment of all other terms and conditions, the court shall adjudicate the matter consistent with the agreement of the parties or, if none, by conviction of an alternative charge or dismissal of the case. The bill specifies that such costs and other fees shall remain due until paid, and all methods of payment and collection already available at law to satisfy or collect any outstanding costs or other fees shall remain available to such court after the underlying case against the defendant has been adjudicated or dismissed.
Teacher licensure; three-year renewable license to teach career and technical education or dual enrollment courses at public high schools. Requires the Board of Education to provide for the issuance of a three-year renewable license to teach solely career and technical education courses or dual enrollment courses that are creditable toward the compleition of an undergraduate course, degree, or credential offered in and accepted at a public institution of higher education at public high schools in the Commonwealth to any individual who (i) is employed as an instructor by an institution of higher education that is accredited by a nationally recognized regional accreditation body, (ii) is teaching in the specific career and technical education or dual enrollment subject area at such institution in which the individual seeks to teach at a public high school, and (iii) complies with certain requirements set forth in relevant law enumerated by the bill. The bill requires the Board to require any such instructor to maintain continuous employment in such position at the institution of higher education as a condition of continued licensure. The bill also requires each school board that employs an individual issued such a three-year license to provide such instructor training on instruction and assessment during his first year of employment. Finally, the bill directs the Board to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill. This bill incorporates HB 785 and is identical to SB 203.
Department of Education; School Health Services Committee; annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12; recommendations on guidance and best practices. Directs the School Health Services Committee (the Committee), in collaboration with the Department of Education, to study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 that utilize evidence-based tools. The bill directs the Committee to include its findings and recommendations in its annual report required pursuant to applicable law.
Medicare supplement policies; regulations establishing minimum standards; work group; report. Amends provisions related to the State Corporation Commission's issuance of regulations to establish minimum standards regarding Medicare supplement policies to include minimum standards for the disclosure of methodology used in coverage decisions. The bill directs the Bureau of Insurance to convene a work group to review and make recommendations related to minimum standards regarding Medicare supplement policies, implementation of risk adjustment mechanisms, ways to eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments, methodologies used in coverage decisions, ways to improve care under such policies, and the effectiveness and utilization of existing consumer protections related to Medicare supplement policies and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; kratom products. Prohibits selling or offering for sale (i) any kratom product to a person younger than 21 years of age; (ii) any kratom product that does not include a label listing all ingredients and the required disclosure; (iii) any kratom product not stored in an area that is not directly accessible to consumers, including behind a retail counter or in a locked display case, except for kratom products required to be refrigerated which may be stored, in accordance with relevant Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority regulations, in the same beverage cooler or refrigerator as wine and beer; (iv) any kratom product containing any synthesized material, semi-synthetic alkaloid, or synthetic kratom-like compound; (v) any kratom product containing 7-hydroxymitragynine in an alkaloid fraction exceeding one percent of total alkaloids in the container or providing more than one milligram of 7-hydroxymitragynine per serving; (vi) any kratom product adulterated with any dangerous, poisonous, or otherwise deleterious non-kratom ingredient, including any substance listed as a controlled substance under state or federal law; (vii) any kratom product that is combustible or intended for vaporization or injection; (viii) any kratom product that is manufactured, packaged, or marketed in a manner attractive to children; or (ix) any kratom extract product containing residual solvent levels exceeding applicable statutory or pharmacopoeial limits.
Earned sentence credits; incarceration while awaiting trial or pending an appeal. Provides that a person's eligibility for earned sentence credits includes any period of time actually spent in any state or local correctional facility, state hospital, or juvenile detention facility awaiting trial or pending an appeal that was deducted from such person's term of incarceration or detention. The bill provides that the provisions apply retroactively to any person who is confined in any state or local correctional facility on July 1, 2028. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
Virginia Commission to End Hunger; membership. Replaces the public school student representative with a representative of a public school nutrition program in the membership of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger. In addition, the bill adds five public school student liaisons, each representing a Virginia health planning region, to be appointed by the chair of the Commission. The bill provides that such student liaisons not be included for purposes of a quorum for meetings of the Commission.
Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act. Requires landlords subject to the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act to include, on the first page of a written lot rental agreement, an itemization of all charges to the tenant, along with a statement that states: "No additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless such security deposits or rent are listed below or incorporated into this rental agreement by way of a separate addendum after the execution of this rental agreement." The bill also prohibits, with certain exceptions, any owner or operator of a manufactured home community from increasing the annual lot rent of a tenant at the time of renewal if the manufactured housing community has received a notice of violation of zoning, building, or fire code or an inspection report listing violations of habitability from the locality where the community operates and the notice of violation remains unresolved. Lastly, the bill requires any manufactured home community operating in the Commonwealth to register with the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; right of first refusal; resident entities and localities. Provides for a right of first refusal, under the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act, for resident entities, defined in the bill, and localities in which a manufactured home park is located when a manufactured home park owner enters into a contract to sell such manufactured home park.
Sickle cell disease education and screening program; cancer risk. Requires the sickle cell screening and treatment program to include the offering of educational resources to health care providers on the increased risks for certain cancers among individuals with sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait.
Charitable gaming; Texas Hold'em poker tournaments. Increases from 18 years of age to 21 years of age the minimum age an individual must be to participate in Texas Hold'em poker tournaments. The bill provides that no qualified organization may conduct Texas Hold'em poker tournaments (i) at a location outside of the county, city, or town in which its principal office, as registered with the State Corporation Commission, is located or in an adjoining county, city, or town or (ii) at an establishment that has been granted a retail alcoholic beverage control license unless such license is held by the qualified organization. The bill also allows unlimited rebuys during the first two hours of tournament play or until the first break, whichever occurs first, and permits one add-on at the end of the rebuy period before play resumes at the end of the first break.
Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act to regulate the practices of persons seeking to receive compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to SB 315.
Charitable gaming; regulations; predetermined percentage of receipts. Amends charitable gaming law to allow, as a condition of receiving a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming, an organization established on or before December 31, 1977, that is qualified under § 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code and is incorporated, in part, to raise funds for donation to organizations whose missions include promoting early detection of and public education about and supporting research and treatment options for heart disease and various cancers, to use a predetermined percentage of its receipts for expenses related to the rental of real property where such real property is involved in the operation of the organization and used for lawful religious, charitable, community, or educational purposes.
Motion picture production tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the motion picture production tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2026 to taxable year 2030. This bill is identical to SB 612.
Cottage food laws; sale of certain food over phone and internet; work group; report. Expands the exemption from state inspection requirements for private homes where the resident processes and prepares certain food products, including pickles and other acidified vegetables, to allow for such person to sell such products at any location, through the internet, or by telephone to an individual in the Commonwealth for his own consumption and deliver such products in person, by mail, or by delivery service subject to certain restrictions. Current law only allows for the sale to take place in person at the private home, a temporary event, or a farmer's market. The bill also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group to examine the structural, equipment, and facility standards for private homes in the Commonwealth producing products that do not meet the cottage food law exemptions. The bill requires the work group to complete its meetings by November 1, 2026, and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program; parameters. Prohibits any such institution from passing the cost of any scholarship program established in accordance with the provisions of the Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program to other enrolled students by increasing the rate of tuition or mandatory fees. The bill also requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to (i) establish a work group that consists of a representative of each institution that participates in the Program that meets at least semiannually to discuss Program administration, including sharing best practices on administration and research, coordinating funding and fundraising strategies, developing outreach and marketing plans, collaborating on historical and genealogical research efforts, and aligning government and community engagement initiatives, and (ii) develop and maintain a single statewide online portal that describes each institution's program, criteria, and investments in scholarship students or the community, lists designated points of contact at each institution, shares application timelines and processes, and offers historical context and ongoing memorial updates.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; uniform, comprehensive data information system; information on self-identified students who are parents. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to include in its uniform, comprehensive data information system information on self-identified students who are parents, as that term is defined in relevant law.
Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Makes various changes related to the content and process for an integrated resource plan (IRP) developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations. The bill (i) extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years; (ii) requires Appalachian Power to file an IRP by removing an exception from the definition of "electric utility"; (iii) changes the frequency with which a utility is required to file an IRP from biennially to triennially; (iv) requires utilities to consider the use of grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure, and when new transmission lines are envisioned, to provide the reasons grid-enhancing technologies are not sufficient to defer or eliminate the need for new transmission infrastructure; and (v) requires utilities to consider the use of surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, to add new electric generation projects and energy storage resources to the grid. The bill requires that the current stakeholder review process for integrated resource plans be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility. The bill requires, as part of the stakeholder review process, the utility to provide stakeholders with reasonable access to the same modeling software, modeling assumptions, modeling inputs, and data used by the utility to evaluate supply and demand resources in its integrated resource plan to enable stakeholders to create modeling scenarios for the utility's consideration during the development of its integrated resource plan. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to (a) establish guidelines that ensure that utilities develop comprehensive integrated resource plans and provide meaningful public engagement and maximum transparency during the planning process; (b) conduct a proceeding by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter, to identify and review each of its existing orders relevant to integrated resource plans to determine if such orders remain necessary and effective and are not overly burdensome; and (c) convene a work group to make recommendations on the required guidelines. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 249.
New College Institute; name; membership and composition of board of directors. Renames New College Institute as the West Piedmont Higher Education Center (the Center) and makes several revisions to the membership requirements for the board of directors of the Center, including (i) increasing from 15 to 20 members the total membership of the board of directors; (ii) modifying the composition of the board of directors by adding as required members the Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or his designee, the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee, and the presidents of George Mason University, Longwood University, Radford University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia State University or their designees; (iii) reducing from 10 to seven the total number of nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor and requiring five of such nonlegislative citizen members to be representatives of West Piedmont public education and area business and industry, including one division superintendent, one public school teacher, and three business and industry leaders; and (iv) adding the president of Patrick & Henry Community College or his designee to serve as an ex officio nonvoting member. The bill also requires the board of directors of the Center, in collaboration with representatives of GO Virginia Region 3, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Patrick & Henry Community College, local school boards, and major regional employers, to develop a sustainability plan, including a comprehensive strategic plan and customer recruitment and expansion strategy, to provide higher education degree and certification programs in accordance with its mission, to review options to achieve the goals stated in such plan, and to report on such options to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations no later than August 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 299.
Phase I and Phase II Utilities; electric grid utilization metrics. Requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of grid utilization metrics by October 15, 2026, which petition may be consolidated with the integrated resource plan filing for Dominion Energy in 2026. Under the bill, the petition shall include certain assessments comparing current electric grid system performance with optimal utilization of existing electric grid assets. The bill also requires the Commission to include in an existing annual report its findings on each applicable utility's assessment of relevant grid utilization metrics, which shall include an analysis of the potential for each applicable utility to increase electric grid utilization through the deployment of non-wires alternatives. This bill is identical to SB 621.
Delinquency petition; referral to court service unit. Provides that at any point prior to the commencement of an adjudication hearing on a petition alleging that a child is delinquent, the court, upon request of the child with consent of the attorney for the Commonwealth, if a party to the case, may refer the delinquency charge back to the court service unit in writing and the intake officer shall proceed informally pursuant to relevant law. Additionally, the bill provides that upon such referral, the court shall dismiss the petition and order that the court records pertaining to the petition be expunged pursuant to relevant law. Lastly, the bill allows an intake officer to proceed informally on a complaint alleging a child is in need of services, in need of supervision, or delinquent if the juvenile has previously been proceeded against informally.
Current law does not permit proceeding informally when a juvenile (i) commits a violent juvenile felony or (ii) is alleged delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult if such juvenile had previously been (a) proceeded against informally by intake or (b) adjudicated delinquent for a prior offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult. This bill is identical to SB 70.
Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit; maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearing en banc; study to examine organization and boundaries of certain judicial circuits; report. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill removes provisions that require the Court of Appeals to sit en banc in certain instances, making the decision of whether to sit en banc entirely discretionary. The bill requires the Court of Appeals to sit en banc with no fewer than 13 judges, three of whom shall be the three judges to whom the case was originally assigned and the remaining 10 of whom shall be assigned pursuant to a randomized rotational schedule in accordance with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Under the bill, such provisions relating to the Court of Appeals shall become effective on September 1, 2026.
The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twelfth and Fifteenth Judicial Districts. The bill further increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the Twentieth and Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuits. Under the bill, the provisions relating to increasing the number of judges in the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits shall become effective on July 1, 2027.
Finally, the bill directs the Judicial Council of Virginia to study the organization and boundaries of the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits and to submit an executive summary and a report of its findings and any recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2026.
As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill incorporates HB 46 and HB 194.
Office of Vital Records; fees for certified copies. Permits the Board of Health to prescribe a fee of up to $15 for a certified copy of vital records and directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect a fee of $15 for each certified copy of a vital record that it issues. Under current law, both fees are limited to $12.
Comprehensive crisis system; Marcus alert system; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability crisis services; written plan. Allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to amend the written plan created pursuant to relevant law after the publication of such written plan, provided that (i) the stakeholders listed in relevant law are consulted during the development of any new language to be added to such written plan and (ii) a public comment period of no less than 30 days is held prior to the finalization of such written plan. The bill also provides that the written plan shall serve as the operational framework for relevant components of the comprehensive crisis system and the Marcus alert system and that state agencies and local implementing partners shall align their policies, procedures, and operations on an ongoing basis with the requirements and guidance set forth in the written plan, as amended. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 513.
Department of Criminal Justice Services; powers and duties; local and regional jails; repeal of model addiction recovery program. Removes the requirement that the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, develop a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and identical to SB 690.
Special education; student age range restrictions in educational settings. Prohibits any student with a disability in grades kindergarten through six from being regularly assigned to any educational setting, including any specialized educational setting, in which the maximum age range exceeds four years unless the student's individualized education program (IEP) team determines that an exception is appropriate and justifies such exception in the student's IEP. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Board of Education; review and revision of Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework; development of health care literacy instruction; removal of duplicative or outdated health instruction. Directs the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework to, in consultation with the School Health Services Committee, (i) develop a health care literacy program of instruction to be required at grades nine and 10 for the purpose of helping students navigate the health care system efficiently and effectively and, in developing such program of instruction, to consider the inclusion of certain topics and content enumerated by the bill and (ii) identify and remove from such Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework for grades nine and 10 any instructional subjects or topics the inclusion of which is duplicative or outdated.
Advisory Board on Behavior Analysis; composition. Amends the composition of the Advisory Board on Behavior Analysis to require that three members shall be licensed behavior analysts or licensed assistant behavior analysts who have practiced for at least three years. Under current law, the composition of the Advisory Board requires two licensed behavior analysts who have practiced for at least three years and one licensed assistant behavior analyst who has practiced for at least three years.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; guidelines for developing a transition IEP; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council), in consultation with the Department of Education and representatives of public institutions of higher education and public secondary schools in the Commonwealth, to develop and submit to the Department of Education for public posting and access by the individualized education program (IEP) team of any student with a disability guidelines for developing a transition IEP to help facilitate the timely provision of transition services and accommodations for students with disabilities by public institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Council to encourage private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth to make such guidelines available to help facilitate the timely provision of transition services and accommodations for such students at such institutions. The bill requires the Council to submit to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2026, a report on its findings and recommendations that includes a copy of such guidelines.
Continuing care providers; quarterly meeting requirements. Amends the quarterly meeting requirements for continuing care facilities to provide that at least two of such meetings per year shall be open to all residents and that certain individuals shall participate in at least two of such meetings per year. The bill also requires, if requested by the resident council or a majority of the independent living residents of a continuing care facility, the provider to include as a participant in the meetings of its board of directors or other governing body a resident representative elected by a majority of such residents, who shall participate in a non-voting, advisory capacity. This bill is identical to SB 358.
Securities Act; investment advisor advertising. Permits an investment advisor to solicit, disseminate, or otherwise use advertisements, including client testimonials and endorsements, provided such advertisements comply with the requirements for an advertisement solicited, disseminated, or used by a federally registered investment advisor under federal law.
Certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. Requires any water user required to register water withdrawal and use data to the State Water Control Board that provides water to another person offsite to include in its report, submitted on its regular reporting schedule, the total volume of potable water and, reported separately, the total volume of reclaimed water, as defined in the bill, provided during each month for each of the following categories: (i) a data center with an air permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) to the extent available without utility billing system modifications, (a) domestic purposes, (b) commercial and industrial purposes, separately or combined as available, and (c) all other non-categorized purposes. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 553.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan; report. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, during the first year of each new gubernatorial administration, to develop and implement a written comprehensive Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan that is designed to be enacted over the course of such gubernatorial administration's term. The Secretary is directed to submit a report detailing the progress made toward the development and implementation of the Plan to the Governor and to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1 of the first year of each new gubernatorial administration. This bill is identical to SB 719.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; essential services. Adds central air conditioning when supplied by the landlord and operating or represented as operating as of the effective date of the rental agreement to the list of what constitutes an essential service for purposes of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
Department of Veterans Services; Department of Health Professions; military medical personnel; program; work group; report. Expands the definition of "military medical personnel" for the purposes of the program established by the Department of Veterans Services (the Department), in collaboration with the Department of Health Professions, that allows such military medical personnel to practice and perform certain delegated acts that constitute the practice of medicine or nursing to include other enlisted service members who have successfully completed appropriate technical training and any required certifications and who were discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable. Under current law, "military medical personnel" means an individual who has recently served as a medic in the United States Army, medical technician in the United States Air Force, medical personnel in the United States Space Force, or corpsman in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard.
The bill allows such military medical personnel participating in the program to be supervised by any licensed practitioner, as defined in the bill. Current law allows such personnel to be supervised by a physician or podiatrist. The bill directs the Department of Veterans Services to convene a work group to provide guidance on the implementation and further development of the Military Medics and Corpsmen program and to report its findings to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.
Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; Forest Sustainability Fund. Adds management of the Forest Sustainability Fund to the powers and duties of the Office of Working Lands Preservation within the Department of Forestry. This bill is identical to SB 522.
Conservation and replacement of trees during development process; work group; report. Expands certain existing local government authority to plant or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by modifying a provision that requires the granting of an exception when the strict application of the ordinance would result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developer, and replacing it with a requirement that the locality concur with such a determination. The bill permits localities to monitor and assess the condition and coverage of tree canopies at development sites during a period of up to 20 years after the trees are planted. The bill also allows any town within Planning District 8 belonging to an eight-hour nonattainment area for air quality standards to require, by ordinance, that a subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy or cover 10 years after development is projected to meet specified coverage criteria. Under current law, the criteria apply to tree canopy coverage 20 years after development. Finally, the bill directs the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the tree canopy laws and regulations and report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 995 and is identical to SB 589.
Parking, stopping, and standing enforcement; bus obstruction monitoring systems. Allows localities to authorize the use of bus obstruction monitoring systems by a public transit agency operating within the locality for the purpose of enforcing local ordinances related to parking, stopping, or standing in bus stop zones or in lanes reserved for transit buses during posted times. This bill is identical to SB 583.
Board of Medicine; breast implant educational materials; work group. Directs the Board of Medicine to convene a work group to create educational materials for patients considering breast implants and distribute such materials to its licensees by January 1, 2027.
Social work; licensure; criminal background check. Requires applicants for licensure as a baccalaureate social worker, master's social worker, or clinical social worker to provide fingerprints and personal identifying information for a criminal background check, directs the Central Criminal Records Exchange to disseminate criminal history record information obtained to the Board of Social Work, and establishes the process by which an applicant may obtain his criminal history record in the event that such applicant disputes the criminal history information on which a denial of licensure privilege is based. The bill specifies that no criminal history record information obtained from a national criminal history record check conducted for employment or licensing purposes pursuant to federal law shall only be further disseminated to a federal, state, or local government agency or entity. The bill also specifies that any state or local government agency or entity that receives such record information shall not disseminate such information to any private person or entity. The bill also requires the Department of State Police (the Department) to convene a work group to review potential issues and concerns regarding the dissemination of criminal history record information. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026. The bill has a partial delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Unauthorized use of voice or likeness; punitive damages; statute of limitations. Expands the existing ability for any person to maintain a suit in equity, including the accompanying remedies available and statute of limitations, for the unauthorized use of his name, portrait, or picture for advertising purposes or for the purposes of trade to include the unauthorized use of his voice or likeness. This bill is identical to SB 753.
Smart Solar Permitting Platform established; residential solar energy systems; work group; report. Creates the Smart Solar Permitting Platform (the Platform) to serve as a tool for (i) contractors to obtain permits for the construction of streamline-eligible residential solar energy systems and (ii) localities to process applications for such permits. The bill requires the Department of Energy to establish, launch, and administer the Platform by July 1, 2027, as an internet-based platform that automates plan review and instantly releases a permit or a permit revision to construct certain residential solar energy systems that comply with any applicable building codes and state laws. The bill requires localities to allow contractors to submit an application to construct a residential solar energy system through the Platform or through an alternative automated solar permitting platform by July 1, 2028. The bill requires any locality that chooses to use an alternative automated solar permitting platform to submit an annual report to the Department no later than March 1 of each year. The bill directs the Director of the Department to convene a work group to determine the appropriateness of adding a surcharge to local government permitting fees to defray state costs for the Platform and to report its findings to the General Assembly on or before November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 382.
Summons for unlawful detainer; additional information; legal resources; plain-language overview of process. Provides that any summons for an unlawful detainer issued may, with the approval of the chief judge of the general district court or the chief judge of the circuit court, have attached additional information prepared by the Commonwealth, the locality in which the unlawful detainer hearing is to be held, or a nonprofit organization serving the jurisdiction in which such hearing is to be held regarding (i) legal resources available to the plaintiff and defendant, (ii) a plain-language overview of the unlawful detainer process, and (iii) the Eviction Diversion Program eligibility and applicability.
Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund established; voluntary contributions; report. Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that conserve or enhance wildlife corridors prioritized by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and associated wildlife crossing infrastructure projects. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall administer the Fund in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, and the Department of Transportation. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1 of each odd-numbered year concerning the amount of public and private funding received by the Fund, the awarding of grants from the Fund, and the progress of funded projects, including data on the use of project infrastructure by wildlife. The bill also provides mechanisms for individuals to make voluntary contributions to the Fund through a Department of Motor Vehicles electronic transaction and an individual income tax return.
Exemptions from garnishment; minimum protected account balance; certain benefit payments; procedure for financial institutions. Requires certain financial institutions to automatically exempt from garnishment (i) a minimum protected account balance, defined in the bill as the combined total of not more than $1,000 in a judgment debtor's account or across multiple accounts in the same financial institution, and (ii) a protected amount of certain benefit payments, defined in the bill, that have been deposited into the account via direct deposit or electronic deposit within the two months immediately preceding the day before a financial institution commences an account review. The bill describes an account review as a process of examining an account of a judgment conducted by a financial institution upon such financial institution's receipt of a garnishment summons to determine if any eligible benefit payments have been deposited within the applicable time period and, if so, to calculate the total sum of such benefit payments and establish the total as a protected amount that shall be automatically exempt from garnishment. The bill provides that such procedure to automatically exempt such funds shall not apply if the debt arises from a child support or spousal support obligation or if an exemption is otherwise prohibited by law.
The bill further provides that a judgment debtor is not required to claim nor request a hearing for such automatic exemptions. Finally, the bill makes updates to the relevant provisions governing garnishment proceedings, notices to the garnishee and judgment debtor, and the form of a garnishment summons consistent with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 301.
Virginia All-Payer Claims Database; disclosure of information; limitation. Specifies that the nonprofit organization facilitating the administration of the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database shall not disclose information relating to reimbursement beyond what is otherwise publicly available. Under current law, provisions against disclosure are not limited to information that is not otherwise publicly available.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant records. Requires a landlord, upon written request by a tenant, to within 10 business days provide such tenant a statement containing all charges and payments incurred by the tenant over the duration of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. The bill specifies that such statement shall itemize separately rent and the cost of each utility and that the landlord is not obligated to provide such written statement if the landlord owns fewer than four rental dwelling units or less than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth unless the landlord receives any state or local rental or utility assistance funds on behalf of the tenant. The bill additionally directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to, based on input from relevant stakeholders, develop a standardized printable template for the landlord to use to provide the tenant such written statement. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing payments for prescription drugs under certain plans. Requires each carrier that offers a health plan in either the individual or small group market to ensure that at least one health plan in each of the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of coverage in each rating area in the individual and small group market conform with the following: (i) a plan that offers a platinum level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $150 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; (ii) a plan that offers a gold level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $200 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; (iii) a plan that offers a silver level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $250 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; and (iv) a plan that offers a bronze level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $300 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug. The bill requires that any plans offered to meet its requirements are (a) clearly and appropriately named to aid the consumer or plan sponsor in the plan selection process and (b) marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by the carrier. The bill's provisions apply to any individual or group accident and sickness insurance policy, any individual or group accident and sickness subscription contract, and any health care plan for health care services delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 161.
Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution. This bill is identical to SB 272.
Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of one megawatt or less located in the Commonwealth. The bill changes from 2025 to 2027 the compliance year beginning in which at least 75 percent of renewable energy certificates used by Dominion Energy Virginia shall come from eligible resources located in the Commonwealth. The bill also removes the requirement for a solar-powered or wind-powered generation facility to have a capacity of no less than 50 kilowatts to qualify for a third party power purchase agreement under a pilot program. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission, by July 1, 2033, to initiate a proceeding to evaluate the future availability of renewable energy certificates from certain resources and permits the Commission to increase or decrease by up to one percentage point the percentage of program requirements to be met by such resources in future compliance years. The bill provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage development on previously developed project sites, as defined in existing law, to reduce the land use impacts of solar development. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 175.
Kinship foster care; barrier crime waiver; report. Establishes a process by which a local department of social services may apply for a barrier crime waiver on behalf of an individual who has been convicted of a Virginia barrier crime that (i) is not (a) included on the list of federal barrier crimes; (b) a violent felony offense; or (c) an offense requiring registration under the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act and (ii) does not otherwise fall under a barrier crime exception for foster or adoptive homes for the purpose of approval of the individual's home as a kinship foster home. The bill creates a process by which such a local department of social services may apply to the Department of Social Services for a waiver and for the Department to conduct an assessment of such application. The bill also requires the Department of Social Services to file an annual report by December 1 of each year detailing the specifics of the waiver process to the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill is identical to SB 305.
Board of Education; School Performance and Support Framework; certain changes. Requires the Board of Education to consider certain enumerated changes to the School Performance and Support Framework that it adopted in order to implement its school accountability standards, including developing and applying new school performance label terminology that more clearly communicates school performance as part of a continuous scale and rebalancing the weight assigned to growth, at least equally with proficiency, to more fully account for each school's contribution to student learning. This bill incorporates HB 1323 and is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Board of Education; Regulations Governing Allowable Credit for Teaching Experience; certain credit substitution allowance permitted. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulations to provide that teachers in the field of career and technical education, where the licensure requirement calls for occupational work experience beyond the apprenticeship level, may be allowed salary placement credit for one year of teaching experience for each one or two years of work experience. The bill satisfies the reenactment requirement of Chapter 677 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025.
Department of Social Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Department of Health; prenatal and postnatal substance use; work group; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department of Health to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's response to parental prenatal and postnatal substance use, the services available to address such substance use, and the effects of such substance use on newborns and children. The bill requires the work group to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on Health and Human Services by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 133.
Mental health and substance abuse disorders; network adequacy standards; comparative analyses; report; emergency regulations. Directs the Department of Health to issue regulations that include quantitative network adequacy standards for timely access to care, travel time, and geographical distance that are at least as stringent as those imposed for qualified health plans and qualified dental plans. The bill amends the definitions of "mental health services" and "substance abuse services" for the purposes of health insurance coverage.
The bill requires health carriers to submit all comparative analyses prepared pursuant to federal law to the Bureau of Insurance on the date and frequency as specified by the Bureau and includes additional information to include in such submission. Under the bill, the Bureau may impose a penalty not to exceed $100,000 for a noncompliant or insufficient comparative analysis or require a carrier to remove, revise, or remedy noncompliant treatment limitations. The bill also amends the contents of the annual report submitted by the Bureau to the General Assembly to cover enforcement efforts with respect to the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
The bill authorizes the Bureau to promulgate regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and directs the Department of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to evaluate the impact of the proposed changes to the provisions of the bill related to health insurance. The provisions of the bill related to health insurance have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 524.
Financial institutions and services; virtual currency kiosk operators; license required; penalties. Establishes requirements for the operation of virtual currency kiosks, as defined in the bill, including a requirement that a virtual currency kiosk operator obtain licensure with the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires operators to file annual and quarterly reports, provide certain disclosures, and take reasonable steps to detect and prevent fraud and money laundering. The bill prohibits operators from accepting transactions above specified daily and monthly limits and establishes a maximum transaction charge of 18 percent of the value of such transaction. A person who violates the bill's provisions is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation as well as the existing enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to SB 489.
Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; jurisdiction; definitions; petition by noncitizen aged 18 to 21 years for legal custody. Allows an unmarried noncitizen between the ages of 18 and 21 who has been abused, neglected, or abandoned to petition a juvenile and domestic relations district court to be placed in the physical custody of a proposed legal custodian. The bill also includes such unmarried noncitizen in the definitions of "child," "juvenile," and "minor," as such terms are related to juvenile and domestic relations district courts.
Residential property owners; insurance policies; roofing services by contractors; prohibited practices and consumer protection. Prohibits insurers from refusing coverage or canceling, refusing to renew, or increasing the premiums of a policy written to insure an owner-occupied dwelling solely based on the age or condition of the asphalt shingle roof, except in certain circumstances. The bill also contains provisions related to consumer protection in the context of contractors providing roofing services for residential property owners. The bill prohibits certain advertisements and conduct by contractors in such context. The bill includes contract terms that must be included by contractors in such context, and permits a residential property owner to cancel a contract for roofing services in the case of a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor applicable to the geographic area where the property is located. Provisions of the bill related to prohibited conduct and requirements for contractors providing roofing services are subject to the enforcement provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to SB 402.
Retired law-enforcement officers; emergency and temporary detention admissions. Clarifies that the term "law-enforcement officer" as used in relevant law relating to emergency and involuntary civil admissions includes retired law-enforcement officers, defined in the bill, for the purposes of laws related to emergency custody and involuntary temporary detention.
The provisions of this bill are identical to relevant provisions of SB 75.
Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program established; report; sunset. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites and requires the Division to establish and publish guidelines and criteria for the awarding of grants and general requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027, and, as introduced, was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 659.
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; workforce development programs; apprenticeship program. Recognizes the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement as the federally and state designated agency responsible for workforce development in the Commonwealth. The bill additionally makes technical changes to reflect the previous transfer of administration of apprenticeship programs from the Department of Labor and Industry to the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. The bill also amends the seventh enactments of Chapters 624 and 625 of the Acts of Assembly of 2023 to exempt the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement's initial adoption and any additional regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act provided that, prior to the final adoption of such regulations, the Department publishes in the Virginia Register of Regulations and posts on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall an action that provides (i) a 30-day comment period; (ii) a summary of the proposed regulations, the text of the proposed regulations, and the name, address, email address, and telephone number of the agency contact person responsible for receiving public comments; and (iii) the statutory authority to promulgate the regulations.
Local boards of social services; appointments; terms of office. Changes the limit on consecutive terms of office from two consecutive full terms to three consecutive full terms for appointed members of local boards of social services.
Owner of a servient estate; reasonable rules of use for easement. Provides that an owner of a servient estate upon which an easement lies may establish reasonable rules of use of such easement, including establishing a reasonable speed limit. The bill further provides that a servient estate owner may bring a civil action against someone in violation of such reasonable rules and may recover actual damages or $500, whichever is greater, and reasonable attorney fees and costs and may seek injunctive relief.
Parking enforcement; issuance of a summons or parking ticket. Removes the population requirement for a locality to be authorized to, by ordinance, authorize law-enforcement officers, other uniformed employees of the locality, and uniformed personnel serving under contract with the locality to issue a summons or parking ticket for a violation of an ordinance regulating the parking, stopping, and standing of vehicles. Existing law grants such authority to localities having a population of at least 40,000. This bill is identical to SB 67.
Hotel policies; denial of guests residing within certain distance prohibited in certain instances. Prohibits a hotel from enforcing a policy denying the ability of a guest to stay at such hotel solely on the grounds that such guest's primary residence is located within a certain distance of such hotel if such guest is seeking to stay for his health or safety.
Department of Health; reduction of opioid overdose and opioid overdose deaths; report. Directs the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth and to provide a report on the status of such strategic plan and its implementation to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Commission on Health Care by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to SB 308.
Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act; digital financial assets. Creates a statutory framework for the treatment and disposition of unclaimed intangible property in the form of digital assets, as defined in the bill.
Power Transformer Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Power Transformer Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2035, in an amount not to exceed $4.6 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $29.4 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of power transformers, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $457,157,000 and create and maintain at least 825 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 403.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $15 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $130 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $2,148,793,019 and create and maintain at least 468 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 404.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Dominion Energy Virginia. Under the bill, Dominion Energy Virginia is authorized to release an additional 525 megawatts of capacity as part two of such program upon the earlier of (i) a determination that at least 90 percent of the aggregate program capacity has been subscribed and project construction is substantially complete or (ii) July 1, 2026. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine the capacity for part three of such program on or before part two of such program is substantially complete for 268 megawatts of capacity. The bill directs the Commission to evaluate the costs and benefits of the shared solar program under such proceeding and to consider the results of such proceeding in determining any future allocations of shared solar capacity and changes in program design. The bill directs the Commission to update its regulations on shared solar programs to comply with the provisions of the bill by December 31, 2026, and to require each participating utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementation of such programs by March 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 254.
Insurance; unfair claim settlement practices; modification of loss estimate. Prohibits an insurer, when reducing a loss estimate of $3,000 or more, from altering or amending an insurance adjuster's estimate of damages, photographic report data, or narrative report without meeting certain requirements including providing the policyholder with a detailed explanation as to why any change that has the effect of reducing the loss estimate was made.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase I Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Appalachian Power Company. The bill permits excess bill credits to be distributed to shared solar subscribers more than once annually. The bill also requires the utility in administering its shared solar program to require net crediting functionality for customer utility bills, as described in the bill.
The bill also directs Appalachian Power to (i) release an additional 50 megawatts as part two of the shared solar program on July 1, 2026; (ii) release a further additional 50 megawatts as part three of the shared solar program by January 1, 2028; and (iii) petition the Commission to initiate a shared solar expansion proceeding to determine the capacity for part four of the shared solar program by May 1, 2029. See final enactments for bill effective date. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 255.
Health Insurance Reform Commission; powers and duties. Provides that it is a power and duty of the Health Insurance Reform Commission, upon request of the Chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce or Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, to assess proposed legislation affecting the cost of health insurance through changes to plan design or cost sharing impacting consumers, employers, unions, and employee welfare benefit plans.
Electric utilities; disconnection reports; State Corporation Commission database; annual summary. Requires each investor-owned utility and electric cooperative operating in the Commonwealth to provide a monthly report on residential account disconnections to the State Corporation Commission. The monthly report is required to include specific information outlined in the bill, including the number of residential accounts involuntarily disconnected due to nonpayment, the amount of time in which such accounts were reconnected to service, the amounts of arrearages attributable to such disconnected accounts and other residential accounts, and information related to how many of the disconnected accounts participate in a payment assistance program or have a serious medical condition certification form on file with the electric utility. The bill requires the Commission to publish the information from such monthly reports in a comprehensive and easily accessible online database. The bill also requires the Commission to submit an annual executive summary to the Governor and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation on trends in electric utility disconnections based on the reports submitted by electric utilities, the first of which is due by September 1, 2027. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 516.
Pharmacy benefits managers; requirements; scope; report. Requires all health insurance carriers to use the pass-through pricing model and may limit a pharmacy benefits manager from deriving income from pharmacy benefits management services provided to a carrier except for income derived from a pharmacy benefits management fee. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from (i) reversing and or resubmitting the claim of a pharmacist or pharmacy without meeting certain requirements, (ii) reducing any payment to a pharmacist or pharmacy to an effective rate of reimbursement, or (iii) retroactively denying or reducing a claim or aggregate of claims except under certain circumstances. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to examine the practice of carriers or pharmacy benefits managers requiring or inducing covered individuals to utilize pharmacy services at an affiliated pharmacy. The Commission is required to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 1, 2027. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 669.
Land subdivision and development; optional provisions of a subdivision ordinance; electric vehicle charging stations; Department of Energy; report. Allows, effective July 1, 2027, a locality to include in its subdivision ordinance a requirement for electric vehicle (EV) supply equipment, EV-ready charging spaces, or EV-capable parking spaces that provide infrastructure to facilitate future EV charging, including electrical capacity, prewiring, and conduit for a development containing commercial, industrial, or multifamily residential uses. Effective in due course, the bill directs the Department of Energy to evaluate the design and deployment of the electrical distribution infrastructure necessary to support the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities in new developments consisting of single-family and multifamily residential units, to provide recommendations on the appropriate number and type of EV charging spaces for new commercial and industrial developments, and to report its findings and recommendations to the State Corporation Commission no later than November 15, 2026.
Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill incorporates HB 912 and is identical to SB 491.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance services; doula care. Adds provisions related to the provision of doula care under the state plan for medical assistance services specifying that such care includes support during labor and delivery and up to two linkage-to-care incentive payments for doulas.
Real property tax; local classification or designation for portion of property. Clarifies that, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and by adoption of a local ordinance, any locality may by designation or classification exempt from real or personal property taxes, or both, the real or personal property, or both, owned by an ownership entity of which a controlling interest of the managing member or general partner of such ownership entity is held, directly or indirectly, by one or more nonprofit organizations, notwithstanding any for-profit ownership interests, that is used for charitable or benevolent purposes. The bill requires such local ordinance to stipulate any suspension or termination of such exemption in such ordinance.
The bill also provides that any rental income or other sources of income received from any portion of real property that is used for charitable or benevolent purposes in accordance with such constitutional designation or classification shall not be considered a source of revenue or profit for which tax shall be assessed. Finally, the bill provides that the purpose of the bill is to stimulate public purpose projects by clarifying that localities have such authority and provides that the provisions of the bill providing that any county, city, or town may exempt from real or personal property taxes, or both, any real or personal property owned by an ownership entity of which a controlling interest of the managing member or general partner of such ownership entity is held directly or indirectly by one or more nonprofit organizations, notwithstanding any for-profit ownership interests, that is used for charitable or benevolent purposes are declaratory of existing law.
Department of Education; Farm to School Program Task Force; membership requirements. Amends the membership requirements of the Farm to School Program Task Force established in accordance with applicable law by requiring the membership to include (i) one member of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules after consideration of the recommendation of the Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Health; (ii) one member of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates after consideration of the recommendation of the Chair of the House Committee on Education; (iii) at least four members to be appointed by the Department of Education, including at least one school board member, one representative of the Department of General Services involved in procurement, one representative of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and one farmer or producer in the Commonwealth who sells only the farm or agricultural products produced or grown by him; and (iv) such additional members as the Department of Education deems necessary or appropriate.
Reporting requirements of state, regional, and local correctional facilities; pregnant and postpartum inmates. Requires the warden or other official in charge of a state correctional facility that houses women prisoners to compile a monthly summary and the sheriff in charge of a local correctional facility, or his designee, or the jail superintendent of a regional correctional facility, or his designee, to compile a quarterly summary of all of the following and submit such summary to the Director of the Department of Corrections or State Board of Local and Regional Jails, as applicable: (i) the number of prisoners known to be pregnant in the facility, (ii) the number of prisoners in postpartum recovery in the facility, (iii) the number of women prisoners in the facility, (iv) the total number of prisoners in the facility, (v) the number of deaths of prisoners known to be pregnant in the facility, and (vi) the number of deaths of prisoners in postpartum recovery in the facility. The bill also requires such summary to be submitted to the Maternal Mortality Review Team and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.
Lastly, the bill requires the sheriff in charge of a local correctional facility, or his designee, or the jail superintendent of a regional correctional facility, or his designee, to compile a quarterly summary of all written reports received pursuant to relevant law regarding use of restraints on any prisoner known to be pregnant or any prisoner who is in postpartum recovery and any body cavity search of a pregnant prisoner and submit such summary to the Board each quarter.
Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Restructures the existing governance structure and responsibilities of the Commission on VASAP and expands its oversight authority over local alcohol safety action programs. The provisions of the bill related to a fiscal agent locality have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, in consultation with the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Education, to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to review the sustainability of the structure and funding model for the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by October 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on VASAP.
Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Restructures the existing governance structure and responsibilities of the Commission on VASAP and expands its oversight authority over local alcohol safety action programs. The provisions of the bill related to a fiscal agent locality have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Commission on VASAP to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to review the sustainability of the structure and funding model for VASAP and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Commission on VASAP and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on VASAP and is identical to SB 391.
Zoning; wireless facilities; temporary support structures. Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinance provisions that allow for the use of temporary support structures that meet certain requirements. The bill defines a temporary support structure as a monopole or portable wireless communications facility used to provide wireless voice, data, or image transmission within a designated area. The bill provides that an application for a temporary support structure may request approval for up to 180 days with extensions not to exceed two years.
Department of Social Services; requests for records or information concerning applicants for and recipients of public assistance; public notice required. Requires the Commissioner of Social Services to make a public notice available on the Department of Social Services' website within 10 days of receiving a request for a record or information concerning 25 or more applicants for or recipients of public assistance or child support for a purpose not directly connected to the administration of such programs. If a local department of social services receives a request for information that meets the requirements of the bill, such local department of social services is required to notify the Commissioner of such request. The bill establishes the form of such public notice and requires such notice to be made available (i) regardless of whether such information has been previously been shared; (ii) regardless of the identity of the requestor, unless such request is permitted under existing law; and (iii) even when a request is made in compliance with state and federal law and regulation.
Electric utilities; Percentage of Income Payment Program; eligibility. Amends the objectives of the Percentage of Income Payment Program, which provides electric bill payment assistance to eligible customers, to include (i) reducing the energy burden of eligible participants by limiting electric bill payments directly to no more than three percent of the eligible participant's annual household income if the household's heating source is anything other than electricity and to no more than five percent of an eligible participant's annual household income on electricity costs if the household's primary heating source is electricity. The bill also amends the eligibility criteria of the Program beginning January 1, 2027, to include any retail electric customer of Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power with a household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill directs the Department of Social Services, in consultation with the Department of Housing and Community Development as needed, to update its rules and guidelines for the implementation of the Program to reflect the eligibility requirements of the bill. The provisions of the bill, other than the provisions directing the Department of Social Services to update its rules and guidelines, have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Charter; Town of Herndon. Updates the charter for the Town of Herndon in Fairfax County to permit greater flexibility for the town council to contract with the town manager regarding the location of his residence, clarifies the duties of the town manager relative to employees, clarifies that the town council has the authority to appoint two officers: the town manager and town attorney, and establishes that the town manager has the authority to employ any deputies or assistants for the two appointed offices. The bill also removes outdated or duplicative provisions that occur as a result of the changes to the town manager's duties and authority and an obsolete reference to a Town of Herndon school board. This bill is identical to SB 343.
Electric utility integrated resource planning; energy storage resources. Requires Dominion Energy, as part of its integrated resource plan, to assess the use of energy storage resources through appropriate modeling that accounts for economic charge and discharge times and represents various economic scenarios. The bill also requires systematic evaluation of and permits proposing investments in energy storage resources in the integrated resource plan.
Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission.
The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to SB 448.
Substantial risk orders; Substantial Risk Order Training Program established; annual report. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish the Substantial Risk Order Training Program for the purposes of training law-enforcement agencies and other public institutions throughout the Commonwealth to use and implement the substantial risk order law. The bill directs all law-enforcement officers to receive training in the use and implementation of substantial risk orders. The bill requires the programming to provide training regarding proper procedures to follow, the circumstances under which the law can be used, the benefits to public safety from proper use of the law, and the harm that may ensue from the law not being used when lawfully available. The Program also includes efforts to educate the public on and increase awareness of the substantial risk order law. The bill requires the Department to report by November 1 each year to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security regarding the use of Program funds, details of the content of programming developed, and the effectiveness of the Program in assisting law-enforcement agencies and other public institutions in the use of the substantial risk order law. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to evaluate all potential funding sources for the Program and submit a report on its findings, including the availability of federal funding, to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and for Courts of Justice and the House Committees on Appropriations and for Courts of Justice no later than November 1, 2026.
State Corporation Commission to determine maximum fees for disconnection of utility service for nonpayment. Directs the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to determine, in the next relevant cost recovery proceeding for certain utilities, the maximum allowable amount of fees for disconnection and reconnection such utilities may charge to residential customers disconnected from service due to nonpayment of bills or fees. The bill defines "utility" as an electric company, natural gas supplier, or water supplier or wastewater service provider subject to the Commission's regulation.
Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners; substantial risk factors and considerations; court jurisdiction; constructive possession of firearms; penalty. Expands the list of persons eligible to file a petition for an emergency substantial risk order. The bill provides various factors that a judge or magistrate shall consider for the purpose of determining whether to issue an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order. The bill expands court jurisdiction over substantial risk orders from circuit courts to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and general district courts and requires petitions against minors to be filed in juvenile and domestic relations district courts. The bill requires a copy of the order to be served on the parent or guardian of the minor at any address where the minor resides or the local board of social services in the case where the minor is the subject of a dependency or court-approved out-of-home placement. The bill also provides the process for which firearms not owned by the subject of a petition are returned to the lawful owner of such firearms. The bill provides that any emergency substantial risk order or substantial risk order issued remains in full force and effect pending any appeal. Lastly, the bill provides that any person that makes a materially false statement or representation to a court during the petitioning process is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 495.
Financial institutions; out-of-state credit unions. Clarifies that the National Credit Union Administration is not required to designate an agent for service of process and agree that in the absence of such designation service may be upon the clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Current law requires out-of-state credit unions conducting business in the Commonwealth to have any insurer of shares designate such an agent and agree to such service in the absence of such a designation.
Electric utilities; performance-based regulation; work group; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to independently consider whether elements of an effective performance-based regulatory framework to evaluate and potentially improve electric utility performance and cost control incentives in the Commonwealth are in the public interest and to develop related legislative recommendations. The bill requires the Commission to include its findings and recommendations in a report required by existing law by July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 251.
Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of Director; comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment; review of certain parcels. Requires the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a review of parcels owned by certain partnerships, corporations, or real estate investment trusts as part of the comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment conducted by the Department at least every five years.
Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of Director; comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment; review of certain parcels. Requires the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a review of parcels owned by certain partnerships, corporations, or real estate investment trusts as part of the comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment conducted by the Department at least every five years.
Limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards and permits, and identification privilege cards; expiration. Extends the validity of limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards and permits, and identification privilege cards, other than REAL ID credentials and commercial driver's licenses and permits, to a period of time consistent with the validity of driver's licenses, which, under current law, is a period not to exceed eight years or, for a person age 75 or older, a period not to exceed five years, and permits and special identification cards. The bill aligns requirements for eligibility for limited-duration commercial driver's licenses and permits and REAL ID-compliant limited-duration commercial driver's licenses with federal requirements and clarifies the validity periods for such documents. The bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to implement the extended validity periods for limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards, or permits upon renewal or reissuance. This bill is identical to SB 446.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; reverse certain recent actions and restore certain rescinded resources. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to reverse all actions previously taken by the Superintendent of Public Instruction on or after January 15, 2022, pursuant to the then-current Governor's Executive Order One of January 15, 2022, to rescind certain policies, programs, and resources that promoted cultural competency, encouraged inclusion and belonging, educated about the history of slavery and the civil rights movement, and continued work to combat racism in the Commonwealth and to restore all such policies, programs, and resources, including the Department of Education's EdEquityVA website and all included and associated resources and certain other enumerated resources, including certain Superintendent's memos.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility. This bill is identical to SB 818.
Department of Environmental Quality; industrial wastewater; publicly owned treatment works; PFAS monitoring. Directs every publicly owned treatment works (POTW) to require certain new or industrial users of such POTW to perform and report to such POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from a laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for an initial characterization period of one year, provided, however, that such POTW may discontinue remaining quarterly monitoring by an industrial user with proper monitoring results that are below the method detection level for the first two quarters. If an industrial user detects PFAS in any amount above the detection method limit in its initial year of quarterly monitoring, the bill requires such industrial user to continue to perform and report to the POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from the laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for PFAS. The bill requires a POTW that receives PFAS monitoring results to report such results to the Department of Environmental Quality on a quarterly basis. Finally, the bill directs any POTW to notify an owner or operator of an industrial user subject to the monitoring requirements of the bill of the requirement to submit the initial quarterly monitoring results for PFAS within 30 days of the effective date of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 138.
Custody and visitation; possession or consumption of authorized substances. Provides that no person shall be denied custody or visitation of a child, based only on the fact that the child's parent or other person responsible for his care, or the person petitioning for custody or visitation of the child, possessed or consumed legally authorized substances. The bill directs the Board of Social Services to amend its regulations, guidance documents, and other instructional materials to ensure that such regulations, documents, and materials comply with, and that investigations and family assessments are conducted by local departments of social services in accordance with, the provisions of the bill.
Board of Housing and Community Development; ad hoc committees. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to evaluate and vote on all proposals brought forth in an ad hoc committee convened by the Board to advise on proposed changes to statewide building and fire regulations during a regular meeting of the Board, including proposals for which the ad hoc committee did not reach a consensus.
Rounding procedures. Provides for rounding procedures in certain cash transactions and authorizes the governing body of a locality to by ordinance set temporary procedures for the adjustment of bills and account balances for taxes and other charges due to the locality to account for the cessation of production of the penny coin by the United States Mint until July 1, 2027. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to evaluate options and recommend a uniform procedure for such adjustments and balances for all localities of the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations no later than November 1, 2026.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; public institutions of higher education; certain annual student demographic data; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to annually report on the enrollment of Virginia students, non-Virginia students, and international students at each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and submit a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than February 1 each year.
Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors. This bill is identical to SB 322.
Elections; Voting Rights Act of Virginia. Revises provisions of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia (the Act) by (i) clarifying the legal standards for evaluating claims of alleged voter suppression and vote dilution, (ii) providing guidance to the courts to follow when determining whether a violation of the prohibition against voter suppression or vote dilution has occurred, and (iii) outlining the factors that the courts are permitted to consider and those factors that the courts are prohibited from considering. The bill expands the class of persons who may initiate a cause of action for an alleged violation of the Act to include organizations whose membership includes members of a protected class, organizations whose mission would be frustrated by a violation of the Act, and organizations that would expend resources in order to fulfill their mission as a result of a violation of the Act. The population thresholds for a locality to be designated as a covered locality for purposes of minority language accessibility pursuant to the Act are also amended. Current law designates a locality as a covered locality if, in the locality, (a) more than five percent of the voting age population or (b) more than 10,000 of the voting age population are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process; the bill reduces those thresholds from five to three percent and from 10,000 to 5,000. The bill contains technical amendments for organizational purposes.
Election results; counting machine-readable ballots; processing absentee ballots. Requires ballot scanner machines to be used to count machine-readable ballots and prohibits such ballots from being counted by hand unless (i) the ballot scanner machine is inoperative, (ii) there is no other available scanner, and (iii) it would be unreasonable to wait for (a) the inoperative ballot scanner to be made operative or (b) an operative ballot scanner machine to be delivered to the polling place rather than hand counting the ballots. "Ballot scanner machine" and "machine-readable ballot" are defined terms under current law. The bill also provides that if, in the processing and counting of provisional and absentee ballots, any machine-readable ballot is damaged or defective, a team of election officials representing both parties shall make a true duplicate copy of such damaged ballot as a substitute for such damaged ballot. This bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
Alcoholic beverage control; food-to-beverage ratio; report. Reduces the current 45 percent food-to-beverage ratio for certain mixed beverage licensees. The bill requires that a mixed beverage restaurant, caterer's, or limited caterer's licensee meet or exceed the following: (i) for such licensees with monthly food sales averaging at least $48,000, the food-to-beverage ratio shall not apply; (ii) for such licensees with monthly food sales averaging at least $25,000 but less than $48,000, the food-to-beverage ratio shall meet or exceed 30 percent; and (iii) for such licensees with monthly food sales averaging at least $4,000, but less than $25,000, the food-to-beverage ratio shall meet or exceed 45 percent, except that for any licensee with monthly food sales averaging less than $25,000 with a seating capacity of less than 30 seats and an occupancy permit for less than 60 people total, the food-to-beverage ratio shall meet or exceed 30 percent. The bill also requires that restaurants have at least as many seats at tables as at counters.
The bill requires the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of mixed beverage licensees with the provisions of the bill and the impact of the change to the food-to-beverage ratio on the gross amount of food consumed on a licensee's premises. The bill requires the Authority to report such data to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2027.
Transportation of person in the temporary detention process. Provides that an alternative transportation provider shall be deemed to be able to provide transportation of a person in the temporary detention process in a safe manner if the alternative transportation provider is (i) an employee of, or the person providing services pursuant to a contract with, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or (ii) an employee of a private or state hospital within the confines of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides further requirements for an alternative transportation provider to be deemed available to provide transportation for a minor in the temporary detention process in a safe manner. The bill also permits law-enforcement agencies or alternative transportation providers to transfer custody of a minor to a facility or location where the minor is awaiting transport if such facility or location (i) agrees to accept custody of the minor and (ii) is capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the minor and others from harm. Finally, the bill provides restrictions on the use of restraint related to the transportation of a minor for the purposes outlined in the bill.
The provisions of this bill are identical to relevant provisions of SB 75.
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; Department of Education; Postsecondary Education Rehabilitation Transition Program. Directs the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to develop a plan to expand the Postsecondary Education Rehabilitation Transition (PERT) Program to increase the number of students assisted in the transition from high school to postsecondary programs. The bill requires such plan to equip local community services boards with the resources to assist an increased number of students in such transition, publish online resources about the transition process, and develop an online dashboard to provide information about possible postsecondary education programs.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods; prohibited fees. Requires a landlord subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to accept payment of periodic rent and any security deposit by check and money order. The bill additionally prohibits such a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee to submit periodic rent payments or other amounts due in excess of the actual out-of-pocket expenses charged to the landlord by a third party to process a payment. Finally, the bill prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee for the maintenance or repair of any dwelling unit unless the repair is necessitated by the tenant's violation of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This bill is identical to SB 313.
Foreign-trained chiropractors; licensure by endorsement. Permits the Board of Medicine to issue a license to practice chiropractic to a foreign-trained chiropractor who meets certain requirements.
Department of Education; College and Career Ready Virginia Program; administration; advisory committee and work group composition. Removes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from the membership of the advisory committee and the work group that the Department of Education and the Community College System are required to establish for administration of the College and Career Ready Program pursuant to applicable law. This bill is identical to SB 439.
Department of Corrections; functional literacy program for incarcerated individuals; Virginia Prison Education Task Force established; report. Requires the Superintendent employed by the Director of Corrections to (i) by January 1, 2027, develop a functional literacy program for inmates testing below at least an eighth grade level, instead of a twelfth grade level as required by current law, and include in such program evidence-based literacy instruction, as defined in accordance with applicable law; (iii) share data with (a) the state entity that oversees the management, direction, and governance of the Commonwealth's education and workforce data for the purpose of developing educational, health, social service, and employment outcome data and improving the efficacy of state services and (b) the Virginia Community College System necessary for comprehensive community colleges to apply for and maintain eligibility as Federal Pell Grant-eligible prison education programs; and (iv) track and publicly report at least annually the number of incarcerated individuals eligible for, enrolled in, and waitlisted for the literacy and education programs.
The bill also establishes the Virginia Prison Education Task Force for the purpose of implementing a consistent education program across all state correctional facilities operated by the Department. The bill requires the Task Force to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on its activities, findings, and recommendations by November 1, 2026. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to, by November 1, 2026, (a) review and update the salary schedules for teachers licensed by the Board of Education and employed by the Department of Corrections to provide instruction in the schools of the correctional centers to be competitive with those in effect for the school division in which the correctional facility is located and (b) make recommendations for the inclusion of such teacher salary increases in the appropriation act.
Foster and adoptive homes; barrier crimes; exceptions. Consolidates existing barrier crime exceptions for foster or adoptive homes, including kinship foster homes, and establishes new barrier crime exceptions for certain drug offenses.
Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, generation, and storage. Requires American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to each petition the State Corporation Commission by December 31, 2026, to conduct a pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation, and energy storage resources for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals. The bill directs the Commission to convene a technical conference to evaluate the creation of an energy efficiency program meeting certain requirements by November 1, 2026. Under the bill, if the Commission determines that such a program is feasible for implementation by American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia, the Commission shall require such utilities to petition for approval by May 1, 2027, to implement such programs. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 327.
Department of Health; opioid antagonist distribution program; reports. Directs the Department of Health to maintain a list of agencies and organizations that submit requests for and receive opioid antagonists through its distribution program and requires the Department to submit a quarterly report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the chair of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on its distribution of opioid antagonists. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1 of each year estimating the costs of the opioid antagonist distribution program for the following fiscal year using a methodology developed by the Department pursuant to parameters set out in the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.
Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers. Authorizes localities to create a regional authority to operate and manage emergency communication services including public safety answering points. The bill authorizes such authorities to employ or contract for personnel, acquire and manage property, enter into agreements, and receive and expend funds, and requires compliance with the standards of the 9-1-1 Services Board.
Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $34 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $191,255,000, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $4 billion and create and maintain at least 500 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 527.
Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; small renewable energy projects fees. Requires the Office of Working Lands Preservation to serve as a trustee to administer the in-lieu fees in trust for small renewable energy projects. The bill requires such fees to be used to acquire conservation easements and cover any expenses associated with acquiring such easements.
Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention; Safety and Health Codes Board. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board (the Board) to adopt regulations designed to protect workers from heat illness, as defined in the bill, during indoor and outdoor work. The bill provides that such regulations shall be enforced by the Board's existing authority. The bill directs the Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop and adopt regulations that require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans and to convene an advisory panel to assist in developing such regulations. This bill is identical to SB 288.
Renewable energy portfolio standard program; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Requires, for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to annually procure and retire certain percentages of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to prepare and deliver a report evaluating the procurement and retirement of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth on or before November 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Real Estate Appraiser Board to promulgate regulations requiring the development of a continuing education curriculum and required training for all licensees that includes how to properly determine the increase in value of real estate created by reductions in building energy costs associated with solar, geothermal, and solar water heating investments. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation and is identical to SB 252.
Civil litigation; suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit upon appeal. Increases the cap currently in place for suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit for appellants during the pendency of an appeal of a civil action from $25 million to $50 million. The bill also requires, beginning April 1, 2031, and at each five-year interval ending on April 1 thereafter, this monetary cap to be adjusted to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure. Requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider or the medical care facility prearranging transport through such a provider, prior to providing such transportation services to a patient, to provide the patient or the patient's representative with a standardized disclosure form of all associated fees or other charges for which the patient will be responsible for such transportation services. The bill also requires that nonemergency medical transportation providers provide the medical care facility with the required form. Such provisions have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. Finally, effective July 1, 2026, the bill directs the Department of Health to develop and publish a standardized disclosure form on its website by October 1, 2026.
Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure. Requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider or the medical care facility prearranging transport through such a provider, prior to providing such transportation services to a patient, to provide the patient or the patient's representative with a standardized disclosure form of all associated fees or other charges for which the patient will be responsible for such transportation services. The bill also requires that nonemergency medical transportation providers provide the medical care facility with the required form. Such provisions have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. Finally, effective July 1, 2026, the bill directs the Department of Health to develop and publish a standardized disclosure form on its website by October 1, 2026.
Department of Motor Vehicles; improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public; report. Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to examine and make recommendations for options and measures for improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public and submit a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation no later than November 1, 2026.
Autonomous driving systems; work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation; certain assessments and stakeholders. Directs the existing work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation regarding autonomous driving systems to (i) conduct an assessment of the workforce impacts created by autonomous vehicles, including an overview of job losses and gains; (ii) identify and include stakeholders and representatives from the auto manufacturing industry and labor representatives from the passenger and product carrier business; and (iii) conduct an assessment of labor impacts created by autonomous vehicles no later than November 1, 2026.
State Corporation Commission; duration and timeline for review of toll rate increases. Increases from one year to two years the maximum length of time the State Corporation Commission is authorized to approve toll rate increases under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988. The bill also requires the Commission to issue a final order regarding any application for approval of one year or two years of such toll rate increases to be entered within nine months or 12 months, respectively, after the date of the filing of such application.
Workforce housing for employees of a county or county school board; lease of surplus property. Allows any county board of supervisors or county school board to lease as lessor surplus or underutilized property. The bill provides that such leases shall be conditioned on the development of workforce housing serving employees of the county or school division with up to 80 percent of area median household income. The bill also prohibits establishment of a minimum lot size exceeding 5,000 square feet for such workforce housing and provides that the placement of manufactured houses that are on a permanent foundation and on individual lots shall be permitted subject to development standards that are equivalent to those applicable to site-built single-family dwellings.
Board of Medicine; membership; removal of residence requirements. Removes the requirement that the Board of Medicine have one physician from each congressional district and instead requires that 11 physicians be on the Board. The bill removes references to change of residence provisions for physician Board members.
Use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a model policy for the use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations and to include in such model policy that (i) no individual currently on probation or pretrial may serve as a confidential informant without notice to his probation, pretrial services, or parole officer; (ii) no individual who has, within the last six months, been found to have violated the terms of his probation or parole shall serve as a confidential informant whose testimony may be necessary in the prosecution of a criminal matter in the courts of the Commonwealth; (iii) law-enforcement personnel shall obtain approval from the appropriate local attorney for the Commonwealth prior to working with a confidential informant; and (iv) such confidential informant shall not unlawfully use or possess any controlled substances.
Motor vehicle safety inspections; safety inspectors. Requires motor vehicle safety inspections to be conducted by persons certified as a safety inspector by the Superintendent of State Police. Existing law requires the person conducting a vehicle safety inspection, or under whose immediate supervision such inspection is made, to have at least one year's practical experience as an automotive mechanic or have satisfactorily completed a training program in automotive mechanics approved by the Superintendent of State Police.
Inspection of water distribution systems; lead status inspections for water service lines. Permits any locality that operates a water distribution system or any water authority that operates a water distribution system, or their respective duly authorized agents, to, at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter upon the exterior areas of any property, public or private, for the purpose of accessing and inspecting a water service line necessary to make the required system-side and customer-side service line material classifications for lead status to comply with federal law. The bill requires any such inspector to maintain a record of such inspections, including the date, time, and result of the inspection, and, further, requires the inspector to inform the customer of the result of the inspection. The bill also requires the locality or water authority to deliver notice to the customer at least 14 days prior to the inspection. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.
Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 423.
Charitable gaming; denial, suspension, or revocation of permit. Removes duplicative provisions of charitable gaming law regarding the denial, suspension, or revocation of a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming.
Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act; dissemination of personal information to federal government; civil penalties. Provides that any agency or political subdivision of the Commonwealth shall only disseminate personal information (i) to the extent necessary to comply with state or federal law, including the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; (ii) to the extent necessary to carry out the administration of a state or federal program pursuant to state or federal law; (iii) to comply with a subpoena, court order, or administrative proceeding; (iv) to the extent necessary to ensure fulfillment of the obligations of a purchase or contract made in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act or a memorandum of understanding or management agreement made in accordance with the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act; (v) when the data subject has given consent; or (vi) to the extent necessary to accomplish a proper purpose of the agency. The bill also prohibits an agency or political subdivision from selling personal information. The bill authorizes a court, in the case of a willful and knowing violation, to subject a specific public officer, appointee, or employee of any agency to civil penalties.
Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission established; report; emergency. Establishes the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of advising the General Assembly on issues of concern, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, and the impact of social media use, as such issues relate to boys and men in the Commonwealth. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission established; report; emergency. Establishes the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of advising the General Assembly on issues of concern, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, and the impact of social media use, as such issues relate to boys and men in the Commonwealth. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 447.
Small lot residential zoning districts. Requires any locality with a population of 50,000 or more to adopt, maintain, and apply to land within its boundaries at least one zoning district classification that permits a single-family dwelling on a lot with a minimum lot area not exceeding 3,000 square feet. The bill provides that such zoning district classifications shall not impose minimum lot widths exceeding 30 feet or setback, lot coverage, or density requirements that would preclude construction of eligible dwellings on conforming lots. The bill's provisions do not apply to areas within a historic district.
Health insurance; cost-sharing payments for insulin and diabetes equipment and supplies; limit. Decreases the cap on the cost-sharing payment that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription insulin drug from $50 to $35 for a 30-day supply of the prescription insulin drug and provides such cap is an aggregate cap that applies in situations where the covered person is prescribed more than one insulin drug. The bill also establishes such an aggregate cap of $35 for a 30-day supply of diabetes equipment and supplies.
Keeper of livery stable; liens; requirements. Creates a process by which any person that boards, pastures, or otherwise keeps any horse, cattle, or other animal pursuant to an agreement with the owner of such horse, cattle, or other animal may impose a possessory lien for the reasonable charges due for such animal's care, feeding, and maintenance, which includes a provision for the lienholder to retain possession of the animal for 30 days until certain conditions are met and a procedure for the owner of the animal to dispute such lien. The bill also provides that if no such action has occurred upon the expiration of the 30 days, the lienholder may proceed with enforcing the lien as provided by current law.
Driver's licenses; requirements for initial licensure; persons age 18 to 21. Expands from 60 days to 90 days the length of time an applicant for a first-time noncommercial driver's license who is at least 18 years old and not more than 21 years old is required to hold a learner's permit and requires such an applicant to complete a course of driver instruction prior to being issued a driver's license. The bill provides that learner's permits other than motorcycle learner's permits, accompanied by other documentation verifying that the driver is at least 18 years old and less than 21 years old and has successfully completed an approved driver's education course, constitute a temporary driver's license for the purpose of driving unaccompanied by a licensed driver 18 years old or older, provided that certain other requirements are met. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 396.
Department of Education; use of seclusion and restraint in public schools; certain actions; report. Requires the Department of Education to (i) provide to each local school board a link to or a copy of the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia and encourage each such board to fully comply with such regulations and (ii) submit to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than October 1, 2026, a report on the current implementation and utilization of such regulations that shall include (a) a detailed summary of the Department's current processes and procedures for enforcing such regulations and (b) a compilation and analysis of data relating to how such regulations are currently being implemented and utilized by public schools in each school division.
Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 457 and is identical to SB 26.
Clerks of circuit court; restitution; fees; online payment systems; report. Provides that if a clerk's office allows payment to occur via an already established online payment system for the collection of court fines and fees or costs, it shall offer such payment method for all restitution payments.
Hampton Roads Planning District Commission; development of a Hampton Roads Infrastructure Coordination and Readiness Framework. Directs the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) to develop an infrastructure coordination and fiscal readiness framework for Planning District 23, to be known as the Hampton Roads Infrastructure Coordination and Readiness Framework (the Framework), and to coordinate and consult with certain other entities in the development of the Framework. The bill requires HRPDC to submit to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, the House Committees on Finance and Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations a report of the progress of the development of the Framework no later than December 1, 2026, and a final report on the Framework no later than December 1, 2027.
Absentee voting; emergency application for absentee ballot. Provides that a qualified voter may apply for an emergency absentee ballot if he has applied to receive an absentee ballot by the deadline but has not received his ballot within 10 days of the election and will be unable to vote on election day due to his hospitalization or illness, the hospitalization, illness, or death of a spouse, child, or parent, or other emergency found to justify receipt of an emergency absentee ballot.
Net energy metering; standby charge; facility capacity. Increases the minimum capacity from 15 kilowatts to an aggregate nameplate capacity of 20 kilowatts of alternating current for an electrical generating facility for which certain electric utility customers are required to pay a monthly standby charge as part of the net energy metering program.
Notaries; prohibition on certain advertising; investigation by Attorney General; civil penalties. Provides that the Attorney General may issue a civil investigative demand whenever he has reasonable cause to believe that any notary public has, in violation of law, (i) offered or provided legal advice on immigration or other legal matters or represented any person in immigration proceedings or (ii) has assumed, used, or advertised the title "notario," "notario publico," or "licenciado," or other term in a language other than English that indicates that such notary is authorized or licensed to practice law. The bill increases the civil penalties for a violation of clause (ii) from up to $500 to up to $2,500 for a first violation and from up to $1,000 to up to $5,000 for a second or subsequent violation. The bill also provides that the Attorney General may seek to enjoin any such violation and may recover restitution, reasonable expenses, and reasonable attorney fees.
School boards; language access plan for limited English proficient parents. Requires each school board to develop, implement, and post in a publicly accessible location on its website a language access plan consisting of policies and procedures designed to ensure meaningful communication with and informational accessibility for limited English proficient (LEP) parents, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 685.
Licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners; licensure by endorsement; licensure without examination. Directs the Board of Counseling to establish a pathway to licensure by endorsement as a licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner for applicants who have held certification as a certified substance abuse counselor for at least 10 years without a history of disciplinary action, have completed at least five years of documented supervised experience, hold at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of counseling, and hold a Master Addiction Counselor credential issued by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. The bill provides that such pathway to licensure by endorsement does not require examination.
High school graduation requirements; application. Provides that, in the event that the Board of Education establishes or modifies any graduation requirements or diploma pathways, the Board shall only apply such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways to students who enter ninth grade at the beginning of or after the first school year of implementation of such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways. The bill is applicable beginning with students who enter the ninth grade on or after the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. This bill is identical to SB 724.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance; provider-to-provider consultation; telemedicine. Specifies that the Medicaid provision for provider-to-provider consultation includes payment for consultations provided through telemedicine services. This bill incorporates HB 87.
Board of Veterinary Medicine; applications for licensure or renewal; indication of interest to serve as a veterinarian for a public or private animal shelter. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine to amend its applications for licensure and renewal of licensure to allow applicants to indicate interest in serving as a veterinarian for public or private animal shelters and to provide disclosure that, if the applicant indicates such interest, the Board shall provide the applicant's name and contact information to the State Veterinarian for inclusion on a list distributed to animal shelters quarterly.
Commercial motor vehicle; definition. Expands the definition of a commercial motor vehicle to include vehicles inclusive of a towed vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds. Currently, the definition includes, in relevant part, a towed vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds. The new definition is consistent with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations.
Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Expands the current process for the issuance of writs of vacatur for victims of human trafficking to include ancillary matters, defined in the bill, and any charge or arrest related to a qualifying offense as defined in current law. The bill also expands the list of qualifying offenses eligible for such writ. This bill is identical to SB 748.
Professions and occupations; powers and duties of regulatory boards; disciplinary action; dismissal. Permits regulatory boards to take a disciplinary case against a licensee under advisement, defer a finding in such case, and dismiss such action upon terms and conditions set by the Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation. The bill additionally clarifies that regulatory boards may take such actions as well as other disciplinary actions and monetary penalties by including a reference to such disciplinary actions and monetary penalties among the listed powers of certain regulatory boards.
Mortgage lenders and brokers; criminal history records check. Replaces the option for an applicant submitting the required criminal history records check for licensure as a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, or an applicant to acquire control of a licensee, to submit fingerprints and other information to the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to forward such information to the Central Criminal Records Exchange with the option to submit such information to an FBI-approved channeler to forward such information to the FBI for the purposes of obtaining national criminal history record information. Under current law, there is also an option for such an applicant to submit such information to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry.
Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount. Provides that, for unemployment compensation claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly benefit amount shall be $48 higher than the current weekly benefit amount, as denoted in the table in the printed bill. This bill is identical to SB 759.
Elections; conduct of primaries; abstract of votes; law-enforcement officer to obtain returns not forwarded. Removes the requirement that if the abstract of votes is not received by the State Board of Elections from any county or city within six days after any state primary election, the State Board shall dispatch a law-enforcement officer to obtain it. The bill removes a conflict with an existing provision that requires the State Board to dispatch law-enforcement when the abstract of votes is not received within 10 days after any election.
Sheriff Javier J. Smith Memorial Bridge. Designates the bridge on Roxbury Road/State Route 106 at the border of Charles City County and New Kent County in Charles City County the "Sheriff Javier J. Smith Memorial Bridge."
Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations. Requires a landlord to provide a copy of any written rental agreement and the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities within 10 business days of the effective date of the written rental agreement; current law requires a landlord to provide such copies within one month of such effective date. The bill outlines required notice language regarding flood insurance to be included by the landlord in the rental agreement and provides that failures of the landlord to provide notice shall not affect the validity of the rental agreement. The bill applies to rental agreements that are entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.
Definition of three-unit service dog team. Clarifies, in the definition of a three-unit service dog team, that a person who is an adult and who has been trained to handle the service dog can include the parent of the person with a disability who is part of such team.
Definition of three-unit service dog team. Clarifies, in the definition of a three-unit service dog team, that a person who is an adult and who has been trained to handle the service dog can include the parent of the person with a disability who is part of such team.
Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force. Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to SB 239.
Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license; municipality or nonprofit organization. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, broker, importer, or wholesaler to sponsor or provide support, including equipment, staff, financial, and other support, for a special event for which a municipality or nonprofit organization has been issued a banquet license when such special event is to be held on the grounds of a museum or a government-registered national, state, or local historic site at which the municipality or nonprofit organization is licensed to operate a gift shop, provided that any retail license issued to the premises has been deactivated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the duration of such special event. The bill limits such municipalities or nonprofit organizations to no more than eight banquet licenses for such special events per year. This bill is identical to SB 532.
Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, described in the bill, to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative. The bill directs the Commissioner to submit an interim report of the work group by November 1, 2026, and a final report with the work group's recommendations no later than July 1, 2027, to the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Commission on Women's Health.
Joint Commission on Health Care; comprehensive assessment of the quality of care, resident safety, and operational practices of nursing facilities in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the quality of care, resident safety, and operational practices of nursing facilities in the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2027.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; civil action for unlawful detainer; termination notice; energy submetering equipment. Provides that no landlord shall file or maintain an action for unlawful detainer against a residential tenant for any alleged lease violation until the landlord has provided the tenant with a proper and effective termination notice and that no notice of termination of tenancy for nonpayment of rent pursuant to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act shall be effective unless such notice contains a written statement of charges and payments over the course of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter, and any late charges, attorney fees, costs, and other charges or damages as contracted for in the rental agreement that are due and owing. The bill requires such notice to also include debits and credits incurred by the tenant for energy and utility bills and any additional charges permitted as applicable. The bill also requires the owner of any residential building to maintain adequate records indicating how monthly energy and utility billing fees are calculated and including a history of billing fee payments for each tenant over the duration of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. Such records shall be made available to the tenant upon request. Finally, the bill removes a provision allowing for the collection of fees when a tenant requests such records. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 294.
Groundwater management areas; bioslurry injections in wells prohibited. Prohibits any person from conducting any bioslurry injection, as defined in the bill, in any well that has been drilled through any portion of a groundwater management area declared by regulation prior to January 1, 2020. This bill is identical SB 784.
School boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted. Extends from no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day to no earlier than 14 days before September 1 of each year the requirement relating to the earliest date that each school board is permitted to schedule as the first day on which students are required to attend school each year. This bill is identical to SB 815.
Employee Child Care Assistance Program established. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to provide matching funds in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed delivery provider on behalf of the employee or to a third-party administrator, as defined by the bill, and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. The bill specifies that, to the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the bill clarifies that the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2028, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2030, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program. This bill is identical to HB 18.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force established; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, and with assistance from the Department of Social Services, the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and to evaluate and develop a plan to address any necessary improvements regarding coordination among state and federal government agencies for utility services and resources to more effectively deliver energy-efficient housing, weatherization resources, and energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least six times between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 2027. The bill specifies that such report shall include policy recommendations and a plan to ensure that weatherization-ready repairs and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits are provided to all eligible income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth residing in multifamily buildings, single-family dwellings, and manufactured homes by December 31, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 3.
Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1234.
Delinquency petition; referral to court service unit. Provides that at any point prior to the commencement of an adjudication hearing on a petition alleging that a child is delinquent, the court, upon request of the child with consent of the attorney for the Commonwealth, if a party to the case, may refer the delinquency charge back to the court service unit in writing and the intake officer shall proceed informally pursuant to relevant law. Additionally, the bill provides that upon such referral, the court shall dismiss the petition and order that the court records pertaining to the petition be expunged pursuant to relevant law. Lastly, the bill allows an intake officer to proceed informally on a complaint alleging a child is in need of services, in need of supervision, or delinquent if the juvenile has previously been proceeded against informally. Current law does not permit proceeding informally when a juvenile (i) commits a violent juvenile felony or (ii) is alleged delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult if such juvenile had previously been (a) proceeded against informally by intake or (b) adjudicated delinquent for a prior offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth. This bill is identical to HB 438.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid billing navigation. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to provide training to local school division staff regarding assisting schools in effectively navigating the laws, policies, rules, regulations, and guidelines governing Medicaid billing for reimbursable services rendered at school sites, including the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and to ensure that all school divisions are able to fully leverage Medicaid funding opportunities to enhance student health services in the Commonwealth. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the School Health Services Committee.
Reapportionment; reallocation of populations; civil commitment facilities. Requires persons civilly committed to a residential behavioral health facility administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to be counted and reallocated for redistricting and reapportionment purposes. This bill is identical to HB 59.
Siting of data centers; site assessment; high energy use facility. Provides that, prior to any approval of a rezoning application, special exception application, or special use permit for the siting of a new high energy use facility (HEUF), as defined in the bill, a locality shall require that an applicant perform and submit a site assessment to examine the sound profile of the HEUF on residential units and schools located within 500 feet of the HEUF property boundary. The bill also allows a locality to require that a site assessment examine the effect of the proposed facility on (i) ground and surface water resources, (ii) agricultural resources, (iii) parks, (iv) registered historic sites, and (v) forestland on the HEUF site or immediately contiguous land. The provisions of the bill shall not apply to a site with an existing legislative or administrative approval where an applicant is seeking an expansion or modification of an already existing or approved facility and such expansion does not exceed an additional 100 megawatts or more of electrical power. Finally, the bill provides that its provisions shall not be construed to prohibit, limit, or otherwise supersede existing local zoning authority. This bill incorporates SB 130 and is identical to HB 153.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; evaluation of emergency management needs in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to evaluate existing emergency management needs, analyze sustainability of current funding of such needs, and review alternative funding models for such needs in other states, and to report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and General Laws and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology on or before October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 169.
Fantasy contests; regulation and taxation. Imposes (i) a 10 percent tax on a fantasy contest operator's fantasy contest revenue, with 2.5 percent of the tax revenue being allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and the remaining 97.5 percent being allocated to the general fund, and (ii) a 2.6 percent fee on a fantasy contests operator's fantasy contest revenue to be utilized by the Virginia Lottery to cover the costs of administration and regulation of fantasy contests in the Commonwealth. The bill also limits the definition of "fantasy contest" and requires fantasy contest operators to apply to the Virginia Lottery for a permit before offering any fantasy contest in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 145.
Department of Social Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Department of Health; prenatal and postnatal substance use; work group; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department of Health to convene a work group to evaluate the Commonwealth's response to parental prenatal and postnatal substance use, the services available to address such substance use, and the effects of such substance use on newborns and children. The bill requires the work group to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on Health and Human Services by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 652.
Department of Environmental Quality; industrial wastewater; publicly owned treatment works; PFAS monitoring. Directs every publicly owned treatment works (POTW) to require certain new or industrial users of such POTW to perform and report to such POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from a laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for an initial characterization period of one year, provided, however, that such POTW may discontinue remaining quarterly monitoring by an industrial user with proper monitoring results that are below the method detection level for the first two quarters. If an industrial user detects PFAS in any amount above the detection method limit in its initial year of quarterly monitoring, the bill requires such industrial user to continue to perform and report to the POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from the laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for PFAS. The bill requires a POTW that receives PFAS monitoring results to report such results to the Department of Environmental Quality on a quarterly basis. Finally, the bill directs any POTW to notify an owner or operator of an industrial user subject to the monitoring requirements of the bill of the requirement to submit the initial quarterly monitoring results for PFAS within 30 days of the effective date of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 938.
Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing payments for prescription drugs under certain plans. Requires each carrier that offers a health plan in either the individual or small group market to ensure that at least one health plan in each of the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of coverage in each rating area in the individual and small group market conform with the following: (i) a plan that offers a platinum level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $150 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; (ii) a plan that offers a gold level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $200 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; (iii) a plan that offers a silver level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $250 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug; and (iv) a plan that offers a bronze level of coverage shall limit a person's cost-sharing payment for prescription drugs covered under the plan to an amount that does not exceed $300 per 30-day supply of the prescription drug. The bill requires that any plans offered to meet its requirements are (a) clearly and appropriately named to aid the consumer or plan sponsor in the plan selection process and (b) marketed in the same manner as other plans offered by the carrier. The bill's provisions apply to any individual or group accident and sickness insurance policy, any individual or group accident and sickness subscription contract, and any health care plan for health care services delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2028. This bill is identical to HB 625.
Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of one megawatt or less located in the Commonwealth. The bill changes from 2025 to 2027 the compliance year beginning in which at least 75 percent of renewable energy certificates used by Dominion Energy Virginia shall come from eligible resources located in the Commonwealth. The bill also removes the requirement for a solar-powered or wind-powered generation facility to have a capacity of no less than 50 kilowatts to qualify for a third party power purchase agreement under a pilot program. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission, by July 1, 2033, to initiate a proceeding to evaluate the future availability of renewable energy certificates from certain resources and permits the Commission to increase or decrease by up to one percentage point the percentage of program requirements to be met by such resources in future compliance years. The bill provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage development on previously developed project sites, as defined in existing law, to reduce the land use impacts of solar development. This bill is identical to HB 628.
Department of Education; assessment; certified student support agencies; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to assess the impact of developing a program to provide student support programs to students enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school through certified student support agencies, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in conducting such assessment, to consider (i) a framework by which a certified student support agency would enter into a memorandum of understanding with a school board for the purpose of providing student support programs, as defined in the bill, and suggested components of such memorandums of understanding, such as (a) documentation establishing the organization's nonprofit status, (b) a description of each student support program that such organization provides, (c) policies and procedures relating to privacy, background checks, mandated reporting, and the transmission, collection, use, and disposal of student personal information, and (d) consent forms and procedures to be used by such student support programs to obtain the necessary consent from the parent of any student under 18 years of age; (ii) the feasibility of establishing and administering a certification process for certified student support agencies; (iii) potential compliance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and subsequent penalties for noncompliance to ensure that each certified student support agency complies with such program; (iv) policies and procedures for the secure disposal of a student's personal information upon such student's withdrawal from a student support program, upon the cessation of any such program, or upon such student's graduation or transfer from the school division; and (v) cost estimates, including staffing needs, for the development and implementation of such program. The bill requires the Department to submit a report on its findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Education no later than November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 178.
Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight except in use for hostler or utility service. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to include in an existing report the number of probable violations of federal regulations related to railroad safety investigated by the Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety and reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for enforcement. This bill is identical to HB 25.
Teacher licensure; three-year renewable license to teach career and technical education or dual enrollment courses at public high schools. Requires the Board of Education to provide for the issuance of a three-year renewable license to teach solely career and technical education courses or dual enrollment courses that are creditable toward the completion of an undergraduate course, degree, or credential offered in and accepted at a public institution of higher education at public high schools in the Commonwealth to any individual who (i) is employed as an instructor by an institution of higher education that is accredited by a nationally recognized regional accreditation body, (ii) is teaching in the specific career and technical education or dual enrollment subject area at such institution in which the individual seeks to teach at a public high school, and (iii) complies with certain requirements set forth in relevant law enumerated by the bill. The bill requires the Board to require any such instructor to maintain continuous employment in such position at the institution of higher education as a condition of continued licensure. The bill also requires each school board that employs an individual issued such a three-year license to provide such instructor training on instruction and assessment during his first year of employment. Finally, the bill directs the Board to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 332.
Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force. Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to HB 1337.
Retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions. Provides that retail franchise agreements shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth and prohibits any person from offering or entering into a franchise agreement that includes competition restrictions that extend beyond termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, except as a term of sale in the event that a franchisee sells a franchise to a third party or back to the franchisor. This bill is identical to HB 69.
Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Makes various changes related to the content and process for an integrated resource plan (IRP) developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations. The bill (i) extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years; (ii) requires Appalachian Power to file an IRP by removing an exception from the definition of "electric utility"; (iii) changes the frequency with which a utility is required to file an IRP from biennially to triennially; (iv) requires utilities to consider the use of grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure, and when new transmission lines are envisioned, to provide the reasons grid-enhancing technologies are not sufficient to defer or eliminate the need for new transmission infrastructure; and (v) requires utilities to consider the use of surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, to add new electric generation projects and energy storage resources to the grid.
The bill requires that the current stakeholder review process for integrated resource plans be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility. The bill requires, as part of the stakeholder review process, the utility to provide stakeholders with reasonable access to the same modeling software, modeling assumptions, modeling inputs, and data used by the utility to evaluate supply and demand resources in its integrated resource plan to enable stakeholders to create modeling scenarios for the utility's consideration during the development of its integrated resource plan.
The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to (a) establish guidelines that ensure that utilities develop comprehensive integrated resource plans and provide meaningful public engagement and maximum transparency during the planning process; (b) conduct a proceeding by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter, to identify and review each of its existing orders relevant to integrated resource plans to determine if such orders remain necessary and effective and are not overly burdensome; and (c) convene a work group to make recommendations on the required guidelines.
As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 429.
Electric utilities; performance-based regulation; work group; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to independently consider whether elements of an effective performance-based regulatory framework to evaluate and potentially improve electric utility performance and cost control incentives in the Commonwealth are in the public interest and to develop related legislative recommendations. The bill requires the Commission to include its findings and recommendations in a report required by existing law by July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 903.
Renewable energy portfolio standard program; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Requires, for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to annually procure and retire certain percentages of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to prepare and deliver a report evaluating the procurement and retirement of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth on or before November 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Real Estate Appraiser Board to promulgate regulations requiring the development of a continuing education curriculum and required training for all licensees that includes how to properly determine the increase in value of real estate created by reductions in building energy costs associated with solar, geothermal, and solar water heating investments. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation and is identical to HB 1102.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Dominion Energy Virginia. Under the bill, Dominion Energy Virginia is authorized to release an additional 525 megawatts of capacity as part two of such program upon the earlier of (i) a determination that at least 90 percent of the aggregate program capacity has been subscribed and project construction is substantially complete or (ii) July 1, 2026. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine the capacity for part three of such program on or before part two of such program is substantially complete for 268 megawatts of capacity. The bill directs the Commission to evaluate the costs and benefits of the shared solar program under such proceeding and to consider the results of such proceeding in determining any future allocations of shared solar capacity and changes in program design. The bill directs the Commission to update its regulations on shared solar programs to comply with the provisions of the bill by December 31, 2026, and to require each participating utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementation of such programs by March 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 807.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase I Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Appalachian Power Company. The bill permits excess bill credits to be distributed to shared solar subscribers more than once annually. The bill also requires the utility in administering its shared solar program to require net crediting functionality for customer utility bills, as described in the bill.
The bill also directs Appalachian Power to (i) release an additional 50 megawatts as part two of the shared solar program on July 1, 2026; (ii) release a further additional 50 megawatts as part three of the shared solar program by January 1, 2028; and (iii) petition the Commission to initiate a shared solar expansion proceeding to determine the capacity for part four of the shared solar program by May 1, 2029. See final enactments for bill effective date. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 809.
Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution. This bill is identical to HB 626.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program; eligibility. Requires any general district court that implements the Eviction Diversion Program to attach information about the Program, including eligibility criteria, to any summons for unlawful detainer. The bill also alters eligibility requirements for a tenant to participate in the Program. This bill is identical to HB 837.
State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 173.
Department of Human Resource Management; State Government Internship Coordinator. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish and employ a State Government Internship Coordinator to attract high quality interns to the service of the Commonwealth with the goal of developing such interns in a manner that supports their ability to compete for positions in agencies of the Commonwealth upon conclusion of their internships and completion of their educational programs. The bill also requires the Department to establish and administer a system to provide professional development opportunities for state agency interns, intern supervisors, and human resources staff. This bill is identical to HB 54.
Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention; Safety and Health Codes Board. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board (the Board) to adopt regulations designed to protect workers from heat illness, as defined in the bill, during indoor and outdoor work. The bill provides that such regulations shall be enforced by the Board's existing authority. The bill directs the Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop and adopt regulations that require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans and to convene an advisory panel to assist in developing such regulations. This bill is identical to HB 1092.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not remedied within a reasonable time frame, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of a tenant or occupant of the premises, a locality may institute an action on behalf of any tenant or occupant of the premises who is injured by such material noncompliance for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the premises where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the premises, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to HB 14.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; civil action for unlawful detainer; termination notice; energy submetering equipment. Provides that no landlord shall file or maintain an action for unlawful detainer against a residential tenant for any alleged lease violation until the landlord has provided the tenant with a proper and effective termination notice and that no notice of termination of tenancy for nonpayment of rent pursuant to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act shall be effective unless such notice contains a written statement of charges and payments over the course of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter, and any late charges, attorney fees, costs, and other charges or damages as contracted for in the rental agreement that are due and owing. The bill requires such notice to also include debits and credits incurred by the tenant for energy and utility bills and any additional charges permitted as applicable. The bill also requires the owner of any residential building to maintain adequate records indicating how monthly energy and utility billing fees are calculated and including a history of billing fee payments for each tenant over the duration of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. Such records shall be made available to the tenant upon request. Finally, the bill removes a provision allowing for the collection of fees when a tenant requests such records. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1361.
New College Institute; name; membership and composition of board of directors. Renames New College Institute as the West Piedmont Higher Education Center (the Center) and makes several revisions to the membership requirements for the board of directors of the Center, including (i) increasing from 15 to 20 members the total membership of the board of directors; (ii) modifying the composition of the board of directors by adding as required members the Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or his designee, the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee, and the presidents of George Mason University, Longwood University, Radford University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia State University or their designees; (iii) reducing from 10 to seven the total number of nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor and requiring five of such nonlegislative citizen members to be representatives of West Piedmont public education and area business and industry, including one division superintendent, one public school teacher, and three business and industry leaders; and (iv) adding the president of Patrick & Henry Community College or his designee to serve as an ex officio nonvoting member. The bill also requires the board of directors of the Center, in collaboration with representatives of GO Virginia Region 3, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Patrick & Henry Community College, local school boards, and major regional employers, to develop a sustainability plan, including a comprehensive strategic plan and customer recruitment and expansion strategy, to provide higher education degree and certification programs in accordance with its mission, to review options to achieve the goals stated in such plan, and to report on such options to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations no later than August 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 430.
Exemptions from garnishment; minimum protected account balance; certain benefit payments; procedure for financial institutions. Requires certain financial institutions to automatically exempt from garnishment (i) a minimum protected account balance, defined in the bill as the combined total of not more than $1,000 in a judgment debtor's account or across multiple accounts in the same financial institution, and (ii) a protected amount of certain benefit payments, defined in the bill, that have been deposited into the account via direct deposit or electronic deposit within the two months immediately preceding the day before a financial institution commences an account review. The bill describes an account review as a process of examining an account of a judgment conducted by a financial institution upon such financial institution's receipt of a garnishment summons to determine if any eligible benefit payments have been deposited within the applicable time period and, if so, to calculate the total sum of such benefit payments and establish the total as a protected amount that shall be automatically exempt from garnishment. The bill provides that such procedure to automatically exempt such funds shall not apply if the debt arises from a child support or spousal support obligation or if an exemption is otherwise prohibited by law.
The bill further provides that a judgment debtor is not required to claim nor request a hearing for such automatic exemptions. Finally, the bill makes updates to the relevant provisions governing garnishment proceedings, notices to the garnishee and judgment debtor, and the form of a garnishment summons consistent with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 601.
Kinship foster care; barrier crime waiver; report. Establishes a process by which a local department of social services may apply for a barrier crime waiver on behalf of an individual who has been convicted of a Virginia barrier crime that (i) is not (a) included on the list of federal barrier crimes; (b) a violent felony offense; or (c) an offense requiring registration under the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act and (ii) does not otherwise fall under a barrier crime exception for foster or adoptive homes for the purpose of approval of the individual's home as a kinship foster home. The bill creates a process by which such a local department of social services may apply to the Department of Social Services for a waiver and for the Department to conduct an assessment of such application. The bill also requires the Department of Social Services to file an annual report by December 1 of each year detailing the specifics of the waiver process to the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill is identical to HB 632.
Department of Health; reduction of opioid overdose and opioid overdose deaths; report. Directs the Department of Health to develop a strategic plan for opioid overdose response to reduce rates of drug overdose and drug overdose deaths in the Commonwealth and to provide a report on the status of such strategic plan and its implementation to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Commission on Health Care by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 794.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that requires the equal treatment under the law of a lawful marriage between two adult persons regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The amendment also repeals the current provision that defines marriage as only a union between one man and one woman. This bill is identical to HB 612.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods; prohibited fees. Requires a landlord subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to accept payment of periodic rent and any security deposit by check and money order. The bill additionally prohibits such a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee to submit periodic rent payments or other amounts due in excess of the actual out-of-pocket expenses charged to the landlord by a third party to process a payment. Finally, the bill prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee for the maintenance or repair of any dwelling unit unless the repair is necessitated by the tenant's violation of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This bill is identical to HB 1005.
Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act to regulate the practices of persons seeking to receive compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 398.
Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors. This bill is identical to HB 965.
Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, generation, and storage. Requires American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to each petition the State Corporation Commission by December 31, 2026, to conduct a pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation, and energy storage resources for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals. The bill directs the Commission to convene a technical conference to evaluate the creation of an energy efficiency program meeting certain requirements by November 1, 2026. Under the bill, if the Commission determines that such a program is feasible for implementation by American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia, the Commission shall require such utilities to petition for approval by May 1, 2027, to implement such programs. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 1062.
Medical cannabis; administration to terminally ill patients; report. Directs the Department of Health to promulgate regulations specifying that hospital staff may store, dispense, and administer cannabis oil when a patient has valid certification and exempts such staff from criminal penalties for possession of cannabis oil. The bill directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to discuss the implementation process for providing cannabis products to patients in medical care facilities and report on its discussion to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 75.
Consumer Data Protection Act; data controller responsibilities; precise geolocation data. Provides that, for purposes of the Consumer Data Protection Act, a controller of personal data shall not sell or offer for sale precise geolocation data concerning a consumer.
Charter; Town of Herndon. Updates the charter for the Town of Herndon in Fairfax County to permit greater flexibility for the town council to contract with the town manager regarding the location of his residence, clarifies the duties of the town manager relative to employees, clarifies that the town council has the authority to appoint two officers: the town manager and town attorney, and establishes that the town manager has the authority to employ any deputies or assistants for the two appointed offices. The bill also removes outdated or duplicative provisions that occur as a result of the changes to the town manager's duties and authority and an obsolete reference to a Town of Herndon school board. This bill is identical to HB 887.
Continuing care providers; quarterly meeting requirements. Amends the quarterly meeting requirements for continuing care facilities to provide that at least two of such meetings per year shall be open to all residents and that certain individuals shall participate in at least two of such meetings per year. The bill also requires, if requested by the resident council or a majority of the independent living residents of a continuing care facility, the provider to include as a participant in the meetings of its board of directors or other governing body a resident representative elected by a majority of such residents, who shall participate in a non-voting, advisory capacity. This bill is identical to HB 476.
Smart Solar Permitting Platform established; residential solar energy systems; work group; report. Creates the Smart Solar Permitting Platform (the Platform) to serve as a tool for (i) contractors to obtain permits for the construction of streamline-eligible residential solar energy systems and (ii) localities to process applications for such permits. The bill requires the Department of Energy to establish, launch, and administer the Platform by July 1, 2027, as an internet-based platform that automates plan review and instantly releases a permit or a permit revision to construct certain residential solar energy systems that comply with any applicable building codes and state laws. The bill requires localities to allow contractors to submit an application to construct a residential solar energy system through the Platform or through an alternative automated solar permitting platform by July 1, 2028. The bill requires any locality that chooses to use an alternative automated solar permitting platform to submit an annual report to the Department no later than March 1 of each year. The bill directs the Director of the Department to convene a work group to determine the appropriateness of adding a surcharge to local government permitting fees to defray state costs for the Platform and to report its findings to the General Assembly on or before November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 590.
Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Restructures the existing governance structure and responsibilities of the Commission on VASAP and expands its oversight authority over local alcohol safety action programs. The provisions of the bill related to a fiscal agent locality have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Commission on VASAP to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to review the sustainability of the structure and funding model for VASAP and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Commission on VASAP and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on VASAP and is identical to HB 862.
Driver's licenses; requirements for initial licensure; persons age 18 to 21. Expands from 60 days to 90 days the length of time an applicant for a first-time noncommercial driver's license who is at least 18 years old and not more than 21 years old is required to hold a learner's permit and requires such an applicant to complete a course of driver instruction prior to being issued a driver's license. The bill provides that learner's permits other than motorcycle learner's permits, accompanied by other documentation verifying that the driver is at least 18 years old and less than 21 years old and has successfully completed an approved driver's education course, constitute a temporary driver's license for the purpose of driving unaccompanied by a licensed driver 18 years old or older, provided that certain other requirements are met. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1224.
Residential property owners; insurance policies; roofing services by contractors; prohibited practices and consumer protection. Prohibits insurers from refusing coverage or canceling, refusing to renew, or increasing the premiums of a policy written to insure an owner-occupied dwelling solely based on the age or condition of the asphalt shingle roof, except in certain circumstances. The bill also contains provisions related to consumer protection in the context of contractors providing roofing services for residential property owners. The bill prohibits certain advertisements and conduct by contractors in such context. The bill includes contract terms that must be included by contractors in such context, and permits a residential property owner to cancel a contract for roofing services in the case of a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor applicable to the geographic area where the property is located. Provisions of the bill related to prohibited conduct and requirements for contractors providing roofing services are subject to the enforcement provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 677.
Power Transformer Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Power Transformer Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2035, in an amount not to exceed $4.6 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $29.4 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of power transformers, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $457,157,000 and create and maintain at least 825 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to HB 799.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $15 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $130 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $2,148,793,019 and create and maintain at least 468 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to HB 800.
Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1151.
Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to HB 256.
Department of Education; College and Career Ready Virginia Program; administration; advisory committee and work group composition. Removes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from the membership of the advisory committee and the work group that the Department of Education and the Community College System are required to establish for administration of the College and Career Ready Program pursuant to applicable law. This bill is identical to HB 1039.
Limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards and permits, and identification privilege cards; expiration. Extends the validity of limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards and permits, and identification privilege cards, other than REAL ID credentials and commercial driver's licenses and permits, to a period of time consistent with the validity of driver's licenses, which, under current law, is a period not to exceed eight years or, for a person age 75 or older, a period not to exceed five years, and permits and special identification cards. The bill aligns requirements for eligibility for limited-duration commercial driver's licenses and permits and REAL ID-compliant limited-duration commercial driver's licenses with federal requirements and clarifies the validity periods for such documents. The bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to implement the extended validity periods for limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards, or permits upon renewal or reissuance. This bill is identical to HB 911.
Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission established; report; emergency. Establishes the Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission as an advisory commission in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of advising the General Assembly on issues of concern, including education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, and the impact of social media use, as such issues relate to boys and men in the Commonwealth. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to HB 1188.
Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission.
The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to HB 895.
Financial institutions and services; virtual currency kiosk operators; license required; penalties. Establishes requirements for the operation of virtual currency kiosks, as defined in the bill, including a requirement that a virtual currency kiosk operator obtain licensure with the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires operators to file annual and quarterly reports, provide certain disclosures, and take reasonable steps to detect and prevent fraud and money laundering. The bill prohibits operators from accepting transactions above specified daily and monthly limits and establishes a maximum transaction charge of 18 percent of the value of such transaction. A person who violates the bill's provisions is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation as well as the existing enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 665.
Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to HB 836.
Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners; substantial risk factors and considerations; court jurisdiction; constructive possession of firearms; penalty. Expands the list of persons eligible to file a petition for an emergency substantial risk order. The bill provides various factors that a judge or magistrate shall consider for the purpose of determining whether to issue an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order. The bill expands court jurisdiction over substantial risk orders from circuit courts to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and general district courts and requires petitions against minors to be filed in juvenile and domestic relations district courts. The bill requires a copy of the order to be served on the parent or guardian of the minor at any address where the minor resides or the local board of social services in the case where the minor is the subject of a dependency or court-approved out-of-home placement. The bill also provides the process for which firearms not owned by the subject of a petition are returned to the lawful owner of such firearms. The bill provides that any emergency substantial risk order or substantial risk order issued remains in full force and effect pending any appeal. Lastly, the bill provides that any person that makes a materially false statement or representation to a court during the petitioning process is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 901.
Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; penalty. Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who, when leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle, fails to securely store such handgun in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle's interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding. The bill provides that such locked container includes a locked glove compartment or a locked center console. The bill contains certain exemptions, including an exemption for a person who reports the theft or loss of such firearm to a law-enforcement agency as provided in relevant law. This bill is identical to HB 110.
Electric utilities; disconnection reports; State Corporation Commission database; annual summary. Requires each investor-owned utility and electric cooperative operating in the Commonwealth to provide a monthly report on residential account disconnections to the State Corporation Commission. The monthly report is required to include specific information outlined in the bill, including the number of residential accounts involuntarily disconnected due to nonpayment, the amount of time in which such accounts were reconnected to service, the amounts of arrearages attributable to such disconnected accounts and other residential accounts, and information related to how many of the disconnected accounts participate in a payment assistance program or have a serious medical condition certification form on file with the electric utility. The bill requires the Commission to publish the information from such monthly reports in a comprehensive and easily accessible online database. The bill also requires the Commission to submit an annual executive summary to the Governor and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation on trends in electric utility disconnections based on the reports submitted by electric utilities, the first of which is due by September 1, 2027. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 828.
Mental health and substance abuse disorders; network adequacy standards; comparative analyses; report; emergency regulations. Directs the Department of Health to issue regulations that include quantitative network adequacy standards for timely access to care, travel time, and geographical distance that are at least as stringent as those imposed for qualified health plans and qualified dental plans. The bill amends the definitions of "mental health services" and "substance abuse services" for the purposes of health insurance coverage.
The bill requires health carriers to submit all comparative analyses prepared pursuant to federal law to the Bureau of Insurance on the date and frequency as specified by the Bureau and includes additional information to include in such submission. Under the bill, the Bureau may impose a penalty not to exceed $100,000 for a noncompliant or insufficient comparative analysis or require a carrier to remove, revise, or remedy noncompliant treatment limitations. The bill also amends the contents of the annual report submitted by the Bureau to the General Assembly to cover enforcement efforts with respect to the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
The bill authorizes the Bureau to promulgate regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and directs the Department of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to evaluate the impact of the proposed changes to the provisions of the bill related to health insurance. The provisions of the bill related to health insurance have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 656.
Parking, stopping, and standing enforcement; bus obstruction monitoring systems. Allows localities to authorize the use of bus obstruction monitoring systems by a public transit agency operating within the locality for the purpose of enforcing local ordinances related to parking, stopping, or standing in bus stop zones or in lanes reserved for transit buses during posted times. This bill is identical to HB 564.
Phase I and Phase II Utilities; electric grid utilization metrics. Requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of grid utilization metrics by October 15, 2026, which petition may be consolidated with the integrated resource plan filing for Dominion Energy in 2026. Under the bill, the petition shall include certain assessments comparing current electric grid system performance with optimal utilization of existing electric grid assets. The bill also requires the Commission to include in an existing annual report its findings on each applicable utility's assessment of relevant grid utilization metrics, which shall include an analysis of the potential for each applicable utility to increase electric grid utilization through the deployment of non-wires alternatives. This bill is identical to HB 434.
Secretary of Administration; work group on automatic voter registration. Directs the Department of Elections to convene a work group for the purpose of studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) in the Commonwealth. The work group shall include representatives of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General, in addition to members of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections, general registrars, and organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy. The work group is tasked with considering the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of back-end, opt-out AVR as compared to Virginia's current front-end, opt-out process and identifying the costs and benefits of moving to such a system. The Secretary of Administration is required to submit a report of the work group's findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 319.
Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program established; report; sunset. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites and requires the Division to establish and publish guidelines and criteria for the awarding of grants and general requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027, and, as introduced, was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 683.
School boards; language access plan for limited English proficient parents. Requires each school board to develop, implement, and post in a publicly accessible location on its website a language access plan consisting of policies and procedures designed to ensure meaningful communication with and informational accessibility for limited English proficient (LEP) parents, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1278.
Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Expands the current process for the issuance of writs of vacatur for victims of human trafficking to include ancillary matters, defined in the bill, and any charge or arrest related to a qualifying offense as defined in current law. The bill also expands the list of qualifying offenses eligible for such writ. This bill is identical to HB 1298.
Unauthorized use of voice or likeness; punitive damages; statute of limitations. Expands the existing ability for any person to maintain a suit in equity, including the accompanying remedies available and statute of limitations, for the unauthorized use of his name, portrait, or picture for advertising purposes or for the purposes of trade to include the unauthorized use of his voice or likeness. This bill is identical to HB 581.
Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount. Provides that, for unemployment compensation claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly benefit amount shall be $48 higher than the current weekly benefit amount, as denoted in the table in the printed bill. This bill is identical to HB 1320.
Electric utilities and licensed suppliers of electricity; regional transmission entity; annual report. Requires each investor-owned utility or licensed supplier that joins or establishes the regional transmission entity (PJM Interconnection, LLC) to submit an annual report to the State Corporation Commission by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include (i) all recorded votes cast by the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, (ii) all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, and (iii) a brief description explaining how each recorded vote is in the public interest. The provisions of the bill do not apply to municipal utilities or certain electric cooperatives. This bill is identical to HB 84.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; renewable portfolio standard requirements. Permits an individual retail customer of electric energy from Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during 2024 or any year thereafter to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill requires a licensed supplier providing electric energy to such a customer to meet the annual renewable portfolio standard program requirements on an aggregate basis for all electric energy sold within the incumbent electric utility's service territory during a compliance year.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility. This bill is identical to HB 921.
Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that is effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. This bill is identical to SB 1.
Preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty. Creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal on publicly supported housing, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes localities to adopt an ordinance that requires an owner to accept a right of first refusal offer by the locality or qualified designee, defined in the bill, in order to preserve affordable housing for at least 15 years. The bill requires that any locality with a population greater than 3,500 adopting such an ordinance to preserve affordable housing submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to existing law.
Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to SB 596.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement; mandatory waiting period. Increases the mandatory waiting period for a landlord to pursue remedies for termination of the rental agreement from five days to 14 days. The waiting period begins after a landlord serves written notice on a tenant notifying the tenant of his nonpayment of rent and of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if rent is not paid. This bill is identical to SB 48.
Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection; deferred payment agreement. Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.
The bill extends the time period for commencing collection activity from 90 days to 180 days after judgment, but provides that no collection activity shall be commenced while a defendant is incarcerated on an active term of imprisonment and subject to a deferred payment agreement.
The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day. This bill is identical to SB 180. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalty. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2026, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalty. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2026, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 160.
Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees. Eliminates the exemption from Virginia's minimum wage requirements for persons employed as farm laborers or farm employees. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to SB 121.
Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; (iv) prevent the installation and use of an auto sear on firearm-related products; and (v) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct.
Budget Bill. Amends and reenacts Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025, which appropriates the public revenues for two years ending, respectively, on June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
Developmental disability waivers; financial eligibility standards; sunset repeal. Repeals the July 1, 2026, sunset on provisions directing the Department of Medical Assistance Services to disregard Social Security Disability Insurance income above the maximum monthly Supplemental Security Income when determining financial eligibility for developmental disability waivers.
Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction; requirements. Requires each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the applicable school board, employed on a full-time basis to complete mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. Current law requires such teachers and personnel to complete mental health awareness training but does not contain any requirements relating to the specific topics such training must address. The bill prohibits any of its provisions or any policy adopted in accordance with its provisions from being construed to permit biased or discriminatory treatment of any youth population deemed to be at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders.
Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants. Requires a settlement agent to notify the purchaser of any residential real property of the purchaser's right to remove a prohibited restrictive covenant that is contained in an instrument affecting the title of the property and disclosed as the result of the title search performed pursuant to the real estate transaction.
Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 323.
Noise abatement monitoring systems; local authority; civil penalties. Authorizes counties and cities in Planning Districts 8, 9, and 15 to place and operate noise abatement monitoring systems, defined in the bill, on any highway located in the locality for the purpose of recording and enforcing exhaust system violations, also defined in the bill. The bill provides that the operator of a vehicle is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $100, but the violation shall not be reported on the driver's operating record or to the driver's insurance agency. The bill provides that a locality may exempt from enforcement by noise abatement monitoring systems vehicles used for agricultural, horticultural, or forestry purposes as demonstrated by vehicle license plates. Under the bill, the civil penalty will be paid to the locality in which the violation occurred to be used for the cost of administering the noise abatement monitoring system program and for transportation safety initiatives. The bill contains the same data privacy and storage requirements as are in current law for photo speed monitoring devices. The bill requires any locality that places and operates such a noise abatement monitoring system to report on its public website by January 15 of each year on the number of traffic violations prosecuted, the number of successful prosecutions, and the total amount of monetary civil penalties collected. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028. This bill incorporates HB 1349.
Life insurance; health insurance; unfair discrimination; pre-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus. Prohibits any person from refusing to insure, refusing to continue to insure, or limiting the amount or extent of life insurance or accident and sickness insurance coverage available to an individual or charge an individual a different rate for the same coverage based solely on the status of such individual as having received pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus.
Charter; Town of Tazewell. Amends the charter for the Town of Tazewell in Tazewell County to remove the strict residency requirement for the town manager. The bill provides that the town manager is encouraged to reside within the town limits and may reside within a reasonable distance outside the town limits upon majority approval of town council. This bill is identical to SB 153.
Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; certification of Southwest Regional Recreation Area rangers. Provides that Southwest Regional Recreation Area rangers appointed by the board of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority may be certified through the successful completion of training at an approved criminal justice academy as necessary and proper to protect and enforce the safe use and enjoyment of the Authority's properties.
Apple Board; repeal. Repeals the Apple Board and Apple Fund effective July 1, 2028, and provides that any funds remaining in the Apple Fund as of July 1, 2028, shall be transferred to the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund. The bill provides that the excise tax levied on apples grown in the Commonwealth shall not be collected for the 2026 harvest season and requires the chair of the Apple Board to file a report with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services no later than June 30, 2028, with a statement of total receipts and disbursements of the Apple Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 390.
Department of Energy; workforce development in offshore wind industry. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 25.
Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; projects; low-income geographic areas and nature-based solutions. Provides that the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall give additional weight to projects located in low-income geographic areas and projects that incorporate nature-based solutions when distributing loans or grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund to particular local governments. The bill allows the Virginia Resources Authority to contract with any person to serve as a program administrator to be approved by the Department to assist in the distribution of loans and grants to local governments. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody; custodians. Allows the custodian of a child to file a petition for relief of the care and custody of such child in a juvenile and domestic relations district court. Current law only authorizes the parent or parents of a child to file such petition for relief of care and custody. The bill also requires the petitioning parent or custodian to cooperate with any services provided by a local department of social services during the initial investigation by such local department of social services after such petition for relief of care and custody has been filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth and is identical to SB 206.
Elections administration; duties of local electoral boards; certification of election; grounds for removal; civil penalty. Provides that the certification of the results of an election is a clear ministerial duty of the local electoral boards and that a member of the local electoral board who neglects or refuses to perform such duty in accordance with law shall be subject to removal proceedings by the State Board of Elections and assessed a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000. The bill also authorizes the State Board of Elections to intervene and carry out the duties related to election certification in the event a local electoral board fails or refuses to do so.
Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information; 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. Moves the deadline for receipt of an absentee ballot, information required to cure an absentee ballot, or proof of identification to accompany a provisional ballot provided for lack of identification from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 58.
Highway rights-of-way; invasive species. Prohibits the Commonwealth Transportation Board (the Board) and Commissioner of Highways from planting or causing or suffering to be planted any invasive plant on the list of invasive plants created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation on the right-of-way of any state highway. Current law prohibits the planting of three listed plants if the governing body of the locality declares such weeds or plants to be injurious and requires the Board to remove such plants. The bill removes such requirement for the Board to remove such plants and requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a review of the processes and resources that are necessary and appropriate to (i) determine the prevalence of invasive plants on the list of invasive plant species created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and develop options for establishing and implementing a plan to remove or control such plants and manage such plants on an ongoing basis.
Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because the person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by the prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that the person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that a transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with the prohibited person. The bill also provides that the prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name, address, and signature of the transferee, federally licensed firearms dealer, or law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide a copy of the form to the transferee. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because the person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from the person if the law-enforcement officer has probable cause. This bill is identical to SB 38.
Vehicle registration fees; disabled veterans. Extends the current exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for disabled veterans or their unremarried surviving spouse to eligible vehicles displaying a standard passenger license plate. Current law applies such exemption to a vehicle displaying disabled veteran special license plates.
Charter; Town of Glen Lyn; repeal. Repeals the charter for the Town of Glen Lyn in Giles County in accordance with the results of a voter referendum and an order of the circuit court for Giles County that annulled the town's charter as of February 1, 2025.
Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit; Office of the Executive Secretary to prepare form. Provides that an affidavit presented by any person having possession of a small asset to the designated successor of a decedent shall be on a form prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Underinsured motorist benefits; actions against released defendant. Provides that any action brought by an injured person to recover underinsured motorist benefits after payment of the liability insurer's available limits is required to be brought against the released defendant by name and that the complaint is required to be served on any insurer providing underinsured motorist benefits but is not required to be served on the released defendant. Additionally, the bill provides that an underinsured motorist is presumed to have failed to reasonably cooperate in the defense of any lawsuit brought against him if he fails or refuses to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice after the underinsured motorist benefits insurer is served with any lawsuit and again prior to his deposition and trial. Under current law, such presumption is based on such underinsured motorist's failure or refusal to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice within 21 days of being served with any lawsuit and again prior to deposition or trial.
Department of Veterans Services; Honor Guard Grant Program established. Requires the Department of Veterans Services to establish the Honor Guard Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to veteran service organizations, defined in the bill, to offset expenses incurred by the organizations and members of the organizations' honor guards in providing honor guard burial details at the funerals of veterans in the Commonwealth, including expenses for training, transportation, food, equipment, and supplies.
Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; noxious weeds; commercial viability; report. Amends the definition of noxious weed to remove the exclusion for living plants or parts thereof that are commercially viable or commercially propagated in Virginia and removes the requirement that the Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee include in its recommendations to the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services an analysis of the current and potential in-state commercial viability of a plant species. The bill requires a plant that is designated by the Board as a noxious weed and commercially propagated in Virginia to be subject to a phase-out period of two years for grasses, forbs, and vines; four years for shrubs; and seven years for trees. The bill directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct a review of the legislative and regulatory authority of the Board pertaining to the control of noxious weeds and report his findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by November 1, 2026.
School board employee grievance procedure; timing of dispute resolution. Requires the grievance procedure for certain school board employees to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees before dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions. Current law requires such procedure to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees regarding dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions, but is silent on the timing of such dispute resolution. This bill is identical to SB 824.
Delinquent children; loss of driving privileges for alcohol, firearm, and drug offenses; truancy. Allows the court discretion in ordering the denial of a child's driving privileges in instances when the child has failed to comply with school attendance and meeting requirements as provided in relevant law. Under current law, the court is required to order the denial of such child's driving privileges. The bill also provides that if the court has ordered the denial of a child's driving privileges, the court shall order such child to surrender his driver's license, which shall be held in the physical custody of the court during any period of license denial. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and is identical to SB 146.
Assault and battery; district court temporary recall judge; penalty. Adds a judge of a district court under temporary recall to the definition of "judge" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor that is enhanced to a Class 6 felony with a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months if such judge is engaged in his public duties at the time of the offense. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and is identical to SB 144.
Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to establish additional standards no later than January 1, 2027, to ensure access to legal counsel for inmates held in any local, regional, or community correctional facility and enumerates the standards that the Board shall include in such additional standards.
Certification of ancillary traffic infractions. Allows the court to certify any ancillary traffic infraction to the clerk of the circuit court upon certification of any felony offense, provided that the attorney for the Commonwealth and the accused consent to such certification. Current law only allows ancillary misdemeanor offenses to be certified. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.
Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.
Virginia Code Commission; subdivision plats work group; report. Extends by one year the work of the work group established by the Virginia Code Commission to review existing provisions of the Code of Virginia related to the submission, review, and approval of subdivision plats and site plans. The work group shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Code Commission.
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; exemptions. Exempts the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority from certain requirements, procurement and technology procedures, fees, and charges and expands certain existing exemptions to which it is already entitled.
Decreasing probation period. Establishes criteria for which a defendant's supervised probation period shall be reduced, including completing educational activities, maintaining employment, completing treatment, or obtaining housing. The bill provides that a court may decrease a defendant's probation period if warranted by the defendant's conduct upon receipt of a request from the Department of Corrections and requires the Department of Corrections to request termination of a defendant's supervised probation period after 12 months in certain situations. This bill is identical to SB 136.
Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; licensure renewal; electronic death registration system; death certificates. Requires the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to amend their applications for licensure and licensure renewal to require doctors of medicine and osteopathic medicine, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants to indicate if they expect their scope of practice to include signing death certificates and, if so, to indicate that they have completed the online tutorial for the Electronic Death Registration System on the Department of Health website. This bill is identical to SB 194.
Notarization, filing, and recordation of certain land records; duties of notary or settlement agent; acknowledgement and satisfactory evidence of identity; requirements for commission or recommission of notary; clerk of circuit court to establish property alert notification system. Removes personal knowledge of identity from the methods by which a notary public, electronic notary public, or other person authorized by law to perform a notarial act may identify an individual for purposes of performing a notarial act such as acknowledgement or affirmation. Under current law, the identity of an individual for such purpose may be established if such individual is personally known to the person performing the notarial act or by a presentation of satisfactory evidence of identity, as defined by law. The bill also adds a requirement that, within the six months immediately preceding the submission of his application, a person applying for commission to be a notary public or electronic notary public, or an existing notary public or electronic notary public applying for recommission, complete a course of instruction developed and approved by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The bill specifies that one hour of such course of instruction shall be on the topic of real estate fraud and financial exploitation of elderly persons and shall include training on current trends on such topics and on recognizing instances of such fraud or financial exploitation. The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to develop the curricula for such courses of instruction by January 1, 2027, and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, for those provisions related to the requirement that applicants for commission and recommission complete and present proof of completion of such courses of instruction. The bill also requires any clerk of a circuit court that has established a network or system of electronic filing of land records to also establish a property alert notification system for owners of real property within the circuit court's jurisdiction. The bill provides that an owner who enrolls his real property into such property alert notification system may do so at no cost and that such system shall send notifications to such owner when documents affecting or purporting to affect the enrolled property are filed with the clerk's office. The provisions related to the establishment of the property alert notification system have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. Finally, the bill requires notaries public to keep a record of all notarial acts occurring on or after July 1, 2026, and to include in such record the form of satisfactory evidence of identification used to verify the identity of the principal and credible witnesses. Similarly, the bill requires settlement agents responsible for recording deeds, deeds of trust, or other documents relating to land records to obtain satisfactory evidence of identity of a seller of real property prior to settlement. This bill is identical to SB 316.
Housing for local employees; grants for homeownership and workforce housing alternatives. Eliminates the maximum amount a locality may provide (i) to employees of the locality, employees of the school board, and employees of constitutional officers for homeownership grants to purchase primary residences in the locality and (ii) to school division personnel for residential housing assistance grants to provide affordable workforce housing alternatives. The bill also eliminates the requirement that such grants adhere to the Virginia Housing and Development Authority regional sales price and household income limitation guidelines. Current law imposes a maximum grant amount of $25,000 for individual grants per employee, as well as a maximum lifetime cumulative amount of $25,000 per employee. This bill is identical to SB 328.
Board for Contractors; examinations; alternative languages. Provides that any exam offered by the Board for Contractors that averaged over 50 administrations per year over the preceding four-year period shall be made available in any language that meets the threshold for having election materials printed in that language pursuant to state election law.
Election of certain governing bodies; conversion to single-member districts. Requires every locality with a population of 400,000 or greater to elect the members of its governing body by individual single-member districts. The bill provides that a governing body's presiding officer may be elected at large. The bill further provides that any such governing body that does not already meet the requirements of the bill shall establish the required districts and shall reapportion the representation in the governing body in accordance with general law. Finally, the bill provides that for any such governing body that, prior to 2026, adopted an ordinance with a map to elect its members by individual single-member districts, such ordinance shall become effective upon the effective date of this act. This bill is identical to SB 51 and contains an emergency clause.
Real estate appraisers; educational requirements for licensure; fair housing and appraisal bias course. Requires, in addition to successfully completing an examination, applicants for licensure as a certified residential real estate appraiser or a certified general real estate appraiser to also successfully complete a fair housing and appraisal bias education course administered or approved by the Real Estate Appraiser Board prior to licensure, the specifics of which are provided in the bill.
Student instruction; internet safety; certain topics. Requires the internet safety component that is integrated into each school division's instructional program as required by its acceptable internet use policy to include instruction on key modern digital safety topics, including online scams, misinformation, and content generated by artificial intelligence.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel. Removes the requirement that military personnel terminating a rental agreement due to identified permissible circumstances shall provide the landlord with a termination date that is no more than 60 days prior to the date of departure necessary to comply with the official orders or any supplemental instructions for interim training or duty prior to the transfer.
State-facilitated IRA savings program. Makes various changes to the state-facilitated IRA savings program administered by the Commonwealth Savers Plan. For purposes of defining an eligible employer, the bill (i) reduces the minimum number of eligible employees an organization must have in its employ from 25 to five for the period ending December 31 of the preceding calendar year prior to the program's open enrollment period for that calendar year and (ii) clarifies that such term does not include employers offering and sponsoring a qualified retirement plan, including 401(k) plans. The bill also removes the requirement that an eligible employee, for purposes of the program, works at least 30 hours a week and adds the requirement that participating individuals enrolling in the program independent of an employment relationship with an eligible employer be at least 18 years of age.
The bill also expands the powers and duties of the governing board of the Commonwealth Savers Plan to include (a) procedures for reenrollment of participating employees and participating individuals; (b) allowing program participants to invest in a lifetime income option; (c) establishing the resources, tools, and incentives to promote greater financial education and literacy; (d) procedures for receiving and crediting federal matching contributions to an IRA or qualified retirement savings account; and (e) exploring and establishing incentives that encourage participation by eligible employers and eligible employees, including initiatives that incentivize compliance or that defray any costs incurred by an eligible employer to facilitate participation.
The bill also requires eligible employers that withhold a program contribution from a participating employee's wages to remit such contribution not later than 10 business days following the date upon which such withholding was made and notes that eligible employers who fail to submit contributions to the program may be in violation of law and incur penalties. This bill is identical to SB 149.
Fee for passing bad checks to localities. Makes clarifying amendments to existing provisions related to the imposition of a fee by a locality for the passing of a bad check and adds a reference to electronic payment orders to such provisions. The bill also provides that no fee shall be imposed as the result of an electronic payment order that is not honored as the result of the nonexistence of any account matching the account information provided by the taxpayer, provided that the taxpayer has not tendered any other electronic payment order that was not honored during the 12 months preceding the tender of the payment order in question.
Orders closing a proceeding; petitions for review. Provides that when a circuit court acts on or issues an order pertaining to the closure of a proceeding, such order is eligible for immediate appellate review with the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill further provides that any person aggrieved by such an order may, within 15 days of the entry of such an order, file a petition for review with the Supreme Court of Virginia. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Charter; City of Virginia Beach. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach to reflect the City's transition to a city council consisting solely of single-member districts and the mayor. This bill is identical to SB 681 and contains an emergency clause.
Parole; exception to limitation on the application of parole statutes. Provides that a person is eligible to be considered for parole if such person (i) was sentenced by a jury after the date of the Supreme Court of Virginia decision in Fishback v. Commonwealth, 260 Va. 104 (2000), in which the Supreme Court held that a jury should be instructed on the fact that parole has been abolished, for a felony committed on or after the abolition of parole going into effect on January 1, 1995; (ii) can prove by the preponderance of the evidence that the jury in his case was not instructed on the fact that parole has been abolished; and (iii) remained incarcerated for the offense on July 1, 2026, and the offense was not one of the following: (a) a Class 1 felony; (b) if the victim was a minor, rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, or aggravated sexual battery or an attempt to commit any such act; or (c) carnal knowledge. The bill also requires the Parole Board to establish procedures for consideration of parole of persons entitled to it and also provides that any person who is eligible for parole as of July 1, 2026, shall be scheduled for a parole interview no later than July 1, 2027, allowing for extension of time for reasonable cause.
Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding. Includes as covered programs that are eligible for funding under the At-Risk Program initiatives to support both the physical and mental health of students in public schools, including the hiring of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses. This bill is a recommendation of the School Health Services Committee and is identical to SB 33.
Local governing body; review of decision by board of zoning appeals; procedures for filing petition. Makes various changes and clarifications to the procedures following the filing of a petition in a circuit court by a party aggrieved by a decision of the board of zoning appeals. Current law provides that a circuit court, upon presentation of the petition, shall allow a writ of certiorari to review such decision and includes certain timing requirements for service upon and response by the board of zoning appeals. The bill clarifies that the petition shall be served upon the secretary or chair of the board of zoning appeals within 30 days after the petition is filed with the clerk of the circuit court and that, within 21 days of being served with the petition, the secretary of the board of zoning appeals shall file the record of the proceedings at issue in the petition. The bill also updates other procedures, such as the time requirements for the filing of responsive pleadings, to be consistent with the various changes and clarifications throughout the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Certain transit entities; funding and administration. Changes the purposes and geographic applicability of the Transit Ridership Incentive Program, removes various other requirements related to the program's administration and use of funds, and specifies a November 1 deadline for the annual report on the program. The bill removes the requirement for the Secretary of Transportation to coordinate with certain other entities for the purpose of revising the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact of 1966 and implementing other reforms necessary to ensure the near-term and long-term viability of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The bill also extends from July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2028, the sunset on provisions delegating to local building officials the enforcement of the Uniform Statewide Building Code for bus shelters to be constructed for transit agencies receiving state funds from the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund.
School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household. Requires each school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in relevant law, present in the household and (ii) the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household. The bill also requires each parental notification to include information on (a) relevant state laws and regulations relating to safe firearm storage and child access to firearms and (b) firearm-related accidents, injuries, and deaths, including current statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or an equivalent nationally recognized entity or organization on youth firearm fatality rates. Finally, the bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to SB 109.
Department of Health; Department of Corrections; peer recovery specialists. Directs the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to develop agency guidelines for hiring peer recovery specialists with previous criminal convictions for compensated employment. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to SB 608.
School meal debt; annual report. Requires each school board to annually report to the Department of Education the amount of school meal debt in the local school division and directs the Department to annually aggregate and submit such reports to the General Assembly, provided that no such report contains any personally identifiable student information. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger.
Health insurance; tobacco surcharge. Eliminates the authority of a health carrier to vary its premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a nonuser. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027.
Health insurance; tobacco surcharge. Eliminates the authority of a health carrier to vary its premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a nonuser. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 630.
Public pools; regulations. Directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations governing swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use, including swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated in conjunction with a tourist facility or health spa.
Public defender; local funding for positions. Allows the governing body of any county or city to fund positions in the office of the public defender.
Proceedings to establish paternity. Adds the methods by which the Department of Social Services administratively establishes paternity for the purposes of child support enforcement to the lists of ways that a parent and child relationship may be established in domestic relations proceedings under Title 20 and that a parent and child relationship may be established for determining rights related to a deed, will, trust, or other instrument. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 514.
County manager plan of government; independent policing auditor. Allows the governing body of any county with the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) to appoint an independent policing auditor. The independent policing auditor shall support any law-enforcement civilian oversight body created by the governing body and shall have all the powers of the law-enforcement civilian oversight body, to the extent such powers are delegated to the independent policing auditor by the oversight body. The independent policing auditor shall serve at the pleasure of the governing body.
Motor vehicles; use of safety belt systems; certain persons exempt. Exempts from the requirements for the use of safety belt systems emergency medical services personnel while in the patient compartment of an emergency medical services vehicle providing necessary care, as defined in the bill, to a patient. The bill provides that, for seats that are subject to such requirements for the use of safety belt systems, such personnel shall use safety belt systems while the vehicle is in motion and such personnel is not providing necessary care to a patient. The bill also changes the existing exemption for law-enforcement agency personnel driving motor vehicles to enforce laws governing motor vehicle parking to an exemption for law-enforcement officers driving motor vehicles to enforce laws governing motor vehicle parking. This bill incorporates HB 233.
Collaborative agreements; practitioners; diagnosis. Removes registered nurses from the list of practitioners whose diagnoses may form the basis of drug therapy conducted pursuant to a collaborative agreement between a practitioner and a pharmacist.
Public utilities; budget plan payment increases. Prohibits a public utility from, for any residential customer who is enrolled in a budget plan, increasing the amount of such customer's monthly payment more than once within any 12-month period or without notifying the customer in writing at least 60 days before such increase takes effect. The bill defines "budget plan" as a fixed billing option offered by a public utility to a customer whereby the total service for the succeeding 12-month period is estimated in advance and bills are rendered monthly on the basis of one-twelfth of the 12-month estimate. The provisions of the bill do not apply to any public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities.
Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 317.
Marcus alert system; external database information removal. Clarifies that an individual's information may continue to appear on a voluntary Marcus alert system external database that cannot be modified by a locality after such individual reaches 18 years of age. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; Park Authorities Act; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2026, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by an authority created pursuant to the Park Authorities Act that he knows or should know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.
The bill also provides that any person convicted of an offense under the laws of any foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or the United States or any political subdivision thereof, similar to any offense set forth in current law shall be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by an authority created pursuant to the Park Authorities Act that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.
A violation of the bill's provisions is punishable as a Class 6 felony.
Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Enters the Commonwealth into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, the purpose of which is to facilitate the mobility of teachers across the member states, with the goal of supporting teachers through a new pathway to licensure. The Compact is presently in effect, as it has reached the enactment threshold of 10 state members.
Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; membership of the Commonwealth. Enters the Commonwealth into the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, the stated purpose of which is to facilitate the interstate practice of school psychology in educational or school settings, and in so doing to improve the availability of school psychological services to the public, and the stated intent of which is to establish a pathway to allow school psychologists to obtain equivalent licenses to provide school psychological services in any member state. The Compact is presently in effect, as it has reached the enactment threshold of seven state members.
Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health. Encourages localities to utilize relevant and available data and research related to social determinants of health to consider how the locality's adopted comprehensive plan will impact the locality's overall public health and access to health care services.
Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeships; children 16 years of age or older. Permits a child 16 years of age or older to serve in an apprenticeship program or other work-based learning experience related to culinary arts or information technology, provided that (i) the child is continuously enrolled in an accredited secondary school, (ii) the child is a registered apprentice, (iii) the child is employed in a work-training program administered under the Board of Education, and (iv) the work being performed is not in violation of federal or state laws. This bill is identical to SB 10.
Zoning; wireless facility modifications; application process. Prohibits a locality from denying an application for the modification of an existing wireless facility if (i) the modification would not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility; (ii) the modification involves the co-location of new transmission equipment, the removal of transmission equipment, or the replacement of transmission equipment; and (iii) the request meets the requirements of the bill. The bill provides that a modification does not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility if it entails the excavation or deployment of transmission equipment within 30 feet, in any direction, of the existing wireless support structure or base station. The bill also provides various requirements for local approval within a specified timeframe, permits any applicant or locality to bring claims related to the bill to any court of competent jurisdiction, and prohibits any party, other than the applicant or locality, from having an actionable appeal for the issuance of permits or authorizations made pursuant to the bill.
Real property tax; classification of land and improvements; Charlottesville and Falls Church. Authorizes the Cities of Charlottesville, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, and Newport News to levy a tax on the improvements to real property at a different rate than the tax imposed upon the land on which it is located. The rate levied on the improvements to real property shall not be zero and shall not exceed the rate of tax on the land on which it is located. This bill incorporates HB 72 and HB 261.
Real property tax; classification of land and improvements; Charlottesville and Falls Church. Authorizes the Cities of Charlottesville, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, and Newport News to levy a tax on the improvements to real property at a different rate than the tax imposed upon the land on which it is located. The rate levied on the improvements to real property shall not be zero and shall not exceed the rate of tax on the land on which it is located. This bill incorporates HB 72 and HB 261.
Electric utilities; high energy demand customers; demand flexibility programs; reports. Directs Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to file a petition with the State Corporation Commission by January 15, 2027, for approval of voluntary demand flexibility programs that apply to high energy demand customers, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to consider all forms of demand flexibility and other specific factors in approving each such program. The bill directs each cooperative that serves one or more high energy demand customers to establish a voluntary demand flexibility program for such customers by January 1, 2029. Under the bill, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power are required to file status reports on their demand flexibility programs with the Commission three years after initial program approval and every three years thereafter. Additionally, in 2028 and annually thereafter, the Commission is required to submit information summarizing the status and performance of such programs as part of an existing report. This bill is identical to SB 371.
Department of Wildlife Resources; fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage. Directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to (i) develop, publish, and maintain a dedicated webpage on its website to educate the recreational fishing community and the general public about the importance of responsible recycling and disposal of fishing tackle, as defined in the bill, and (ii) periodically update such webpage to ensure that educational materials are current, relevant, and effective in promoting responsible fishing practices. The bill directs the Department to update the webpage at least every three years in consultation with relevant state agencies and stakeholders.
Agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee; membership. Allows the commissioner of revenue or the local government's chief property assessment officer to have a representative from his office serve on his behalf on the agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee.
State correctional facilities; visitation policies; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to establish and publicly post on its website and in the lobby of each state correctional facility an objective dress code for individuals visiting a state correctional facility and specifies certain requirements for and limitations on what such dress code may include. The bill prohibits any state correctional facility from enforcing a dress code that is more restrictive than the dress code posted by the Department.
The bill also prohibits any individual from being denied in-person visitation unless such individual is in clear violation of visitation rules or policies. Prior to denying entry to a visitor, the bill requires the reasoning to be (i) reviewed in person by the facility administrative duty officer and (ii) approved by a regional administrator or superior. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually on or before November 1 to the General Assembly and the Governor with information on visitors denied entry to state correctional facilities, including the following information disaggregated by facility and by month: (a) the number of visitors denied entry and (b) the reasoning for such denials, including the specific rules or policies such visitors were alleged to have violated.
The bill requires the Department to convene a work group consisting of relevant stakeholders to consider goals and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations related to facilitating visitation within state correctional facilities and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.
Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods; development, administration, scoring, and release. Makes several clarifying revisions to applicable law relating to the development, administration, and scoring of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods for determining the level of achievement of Standards of Learning objectives by all students, including (i) clarifying that students who are children with disabilities, as that term is defined by applicable law, who participate in alternative methods of Standards of Learning assessment administration or in alternate assessments through the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program are exempt from several requirements set forth in applicable law relating to the administration and grading of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessments and (ii) repealing the provisions requiring the Board of Education to establish a through-year growth assessment system in lieu of a one-time end-of-year assessment. The provisions of the bill limiting the number of end-of-course assessments that may be administered to students in grades seven through 12 and requiring the score received by each student in grades seven through 12 on an end-of-course assessment to account for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in such course are subject to a contingent and delayed effective date. This bill is identical to SB 200.
Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority; quorum. Changes from 10 to eight the number of members required for a quorum of the board of directors for the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority.
Wills and estates; claims to exempt property and allowances; title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser. Directs that any election to take a family allowance, exempt property, or homestead allowance be made one year after the (i) time of admission of a decedent's will to probate or (ii) qualification of an administrator of the decedent's intestate estate, whichever is later. Current law requires such election of exempt property or allowances to be made within one year of the decedent's death. The bill also provides that the title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser acquired without notice of such election shall not be affected by such election unless such election is recorded in the appropriate circuit court clerk's office within one year after the decedent's death.
Administration of estates; claims against decedent or estate. Creates a procedure by which the personal representative of an estate may provide notice to all persons having a claim against a decedent or decedent's estate.
Virginia Stock Corporation Act. Makes various changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, many of which conform the Act to recent changes to the Model Business Corporation Act produced by the Corporate Laws Committee of the American Bar Association's Business Law Section. Among other things, the bill (i) addresses the authority of a board of directors to delegate authority with respect to the issuance of shares to a committee of the board and one or more of the corporation's officers, (ii) removes the requirement for the cessation of shareholder agreements when a corporation becomes a public corporation, (iii) requires a corporation to maintain in its records certain shareholder agreements, (iv) removes the requirement for a corporation to maintain its financial statements for the three most recent fiscal years, and (v) authorizes a corporation to submit a matter to a vote of its shareholders even if, after approving the matter, the board of directors determines it no longer recommends such matter. This bill is identical to SB 479.
Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 769 and is identical to SB 743.
Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products; civil penalty. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product or poultry product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product or poultry product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of a food product that is misbranded pursuant to the provisions of the bill, and makes doing so a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill provides that a person who violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 and allows the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt increased civil penalties not to exceed $500 for first, second, and subsequent violations of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 186.
Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored to firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in current law. The bill provides the option for each fire department to use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel. This bill is identical to SB 140.
Signs and advertisements adjacent to certain highways; signs affixed to real property owned by WMATA. Adds to the list of signs exempt from certain requirements for outdoor advertising in sight of public highways signs containing advertisements or notices that have been authorized by a county or a city and that are securely affixed to real property that is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, provided that such signs comply with any applicable federal requirements.
Signs and advertisements adjacent to certain highways; signs affixed to real property owned by WMATA. Adds to the list of signs exempt from certain requirements for outdoor advertising in sight of public highways signs containing advertisements or notices that have been authorized by a county or a city and that are securely affixed to real property that is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, provided that such signs comply with any applicable federal requirements.
Authority of local governments; service employees. Permits a locality to provide for certain requirements concerning successor service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor service employers retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, service employees are those who perform work in connection with the care or maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparation services at schools. The bill provides that an employer that violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetary damages. This bill is identical to SB 430.
Migrant labor camp permits; expiration. Removes the annual December 31 expiration date for all issued migrant labor camp permits and provides that such permits expire 12 months from the date of issuance.
Migrant labor camp permits; expiration. Removes the annual December 31 expiration date for all issued migrant labor camp permits and provides that such permits expire 12 months from the date of issuance. This bill is identical to SB 319.
Plastic bag tax; distribution to towns. Requires that any town located within a county that has imposed a disposable plastic bag tax receive a distribution of revenues collected by the county based on the local sales tax distribution formula for appropriations to towns. The bill restricts a town's use of such revenues to the same purposes allowable for a county or city.
Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; magistrates; availability of complaint forms in courthouses. Requires that paper copies of any standardized form developed and utilized by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission and any standardized form developed and utilized by the Department of Magistrate Services in the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia for the filing of a complaint be made available to the public in the clerk's office in all state courts of the Commonwealth. The bill also requires that a sign be posted in all such courts, in a location accessible to the public, that notes the availability and location of such forms.
Helmets; local authority. Permits localities to adopt ordinances requiring children 14 years of age or younger to wear protective helmets whenever riding or being carried on a motorized skateboard or scooter or a nonmotorized scooter. Current law authorizes localities to adopt such ordinances for riders of bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, toy vehicles, and electric power-assisted bicycles.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exclusions to application of chapter; public utility account numbers. Excludes account numbers of any person or public body for an account with a public utility, as defined in the bill, from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. However, such information may be disclosed by the custodian in his discretion, except where such disclosure is prohibited by law.
Military and emergency laws; local emergency management plans. Changes from every four years to every five years the frequency with which every local and interjurisdictional agency has to review and update its emergency operations plan.
Exemption from jury service; fire marshals. Adds the State Fire Marshal and any officer appointed as a fire marshal to the list of persons automatically exempt from jury service.
Flashing red and white warning lights; emergency vehicle exemptions; Department of Military Affairs emergency vehicles. Authorizes Department of Military Affairs emergency vehicles to (i) be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating red or red and white combination warning lights and (ii) disregard certain regulations regarding the operation of vehicles without being subject to criminal prosecution while responding to an emergency. This bill is identical to SB 573.
Local authority; affordable housing performance grant programs. Allows any locality that has created an industrial development authority or economic development authority (the Authority) to establish, by ordinance, an affordable housing performance grant program. The bill outlines that such ordinance authorizes the Authority to award affordable housing performance grants to qualifying applicants. Such an ordinance must include: (i) a definition of affordable housing; (ii) grant application guidelines and processes, including an identification of the local officer that is designated to receive applications; (iii) criteria for determining whether the construction or improvement of property qualifies for the awarding of the grant; (iv) provisions that require an applicant seeking the award of a grant to acquire appropriate permits and complete the construction or improvement to develop affordable housing before such a grant will be awarded; (v) provisions that require an applicant seeking the award of a grant to present evidence demonstrating that he has filed and recorded a restrictive covenant to provide affordable housing on the property for a set term, as determined by the ordinance, provided that such term shall be no more than 30 years, on the subject qualifying property before such a grant will be awarded; and (vi) a timeline for the Authority to award grants to qualifying applicants, which may be either upon the completion of the construction or improvement of the property, or on January 1 of the year following the completion of the construction or improvement of the property. The bill also limits the total amount of any such grant to being no more than the amount equal to the increase in assessed value resulting from the construction or improvement of a property. Finally, the bill permits a locality that adopts such ordinance to impose a fee, not to exceed $250, to offset the costs of processing an application.
Benefits consortium; sponsoring association. Provides that the sponsoring association of a benefits consortium that offers health benefit plans to the members of such sponsoring association may operate as a nonprofit entity under § 501(c)(3), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under current law, such a sponsoring association may only operate under § 501(c)(5) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Department of Housing and Community Development; local housing policy; report to Department. Expands the range of local housing policy changes that are required to be submitted annually in a report to the Department of Housing and Community Development by any locality with a population greater than 3,500. This bill is identical to SB 665.
Release of accused on secured or unsecured bond. Removes the conditions requiring that any person arrested for a felony who (i) has previously been convicted of a felony, (ii) is presently on bond for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction, or (iii) is on probation or parole be released only upon a secure bond. Additionally, the bill adds to the factors a judicial officer shall consider in making a bail determination (a) the person's current bond status for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction and (b) whether the person is on probation or parole.
Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated clean energy buyers. Revises the conditions under which accelerated clean energy buyers, defined in existing law as accelerated renewable energy buyers, may contract with Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia to obtain renewable energy certificates (RECs). The bill exempts an accelerated clean energy buyer obtaining capacity, energy, or RECs from qualifying resources or facilities from the assignment of non-bypassable costs associated with compliance with the renewable portfolio standard program based on the amount and type of renewable energy certificates obtained in proportion to such accelerated clean energy buyer's total electric energy consumption. This bill is identical to SB 598.
Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice on the Department of Health's website containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, "If you have a food allergy, please notify us," and its translation, if applicable, on their menus or on a sign posted conspicuously in the restaurant. This bill is identical to SB 248.
State Health Commissioner; training materials for restaurant personnel; celiac disease. Directs the State Health Commissioner to add celiac disease awareness and safety to the topics included in written materials provided for the training of restaurant personnel.
Investigation or autopsy of dead bodies; Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; notification of retention of whole organ. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to inform through written communication a decedent's next of kin, other person authorized by law to make arrangements for the disposition of a decedent's remains, or funeral service establishment or funeral service licensee if an investigation or autopsy requires the retention of any whole organ of a dead body. If the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner provides written notification to the funeral service establishment or funeral service licensee, the bill requires such establishment or licensee to provide such written notification to the decedent's next of kin or other person authorized by law to make arrangements for the disposition of the decedent's remains.
Alcoholic beverage control; operation of government stores; tastings. Allows an authorized employee of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to conduct an organized tasting event at a government store. The bill also clarifies that any products used in connection with distilled spirits as approved by the Board may be sold at government stores. The bill also removes the option to obtain a permit to purchase certain grain spirits or alcohol with a proof greater than 151 from government stores for commercial or culinary use.
Powers of service districts; control of invasive plant species. Allows a service district created within a locality to control the spread of any plant that is identified on the list of invasive plant species established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. This bill is identical to SB 89.
Marine Resources Commission; Habitat Policy Oversight Committee established; powers and duties. Establishes the Habitat Policy Oversight Committee within the Marine Resources Commission to advise the Commission and the Habitat Management Division of the Commission on policies within their jurisdiction and to support the Commission's coastal resilience efforts. The bill establishes the powers and duties of the Committee, establishes how the members of the Committee are appointed, and provides that the Committee shall have 11 voting members and two ex-officio members. This bill incorporates HB 619.
Public institutions of higher education; other educational and cultural institutions; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board. Amends the enumerated powers of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by replacing the authority to adopt regulations to establish classes of membership in the Museum with the authority to adopt regulations and set fees relating to the use and visitation of properties under the control of the board. The bill clarifies that the regulations on museum and grounds use and access set forth in the Virginia Administrative Code shall continue in effect and be deemed to constitute the regulations adopted pursuant to the bill.
Passing a stopped school bus; divided highways, access roads, and certain driveways. Clarifies that the exemption from the requirement for a driver of a motor vehicle to stop for a stopped school bus if such bus is stopped on the other roadway of a divided highway, on an access road, or on a driveway when the other roadway, access road, or driveway is separated from the roadway on which he is driving by a physical barrier or an unpaved area applies regardless of whether the physical barrier or unpaved area is continuous or segmented when necessary to accommodate an intersection or turning vehicles.
School boards; participation in SAT School Day program required; student participation. Requires each school board to (i) participate in the SAT School Day program (the program) or any similar program offered by the College Board whereby high school students are permitted to take the SAT during regular school hours at the high school at which they are enrolled and (ii) offer each high school student in the school division the opportunity to take the SAT pursuant to the program at least once during the student's junior or senior year, in either the fall testing window or the spring testing window at the public high school at which the student is enrolled, provided that (a) no such student shall be required to participate in the program and (b) if the school board offers such opportunity during the fall testing window, the school board shall, to the extent feasible, align the days on which it offers such opportunity with the PSAT testing window and offer high school students in the school division to take either the SAT or the PSAT, as applicable, during regular school hours at the high school on the same school day.
Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation; National Environmental Policy Act. Authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to enter into agreements for a term of five years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as provided for in federal law, regarding state assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions and the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume certain responsibilities of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation pursuant to such agreement. Under the bill, the Commonwealth waives its immunity from civil suit in a federal court under certain circumstances. The bill contains an expiration date of five years after the date on which the first agreement is entered into. This bill is identical to SB 716.
Board of Education; Board of Nursing; High School Certified Nurse Aide Training and Certification Program established; requirements; report. Establishes the High School Certified Nurse Aide Training and Certification Program for the purpose of creating a pathway for qualified high school students, as defined by the bill, to prepare for and obtain certification as a certified nurse aide (CNA) in the Commonwealth by approving and supporting the establishment of approved training programs, as that term is defined by the bill, whereby any qualified high school student may participate in a program of instruction that (i) is designed to prepare such students for certification as a CNA, in accordance with the requirements of the Board of Nursing; (ii) is taught by an individual who is qualified to provide such instruction, consistent with the requirements of the Board of Education and the Board of Nursing; and (iii) supports each participating student in meeting the requirements for and obtaining certification as a CNA. The bill directs the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing, to administer the Program and to establish policies and procedures for the administration of the Program. Finally, the bill requires the Board of Education to submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1 of each year a report on the activities of the Program for the preceding year.
Selective Service; Two-Year College Transfer Grant; Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program. Removes the requirement that individuals register for the Selective Service in order to be eligible for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant, the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program, or any other state direct tuition assistance.
Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within three-year period for water utilities. Prohibits a public utility authorized to furnish water or water and sewer service from filing an application for a rate increase more frequently than once in any three-year period. The bill provides exceptions to such prohibition for the utility to file an application (i) for a decrease in rates; (ii) limited to a rate adjustment clause, rider, or surcharge; (iii) for a temporary emergency increase in rates; or (iv) for an increase upon a finding by the State Corporation Commission that extraordinary circumstances exist. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees; membership. Reduces from 19 to 18 the total membership of the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority by removing the presidents of Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia or their designees and adding the president of Appalachian College of Pharmacy or his designee. The bill also permits the President of Total Action for Progress to designate an individual to serve in his place on such board of trustees.
Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees; membership. Reduces from 19 to 18 the total membership of the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority by removing the presidents of Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia or their designees and adding the president of Appalachian College of Pharmacy or his designee. The bill also permits the President of Total Action for Progress to designate an individual to serve in his place on such board of trustees. This bill is identical to SB 242.
Health insurance; prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from prohibiting an in-network provider, as defined in the bill, from referring any enrollee or specimen to any in-network clinical laboratory or in-network pathology service provider under the terms of such insurance unless such referral would constitute a violation of certain laws. This bill is identical to SB 745.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote monitoring services through pregnancy and postpartum for high-risk pregnant patients; reimbursement. Expands provision for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine to include high-risk pregnant persons through 12 months postpartum. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to assess expanding similar provision of payment for patients with advanced maternal age and submit a report of its findings to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission; extension of expiration date. Extends the expiration date of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to SB 682.
Newborn screening; process for evaluation of disorders for inclusion. Directs the Department of Health to establish a process for considering the addition of disorders to the Commonwealth's newborn screening program that are not included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, which process shall include criteria and a timeline for consideration of disorders and a timeline for initiation of rulemaking.
Insurance; standards of conduct for public adjusters; unauthorized practice of public adjusting. Prohibits any person who does not hold a valid public adjuster license from soliciting, investigating, negotiating, adjusting, or providing advice to a policyholder, in relation to a first party claim arising under an insurance contract that insures the real or personal property of a policyholder, for the purpose of effecting the settlement of a claim on behalf of the policyholder. The bill prohibits any public adjuster from assisting in a claim where the policyholder has improperly assigned the duties, rights, or benefits under the relevant policy to any contractor or vendor. The bill adds requirements for advertisements by public adjusters, and excludes certain materials from being considered advertisements. The bill also includes specific standards of conduct for public adjusters regarding vulnerable adults, as defined in the bill, and contains technical amendments.
Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Provides for numerous revisions to the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Among other revisions, the bill (i) authorizes certain actions to derive from its bylaws in addition to its articles of incorporation, (ii) makes changes to the process of amending articles of incorporation and bylaws, (iii) authorizes inclusion of an exclusive forum provision in the bylaws, (iv) permits transfer of membership interests, (v) authorizes members to bring derivative proceedings, (vi) permits a court to remove a director in certain circumstances, (vii) provides for abandonment of an amendment or restatement of the articles of incorporation, (viii) extends the current provisions related to mergers to include interest exchanges and to provide for parent-subsidiary mergers, (ix) replaces existing provisions on conversion with provisions based on the Virginia Stock Act, and (x) adds provisions governing charitable corporations and charitable assets, including the authority of the Office of the Attorney General with respect to such. The bill includes technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 246.
Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act established. Creates the Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act for the award of a default judgment in actions for the collection of certain consumer debts, defined in the bill as an obligation or alleged obligation of an individual to pay money that arises out of a transaction in which the money, property, insurance, or service that is the subject of the transaction is primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose. The bill provides that a default judgment in such actions shall only be entered if the warrant in debt or civil action to recover a consumer debt includes certain statements and the required notice to the consumer, as described in the bill. Finally, the bill directs the Office of the Executive Secretary to promulgate a form for the consumer notice provisions created by the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Exemptions from garnishment; exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings; disposable earnings. Provides that the exemption provided for a debtor's disposable earnings, defined by current law, that are subject to garnishment also applies to disposable earnings for the purposes of a bankruptcy proceeding.
Practice of radiologic technology; licensure exceptions. Permits a person employed or engaged by a hospital, health system, or urgent care center that is affiliated with a hospital or health care system to practice within the scope of his employment as a radiologic technologist, radiologic assistant, or radiologic technologist, limited without obtaining a license. Under current law, such exception only applies to radiologic technologists who are employees of a hospital. The bill exempts the initial promulgation of regulations pursuant to the bill by the Board of Medicine from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.
State Board of Health regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care. Directs the State Board of Health to establish standards for designation of care in neonatal services consistent with, but not necessarily identical to, standards published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027, and prohibits enforcement of such regulations until July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to SB 291.
Crime victim's right to nondisclosure of certain information; hate crimes. Prohibits a law-enforcement agency from disclosing to the public information that directly or indirectly identifies the victim of a hate crime, defined in relevant law, except to the extent that disclosure is (i) of the site of the crime, (ii) required by law, (iii) necessary for law-enforcement purposes, or (iv) permitted by the court for good cause unless such victim, or his next of kin if he is a minor and his death results from any crime, provides written consent. The bill also prohibits, at the request of the victim, the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia from listing the first or last name of the victim of a hate crime in an appellate decision.
State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain proceedings. Requires the State Corporation Commission to complete proceedings involving an application for a certificate, permit, or approval required for the construction or operation by a public utility of certain transmission lines within nine months following such application, as required by current law for small renewable energy projects. The bill permits the Commission to enlarge such nine-month period for up to 120 days for applications regarding certain transmission lines. This bill is identical to SB 310.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Autism Competencies Checklist; positive behavior support facilitators; training. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend its regulations relating to the Autism Competencies Checklist to allow positive behavior support facilitators to conduct training sessions on such competencies for direct support professionals and direct support professional supervisors who provide support for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Autism Competencies Checklist; positive behavior support facilitators; training. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend its regulations relating to the Autism Competencies Checklist to allow positive behavior support facilitators to conduct training sessions on such competencies for direct support professionals and direct support professional supervisors who provide support for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Real estate with delinquent taxes or liens; appointment of special commissioner; increases required value. Increases from $75,000 to $125,000 the maximum assessment that an individual parcel of land may be valued at to be subject to a locality's appointment of a special commissioner to convey property with delinquent taxes or liens to the locality, to the locality's land bank entity, or to an existing nonprofit entity designated by the locality to carry out the functions of a land bank entity in lieu of sale at public auction. The bill contains technical amendments.
Diploma seal for excellence in fine arts established; industry-recognized workforce credential. Requires the Board of Education to establish criteria for awarding a high school diploma seal for excellence in fine arts, which may include a sequence of coursework, cumulative grade point average in such sequence of coursework, or any other performance-based criteria that the Board deems appropriate. The bill also requires the Board to add such diploma seal to its list of industry-recognized workforce credentials for the purpose of satisfying the career and technical education credential option for high school graduation.
Wage garnishment; state tax debt. Provides that the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek that is subject to garnishment to collect delinquent taxes and charges owed to the state government shall not exceed the lesser of (i) 25 percent of such individual's disposable earnings for that week or (ii) the amount by which such individual's disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal or Virginia minimum wage, whichever is greater. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to recognize Currently Not Collectible status granted by the Internal Revenue Service and to offer taxpayers with such status a similar Virginia status with comparable protections from collection activities. The bill contains technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Health insurance; coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops. Prohibits a health carrier from denying coverage to a covered person of an early refill of prescription eye drops if (i) the prescription eye drops are a covered benefit, (ii) the amount of time that has elapsed from the previous dispensing of such prescription would result in at least 85 percent of such prescription eye drops being used if taken consistently with the prescriber's directions, and (iii) the prescriber has indicated that additional quantities are medically necessary and the refill requested does not exceed such additional quantity. The provisions of the bill are applicable to contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2027.
Virginia Personnel Act; hiring preference in state government; certain former federal employees. Allows for an applicant's status as a former federal employee to be given consideration when applying for employment with the Commonwealth if such applicant was terminated from a position of employment with the federal government on or after January 1, 2025, due to a reduction in the federal budget or initiatives put in place by the federal Department of Government Efficiency, provided that such person meets all of the knowledge, skill, and ability requirements for the available position. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management, on or before January 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly that includes the number of job applications submitted by candidates who self-identified as former federal employees, as well as the number of jobs offered to such candidates. The bill has an expiration date of January 21, 2029.
Motor carrier violations; authority of law-enforcement officers. Authorizes the enforcement of motor carrier violations of license, registration, and tax requirements and vehicle size limitations at locations other than permanent weighing stations and clarifies that law-enforcement officers, in addition to size and weight compliance agents, may enforce such provisions.
Permit requirements for data centers; emission limits for certain engine-generator sets. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing an air permit for any application submitted for a data center on or after July 1, 2026, unless the emission limit for each engine-generator, defined in the bill, established by such permit is equal to or less than the emissions achieved by a Tier 4 equivalent engine-generator.
Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition. Provides a definition of "agrivoltaics" for the purposes of small renewable energy projects. This bill incorporates HB 899 and is identical to SB 340.
Uniform Power of Attorney Act; agent's duty of disclosure. Creates a process by which the principal of a power of attorney may relieve an agent of such power of attorney from the agent's required duties of disclosure for powers of attorney created on or after July 1, 2026.
Uniform Power of Attorney Act; agent's duty of disclosure. Creates a process by which the principal of a power of attorney may relieve an agent of such power of attorney from the agent's required duties of disclosure for powers of attorney created on or after July 1, 2026.
Local and regional suicide fatality review teams; penalty. Permits localities or combinations of localities to establish a local or regional suicide fatality review team. The bill provides exemptions from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for information and records obtained or created regarding a review of a fatality by such team.
Clerk fees; secure remote access to nonconfidential court records by certain attorneys. Provides that no clerk shall charge a fee to an attorney for secure remote access to nonconfidential court records when such attorney is certified by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission in the jurisdiction served by such clerk, provided that such attorney is currently appointed to represent a defendant in such jurisdiction and agrees to continue accepting appointments in such jurisdiction. The bill also provides that if, after receiving secure remote access for nonconfidential court records, such attorney (i) is found to have abused such privilege of such secure remote access; (ii) is removed from the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission's court-appointed attorney list; or (iii) ceases to accept appointments for representation from the granting court, the clerk may terminate the agreement granting such secure remote access. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill is identical to SB 82.
Marine Resources Commission; powers and duties; wetlands; work group; report. Requires the Marine Resources Commission to ensure that, in promulgating minimum standards for protection and conservation of wetlands, no net loss of existing wetland acreage and functions is achieved. The bill requires permits for the use and development of wetlands to contain requirements for compensating impacts on wetlands sufficient to achieve no net loss of existing wetland acreage and functions. The bill also directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to convene a stakeholder work group to address mitigation requirements for tidal nonvegetated wetlands and directs the work group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than July 1, 2027.
Tourism improvement districts; administering nonprofits; county manager plan; transient occupancy tax. Allows tourism entities, defined in the bill, to enter into written agreements for the provision of professional services to an administering nonprofit that is under contract with a locality to administer or implement activities specified in a tourism improvement district plan. Current law does not permit such public-private partnerships in tourism improvement districts. The bill also requires a newly formed administering nonprofit's board of directors to be wholly composed of business owners and an existing administering nonprofit to create a committee of business owners to oversee the activities prescribed in the tourism improvement district plan. Finally, the bill permits any locality with the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) to impose an additional transient occupancy tax of up to one percent. This bill is identical to SB 314.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Eviction Reduction Program; report. Establishes the Eviction Reduction Program within the Department of Housing and Community Development to expand the Department's work to (i) promote housing stability, (ii) identify factors that contribute to eviction filings, and (iii) provide interventions to prevent or divert evictions. The bill requires the Department to report annually to the General Assembly regarding the Program. The bill directs the Department to develop and include in its report criteria and guidelines necessary to administer the Program in consultation with stakeholders, including Eviction Diversion Program grantees as identified by the Department. This bill is identical to SB 628.
Compromise of claim for death by wrongful act; approval without a hearing. Allows the court to approve a proposed compromise of a claim for death by wrongful act if the parties in interest agree to and endorse an approval order relating to such proposed compromise. The bill further requires that the endorsement of any such approval order by a beneficiary shall be notarized unless the endorsement is made by an attorney acting as guardian ad litem for such beneficiary. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator; deaths by suicide of veterans or military service members; State Registrar of Vital Records; Department of Veterans Services annual report. Adds to the duties of the Suicide Prevention Coordinator within the Department of Veterans Services the duty to (i) compile and analyze data relating to the suicides of veterans and military service members pursuant to death certificates filed with the State Registrar of Vital Records, with such data to be included in the Department's annual report, and (ii) collaborate with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to develop programs and resources related to suicide prevention for veterans and military service members. The bill provides that in any case where the death certificate of a veteran or military service member lists suicide as the manner of death, the State Registrar of Vital Records shall provide such information concerning the suicide to the Department.
Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset. Eliminates the expiration date of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which, pursuant to current law, is set to expire on July 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Commission to (i) meet at least four times each year and post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with applicable law; (ii) update annually the statewide needs estimate for construction and modernization of school facilities; (iii) develop and deliver by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap; and (iv) collaborate with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in order to assist the Commission with its work, to update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 498.
Admissions tax in counties; retail sales and use tax dedicated to promotion of tourism. Allows a county in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed to levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event. Under current law, any county may levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event except such counties in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed. This bill is identical to SB 400.
Charter; City of Williamsburg. Amends the charter for the City of Williamsburg to reflect the change of municipal elections from May to November as required by general law. The bill also replaces numerous references to "director of finance" with "chief financial officer" and clarifies language related to the transfer of unencumbered appropriated balances between funds. This bill is identical to SB 179.
Signing of pleadings, motions, and other papers of a party represented by an attorney; attorney information required. Provides that every initial pleading, motion, or other paper of a party filed in any action in a court of record represented by an attorney shall include the attorney's mailing address, Virginia State Bar number, email address, and telephone number on the first pleading filed by that attorney in the action. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
State Registrar of Vital Records; final decree of divorce or annulment of marriage; necessary information. Specifies that the information necessary to enter a final decree of divorce or annulment of marriage shall include a party's social security number or control number issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles only if such information is known and available.
Tangible personal property tax; electric landscaping equipment. Establishes a separate classification of tangible personal property for electric-powered landscaping equipment employed in a trade or business and used to maintain commercial, public, or private gardens, lawns, trees, shrubs, or other plants, including lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws. Such property may be taxed by a locality at a rate not to exceed that applied to the general class of tangible personal property.
Drug Control Act; Schedule I; penalties. Adds certain chemicals to Schedule I of the Drug Control Act. The Board of Pharmacy has added these substances in an expedited regulatory process. A substance added via this process is removed from the schedule after 18 months unless a general law is enacted adding the substance to the schedule.
Driver training school and driver training instructors; standards; discipline; report. Prohibits the licensure of a person as a driver training school instructor for driver education courses for minors if the person has been convicted of certain sex crimes or any offense that requires registration on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The bill removes the five-year limitation on the period the Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to set for a licensee whose license was revoked to reapply and provides that if the revocation was due to a conviction of (i) driving under the influence, (ii) reckless driving, (iii) refusal to submit to alcohol or drug testing, or (iv) vehicular manslaughter, such period shall be no less than 10 years. The bill requires the Department to establish and maintain a public, searchable database of disciplinary action taken by the Department against an instructor or driver training school. The bill requires driver training schools to notify students, prospective students, and guardians thereof of any such disciplinary actions taken in the preceding 24 months or while such student is enrolled. The bill also requires the Department to annually by November 1 submit a report to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation detailing such disciplinary actions. This bill is identical to SB 399.
Electric utilities; virtual power plant program; electric cooperatives. Authorizes electric cooperatives to establish and implement a virtual power plant program. The bill defines a virtual power plant as an aggregation of distributed energy resources, enrolled either directly with an electric cooperative or indirectly through an aggregator, that are operated in coordination to provide one or more grid services. Under the bill, an electric cooperative may offer incentives to residential customers to purchase battery storage devices and is required to evaluate various methods to optimize demand. This bill is identical to SB 487.
Court records; aggregated case data; request by attorney for the Commonwealth exempted. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a request for a report of aggregated case data is made by an attorney for the Commonwealth to assist in the performance of his duties, the clerk or the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, depending on if the request is made to a district court or circuit court, shall approve such request and provide such report of aggregated case data, which shall include the name, date of birth, and last four digits of the social security number of any party. Under current law, such request may be denied to ensure compliance with existing law and such reports are prohibited from including the name, date of birth, or social security number of any party and images of the individual records in the respective case files. The bill also provides that no report of aggregated case data that includes the name, date of birth, and last four digits of the social security number of any party provided to an attorney for the Commonwealth shall be disseminated further unless such information is redacted.
Court records; aggregated case data; request by attorney for the Commonwealth exempted. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a request for a report of aggregated case data is made by an attorney for the Commonwealth to assist in the performance of his duties, the clerk or the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, depending on if the request is made to a district court or circuit court, shall approve such request and provide such report of aggregated case data, which shall include the name, date of birth, and last four digits of the social security number of any party. Under current law, such request may be denied to ensure compliance with existing law and such reports are prohibited from including the name, date of birth, or social security number of any party and images of the individual records in the respective case files. The bill also provides that no report of aggregated case data that includes the name, date of birth, and last four digits of the social security number of any party provided to an attorney for the Commonwealth shall be disseminated further unless such information is redacted.
Motor vehicle dealers; dealer records and advertisements. Provides that motor vehicle dealer records may be preserved in original form or electronically and removes the option to use certain obsolete archival methods. The bill removes the requirement that a dealer receive prior approval to maintain records on a computerized record keeping system. The bill additionally removes the requirement that a dealer maintain on the premises of the licensed location records regarding uninsured motor vehicle fees, which no longer exist under current law. The bill expands the application of certain naming requirements for advertisements to all advertisements placed by any licensee, rather than only to advertisements placed in newspapers and publications.
Uninsured Employer's Fund; administrative expenses. Provides that the costs of administering the Uninsured Employer's Fund, which is administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, are paid out of such fund.
Uninsured Employer's Fund; administrative expenses. Provides that the costs of administering the Uninsured Employer's Fund, which is administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, are paid out of such fund. This bill is identical to SB 520.
Athletic Trainer Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Athletic Trainer Compact. The Compact permits qualified licensed athletic trainers to practice in other states that are also members of the Compact. The Compact has not yet been passed in any state and will take effect when the Compact is enacted by a seventh participating state.
Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. The Compact allows respiratory therapists who have or are eligible for an active, unencumbered license in the Compact member state where they reside to apply for a multistate license. The Compact has been passed in five states and takes effect when it is enacted by a seventh participating state.
Division of Consumer Counsel; duties; artificial intelligence fraud and abuse. Expands the duties of the Division of Consumer Counsel to include establishing mechanisms for receiving and investigating complaints by the Commonwealth's consumers involving emerging technologies, including referring appropriate complaints to the federal, state, and local departments or agencies charged with the enforcement of applicable consumer laws.
Department of Transportation; autonomous truck-mounted attenuators; pilot program authorized. Authorizes the Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program for the implementation and deployment of autonomous truck-mounted attenuators within mobile work zones, defined in the bill. The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2031. This bill is identical to SB 320.
Western Virginia Public Education Consortium; governance; funding; duties. Makes several changes relating to the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium, including (i) clarifying that the establishment and maintenance of the Consortium is subject to the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly, (ii) adjusting the membership of the governing board of the Consortium to accurately reflect changes in House and Senatorial Districts and school division consolidation that occurred after the Consortium's initial establishment, and (iii) removing the requirement for the governing board of the Consortium to develop and maintain linkages with schools and school divisions in Northern Virginia to promote enhanced usage of educational technology.
Western Virginia Public Education Consortium; governance; funding; duties. Makes several changes relating to the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium (the Consortium), including (i) requiring the chair of the board of the Consortium to submit an annual executive summary only in each biennium in which the Consortium receives funding from the General Assembly, (ii) adjusting the membership of the governing board of the Consortium to (a) accurately reflect school division consolidation that occurred after the Consortium's initial establishment and (b) include each member of the House of Delegates who represents a House District that is partially or wholly located in Western Virginia and each member of the Senate of Virginia who represents a Senatorial District that is partially or wholly located in Western Virginia, and (iii) removing the requirement for the governing board of the Consortium to develop and maintain linkages with schools and school divisions in Northern Virginia to promote enhanced usage of educational technology. This bill is identical to SB 692.
Motor vehicle dealers; conduct of business; business hours; filing changes. Changes the entity with which a dealer who changes his business hours must file such change from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board.
Alyssa's Law; public schools; wearable panic alarm systems permitted. Permits any school board to provide any school board employee in a public elementary or secondary school building in the local school division with a wearable panic alarm system, defined in the bill as a security system that is capable of being worn on the body of the user and by which the user manually activates a device that sends (i) a signal to the local 9-1-1 public safety answering point that indicates a school security emergency that requires immediate response and assistance from such public safety answering point and (ii) a multisensory schoolwide school security emergency notification, when appropriate.
Expedited approval for certain affordable housing developments. Allows a locality, by ordinance, to authorize a zoning administrator to use an administrative process to approve rezoning applications for certain affordable housing developments. The bill requires that the affordable housing development comply with the Virginia Fair Housing Law, connect to a public or community water supply or sewage system, and be located within or adjacent to an area identified by the locality that could support increased density development and provide access to services. The bill also requires the locality, prior to the adoption of such ordinance, to advertise its intention to propose such ordinance within a certain period of time in a newspaper having a general circulation in the locality. The bill allows the Department of Housing and Community Development to give a locality priority for any grants or loans administered by the Department if such locality demonstrates to the Department's satisfaction that its ordinance has met the provisions of the bill. Finally, the bill requires certain localities that adopt such ordinance to include in their annual local housing policy report to the Department a summary of the ordinance.
Board of Education; high school graduation; simultaneous completion of International Baccalaureate diploma and advanced studies diploma. Requires the Board of Education to permit any student who (i) during or after grade 10, transferred into a public high school in the Commonwealth and (ii) is simultaneously pursuing an advanced studies diploma and an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma to complete certain courses or sequences of courses required for an IB diploma, as approved by the Board, including substitutes for the Virginia and U.S. history and government courses and for the economics and personal finance credit requirement. The bill also directs the Board to grant a waiver from the training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators required for graduation to any student who (a) pursuant to his individualized education program or Section 504 Plan cannot successfully complete the training or (b) after grade 10, transfers from a school or other education program that does not require or give credit for such training. This bill incorporates HB 132 and is identical to SB 63.
Open captioning at motion picture theaters. Establishes requirements for open captioning for motion picture theaters. The bill requires all motion picture theater companies, excluding outdoor theaters such as drive-in theaters, that own, operate, control, or lease five or more locations in the Commonwealth and are open to the general public to provide open captioning on any film that has at least seven showings per operating week for a period greater than one operating week, provided that open captioning is available to the theater for such film as part of the digital cinema package. The bill specifies that (i) within the first two operating weeks following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least four open captioning viewings; (ii) at least one of such open captioning viewings shall start between (a) 5:59 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Friday, (b) 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, or (c) 5:59 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday; and (iii) beginning in the third operating week following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least one open captioning viewing within 72 hours after receiving a request for such a viewing provided that no theater shall be obligated to provide open captioning viewing for any particular screening for which advance tickets have been sold prior to its receipt of such request. Under the bill, motion picture theater companies are required to provide contact information on their websites for receiving and fulfilling requests for open captioning screenings and advertise the date and time of open captioning screenings in the same manner used to advertise all other motion picture screenings and indicate which screenings shall include open captioning by utilizing the character symbol "OC" or such other language or symbols as may reasonably identify which screenings will include open captioning. The bill directs the Office of Civil Rights of the Attorney General of Virginia to establish a process for receiving consumer reports of suspected violations of the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Disability Commission. This bill is identical to SB 722.
Joint Commission on Health Care; evaluation of workforce in Virginia nursing facilities. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to evaluate the workforce in Virginia's nursing facilities and to develop recommendations on several topics outlined in the bill. The bill requires the Joint Commission to report its findings to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Health and Human Services and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations by December 1, 2026.
Medical care facility data reporting; value of charity care. Removes certain limitations on the meaning of "reviewable service" as it relates to data reporting requirements for medical care facilities and specifies that the value of charity care for such reporting shall be based on gross patient charges.
Medical care facility data reporting; value of charity care. Removes certain limitations on the meaning of "reviewable service" as it relates to data reporting requirements for medical care facilities and specifies that the value of charity care for such reporting shall be based on gross patient charges. The bill directs the State Health Commissioner to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly regarding charity care at medical facilities that are required to satisfy a condition of a certificate of public need.
Dealer's license plates; permitted uses. Authorizes the use of dealer's license plates on vehicles delivering or transporting vehicle parts and accessories and fuel, so long as such delivery or transport of fuel consists of no more than five gallons of such fuel and such fuel is in a container of a type approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill also authorizes a dealer to permit his license plates to be used in the operation of a motor vehicle by a person authorized by the dealer on a vehicle that is being driven to or from an automotive retail or supply store or retail facility selling automotive supplies or parts.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that requires the equal treatment under the law of a lawful marriage between two adult persons regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The amendment also repeals the current provision that defines marriage as only a union between one man and one woman. This bill is identical to SB 311.
Health insurance; reporting requirements. Amends various reporting requirements related to health insurance, including by requiring the State Corporation Commission to maintain and publicly post an inventory of mandated benefits and providers, requiring health carriers to report annually on provider terminations and reinstatements, and consolidating reports related to balance billing and arbitration. The bill repeals reporting requirements related to the Comparable Health Care Service Incentive Program and Virginia Health Savings Account Plan.
Health insurance; reporting requirements. Amends various reporting requirements related to health insurance, including by requiring the State Corporation Commission to maintain and publicly post an inventory of mandated benefits and providers, requiring health carriers to report annually on provider terminations and reinstatements, and consolidating reports related to balance billing and arbitration. The bill repeals reporting requirements related to the Comparable Health Care Service Incentive Program and Virginia Health Savings Account Plan. This bill is identical to SB 626.
Certain sex offenses; sexual extortion; unlawful creation of image of another; penalties. Provides that any person who, with the intent to cause the complaining witness to engage in certain sexual acts, maliciously (i) threatens in writing, including electronically, (a) to disseminate, sell, or publish a videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, or (b) to not delete, remove, or take back a previously disseminated, sold, or published videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, that depicts the complaining witness or such complaining witness's family or household member, as defined in relevant law, as totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast or (ii) threatens eviction, loss of housing, property damage, or any financial loss, but such complaining witness does not thereby engage in such sexual acts is guilty of attempted sexual extortion and shall be punished as prescribed by relevant law.
The bill also adds to the existing offense of unlawfully creating an image of another a prohibition on any person knowingly and intentionally creating any videographic or still image by any means whatsoever of any nonconsenting person if that person is not exposed to show the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in relevant law, when such nonconsenting person is in a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom, or other location. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor unless such nonconsenting person is younger than the age of 18, in which case it is elevated to a Class 6 felony.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exemption for records of minors participating in certain programs run by state bodies. Exempts from the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act the personal contact information of minors who are participating in a program, such as an apprenticeship or unpaid internship or externship, run by a state public body. The bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.
Marine Resources Commission; license tags and identification numbers; marking of commercial fishing boats, nets, and other devices. Provides that license tags or identification numbers for commercial fishing boats, nets, and other devices shall be attached and displayed in a manner prescribed by the Marine Resources Commission and repeals a provision that requires a licensee to apply for a new tag within 24 hours after the discovery of the destruction or loss of the original tag. Currently, the requirements for attaching and displaying license tags or identification numbers are set forth in state law.
Green warning lights; certain farm vehicles. Authorizes the use of green warning lights on vehicles displaying a permanent farm use placard, farm vehicles, farm tractors, and farm utility vehicles while operating on or along a highway.
Distributing nitrous oxide prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of (i) a device that is designed or intended to deliver a gas containing nitrous oxide through direct inhalation, with exceptions defined in the bill; (ii) nitrous oxide that has, or is marketed as having, the taste or smell of any food or beverage that is distinguishable by an ordinary consumer either prior to or during consumption or use of such nitrous oxide to any person not exempted in the bill; and (iii) a container of nitrous oxide that exceeds eight grams, with exceptions defined in the bill. A violation of such prohibitions is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 360.
Removal of certain signs and advertisements within the limits of highways; agreements with local governing bodies in Planning District 23; requirements. Requires any agreement entered into by the Commissioner of Highways with a local governing body of a locality within Planning District 23 with a population between 245,000 and 350,000 and that has a tax increment financing district authorizing the removal of signs and advertisements within the limits of a highway to provide that the locality shall only authorize designated employees of the locality acting in their official capacity and contractors employed by the locality to remove such signs or advertisements and shall not authorize volunteers to act on behalf of such locality for the removal of signs or advertisements.
Excused student absences for visitation of immediate family members in connection with deployment. Allots five excused absences to any student whose immediate family member is active duty military and has received orders for, is on leave from, or has recently returned from deployment outside the United States for the purpose of visitation with such family member, provided that the student provides written documentation verifying such leave or deployment if requested by the local school division.
Zoning; manufactured housing. Amends existing provisions that require localities to permit manufactured homes in areas zoned for agriculture by expanding such requirement to all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed, with certain conditions. The bill provides that localities shall not adopt or enforce any zoning, land-use, or development regulation that treats manufactured homes differently or more restrictively than a single-family site-built dwelling allowed in the same zoning district. The bill also removes the authority of localities without a zoning ordinance to designate the areas within the locality in which manufactured homes may be located. This bill incorporates HB 418 and HB 801 and is identical to SB 346.
Charter; Town of Louisa. Establishes a new charter for the Town of Louisa in Louisa County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The new charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to SB 462.
Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to SB 444.
Jurors; exemptions from jury service upon request; competency to perform jury duty. Provides that no person shall be deemed incompetent to serve on any jury on the basis of disability if the person would otherwise be competent to serve if provided with reasonable accommodation. The bill also provides that any person under a disability that substantially impairs the person's ability to perform jury duty shall be exempt from jury duty upon such person's request.
Department of Health; collection and annual publication of food insecurity information. Directs the Department of Health, as part of its participation in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, to collect information on food insecurity and publish such information on its website.
Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments. Provides that, in the following contexts, information may be submitted by a provider to a health insurance carrier through electronic attachment, as defined in the bill: (i) information related to services rendered as required by the carrier in its provider contract; (ii) information related to any defect or impropriety that prevents the carrier from deeming a health insurance claim a clean claim, as defined in existing law; and (iii) information required to establish medical necessity, benefit coverage, or prior authorization of services, or to conduct reconsideration activities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments. Provides that, in the following contexts, information may be submitted by a provider to a health insurance carrier through electronic attachment, as defined in the bill: (i) information related to services rendered as required by the carrier in its provider contract; (ii) information related to any defect or impropriety that prevents the carrier from deeming a health insurance claim a clean claim, as defined in existing law; and (iii) information required to establish medical necessity, benefit coverage, or prior authorization of services, or to conduct reconsideration activities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 172.
Forensic Science Board; Scientific Advisory Committee; members; service after expiration of term. Provides that a member of the Forensic Science Board and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee appointed by the Governor shall serve after expiration of his term until his successor is appointed. The bill also removes the requirement that meetings of the Scientific Advisory Committee take place in the City of Richmond. The bill contains technical amendments. The bill also contains an emergency clause.
Search warrant; search of place of abode; copy of affidavit to be part of warrant and served therewith; temporary sealing. Provides that if an affidavit that accompanies a search warrant for a place of abode has been sealed pursuant to relevant law, the executing law-enforcement officer does not have to give or leave a copy of such affidavit in a conspicuous place within or affixed to the place to be searched. The bill also adds that the circumstances requiring the issuance of a warrant after 5:00 p.m. shall be documented in the required affidavit that is submitted to a magistrate when seeking such authorization. This bill incorporates HB 1028.
Health insurance; notice of adverse determination. Requires health carriers to send in writing to a covered person the notice of an adverse determination or final adverse determination and the covered person's right to request an external review, as required by current law, within five business days after the adverse determination or final adverse determination has been made. The bill also requires such notice to include certain information related to the person who made the adverse determination or final adverse determination.
Board of Education; Health Standards of Learning; water safety. Requires the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for a program of instruction on water safety to be provided as a part of any health education instruction provided to elementary school students. This bill is identical to SB 151.
Museums and other cultural institutions; Gunston Hall; meetings of the Board of Regents. Requires the Gunston Hall Board of Regents to meet in person at least once annually. The bill clarifies that any additional meeting of the Board held within the same calendar year may be in person or held as an all-virtual public meeting, notwithstanding a certain provision of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to the contrary. The bill requires all such meetings to otherwise comply with FOIA.
Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; invasive plant species installation; written notification to property owners; civil penalty. Provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services may assess a civil penalty in an amount of not more than $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second violation, and $1,000 for each subsequent violation to any tradesperson involved with proposing or installing plants who fails to provide written notification to property owners when such plants are on the Department of Conservation and Recreation's list of invasive plant species. Current law provides that any such tradesperson who fails to provide such written notice is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 383.
Board of Medicine; office-based buprenorphine treatment; counseling. Directs the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to SB 641.
Conveyance of property; Leesylvania State Park. Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convey property to and acquire property from the Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. at Leesylvania State Park. The conveyances will provide a permanent access from Neabsco Road in Prince William County to property owned by the Association that is otherwise inaccessible to allow the Association to complete repairs and restoration to a slope failure due to poor soils on the Association's neighborhood open space property while ensuring that the Department retains property of recreational utility at Leesylvania State Park.
Income tax; innocent spouse tax relief. Authorizes the Department of Taxation to grant relief to a taxpayer liable for payment of all or part of any unpaid tax, assessment, or other deficiency that is owed due to a mistake made by such taxpayer's spouse on a joint tax return, regardless of whether the taxpayer claimed such relief from the federal government.
Nursing homes; change of operator; application to Commissioner of Health for change of operator license; civil penalty. Requires a person taking over the daily operations and management of a nursing home when change of ownership or control occurs to apply to the Commissioner of Health for a change of operator license. The bill establishes the requirements for the application for and for the granting of such license and establishes a civil penalty for failing to provide the Commissioner with information or documentation, effectuating a change of operator without applying for a change of operator license, or providing fraudulent information on an application for a change of operator license. This bill is identical to SB 247.
Credit for time spent in confinement while awaiting trial; extradition or fugitive warrant. Provides that if any person is extradited from another state pursuant to (i) an extradition warrant from the Commonwealth or (ii) a fugitive warrant issued from the state where such person is detained and such person is subsequently sentenced to a term of confinement in a correctional facility in the Commonwealth for an offense from the same act as the violation for which the extradition warrant or fugitive warrant was authorized, such person shall have deducted from any such term all time actually spent in confinement awaiting extradition from such other state, provided that he was solely held on the extradition warrant or fugitive warrant and not on any other offense that he allegedly committed in such other state. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.
State Board of Health; permanent pump and haul of sewage; agritourism. Requires the State Board of Health to amend regulations to exempt in Planning District 23 the pumping and hauling of sewage associated with an agritourism activity from the prohibition on pumping and hauling sewage on a permanent basis unless done under the auspices and supervision of a government entity when the agritourism activity is unable to establish and maintain a connection to an existing sewer or onsite sewage system.
Board of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code; temporary tents used for agritourism purposes. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to review the relevant regulations of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code and consider amending such regulations to allow temporary tents used for agritourism purposes to remain in place for up to 12 months on a single site. This bill is identical to SB 132.
Health insurance; carrier contracts; required provisions regarding prior authorization for prescription drugs. Amends existing required provisions for health carrier contracts related to prior authorizations for prescription drugs. Current law requires that if prior authorization is approved for prescription drugs and such prescription drugs have been scheduled, provided, or delivered to the patient consistent with the authorization, health carriers may not revoke, limit, condition, modify, or restrict that authorization except in certain circumstances. The bill requires this limitation on carriers to apply for the duration of the authorization, which the bill requires to be a minimum of six months for initial authorizations and a minimum of 12 months for continued authorizations. The bill adds circumstances under which a prior authorization may be revoked, limited, conditioned, modified, or restricted by a carrier, including (i) a final action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory agencies, or the manufacturer communicating a patient efficacy issue that would affect the authorization and (ii) when additional safety and efficacy monitoring is clinically appropriate or recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory agencies, or the manufacturer.
Physician assistants; authorization to practice without a practice agreement. Authorizes a physician assistant with at least three years of full-time clinical experience to practice without a practice agreement upon receipt of an attestation from a patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist who provided collaboration and consultation to such physician assistant verifying the length and nature of the physician assistant's practice. The bill establishes methods for a physician assistant who is unable to obtain the required attestation to submit other evidence that the physician assistant meets the requirements to practice without a practice agreement and establishes a method for physician assistants who obtain licensure by endorsement to practice without a practice agreement if they meet the applicable requirements. The bill also establishes a scope of practice for physician assistants who practice without a practice agreement. The bill specifies that the effective date of the foregoing provisions are contingent upon the Board of Medicine adopting regulations to implement the bill's provisions and to establish processes for granting authorization to physician assistants to practice without a practice agreement.
Impaired waters clean-up plan report; consolidation of the agricultural commitments in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan annual report. Consolidates the report on the implementation of the Commonwealth's agricultural commitments in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan into the impaired waters clean-up plan report submitted annually by the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.
Fertilizer and lime permit requirements. Amends the provisions governing the permit requirements for bulk lime materials to add a distributor who holds a valid license to distribute a regulated product, as defined in the bill, to the list of people who can sell bulk liming material. The bill also removes duplicative language relating to (i) when a permit expires, (ii) the cost of obtaining a permit, and (iii) the authority of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to issue written notices and collect fees for failing to obtain a permit.
Amending death certificates; petitions to the court to amend; Electronic Death Registration System; service upon State Registrar of Vital Records. Requires funeral service licensees requesting an order to amend a death certificate through the Electronic Death Registration System to upload the required petition to the Electronic Death Registration System instead of serving such petition upon the State Registrar of Vital Records.
Conveyance of easement. Authorizes the Department of Wildlife Resources to grant and convey an appurtenant and non-exclusive easement and right-of-way at the Highland Wildlife Management Area (the WMA) to A1 Land LLC to allow vehicular ingress and egress along Davis Run Road to access the grantee's property. The bill also authorizes the Department to accept a similar easement from A1 Land LLC to allow vehicular ingress and egress over the LLC's property to access the WMA.
Public utilities; discounted water and sewer fees; Town of Hurt. Adds the Town of Hurt to those localities that may develop criteria for providing discounted water and sewer fees and charges for low-income, elderly, or disabled customers.
Public utilities; water and sewerage companies; discounted rates for low-income customers. Provides that a public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities may propose and the State Corporation Commission may approve rates and tariff provisions that provide discounted service to customers with an annual household income equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill permits the utility to recover the costs of providing such discounted service through its rates for commercial and industrial customers. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to SB 650.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Adult and Dislocated Worker funds; minimum allocation requirement waived. Authorizes the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to waive the 40 percent allocation requirement of certain funding under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 for a local workforce development board that submits a request for a waiver and demonstrates that the board is unable to meet the requirement due to (i) a lack of available training providers in the local workforce development area, (ii) a lack of demand for training services among eligible participants, or (iii) other extraordinary circumstances. The bill requires the Department to develop and publish a process for the application and approval of such waivers.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to SB 449.
Zoning; development agreements in certain localities. Allows any locality within Planning District 23 with a population between 245,000 and 350,000 that has adopted a transfer of development rights ordinance to include provisions in its zoning ordinance that allow the governing body to enter into binding development agreements with owners of real property in the locality, so long as the property to be developed contains at least 1,000 acres or is located within (i) a receiving area of a transfer of development rights program and (ii) a tax increment financing district. Current law allows only New Kent County to include such provisions allowing for development agreements in its zoning ordinance.
Vehicle crash reports; open to inspection by certain persons; towing and recovery operators. Makes certain vehicle crash reports open for inspection and available to towing and recovery operators that responded to a public safety towing request for the removal of a vehicle involved in such crash for purposes of obtaining registered owner information and insurance information for any such vehicle. The bill prohibits the dissemination of any such crash report received by such a towing and recovery operator to any other party.
Charter; City of Lexington. Amends the charter for the City of Lexington by deleting outdated provisions related to a formerly appointed school board and by updating or clarifying several other provisions of the charter.
Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for at least one other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber and ensure that cost-sharing for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal is included on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to SB 257.
Joint Commission on Technology and Science; artificial intelligence; independent verification organizations. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to evaluate the feasibility and impact of developing a framework for any person or entity seeking to act as an independent verification organization that assesses artificial intelligence models' or applications' adherence to standards reflecting best practices for the prevention of personal injury and property damage. The bill directs JCOTS to submit a report with its recommendations and any findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology and the House Committees on Appropriations and Communications, Technology and Innovation by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 384.
Vacant building registration; registered agents. Permits any locality to require, by ordinance, the owner, or his registered agent, of any building that has been continuously vacant for at least three years to register such building with the locality annually. The bill also allows the registered agent of an owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to file the registration forms required to be filed by the owner under current law. Finally, the bill provides that the registration forms shall include a requirement to provide the name and contact information for an owner required to register, or his registered agent.
Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property; petition for entry. Allows an owner of real property who seeks to repair or maintain the exterior of his property to petition the circuit court for a right of entry to an adjoining property for the purpose of performing the repairs or maintenance when the property is so situated that it is impossible to perform the repairs or maintenance without entering such adjoining property and permission to enter such adjoining property has been denied. The bill requires the petition and affidavits to contain specific information including the nature of the repairs and what efforts were made by the owner to obtain permission. The bill also provides that the petitioner shall be required to return the adjoining property to its previous condition and shall be liable to the adjoining owner or his lessee for actual damages occurring as a result of the entry. This bill is identical to SB 77.
Industrial development authorities; housing. Allows industrial development authorities to exercise their powers with respect to facilities used primarily for single or multi-family residences in order to promote safe and affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Under current law, such powers may be exercised only in a locality where a housing authority has not been activated. The bill also grants industrial development authorities the power to issue bonds associated with the construction of affordable housing.
Special license plates; SAVING LIVES TOGETHER. Authorizes the issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supporters of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) bearing the legend SAVING LIVES TOGETHER.
Regulation of traffic; bicycles and certain other devices; bicycle signals. Requires a person operating a bicycle or other device lawfully permitted in a bicycle lane or on a shared-use path in or approaching an intersection with a bicycle signal to obey such bicycle signal. The bill also sets requirements for signals that are displayed by bicycle signals and requirements for situations in which traffic lights, including bicycle signals, are out of service. The bill provides that a violation constitutes a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of no more than $350.
Health insurance; application of cost-sharing prohibitions. Provides that provisions of state law that prohibit a health insurance carrier from imposing a cost-sharing requirement on an enrollee for receiving a health care service (i) apply only when such enrollee receives such health care service from a participating provider under the health benefit plan and (ii) do not apply if the application of such prohibition would disqualify a high-deductible health benefit plan from eligibility for a health savings account under federal law.
Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; administration of nursing scholarships. Grants the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority the authority to administer scholarships related to nursing and to promulgate regulations exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act as may be necessary to carry out the administration of nursing scholarship and loan programs. Under current law, the Board of Health is the administrative authority for such scholarships and the Commissioner of Health serves as the fiscal agent for the Board in the administration of some scholarship funds. The bill directs the Authority to establish an annual reporting schedule requiring submission of health workforce data, requires the Authority to establish and provide oversight and strategic guidance to the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center, and grants the Authority the authority to evaluate health workforce programs administered or supported by the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center to establish an advisory board to provide it with strategic oversight and guidance. This bill is identical to SB 405.
State/Local Hospitalization Program; repeal. Eliminates the State/Local Hospitalization Program. Under current law, with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly, the State/Local Hospitalization Program is established to assist indigent persons with certain inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses. This bill is identical to SB 736.
Pedestrians; walking on roadways that are part of divided highways. Permits pedestrians, when walking on a roadway that is part of a highway divided by a physical barrier or barriers or an unpaved area, and when there are no shoulders of the highway present, to keep to the extreme right side or edge of the roadway, regardless of the direction of traffic they face. Under current law, pedestrians, when permitted to walk on a roadway, are required to keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof. The bill also clarifies current law, which requires pedestrians walking on a roadway to face oncoming traffic.
Academic year Governor's Schools; school meals. Requires the Virginia Department of Education Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs to provide technical assistance to the regional governing board of each academic year Governor's School to assist such schools in identifying costs, funding sources, and infrastructure requirements to maximize school meal offerings to all students enrolled in such schools.
Elections; candidates and elected officials; address confidentiality. Prohibits the custodian of any filing made by a candidate from releasing the address, phone number, or email address of such candidate in response to a request made under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill permits a candidate to provide the unique identifier assigned to him in the voter registration system pursuant to relevant law in place of his residence address on any candidate filing. The State Board of Elections is prohibited from requiring candidates to disclose their address or unique identifier on petitions prior to their being filed. The bill also adds elected officials to the list of people who may furnish, in addition to their residence street address, a post office box address located within the Commonwealth to be included in lieu of their street address on the lists of registered voters. The certificate of election delivered to the winner of an election is required to be accompanied by a notice that the person meets the qualifications for being granted protected voter status along with instructions for updating their voter registration in order to attain such status. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 632.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program; eligibility. Requires any general district court that implements the Eviction Diversion Program to attach information about the Program, including eligibility criteria, to any summons for unlawful detainer. The bill also alters eligibility requirements for a tenant to participate in the Program. This bill is identical to SB 273.
Restaurants; certain facilities or programs; exemptions. Exempts certain facilities that provide custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home from regulations applicable to restaurants. This bill is identical to SB 677.
Unlawful detainer; bifurcation of case; contested rent and damages. Provides that, at an initial hearing on an unlawful detainer, if the defendant contests the amount of rent and damages alleged to be due and owing to the plaintiff, the court shall not bifurcate the unlawful detainer case. Under current law, at the initial hearing, upon request of the plaintiff, the court is required to bifurcate the unlawful detainer case and set a continuance date no later than 120 days from the date of the initial hearing to determine final rent and damages.
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Allows the Virginia Land Conservation Board of Trustees to waive the requirement for a holder of a conservation easement to have such easement jointly held with a public body whenever such holder acquires any interest in land other than a fee simple interest from a grant or transfer from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, provided that such holder is accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission or meets a similar set of standards and practices adopted by the Board of Trustees and the easement contains a third party right of enforcement, as defined in relevant law, in favor of the Department of Conservation and Recreation or another public body.
Public school employees; suspension; notice and opportunity for a hearing. Provides that no school board employee shall be suspended without notice and, if applicable, an opportunity to be heard and amends current law to require any individual who has been so suspended, regardless of the length of the suspension, to continue to receive his then applicable salary unless and until the school board, after a hearing, determines otherwise. Under current law, such requirement only applies to any individual who has been suspended for a period in excess of five days.
State Board of Local and Regional Jails; standards and regulations for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated persons in local and regional correctional facilities; report. Directs the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to set minimum standards and regulations regarding lactation policies for incarcerated persons and their infants by December 1, 2028. In developing such regulations and standards, the Board is directed to consider best practices related to lactation and how to incorporate such practices into the regulations and standards set by the Board.
Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. 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. In addition to optional increases in density, the bill provides that such program may include certain additional implementation measures including lot size reductions and accessory housing unit allowances. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and is identical to SB 74.
Board of Accountancy; licensing requirements; inactive and emeritus status. Directs the Board of Accountancy to establish "Inactive" and "Emeritus" CPA license statuses for licensees who no longer provide services to the public or services to or on behalf of an employer. The bill requires the Board to develop guidelines to provide active and inactive licensees additional clarity governing the manner in which such licensees should reference autobiographical and biographical information with respect to their CPA licensure to remain historically accurate and compliant with the law and relevant regulations. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill incorporates HB 228 and is identical to SB 605.
Policy of the Commonwealth; siting of certain new electric transmission facilities; Department of Transportation work group; report. Provides that in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, it is the policy of the Commonwealth that existing linear infrastructure corridors shall be prioritized over new corridors. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to convene a work group to identify opportunities and develop recommendations to amend regulations and permitting processes to facilitate the expedient and efficient siting of new electrical transmission infrastructure in existing state highway rights-of-way. This bill is identical to SB 497.
Charlie's Law to Protect All Students; private elementary and secondary schools; student codes of conduct, policies, and procedures relating to bullying and cyberbullying prevention. Requires each principal, headmaster, or other chief administrator of each private elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth to include in such school's codes of student conduct policies and procedures (i) for addressing and handling instances of bullying and cyberbullying and (ii) that include a prohibition against bullying and a requirement to notify the parent of any student involved in a confirmed incident of bullying within 24 hours of confirming the incident of bullying. This bill incorporates HB 53 and is identical to SB 341.
Persons other than ministers who may perform rites of marriage; clerk; issuance of order; bond requirement. Provides that a clerk of a circuit court may issue an order authorizing one or more persons to celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth. Under current law, only a circuit court judge may issue such an order. The bill further makes discretionary the entrance into a bond in the penalty of $500 prior to performing the rites of marriage for a person authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage; under current law, such entry is mandatory. Finally, the bill civilly immunizes the clerk of any circuit court from a cause of action arising from the issuance or rescinding of such order, absent gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Towing advisory boards; membership. Changes the membership of a towing advisory board appointed by a local governing body to an equal number of representatives of local law-enforcement agencies, representatives of licensed towing and recovery operators, and members of the general public, specifies that such membership requirements apply to voting members, and provides that vacancies of members of the general public shall not prevent the advisory board from meeting or taking any authorized action. Under current law, the membership of such towing advisory boards consists of an equal number of representatives of local law-enforcement agencies and representatives of licensed towing and recovery operators and one member of the general public. The bill removes the requirement for the chairmanship of a towing advisory board to rotate between certain representatives and the one year term limit for such chairmanship.
Local taxation; extension for federal government shutdown. Allows a local governing body to provide an extension on personal property taxes owed by federal employees who are furloughed due to a federal government shutdown and essential federal employees who continue to work during such shutdown but do not receive immediate payment for such work as a result of such shutdown. The bill states that any such extension granted shall end and the taxes shall be due no later than 90 days following the reopening of the federal government.
Concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Adds a handgun shooting class or course that teaches (i) efficient, effective, and responsible use of a concealed handgun for self-defense outside of the home; (ii) state laws pertaining to handguns; and (iii) proper handgun storage techniques to those programs that satisfy the demonstration of competence requirement for the issuance of a Virginia resident or nonresident concealed handgun permit. The bill removes the requirement that such a training course must be conducted by the National Rifle Association or the United States Concealed Carry Association. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction; state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to consistently and effectively implement a state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools based on school accountability standards established by the Board of Education within the standards of accreditation. The bill requires the Superintendent to ensure that the Department of Education is appropriately organized and employs qualified staff to effectively provide this support to such low-performing schools. The bill requires the Board to ensure that the Superintendent and the Department administer an effective school improvement program to support such low-performing schools. The bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction; state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to consistently and effectively implement a state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools based on school accountability standards established by the Board of Education within the standards of accreditation. The bill requires the Superintendent to ensure that the Department of Education is appropriately organized and employs qualified staff to effectively provide this support to such low-performing schools. The bill requires the Board to ensure that the Superintendent and the Department administer an effective school improvement program to support such low-performing schools. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction; state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to consistently and effectively implement a state program to support the improvement of low-performing schools based on school accountability standards established by the Board of Education within the standards of accreditation. The bill requires the Superintendent to ensure that the Department of Education is appropriately organized and employs qualified staff to effectively provide this support to such low-performing schools. The bill requires the Board to ensure that the Superintendent and the Department administer an effective school improvement program to support such low-performing schools. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to SB 283.
Charter; City of Suffolk. Corrects an error in the existing charter of the City of Suffolk to clarify that the city council shall consist of eight members to reflect the addition of the directly elected mayor to the city council. The bill also removes obsolete language to clarify the appointment process and responsibilities of the city clerk. Finally, the bill updates language to reflect the city manager's direct responsibility for the department directors, consistent with the City of Suffolk's established management and reporting structure. This bill is identical to SB 303.
Use of unmanned aircraft systems by public bodies; search warrant required; exceptions. Adds the Department of Environmental Quality to the list of exceptions to the warrant requirement for the use of an unmanned aircraft system by public bodies for the implementation and civil enforcement of the Virginia Water Resources and Wetlands Protection Program, the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act, and erosion and sediment control in localities without a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program against a permittee.
Student bullying and cyberbullying; resources. Requires the Department of Education to direct each school board to encourage each public elementary and secondary school in the local division to promote or utilize the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to address student bullying and cyberbullying, as such terms are defined in relevant law.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that would provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to SB 6.
Dental assistants; additional treatments; certification. Permits any dental assistant I or dental assistant II with a minimum of 1,800 hours of clinical experience to obtain certification pursuant to the requirements of the bill to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing. This bill is identical to SB 178.
College student-athletes; biometric data; protections and limitations. Prohibits any private institution of higher education, associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, or baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from disclosing to any individual or entity outside of the institution any enrolled student-athlete's biometric data, as defined in the bill, without the prior written consent of the student-athlete. The bill also prohibits any individual or entity from making the possession, use, or ownership of or the rights to any student-athlete's biometric data a condition of any contract with the student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness without the prior written consent of the student-athlete in a writing that is separate and apart from such contract.
Health records; disclosure of laboratory test results; waiting period. Requires health care entities to wait 72 hours before disclosing test results that could indicate malignancy or genetic markers as part of a patient's health records unless the disclosure of such test results is requested by the patient, is not possible due to the health care entity's electronic health records system, or such early disclosure is in the patient's best interest. The bill permits health care entities to disclose health records to an electronic health information exchange to comply with the federal 21st Century Cures Act.
Witness impeachment evidence designation; review process. Provides a review process when the attorney for the Commonwealth designates a law-enforcement officer as a witness with a witness impeachment evidence designation within certain time frames specified in the bill. The bill defines "witness impeachment evidence designation" as a determination that is made by or a designation that is created by the attorney for the Commonwealth relating to a law-enforcement officer who has engaged in conduct that meets the requirements for disclosure in a criminal prosecution according to the Constitution of the United States for any criminal prosecution in which the officer is a participant. The bill prohibits a law-enforcement officer from being discharged, disciplined, or threatened with discharge or discipline solely due to the designation of such officer as a witness with a witness impeachment evidence designation.
Menstrual supplies ingredient labeling; restriction of substances; civil penalty. Requires that each package or box containing menstrual supplies, as defined in the bill, contain a label of all ingredients that are included within such products when sold within the Commonwealth. Such label shall be displayed by the manufacturer in a manner that is visible and easy to understand for the consumer. The bill requires any manufacturer to make changes to the label reflecting any changes of ingredients within 18 months of any such changes. The bill also requires the manufacturer to post the required label information on its website. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Electric, natural gas, and water or wastewater utilities; disconnection procedures for nonpayment. Requires certain utilities, for the purposes of required notices related to disconnections for nonpayment, to provide such notices in an additional language for customers residing in a locality that is required to provide voting or election materials in such additional language. The bill prohibits certain utilities from disconnecting a residential customer without making reasonable efforts to offer bill payment assistance, arrange a payment plan, or provide information to the customer for other bill payment assistance or energy savings programs. The bill directs the Department of Elections to post on its website a list of the localities designated as a covered locality for the purposes of providing voting or election materials in an additional minority language by September 1, 2026, and to update such list as necessary.
Incapacitated persons; finding of lack of capacity to understand act of voting. Provides that a finding that a person is incapacitated in a proceeding for guardianship or conservatorship shall not be synonymous with a finding that such person lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting and therefore is not qualified to vote in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Virginia. The bill provides that no person shall be deemed disqualified to vote due to a lack of capacity for the purposes of the Constitution of Virginia unless a court makes a specific finding by clear and convincing evidence that such person lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to SB 34.
Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual. Adds to the accrual provisions for personal injury actions resulting from sexual abuse during the infancy or incapacity of a person that accrual occurs when corroborative evidence, as defined in the bill, is discovered or by the exercise of due diligence reasonably should have been discovered.
Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction. Permits the Board of Dentistry to grant a license to practice dental hygiene to persons who are eligible to practice dentistry in a country or jurisdiction outside of the United States and who are graduates of a dental school or college, or the dental department of an institution of higher education, located outside of the United States that the Board determines is acceptable. This bill is identical to SB 282.
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the boards of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (v) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (vi) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to SB 431.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license. Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue an annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license to persons operating food concessions at any performing arts facility located in the City of Richmond, provided that the performing arts facility (i) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement, the original term of which was more than five years; (ii) has a capacity in excess of 400 patrons; (iii) has either been rehabilitated in accordance with historic preservation standards or has been in continuous operation for a period of at least 10 years at the same location and is located in the TOD-1 transit-oriented nodal district; and (iv) has monthly gross receipts from the sale of food cooked, or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises that meet or exceed the monthly minimum established by Board regulations for mixed beverage restaurants. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2027.
Department of Veterans Services; Virginia War Memorial division. Clarifies that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall provide supervision of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation and any other nonprofit corporation established as an instrumentality to provide fundraising for the Memorial and assist in the details of administering the affairs of the Memorial as delineated by memoranda of understanding. This bill is identical to SB 112.
Charter; Town of Chatham. Amends the charter for the Town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County by updating or removing outdated provisions. This bill is identical to SB 127.
Public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; threat assessment teams; training on emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders. Requires threat assessment teams for public elementary and secondary schools and for public institutions of higher education to receive specific education and training, within existing annual training, on the use of emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders, as set forth in relevant law.
State Corporation Commission; pipeline leak detection and repair standards. Directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the use of pipeline leak detection technologies for intrastate natural gas distribution facilities operated by certain utilities, as informed by a federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety. The provisions of the bill and any such regulations shall expire upon the effective date of any final rule under the federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety.
Collection and reporting of data related to adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment; Virginia Longitudinal Data System. Allows the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to contribute the statewide and locality-level data it collects on adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by incarceration to the Virginia Longitudinal Data System administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill states that any data provided that contains any personal or case identifying information shall be kept confidential and shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This bill is identical to SB 480.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia goods; school nutrition programs; sunset extension. Provides that, in the case of procurement of goods by manufacturers, if the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a resident of Virginia and the bid is for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia and intended for school nutrition programs, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, and is within 20 percent of such bid, such bidder for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia shall be granted the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The bill amends provisions of law providing preference for Virginia goods in procurement that are set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill extends the sunset date of these provisions to July 1, 2028.
Driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; education for law-enforcement officers and emergency medical services providers; educational materials for driver training schools. Requires law-enforcement officers and emergency medical service providers, as a condition of such providers' certification and recertification, to undergo education on the driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to display information about the driver communication improvement program on its website and distribute educational materials to all driver training schools licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.
Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing medetomidine; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture medetomidine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell medetomidine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense medetomidine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer medetomidine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.
Public institutions of higher education; museums and other cultural institutions; Virginia Commission for the Arts; revisions. Revises the requirements relating to the composition, administration, and duties of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, including by (i) modifying and consolidating the duties of the Commission; (ii) requiring the Governor to appoint an executive director of the Commission, as opposed to permitting the Governor to appoint a director as provided under current law; and (iii) providing that moneys in the Virginia Commission for the Arts Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of supporting initiatives relating to the duties of the Commission, as set forth in applicable law, and that expenditures and disbursements from the Fund are to be made upon written request signed by persons authorized by the executive director of the Commission. Current law requires expenditures and disbursements from the Fund to be made upon request signed by persons authorized by the Commission.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; universal license recognition. Reduces from three years to one year the number of years an individual is required to have held a professional or occupational license or government certification in another state in order to apply to the regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and be issued an occupational license or government certification under the universal license recognition program.
Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order; Department of Medical Assistance Services. Removes the requirement of a clerk of court in a guardianship proceeding to forward a copy of an order appointing a guardian and a copy of the certificate of qualification to the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill further removes such a forwarding requirement when a guardianship is terminated or otherwise modified. This bill is identical to SB 216.
Water and sewer connection fees; first-time homebuyers; affordable housing. Provides that any locality may provide for the full or partial reimbursement to a first-time homebuyer of water and sewer connection fees, capital recovery charges, and availability fees paid in connection with any new residential development conveyed to such homebuyer. The bill also permits any locality that has adopted an affordable dwelling unit ordinance pursuant to general law to provide for a waiver of such fees and charges for any development subject to the requirements of such ordinance.
Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; continuing education; bias reduction training. Directs the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to require certain licensees to complete continuing learning activities on bias reduction in health care as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure and authorizes the Board of Nursing to require certain continuing learning activities or courses in a specific subject area. Under current law, the Board of Medicine has such authority. This bill is identical to SB 22.
Impersonating any local, town, city, or county elected official; penalty. Prohibits any person from willfully and intentionally (i) falsely assuming or exercising the functions, powers, duties, and privileges incident to the office of any local, town, city, or county elected official; (ii) falsely assuming or pretending to be any such elected official with intent to defraud or obtain access, information, service, or thing of value; or (iii) impersonating any such elected official with the intent to make another believe he is such elected official with intent to defraud or obtain access, information, service, or thing of value. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Community Builders Pilot Program; name change; sunset repeal; statewide demonstration model site. Makes permanent and renames the Community Builders Pilot Program established within Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools as the Community Builders Program (the Program). The Community Builders Pilot Program is currently set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill also requires, with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, Roanoke City Public Schools to serve as the statewide demonstration model site for the Program for the purpose of hosting interested representatives of other school divisions to observe the Program and receive training and materials from Roanoke City Public Schools in order to facilitate the replication of the Program in such other school divisions. This bill is identical to SB 820.
Financial institutions; check cashers; expiration of registration. Provides that for check cashers registered with the State Corporation Commission, such registration shall automatically expire if a registrant fails to pay the annual registration fee by July 1 of each year. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; quorum requirements for certain regulatory boards. Lowers the quorum requirements for the (i) Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects of two engineers, two architects, and two land surveyors to at least one engineer, one architect, and one land surveyor and (ii) Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists of two professional soil scientists, two professional wetland delineators, and two professional geologists to at least one professional soil scientist, one professional wetland delineator, and one professional geologist.
Authorized septic system inspectors; scope of services and requirements. Provides that system components are not considered readily accessible if access requires removal of surface material exceeding 30 inches in depth to uncover septic tank access lids, distribution devices, or other inspection ports. The bill specifies that an authorized septic system inspector shall submit a written report to the client within 10 business days from the start of the inspection, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties, which shall also indicate whether the system is operating as intended. The bill removes the requirement that authorized septic system inspectors report the advertised bedroom count or design capacity as listed in the multiple listing service or written statement by the property owner. This bill is identical to SB 401.
Department of Taxation; free tax filing program for individuals. Directs the Tax Commissioner to develop and offer a free individual state income tax filing program, effective beginning in taxable year 2028, that is similar to the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Direct File Program as it existed during the 2025 tax filing season. The bill contains technical amendments that remove obsolete language regarding fillable forms. This bill is identical to SB 591.
Department of Emergency Management; state of preparedness; report. Directs the Department of Emergency Management to assess the feasibility and impact of developing a program to prioritize the prevention and mitigation of damage, loss, hardship, or suffering due to the anticipated impacts of an imminent emergency necessitating a gubernatorial declaration of a state of preparedness or an emergency that does not warrant a gubernatorial declaration of a state of emergency. The Department of Emergency Management shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2026.
Utility consumer services cooperatives; substation construction agreements. Permits an electric cooperative to enter into an agreement to construct a substation with a member receiving regulated electric service, with an electric demand of at least 20 megawatts during the most recent calendar year, that requires a point of interconnection with a transmission line system of 230 kilovolts or more. The bill provides that, upon final completion of a substation constructed under such an agreement, the member shall transfer ownership of such substation to the cooperative for the cooperative to operate and maintain at the member's sole expense. Under the bill, the costs of acquisition, operation, or maintenance of such a substation shall be excluded from the cooperative's general and base rates and shall not be recovered from any other ratepayer. This bill is identical to SB 377.
Public education; early childhood care and education; child care access calculations; report. Requires the Department of Education to establish and maintain calculations for the provision of early childhood care and education services based on cost of quality rate per child, actual data from the prior year, an estimate of parental demand and choice preferences based on historic growth trends and current eligibility criteria, and an estimate of the number of slots to be added to support local or regional economic development efforts and public-private partnerships focused on increasing the supply of child care services, giving priority to localities or regions identified as child care deserts, as determined by the Department. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the use and appropriation of funds as applicable to such calculations, including (i) providing that the calculations shall not obligate the General Assembly to a specific appropriation, (ii) requiring the calculations to be used to provide information to guide the General Assembly in making decisions about the proportion of parental demand for and supply of early childhood care and education services to be addressed and level of appropriation required to address such demand, and (iii) providing that the annual overall funding available for slots shall be subject to appropriation as determined by the General Assembly. The bill also provides that if waitlists for slots at early childhood care and education sites remain, up to $5 million from prior-year unexpended state general funds appropriated for such purpose in a general appropriation act may be carried forward to the current fiscal year to temporarily provide additional slots during the current fiscal year solely to reduce or eliminate waitlists, unless the general appropriation act authorizes a greater amount to be carried forward and that such prior-year funds shall not be used to increase the base amount of funding required in the subsequent fiscal year and the Department shall monitor program utilization and attrition to ensure that no families will lose access at the end of the current fiscal year. Finally, the bill requires the Department to annually submit to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education and post on its website a report on the data used to calculate the minimum funding and number of slots for the calculations in accordance with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 134.
Employment of children; summer camps. Permits children 14 years of age or older to be employed by a summer camp operated by a religious, service, or scouting organization and provides that such children may participate in all activities related to providing services to campers, provided that the summer camp is accredited and follows safety guidelines published by a recognized youth services organization.
Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants; model policy. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause by an authorized judicial official, as defined in the bill, and permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime or to respond to a public safety call for service when such crime scene or call for service is located on public property, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location during the initial response to an incident, or to provide real-time aerial observation to increase on-scene safety and security. Such provisions are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, to establish a model policy for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 647.
Public institutions of higher education; financial aid review and consolidation; Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and Fund; Virginia Commonwealth Award established; work group; report. Amends several provisions relating to higher education financial aid programs for the purpose of establishing the Virginia Commonwealth Award in the Code of Virginia and consolidating the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and Fund with the Virginia Commonwealth Award. Currently, the Virginia Commonwealth Award is established and administered only in the Virginia Administrative Code. In consolidating and establishing such financial aid programs as the Virginia Commonwealth Award, the bill codifies several definitions and provisions relating to award eligibility and renewal for undergraduate students and graduate students. The bill also repeals a provision of law establishing the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Fund. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to promulgate emergency regulations for the administration of financial aid in accordance with the provisions of the bill by April 1, 2027. The bill also directs the Secretary of Education to (i) establish a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of higher education financial aid systems and processes in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on strategies for maximizing the efficacy and impact of state financial aid appropriations on accessibility and affordability of and student outcomes in higher education in the Commonwealth and (ii) submit to the chairs of the applicable committees of the General Assembly by July 1, 2027, a report on the work group's findings and recommendations. Finally, the bill provides for the gradual phase-out of the award of grants under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program by (a) prohibiting any first-time students from being offered a grant under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program beginning with first-time students enrolled in the fall semester of 2027 and (b) permitting any public institution of higher education to provide for the annual renewal of grant awards under such program for no more than three subsequent award years, or up to a total of four award years, to any student who receives a grant during the 2026–2027 school year and continues to meet the requirements for grant renewal set forth in applicable law. This bill is identical to SB 167.
Transportation electrification; integrated resource planning; fast-charging stations; cost recovery by electric utilities. Permits Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to file a proposed tariff with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to provide utility owned and operated electrical distribution infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging stations. The bill requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to file transportation electrification plans with the Commission by February 1, 2028, and every three years thereafter, and includes requirements for information to include in such plans. Under the bill, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company are required to seek recovery of necessary and appropriate expenditures for transportation electrification only through their rates for generation and distribution services.
The bill prohibits Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company from petitioning for approval of expenditures to own and operate electric vehicle fast-charging stations unless such stations are located at or beyond a radial distance as determined by the Commission relative to the location of any privately owned fast charging station. The bill also directs the Commission to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to determine the appropriate radial distance for such utility-owned fast-charging stations from privately-owned fast charging stations, to enter its final rule in such proceeding no later than December 31, 2027, and to review such final rule by December 31, 2029. Provisions of the bill restricting the radial distance of utility owned and operated fast-charging stations expire on July 1, 2031.
This bill is identical to SB 407.
Department of Motor Vehicles data; certain institutions of higher education; fees. Authorizes the release of certain privileged Department of Motor Vehicles data to those institutions of higher education that have entered into an agreement with the Department to offer special license plates bearing the seal, symbol, emblem, or logotype of that institution of higher education. The bill authorizes the Department to charge a one-time fee of $10,000 from each participating institution to cover the cost of implementing the provisions of this bill. The bill limits the use of such data to surveys, marketing, and solicitations related to such institution of higher education and such purposes as are otherwise authorized in writing by the subject of the information and requires the consent of the subject of the information prior to disclosure of the information. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 445.
Private activity bonds; allocation of state ceiling. Increases the housing allocation of the Virginia state ceiling on private activity bonds from 57 to 67 percent by (i) increasing the allocation to the Virginia Housing Development Authority from the current 43 percent to 50 percent and (ii) increasing the allocation to local housing authorities from the current 14 percent to 17 percent. The bill also maintains the current 18 percent for the Governor's state allocation portion and reduces the industrial development bonds for manufacturing and exempt facilities portion of the ceiling from 25 to 15 percent. This bill is identical to SB 729.
Commonwealth Aviation Fund; allocations. Changes (i) the allocation amounts from the Commonwealth Aviation Fund, (ii) the entity to which certain funds from such Fund are allocated from air carrier airports to commercial service airport sponsors, and (iii) the classification of airports from air carrier airport and reliever airport to commercial service airport and regional business airport, respectively.
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund; additional fee for certain offenses. Provides that the clerk shall assess a fee of $500 for conviction of certain offenses outlined in the bill. The bill requires such fees to be credited to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund and designated for funding support services for eligible victims. This bill is identical to SB 329.
Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards; owner unknown. Permits the owner of adjacent land or an incorporated nonprofit entity to petition the circuit court for an exclusive license to maintain a graveyard that has been abandoned, is unused and neglected by the owner, and the owner of such graveyard is unknown, or cannot with reasonable diligence be found. The bill requires the petitioner to (i) demonstrate a good faith effort to identify and contact an owner of record of the graveyard and (ii) publish in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality in which the graveyard is located, once a week for two consecutive weeks, notice that a petition for a maintenance license has been filed. The bill allows a court to grant a petitioner an exclusive license for the maintenance of an abandoned graveyard not to exceed five years. Such petitioner may, by petition of the court, renew such license indefinitely. After the court grants a petitioner a license to maintain the property, the owner of such graveyard may petition the circuit court of the county or city in which the graveyard is located to terminate the license.
Standards of Quality; state accountability; Standards of Learning assessment expedited retake scores. Directs the Board of Education, in its calculation of the passage rate for a Standards of Learning assessment or the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives for an individual student growth assessment for the purposes of state accountability ratings, to include, for any student who retakes an assessment on an expedited basis and receives a passing score, the passing score received on the expedited retake and to exclude the score such student received on the assessment taken during the regular assessment administration period.
Professions and occupations; barbers and cosmetologists; Esthetics Licensure Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Esthetics Licensure Compact. The Compact permits eligible licensed estheticians to practice in Compact member states, provided that they meet certain requirements. The Compact takes effect when enacted by a seventh member state.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Makes several amendments for the purposes of regulatory boards within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to include (i) removing the exemption for a person engaged in the practice of engineering, architecture, or land surveying as a full-time, salaried employee of the Commonwealth on March 8, 1992, from certain licensure requirements provided the employee does not furnish advisory service for compensation to the public in connection with engineering, architecture, or land surveying; (ii) providing that any state agency or political subdivision that is unable to employ a qualified licensed engineer, architect, or land surveyor to fill a responsible charge position, after a reasonable and unsuccessful search, may fill the position with an unlicensed person upon the determination by the chief administrative officer of the agency or political subdivision that the person, by virtue of education, experience, and expertise, can perform the work required of the position; (iii) directing the Board for Hearing Aid Specialists and Opticians to promulgate regulations for the issuance of training permits and work permits; and (iv) repealing provisions of the Code allowing for the waiver of examinations for wax technicians and estheticians. The bill contains technical amendments.
State Corporation Commission; electric utilities; fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices. Directs the State Corporation Commission, in certain cost recovery proceedings and other annual filings as determined by the Commission, to examine the efficacy and sufficiency of fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices by Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power. Under the bill, the Commission is required to include legislative recommendations related to effectively regulating fuel and purchased power cost risk in an existing report. This bill is identical to SB 505.
Department of Environmental Quality; Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo; cumulative impacts. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo for public comment. The bill requires the updated memo to consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of the types of permits covered in the guidance memo and outreach strategies to engage communities impacted by any such permit. The bill requires the public comment period process to include two public town halls held no later than July 31, 2026, and requires the Department to respond to the public comments by October 31, 2026. The Department is required to issue the final guidance memo by December 31, 2026.
State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board; membership; regional emergency medical services councils. Reduces the composition of the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board from 28 members to 24 members to account for four fewer representatives from regional emergency medical services councils.
Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists. Adds geology to the definition of "professional services" as used in the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The bill also eliminates the option for the Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists to waive the examination requirement for licensure as a professional geologist for an applicant who has at least 12 years of geological work. The bill also requires the Board to promulgate regulations governing continuing education requirements for geologists licensed by the Board that require the completion of eight hours annually in continuing education for any license renewal or reinstatement. This bill is identical to SB 492.
Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists; exemptions. Exempts the practice of geology by any officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the United States of America when practicing solely as such from the licensing requirements for professional geologists.
Temporary detention; certified evaluators; sunset extended. Extends from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027, the sunset date on the current provisions of law authorizing hospitals with a psychiatric emergency department located in the City of Hampton to employ certain trained individuals to perform evaluations to determine whether a person meets the criteria for temporary detention for behavioral health treatment. The current law also requires participating hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments in the City of Hampton to submit monthly and annual reports on temporary detentions and crisis evaluations. This bill is identical to SB 735.
Purchase of handguns or other weapons of certain officers; Department of State Police. Provides that the Department of State Police may allow the immediate survivor of any law-enforcement officer formerly employed by the Department who had at least 10 years of service with the Department and who died while receiving long-term disability payments to purchase his service handgun, with the approval of the Superintendent of State Police, at a price of $1. This bill is identical to SB 86.
Public elementary and secondary schools; student diabetes medical care and management. Establishes several provisions relating to student diabetes medical care and management in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including requiring divisionwide plans for the care of students who are diagnosed with diabetes in each school division, effective beginning with the 2028–2029 school year. This bill incorporates HB 624 and is identical to SB 122.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to SB 580.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; definitions; "professional services." Adds to the definition of "professional services," for use throughout the Virginia Public Procurement Act, services of a licensed investment advisor, financial advisor, or insurance broker procured by the Department of the Treasury.
Consumer finance companies; additional charges. Provides that, for the purposes of the prohibition on additional charges by consumer finance companies, exceptions to such prohibition include (i) charges for guaranteed asset protection waivers for the protection and benefit of the borrower in connection with any loan and (ii) charges for guaranteed asset protection insurance for the protection and benefit of the borrower in connection with any loan.
Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited; certain exception for certain employees of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. Excludes from the prohibition against any officer or employee of any governmental agency of state government having a personal interest in a contract with the governmental agency of which he is an officer or employee, other than his own contract of employment, the personal interest of an employee of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in a contract between the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and a publisher or wholesaler of textbooks or other educational materials for students that accrues to him solely because he has authored or otherwise created such textbooks or materials. This bill is identical to SB 816.
Workers' compensation. Provides that, for the purposes of workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter, an incident or exposure without any accompanying physical injury occurring in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2027, is a qualifying event, as defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Removal of clutter; cutting of grass; agricultural use exemption; Planning District 19. Exempts localities located in Planning District 19 from provisions that exclude agricultural land from requirements relating to the removal of clutter and cutting of grass when such land is one acre or less and located in an area that is used for a residential purpose. This bill is identical to SB 742.
Hospitals; psychiatric emergency departments. Allows hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments located in the City of Hampton to operate without a physician on duty when certain conditions are met, including having written agreements in place with emergency medical service providers and being immediately adjacent to a non-psychiatric emergency department. The bill requires such psychiatric emergency departments to submit treatment data to the General Assembly on an annual basis by November 1. This bill is identical to SB 738.
Child dependency cases; court procedures; fictive kin; definition. Updates the definition of fictive kin to specify that such person is required to have an established relationship with a child or his family prior to the child's initial entry into foster care to meet the definition of fictive kin.
Child dependency cases; court procedures; fictive kin; definition. Updates the definition of fictive kin to specify that such person is required to have an established relationship with a child or his family prior to the child's initial entry into foster care to meet the definition of fictive kin.
Hours of work for paid firefighters. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall encourage employers to implement work schedules that do not require any paid firefighter's normally scheduled shifts to exceed 42 hours per workweek.
Militia state active duty; cyber-related support. Adds cyber-related support to the list of instances in which the Governor may call forth the militia or any part thereof to state active duty.
Special license plates; Virginia REALTORS. Converts the existing non-revenue sharing special license plate for members of the Virginia Realtors to a revenue sharing special license plate with the revenue benefiting the Virginia REALTORS Disaster Relief Fund. The bill provides that such existing plates will remain valid until their expiration. This bill is identical to SB 204.
Charter; City of Fairfax; financial powers; elections; compensation for members of boards or commissions. Amends the charter for the City of Fairfax by replacing a cap on the transient occupancy tax with a reference to general law. The bill also amends the charter to align it with current law requiring municipal elections to be held at the November general election. Finally, the bill removes the limit of $50 per meeting for compensation of members of boards and commissions and provides that such compensation is in such amounts as established by the City Council. This bill is identical to SB 581.
Special license plates; Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee. Repeals authorization for the issuance of Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee special license plates and provides that such special license plates already in circulation will remain valid until their expiration and shall not be renewed.
Board of Pharmacy; regulation of psilocybin. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to reschedule psilocybin consistent with federal scheduling upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of a formulation of psilocybin designed to be administered by a health care professional in a health care setting. This bill is identical to SB 379.
Department of Environmental Quality; special orders; Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program; civil penalties. Increases the maximum civil penalty amount that the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality may assess for any special order to a person to comply with certain related laws, regulations, permits, and certifications from $10,000 to $32,500. The bill increases from $1,000 to $32,500 the maximum civil penalty that a locality authorized to administer a Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program is able to collect for any one violation of certain regulations, orders, ordinances, program provisions, conditions of land-disturbance approvals, and provisions of state law. The bill also provides, however, that for a land-disturbing activity that (i) disturbs an area measuring at least 10,000 square feet but less than one acre in an area not designated as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area and (ii) is not part of a larger common plan of development or sale that disturbs one or more acres of land, the civil penalty shall not exceed $5,000 for each violation, and a series of violations arising from the same set of facts shall not exceed $50,000.
Driver education; dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds. Requires the driver education program established by the Board of Education to emphasize the dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds, among other topics. The bill requires the Department of Education, no later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year, to review and update the Curriculum and Administrative Guide for Driver Education in Virginia and any other instructional resources for the Driver Education Standards of Learning to place greater emphasis on the dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds, in the behind-the-wheel training component, the classroom training component, and the parent/student component by including updated interviews with individuals who have lost family members due to speeding by teen drivers and encouraging partnerships with local police departments or sheriff's offices to provide students with real world examples of the dangers of driving at excessive speeds.
Real property tax; special assessment for land use; notice requirements; civil penalty. Establishes notice requirements for the sale of real estate that is valued, assessed, and taxed by a locality under a special assessment on the basis of use. The bill directs the Department of Taxation to create a written notice that may be provided to the purchaser of real estate in a land use program. The notice must include disclosures regarding the special classification of the real estate and liability for roll-back taxes if a change in use occurs. The bill also requires settlement agents to provide this written notice to purchasers of real estate in a land use program and to obtain the purchaser's written acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The willful failure of a settlement agent to provide the notice and obtain the written acknowledgement will subject the settlement agent to a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding $250. The bill directs the Real Estate Board to include in the residential property disclosure statement on its website a statement that the owner makes no representations or warranties with respect to whether the property is located in a locality that has adopted a land-use plan that may provide use value assessment and taxation for certain real estate and that advises purchasers to exercise due diligence to determine whether the property may be subject to roll-back taxes and interest for taxation on the basis of a use assessment and the liability for additional taxes and penalties that may attach if a change in use occurs. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 649.
Investor-owned electric utilities; fuel factor proceedings; requirements. Requires that in any fuel factor proceeding conducted with the State Corporation Commission under current law, each investor-owned electric utility shall provide specific information regarding coal-fueled or oil-fueled electric generating units and requires the Commission to make determinations about reasonableness and prudence for the purposes of cost recovery based on such specific information.
Family abuse protective orders; other relief. Provides that in cases of family abuse where the court orders a permanent protective order, the court may require a respondent to pay or to contribute to the payment of rent or mortgage on a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession pursuant to such protective order and may further require that a respondent maintain suitable alternative housing and utility services to a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession.
Family abuse protective orders; other relief. Provides that in cases of family abuse where the court orders a permanent protective order, the court may require a respondent to pay or to contribute to the payment of rent or mortgage on a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession pursuant to such protective order and may further require that a respondent maintain suitable alternative housing and utility services to a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession.
Domicile and residential requirements for annulment, affirmance, or divorce; members of the Armed Forces of the United States and civilian employees of the United States; return from station. Provides that, for the purposes of domicile requirements for annulment, affirmance, or divorce, any member of the Armed Forces of the United States or any civilian employee of the United States, including any foreign service officer, who (i) at the time the suit is filed, or immediately preceding such suit, has returned to the Commonwealth following being stationed in any territory or foreign country and (ii) resided or lived in in the Commonwealth for the six-month period immediately preceding his being stationed in such territory or country shall be deemed to have been domiciled in and to have been a bona fide resident of the Commonwealth during the six months preceding the filing of a suit for annulment or divorce.
Constitutional amendment; April 21, 2026 special election; voter referendum; appropriations.
Board of Education; automatic revocation of teaching licenses upon certain convictions. Requires the Board of Education to automatically revoke the teaching license of a license holder upon receiving a record of the license holder's conviction of a felony and order to register under the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act. The bill provides that any such revocation applies to any active teaching license and to any inactive teaching license if such license was active at the time that the offense occurred. The bill provides that no such license holder whose teaching license has been so revoked is entitled to a hearing but that the license may be reinstated by the Board if the license holder's conviction is overturned on appeal and the Board is satisfied that reinstatement is in the best interest of the public schools of the Commonwealth.
Prohibiting loitering; curfew for minors; age restrictions on trick-or-treating. Prohibits localities from imposing age restrictions on trick-or-treating that exceed current loitering and curfew provisions. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Appointment of youth representative to local governing body. Allows a local governing body to appoint a youth representative to serve as a nonvoting member of the governing body.
Foreign divorce decrees; exercise of power by courts of the Commonwealth; non-domiciled party. Provides that a court of the Commonwealth with proper jurisdiction may exercise certain powers relating to a foreign decree dissolving a marriage or granting a divorce from the bond of matrimony if a proceeding is initiated by a non-domiciled party to such divorce, provided that the party domiciled in the Commonwealth is still domiciled in the Commonwealth at the commencement of an action.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; expedited review process for Medicaid service authorization requests; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to (i) implement expedited review of Medicaid service authorization requests consistent with applicable federal law and (ii) annually transmit the prior authorization report required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health.
Zoning; nonconforming uses; manufactured homes. Provides that a land owner or home owner may place a manufactured home that meets the current HUD manufactured housing code upon any open lot in a valid nonconforming mobile or manufactured home park regardless of whether a valid nonconforming manufactured home is currently located on such lot. The bill also provides that, for the purposes of determining whether a use has been continuous, an existing mobile or manufactured home shall be considered a valid nonconforming mobile or manufactured home regardless of whether such mobile or manufactured home has been occupied during the preceding two-year period.
TNC partners; requirements and background screening. Changes the requirements for background screening of a transportation network company (TNC) partner to specify that background checks are not to be limited to a specific period of time, except as required by law, and shall include all addresses at which such TNC partner has resided since the age of 18. The bill also changes the entity by which persons conducting background checks for TNC partners are required to be accredited to the Professional Background Screening Association.
Claims; Messiah Aladar Johnson; compensation for wrongful incarceration. Grants relief in an amount to be appropriated to Messiah Aladar Johnson, who was wrongly convicted of and subsequently incarcerated for five counts of robbery, 12 counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, six counts of abduction, attempted robbery, and shooting into an occupied building in 1998.
Charter; City of Norfolk. Amends the charter for the City of Norfolk to require, on any property where there is a substantial negative impact on public health, safety, and welfare, conformity with the city's zoning ordinance within a reasonable time, to be specified by ordinance, but never less than two years. This bill is identical to SB 806.
Punitive damages; hit and run drivers. Provides that in any action for personal injury or death arising from conduct that constitutes a felony hit and run, punitive damages may be awarded to the plaintiff.
Public schools; student instruction; addictive potential of time spent using certain electronic devices. Requires instruction concerning time spent using electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, and other smart devices and the addictive potential thereof to be provided by the public schools as prescribed by the Board of Education. This bill is identical to SB 568.
Hospitals; reports of threats or acts of violence against health care providers; expansion of reporting requirements. Expands the reporting requirements for incidents of workplace violence in hospitals with an emergency department by requiring additional descriptors of incidents, requiring hospitals to report collected data to additional parties, and directing the Department of Health to publish a report containing an annual summary of such data. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027, and directs the Department of Health to publish its first report by December 31, 2027.
Hospitals; reports of threats or acts of violence against health care providers; expansion of reporting requirements. Expands the reporting requirements for incidents of workplace violence in hospitals with an emergency department by requiring additional descriptors of incidents, requiring hospitals to report collected data to additional parties, and directing the Department of Health to publish a report containing an annual summary of such data. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations implementing the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027, and directs the Department of Health to publish its first report by December 31, 2027.
Department of Education; policies relating to instructional material that contains sexually explicit content; applicability; construction. Amends current law requiring the Department of Education to develop model policies and each school board to adopt policies consistent with the Department's model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content by (i) defining "instructional material" as any material, regardless of its format, assigned and provided to a student by a public school teacher directly for the completion of an assignment or curricular objective and clarifying that "instructional material" does not include any book or audiovisual material available in a public school library unless specifically required or assigned by a public school teacher directly for completion of an assignment or curricular objective and (ii) providing that nothing in the applicable law or any model policy or amendments thereto adopted by the Department or any policy or amendments thereto adopted by a school board pursuant to the applicable law shall be (a) construed to permit the censoring of books in any public elementary or secondary school or (b) utilized as a rationale or basis for the removal of books from any public elementary or secondary school. This bill is identical to SB 19.
Service member community members; medical care facilities; health care equity. Permits medical care facilities to screen each patient for information on their eligibility as a service member community member, as defined by the bill. The bill permits medical care facilities to identify service member community members as a vulnerable population and comply with the most recent health care equity standards published by The Joint Commission.
Actions for personal injury or death by wrongful act against or on behalf of a decedent's estate; appeal of appointment of administrator. Creates a process by which a person interested in the administration of an estate or the appointment of an administrator in an action brought for personal injury or death by wrongful act against or on behalf of a decedent's estate may appeal an order from the clerk of a circuit court that appoints an administrator in such matter. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Qualified self-settled spendthrift trusts; disbursements; powers of trustee. Provides that a trustee may reimburse a settlor of a trust from the income or principal of such trust for various forms of tax liability in certain circumstances and in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code except as the terms of the trust provide otherwise. The bill also provides that a trustee shall not have the power to make such a reimbursement under certain conditions unless the terms of the trust expressly provide otherwise. The bill also removes redundant language governing the order in which a new qualified trustee may be appointed in the case of a vacancy.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities; licensure; automated external defibrillators. Requires nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have and maintain an automated external defibrillator and have staff trained to use such automated external defibrillator.
Special election to fill certain vacancies in the General Assembly; deadline for parties to nominate. Requires parties to nominate candidates for any special election to fill a vacancy in the General Assembly occurring between December 10 and March 1 within seven days of any writ of election or order calling such special election.
Tax Commissioner; information sharing; eligibility for medical assistance. Authorizes the Tax Commissioner to provide to the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange information voluntarily provided by taxpayers for the purposes of identifying persons who meet the income eligibility requirements for medical assistance and would like to newly enroll in medical assistance. The bill authorizes the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to divulge to the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Social Services, upon entering into a written agreement, such information to facilitate such enrollments and applications, as applicable. The bill contains technical amendments and is effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026.
Transformer Manufacturing Expansion Grant Fund. Establishes the Transformer Manufacturing Expansion Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2041, in an amount not to exceed $5.1 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of electrical transformers, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $301 million and create and maintain at least 1,185 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 836.
Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2046, in an amount not to exceed $6 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $97,723,000 to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of solid rocket motors, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $537,570,000 and create and maintain at least 1,546 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 835.
Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that is effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. This bill is identical to HB 1.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that would provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to HB 963.
Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeships; children 16 years of age or older. Permits a child 16 years of age or older to serve in an apprenticeship program or other work-based learning experience related to culinary arts or information technology, provided that (i) the child is continuously enrolled in an accredited secondary school, (ii) the child is a registered apprentice, (iii) the child is employed in a work-training program administered under the Board of Education, and (iv) the work being performed is not in violation of federal or state laws. The bill requires that a child 16 years of age or older serving in a licensed barbershop or cosmetology salon, as permitted under current law, also meets the same requirements.
Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeships; children 16 years of age or older. Permits a child 16 years of age or older to serve in an apprenticeship program or other work-based learning experience related to culinary arts or information technology, provided that (i) the child is continuously enrolled in an accredited secondary school, (ii) the child is a registered apprentice, (iii) the child is employed in a work-training program administered under the Board of Education, and (iv) the work being performed is not in violation of federal or state laws. This bill is identical to HB 275.
Alcoholic beverage control; retail licenses; commercial lifestyle center licenses. Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to grant a commercial lifestyle center license and a performing arts facility license for the same designated area in any municipality with a population in excess of 450,000 and an annual tourism fiscal impact in excess of $3.5 billion provided that (i) the performing arts facility license is limited to prescheduled events and (ii) such licenses shall not be used simultaneously.
Department of Education; policies relating to instructional material that contains sexually explicit content; applicability; construction. Amends current law requiring the Department of Education to develop model policies and each school board to adopt policies consistent with the Department's model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content by (i) defining "instructional material" as any material, regardless of its format, assigned and provided to a student by a public school teacher directly for the completion of an assignment or curricular objective and clarifying that "instructional material" does not include any book or audiovisual material available in a public school library unless specifically required or assigned by a public school teacher directly for completion of an assignment or curricular objective and (ii) providing that nothing in the applicable law or any model policy or amendments thereto adopted by the Department or any policy or amendments thereto adopted by a school board pursuant to the applicable law shall be (a) construed to permit the censoring of books in any public elementary or secondary school or (b) utilized as a rationale or basis for the removal of books from any public elementary or secondary school. This bill is identical to HB 1499.
Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; continuing education; bias reduction training. Directs the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to require certain licensees to complete continuing learning activities on implicit and explicit bias reduction in health care as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure and authorizes the Board of Nursing to require certain continuing learning activities or courses in a specific subject area. Under current law, the Board of Medicine has such authority.
Department of Energy; workforce development in offshore wind industry. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 67.
Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; (iv) prevent the installation and use of an auto sear on firearm-related products; and (v) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct.
Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding. Includes as covered programs that are eligible for funding under the At-Risk Program initiatives to support both the physical and mental health of students in public schools, including the hiring of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses. This bill is a recommendation of the School Health Services Committee and is identical to HB 195.
Incapacitated persons; finding of lack of capacity to understand act of voting. Provides that a finding that a person is incapacitated in a proceeding for guardianship or conservatorship shall not be synonymous with a finding that such person lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting and therefore is not qualified to vote in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Virginia. The bill provides that no person shall be deemed disqualified to vote due to a lack of capacity for the purposes of the Constitution of Virginia unless a court makes a specific finding by clear and convincing evidence that such person lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to HB 1014.
Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual. Adds to the accrual provisions for personal injury actions resulting from sexual abuse during the infancy or incapacity of a person that accrual occurs when corroborative evidence, as defined in the bill, is discovered or by the exercise of due diligence reasonably should have been discovered. This bill is identical to HB 1020.
Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because the person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by the prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that the person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that a transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with the prohibited person. The bill also provides that the prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name, address, and signature of the transferee, federally licensed firearms dealer, or law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide a copy of the form to the transferee. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because the person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from the person if the law-enforcement officer has probable cause. This bill is identical to HB 93.
Voluntary contributions during electronic Department of Motor Vehicles transactions. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a method by which an individual conducting certain electronic Department transactions may make a voluntary contribution to the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program. Under current law, the Department is only required to provide a method by which voluntary contributions may be made to the Virginia Donor Registry and Public Awareness Fund.
Registration by localities of cemeteries on private property. Clarifies that the requirement for the governing body of a locality to publish on its website notice of the public sale of any publicly owned property that contains a known cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial does not meet the requirement in current law for a newspaper publication of such notice. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement; mandatory waiting period. Increases the mandatory waiting period for a landlord to pursue remedies for termination of the rental agreement from five days to 14 days. The waiting period begins after a landlord serves written notice on a tenant notifying the tenant of his nonpayment of rent and of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if rent is not paid. This bill is identical to HB 15.
Election of certain governing bodies; conversion to single-member districts. Requires every locality with a population of 400,000 or greater to elect the members of its governing body by individual single-member districts. The bill provides that a governing body's presiding officer may be elected at large. The bill further provides that any such governing body that does not already meet the requirements of the bill shall establish the required districts and shall reapportion the representation in the governing body in accordance with general law. Finally, the bill provides that for any such governing body that, prior to 2026, adopted an ordinance with a map to elect its members by individual single-member districts, such ordinance shall become effective upon the effective date of this act. This bill is identical to HB 168 and contains an emergency clause.
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2026, shall as a part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium he knows or has reason to know is located on the premises of a state park. A violation is a Class 6 felony.
Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information; 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. Moves the deadline for receipt of an absentee ballot, information required to cure an absentee ballot, or proof of identification to accompany a provisional ballot provided for lack of identification from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 82.
Board of Education; high school graduation; simultaneous completion of International Baccalaureate diploma and advanced studies diploma. Requires the Board of Education to permit any student who (i) during or after grade 10, transferred into a public high school in the Commonwealth and (ii) is simultaneously pursuing an advanced studies diploma and an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma to complete certain courses or sequences of courses required for an IB diploma, as approved by the Board, including substitutes for the Virginia and U.S. history and government courses and for the economics and personal finance credit requirement. The bill also directs the Board to grant a waiver from the training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators required for graduation to any student who (a) pursuant to his individualized education program or Section 504 Plan cannot successfully complete the training or (b) after grade 10, transfers from a school or other education program that does not require or give credit for such training. This bill is identical to HB 595.
Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. 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. In addition to optional increases in density, the bill provides that such program may include certain additional implementation measures including lot size reductions and accessory housing unit allowances. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 867.
Repairs or maintenance of property; entering adjoining property; petition for entry. Allows an owner of real property who seeks to repair or maintain the exterior of his property to petition the circuit court for a right of entry to an adjoining property for the purpose of performing the repairs or maintenance when the property is so situated that it is impossible to perform the repairs or maintenance without entering such adjoining property and permission to enter such adjoining property has been denied. The bill requires the petition and affidavits to contain specific information including the nature of the repairs and what efforts were made by the owner to obtain permission. The bill also provides that the petitioner shall be required to return the adjoining property to its previous condition and shall be liable to the adjoining owner or his lessee for actual damages occurring as a result of the entry. This bill is identical to HB 803.
Clerk fees; secure remote access to nonconfidential court records by certain attorneys. Provides that no clerk shall charge a fee to an attorney for secure remote access to nonconfidential court records when such attorney is certified by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission in the jurisdiction served by such clerk, provided that such attorney is currently appointed to represent a defendant in such jurisdiction and agrees to continue accepting appointments in such jurisdiction. The bill also provides that if, after receiving secure remote access for nonconfidential court records, such attorney (i) is found to have abused such privilege of such secure remote access; (ii) is removed from the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission's court-appointed attorney list; or (iii) ceases to accept appointments for representation from the granting court, the clerk may terminate the agreement granting such secure remote access. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill is identical to HB 520.
Purchase of handguns or other weapons of certain officers; Department of State Police. Provides that the Department of State Police may allow the immediate survivor of any law-enforcement officer formerly employed by the Department who had at least 10 years of service with the Department and who died while receiving long-term disability payments to purchase his service handgun, with the approval of the Superintendent of State Police, at a price of $1. This bill is identical to HB 1300.
Local government sporting events and sporting facilities; automated external defibrillators. Requires localities to ensure that operational automated external defibrillators are available at local government sporting events and sporting facilities. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
Powers of service districts; control of invasive plant species. Allows a service district created within a locality to control the spread of any plant that is identified on the list of invasive plant species established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. This bill is identical to HB 388.
Public institutions of higher education; Old Dominion University; Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center renamed as Virginia Health Sciences. Renames the Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center at Old Dominion University as Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.
Rest area signage; human trafficking information. Adds information about human trafficking and how to self-identify the signs of human trafficking to the notice required to be posted by the Department of Transportation at all rest areas along any interstate highway. Current law requires the Department to post notice of the existence of a human trafficking hotline.
Protection of employees; volunteer emergency responders; civil action. Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening, discriminating against, or penalizing an employee or taking other retaliatory action regarding an employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment solely because the employee fails to report for work because such employee is serving as a voluntary emergency responder, as defined in the bill, and is actively responding to an emergency alarm or during a state of emergency, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill provides that no employer shall be required to pay an employee for work time missed while serving as a voluntary emergency responder but permits such employee to use vacation or sick leave instead of unpaid time off if such employee has accrued such leave. The bill permits a person who alleges a violation of its provisions to bring a civil action seeking injunctive relief, reinstatement, and compensation for lost wages, benefits, and other remuneration.
Department of Education; STEM+C Competition Grant Program eligibility. Requires the Department of Education, prior to the 2026 application period for grants pursuant to the STEM+C Competition Team Grant Program (the Program), to consider making the following changes to the grant application and eligibility guidelines: (i) clarify that, in accordance with the provision of relevant law that provides that the purpose of the Program is to provide grants for use in establishing or supporting STEM+C competition teams, grants may be awarded to establish new STEM+C competition teams or support existing STEM+C competition teams and (ii) provide that, in the event that grant applications exceed available funds, priority shall be given to applications for the establishment of new STEM+C competition teams with demonstrated financial need.
School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies. Amends the requirements for the student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies that each school board is required to develop and each public elementary and secondary school is required to implement pursuant to applicable law to require such policies to, except as provided in applicable law, restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and prohibit student cell phone and smart device use on school property from bell to bell. Current law only requires such policies to restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell.
School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household. Requires each school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in relevant law, present in the household and (ii) the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household. The bill also requires each parental notification to include information on (a) relevant state laws and regulations relating to safe firearm storage and child access to firearms and (b) firearm-related accidents, injuries, and deaths, including current statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or an equivalent nationally recognized entity or organization on youth firearm fatality rates. Finally, the bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to HB 201.
Prohibition on trespassing on emergency vehicles; penalty. Provides that any person who enters or remains upon or within an emergency vehicle, defined in the bill, without the permission of, or after having been forbidden to do so by, the owner, lessee, or authorized operator is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
Department of Veterans Services; Virginia War Memorial division. Clarifies that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall provide supervision of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation and any other nonprofit corporation established as an instrumentality to provide fundraising for the Memorial and assist in the details of administering the affairs of the Memorial as delineated by memoranda of understanding. This bill is identical to HB 1047.
Public school teachers; terms of employment; reemployment of teacher who has received continuing contract status; written notice required. Requires written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract to be given by the teacher by June 15 of each year; otherwise, the contract continues in effect for the ensuing year in conformity with local salary stipulations, including increments. Current law requires such written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract to be given by either the teacher or the school board by June 15 of each year. This bill is identical to HB 125.
Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees. Eliminates the exemption from Virginia's minimum wage requirements for persons employed as farm laborers or farm employees. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 20.
Public elementary and secondary schools; student diabetes medical care and management. Establishes several provisions relating to student diabetes medical care and management in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including requiring divisionwide plans for the care of students who are diagnosed with diabetes in each school division, effective beginning with the 2028–2029 school year. This bill is identical to HB 1301.
Charter; City of Poquoson. Amends the charter for the City of Poquoson to clarify the name and appointment process for the City's school board. The bill changes the term length from three years to four years, alters the composition of the school board from two members of each district and one at-large member to seven at-large members, and prohibits school board appointees from serving on any other city board, committee, or commission.
Towing, impoundment, immobilization, and storage costs; payments or reimbursements by the Commonwealth. Clarifies that the payments or reimbursements owed by the Commonwealth to the owner or lienholder of a vehicle under existing law for the cost of towing, impounding, immobilizing, or storing certain vehicles involved in criminal offenses shall be paid through the state treasury from the appropriation for criminal charges. The bill requires such requests to be on a form developed specifically for such purpose by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court.
Charter; Town of Chatham. Amends the charter for the Town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County by updating or removing outdated provisions. This bill is identical to HB 1050.
Board of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code; temporary tents used for agritourism purposes. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to review the relevant regulations of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code and consider amending such regulations to allow temporary tents used for agritourism purposes to remain in place for up to 12 months on a single site. This bill is identical to HB 735.
Public education; early childhood care and education; child care access calculations; report. Requires the Department of Education to establish and maintain calculations for the provision of early childhood care and education services based on cost of quality rate per child, actual data from the prior year, an estimate of parental demand and choice preferences based on historic growth trends and current eligibility criteria, and an estimate of the number of slots to be added to support local or regional economic development efforts and public-private partnerships focused on increasing the supply of child care services, giving priority to localities or regions identified as child care deserts, as determined by the Department. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the use and appropriation of funds as applicable to such calculations, including (i) providing that the calculations shall not obligate the General Assembly to a specific appropriation, (ii) requiring the calculations to be used to provide information to guide the General Assembly in making decisions about the proportion of parental demand for and supply of early childhood care and education services to be addressed and level of appropriation required to address such demand, and (iii) providing that the annual overall funding available for slots shall be subject to appropriation as determined by the General Assembly. The bill also provides that if waitlists for slots at early childhood care and education sites remain, up to $5 million from prior-year unexpended state general funds appropriated for such purpose in a general appropriation act may be carried forward to the current fiscal year to temporarily provide additional slots during the current fiscal year solely to reduce or eliminate waitlists, unless the general appropriation act authorizes a greater amount to be carried forward and that such prior-year funds shall not be used to increase the base amount of funding required in the subsequent fiscal year and the Department shall monitor program utilization and attrition to ensure that no families will lose access at the end of the current fiscal year. Finally, the bill requires the Department to annually submit to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education and post on its website a report on the data used to calculate the minimum funding and number of slots for the calculations in accordance with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 1208.
Decreasing probation period. Establishes criteria for which a defendant's supervised probation period shall be reduced, including completing educational activities, maintaining employment, completing treatment, or obtaining housing. The bill provides that a court may decrease a defendant's probation period if warranted by the defendant's conduct upon receipt of a request from the Department of Corrections and requires the Department of Corrections to request termination of a defendant's supervised probation period after 12 months in certain situations. This bill is identical to HB 149.
Department of Fire Programs; mental health awareness training. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall develop a standardized, two-hour virtual asynchronous training program on mental health awareness tailored to firefighters that includes training on each subject matter set forth in current law. The bill provides the option for each fire department to use such standardized training program as guidance in developing its own mental health awareness training for its personnel. This bill is identical to HB 325.
Assault and battery; district court temporary recall judge; penalty. Adds a judge of a district court under temporary recall to the definition of "judge" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor that is enhanced to a Class 6 felony with a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months if such judge is engaged in his public duties at the time of the offense. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and is identical to HB 124.
Delinquent children; loss of driving privileges for alcohol, firearm, and drug offenses; truancy. Allows the court discretion in ordering the denial of a child's driving privileges in instances when the child has failed to comply with school attendance and meeting requirements as provided in relevant law. Under current law, the court is required to order the denial of such child's driving privileges. The bill also provides that if the court has ordered the denial of a child's driving privileges, the court shall order such child to surrender his driver's license, which shall be held in the physical custody of the court during any period of license denial. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and is identical to HB 123.
State-facilitated IRA savings program. Makes various changes to the state-facilitated IRA savings program administered by the Commonwealth Savers Plan. For purposes of defining an eligible employer, the bill (i) reduces the minimum number of eligible employees an organization must have in its employ from 25 to five for the period ending December 31 of the preceding calendar year prior to the program's open enrollment period for that calendar year and (ii) clarifies that such term does not include employers offering and sponsoring a qualified retirement plan, including 401(k) plans. The bill also removes the requirement that an eligible employee, for purposes of the program, works at least 30 hours a week and adds the requirement that participating individuals enrolling in the program independent of an employment relationship with an eligible employer be at least 18 years of age.
The bill also expands the powers and duties of the governing board of the Commonwealth Savers Plan to include (a) procedures for reenrollment of participating employees and participating individuals; (b) allowing program participants to invest in a lifetime income option; (c) establishing the resources, tools, and incentives to promote greater financial education and literacy; (d) procedures for receiving and crediting federal matching contributions to an IRA or qualified retirement savings account; and (e) exploring and establishing incentives that encourage participation by eligible employers and eligible employees, including initiatives that incentivize compliance or that defray any costs incurred by an eligible employer to facilitate participation.
The bill also requires eligible employers that withhold a program contribution from a participating employee's wages to remit such contribution not later than 10 business days following the date upon which such withholding was made and notes that eligible employers who fail to submit contributions to the program may be in violation of law and incur penalties. This bill is identical to HB 176.
Board of Education; Health Standards of Learning; water safety. Requires the Board of Education, during its next regularly scheduled revision of the Health Education Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework, to develop and make available to each school board guidelines for a program of instruction on water safety to be provided as a part of any health education instruction provided to elementary school students. This bill is identical to HB 705.
Charter; Town of Tazewell. Amends the charter for the Town of Tazewell in Tazewell County to remove the strict residency requirement for the town manager. The bill provides that the town manager is encouraged to reside within the town limits and may reside within a reasonable distance outside the town limits upon majority approval of town council. This bill is identical to HB 62.
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalty. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2026, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 19.
Pesticide control; agencies or persons exempt or partially exempt. Provides that volunteers associated with state agencies, municipal corporations, or other governmental agencies shall be certified as commercial applicators or registered technicians for the use of pesticides, provided that such certification is valid only when applying or supervising application of pesticides used by such governmental agencies. The bill also exempts from applicator certification requirements any unpaid volunteer who uses any nonrestricted herbicide with the express authorization of a state agency for the sole purpose of controlling invasive plants or noxious weeds on properties owned by such state agency.
Contracts; retainage bonds permitted in construction contracts. Allows, in any construction contract between an owner and a general contractor or between a general contractor and a subcontractor, such contractor or subcontractor to tender a retainage bond, defined in the bill, as a substitute for retainage withheld as security in such contracts. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Insurance; contingent deferred annuities; nonforfeiture benefits. Permits the State Corporation Commission to adopt reasonable standards for contingent deferred annuities, as defined in the bill, including nonforfeiture benefits. The bill subjects contingent deferred annuities to certain requirements applicable under current law to other types of insurance contracts.
Public institutions of higher education; financial aid review and consolidation; Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and Fund; Virginia Commonwealth Award established; work group; report. Amends several provisions relating to higher education financial aid programs for the purpose of establishing the Virginia Commonwealth Award in the Code of Virginia and consolidating the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and Fund with the Virginia Commonwealth Award. Currently, the Virginia Commonwealth Award is established and administered only in the Virginia Administrative Code. In consolidating and establishing such financial aid programs as the Virginia Commonwealth Award, the bill codifies several definitions and provisions relating to award eligibility and renewal for undergraduate students and graduate students. The bill also repeals a provision of law establishing the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Fund. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to promulgate emergency regulations for the administration of financial aid in accordance with the provisions of the bill by April 1, 2027. The bill also directs the Secretary of Education to (i) establish a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of higher education financial aid systems and processes in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on strategies for maximizing the efficacy and impact of state financial aid appropriations on accessibility and affordability of and student outcomes in higher education in the Commonwealth and (ii) submit to the chairs of the applicable committees of the General Assembly by July 1, 2027, a report on the work group's findings and recommendations. Finally, the bill provides for the gradual phase-out of the award of grants under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program by (a) prohibiting any first-time students from being offered a grant under the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program beginning with first-time students enrolled in the fall semester of 2027 and (b) permitting any public institution of higher education to provide for the annual renewal of grant awards under such program for no more than three subsequent award years, or up to a total of four award years, to any student who receives a grant during the 2026–2027 school year and continues to meet the requirements for grant renewal set forth in applicable law. This bill is identical to HB 1221.
Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments. Provides that, in the following contexts, information may be submitted by a provider to a health insurance carrier through electronic attachment, as defined in the bill: (i) information related to services rendered as required by the carrier in its provider contract; (ii) information related to any defect or impropriety that prevents the carrier from deeming a health insurance claim a clean claim, as defined in existing law; and (iii) information required to establish medical necessity, benefit coverage, or prior authorization of services, or to conduct reconsideration activities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 676.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; consumer reproductive or sexual health information. Provides that, for the Virginia Consumer Protection Act prohibition on obtaining, disclosing, selling, or disseminating any personally identifiable reproductive or sexual health information without consumer consent, such prohibition does not apply to nonpublic personal information subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Dental assistants; additional treatments; certification. Permits any dental assistant I or dental assistant II with a minimum of 1,800 hours of clinical experience to obtain certification pursuant to the requirements of the bill to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing. This bill is identical to HB 970.
Charter; City of Williamsburg. Amends the charter for the City of Williamsburg to reflect the change of municipal elections from May to November as required by general law. The bill also replaces numerous references to "director of finance" with "chief financial officer" and clarifies language related to the transfer of unencumbered appropriated balances between funds. This bill is identical to HB 552.
Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection; deferred payment agreement. Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.
The bill extends the time period for commencing collection activity from 90 days to 180 days after judgment, but provides that no collection activity shall be commenced while a defendant is incarcerated on an active term of imprisonment and subject to a deferred payment agreement.
The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day. This bill incorporates SB 185 and SB 810. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection; deferred payment agreement. Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.
The bill extends the time period for commencing collection activity from 90 days to 180 days after judgment, but provides that no collection activity shall be commenced while a defendant is incarcerated on an active term of imprisonment and subject to a deferred payment agreement.
The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day. This bill incorporates SB 185 and SB 810 and is identical to HB 17. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; shipping goods without certain information. Provides that it is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act for a supplier to ship goods to a consumer in the Commonwealth in accordance with an automatic renewal or continuous service offer without including a shipping invoice stating (i) the amount the consumer was charged for shipping, if any; (ii) information on how to return the goods, if returns are accepted by the supplier; and (iii) information on how to cancel the automatic renewal or continuous service offer. The bill exempts any supplier that provides such information to a consumer by a timely electronic confirmation of purchase or by otherwise making such information readily available.
Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products; civil penalty. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product or poultry product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product or poultry product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of a food product that is misbranded pursuant to the provisions of the bill, and makes doing so a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill provides that a person who violates the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 and allows the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt increased civil penalties not to exceed $500 for first, second, and subsequent violations of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 322.
Consumer debt collection proceedings; signing of pleadings, motions, and other papers. Requires the attorney of record in any civil action to collect or enforce a consumer debt, as defined in the bill, to include in the initial pleading or any subsequent filing such attorney's (i) full name; (ii) business address; and (iii) business telephone number. The bill provides that any such pleading, motion, or other paper not in compliance with such provisions is defective and provides that if such defect is not properly cured within 21 days after it is brought to the attention of the pleader or movant, such pleading, motion, or other paper is invalid and shall be stricken. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; licensure renewal; electronic death registration system; death certificates. Requires the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to amend their applications for licensure and licensure renewal to require doctors of medicine and osteopathic medicine, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants to indicate if they expect their scope of practice to include signing death certificates and, if so, to indicate that they have completed the online tutorial for the Electronic Death Registration System on the Department of Health website. This bill is identical to HB 156.
Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods; development, administration, scoring, and release. Makes several clarifying revisions to applicable law relating to the development, administration, and scoring of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods for determining the level of achievement of Standards of Learning objectives by all students, including (i) clarifying that students who are children with disabilities, as that term is defined by applicable law, who participate in alternative methods of Standards of Learning assessment administration or in alternate assessments through the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program are exempt from several requirements set forth in applicable law relating to the administration and grading of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessments and (ii) repealing the provisions requiring the Board of Education to establish a through-year growth assessment system in lieu of a one-time end-of-year assessment. The provisions of the bill limiting the number of end-of-course assessments that may be administered to students in grades seven through 12 and requiring the score received by each student in grades seven through 12 on an end-of-course assessment to account for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in such course are subject to a contingent and delayed effective date. This bill is identical to HB 299.
Special license plates; Virginia REALTORS. Converts the existing non-revenue sharing special license plate for members of the Virginia Realtors to a revenue sharing special license plate with the revenue benefiting the Virginia REALTORS Disaster Relief Fund. The bill provides that such existing plates will remain valid until their expiration. This bill is identical to HB 1339.
Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody; custodians. Allows the custodian of a child to file a petition for relief of the care and custody of such child in a juvenile and domestic relations district court. Current law only authorizes the parent or parents of a child to file such petition for relief of care and custody. The bill also requires the petitioning parent or custodian to cooperate with any services provided by a local department of social services during the initial investigation by such local department of social services after such petition for relief of care and custody has been filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth and is identical to HB 73.
Commission on Civic Education; website. Requires the Commission on Civic Education to develop and include certain enumerated items on a website. Current law requires the Commission on Civic Education to develop an electronic clearinghouse that includes such items but requires such clearinghouse to be accessible on the Department of Education's website. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Civic Education.
Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order; Department of Medical Assistance Services. Removes the requirement of a clerk of court in a guardianship proceeding to forward a copy of an order appointing a guardian and a copy of the certificate of qualification to the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill further removes such a forwarding requirement when a guardianship is terminated or otherwise modified. This bill is identical to HB 1119.
School crossing zones; active times. Authorizes a local governing body, by ordinance, to increase from 30 minutes to up to 60 minutes the period of time before and after regular school hours during which school crossing zones are active if it determines that children will be going to or from school during that period of time.
Arbitration; high-volume arbitration service providers; selection of arbitrator; civil remedies. Requires a high-volume arbitration service provider, defined in the bill as a person or entity that administers, facilitates, or provides arbitration services in the Commonwealth and that conducts more than 100 arbitrations per year that arise from a pre-dispute arbitration agreement involving a Virginia-connected transaction, to establish and maintain certain procedures related to the selection of an arbitrator. Under the bill, a party aggrieved by a high-volume arbitration service provider that has failed to comply with such requirements may seek injunctive relief or other appropriate civil remedy or make an application with a circuit court to vacate an arbitration award in accordance with current law. The bill also requires all high-volume arbitration service providers to report information related to certain arbitrations annually with the State Corporation Commission and permits the Commission to impose a $10,000 civil penalty per violation on high-volume arbitration service providers who fail to comply with the provisions of the bill. Finally, the bill provides that these provisions shall apply to arbitration agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2026.
Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees; membership. Reduces from 19 to 18 the total membership of the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority by removing the presidents of Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia or their designees and adding the president of Appalachian College of Pharmacy or his designee. The bill also permits the President of Total Action for Progress to designate an individual to serve in his place on such board of trustees. This bill is identical to HB 423.
School boards; use of social media platforms as sole means of certain communications prohibited. Provides that each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. The bill provides an exception to such prohibition when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.
School boards; use of social media platforms as sole means of certain communications prohibited. Provides that each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. The bill clarifies that the foregoing prohibition shall not be construed to prohibit the use of school division-approved communication or messaging applications. The bill provides an exception to such prohibition when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.
Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Provides for numerous revisions to the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Among other revisions, the bill (i) authorizes certain actions to derive from its bylaws in addition to its articles of incorporation, (ii) makes changes to the process of amending articles of incorporation and bylaws, (iii) authorizes inclusion of an exclusive forum provision in the bylaws, (iv) permits transfer of membership interests, (v) authorizes members to bring derivative proceedings, (vi) permits a court to remove a director in certain circumstances, (vii) provides for abandonment of an amendment or restatement of the articles of incorporation, (viii) extends the current provisions related to mergers to include interest exchanges and to provide for parent-subsidiary mergers, (ix) replaces existing provisions on conversion with provisions based on the Virginia Stock Act, and (x) adds provisions governing charitable corporations and charitable assets, including the authority of the Office of the Attorney General with respect to such. The bill includes technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 439.
Nursing homes; change of operator; application to Commissioner of Health for change of operator license; civil penalty. Requires a person taking over the daily operations and management of a nursing home when change of ownership or control occurs to apply to the Commissioner of Health for a change of operator license. The bill establishes the requirements for the application for and for the granting of such license and establishes a civil penalty for failing to provide the Commissioner with information or documentation, effectuating a change of operator without applying for a change of operator license, or providing fraudulent information on an application for a change of operator license. This bill is identical to HB 717.
Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice on the Department of Health's website containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, "If you have a food allergy, please notify us," and its translation, if applicable, on their menus or on a sign posted conspicuously in the restaurant. This bill is identical to HB 373.
Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber and ensure that cost-sharing for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal is included on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 795.
Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; senior isolation prevention. Requires the Commonwealth Council on Aging to advise the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services on strategies for reducing social isolation and loneliness among seniors and promoting volunteer engagement.
Charter; Town of Waverly; emergency. Amends the charter for the Town of Waverly in Sussex County by transitioning the town from a strong mayor form of government to a council-manager form of government. Additional changes to the charter in the bill include (i) shifting town council elections from May to November, (ii) appointing a town manager, (iii) shifting certain duties from an elected mayor to a town manager, and (iv) repealing numerous outdated provisions. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction. Permits the Board of Dentistry to grant a license to practice dental hygiene to persons who are eligible to practice dentistry in a country or jurisdiction outside of the United States and who are graduates of a dental school or college, or the dental department of an institution of higher education, located outside of the United States that the Board determines is acceptable. This bill is identical to HB 1036.
Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to HB 933.
Charter; City of Hopewell; Hopewell Water Renewal Commission. Changes the membership makeup of the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission (the Commission) by providing that up to seven members shall be selected from nominees submitted by users, with each user being permitted to nominate one member. The bill specifies that each new nominating user shall provide a reasonable, market-based capital contribution based on expected facility usage and consistent with the net present value of the existing users' prior capital contributions. The bill also establishes that, in order for actions or decisions made by the Commission to be effective, they must be agreed to by (i) a majority of its members and (ii) either the city manager or the member of the city council serving on the Commission. Finally, the bill removes the city council's authority to overrule actions of the Commission and to prescribe further duties to the Commission.
Charter; City of Hopewell; Hopewell Water Renewal Commission. Changes the membership makeup of the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission (the Commission) by providing that up to seven members shall be selected from nominees submitted by users, with each user being permitted to nominate one member. The bill specifies that each new nominating user shall provide a reasonable, market-based capital contribution based on expected facility usage and consistent with the net present value of the existing users' prior capital contributions. The bill also establishes that, in order for actions or decisions made by the Commission to be effective, they must be agreed to by (i) a majority of its members and (ii) either the city manager or the member of the city council serving on the Commission. Finally, the bill removes the city council's authority to overrule actions of the Commission and to prescribe further duties to the Commission.
State Board of Health regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care. Directs the State Board of Health to establish standards for designation of care in neonatal services consistent with, but not necessarily identical to, standards published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027, and prohibits enforcement of such regulations until July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to HB 456.
Capital Region Airport Commission; plan for discontinuing the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials at Richmond International Airport; report. Directs the Capital Region Airport Commission to develop a plan for discontinuing by January 1, 2030, the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials at Richmond International Airport and to complete such plan and provide a report to the Virginia Aviation Board no later than November 15, 2026.
Excise tax on peanuts; sunset extended. Extends from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027, the sunset date of the excise tax on all peanuts grown in and sold in Virginia for processing.
Charter; City of Suffolk. Corrects an error in the existing charter of the City of Suffolk to clarify that the city council shall consist of eight members to reflect the addition of the directly elected mayor to the city council. The bill also removes obsolete language to clarify the appointment process and responsibilities of the city clerk. Finally, the bill updates language to reflect the city manager's direct responsibility for the department directors, consistent with the City of Suffolk's established management and reporting structure. This bill is identical to HB 940.
Driver education programs; voluntary initiatives for drivers with autism spectrum disorder. Requires driver education programs to include information about voluntary initiatives for drivers with autism spectrum disorder, including the driver communication improvement program, the driver's license indicator option, and the registration indicator option. The bill also directs the Board of Education to prepare, publish, and distribute instructional materials about these voluntary initiatives.
State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain proceedings. Requires the State Corporation Commission to complete proceedings involving an application for a certificate, permit, or approval required for the construction or operation by a public utility of certain transmission lines within nine months following such application, as required by current law for small renewable energy projects. The bill permits the Commission to enlarge such nine-month period for up to 120 days for applications regarding certain transmission lines. This bill is identical to HB 466.
Tourism improvement districts; administering nonprofits; county manager plan; transient occupancy tax. Allows tourism entities, defined in the bill, to enter into written agreements for the provision of professional services to an administering nonprofit that is under contract with a locality to administer or implement activities specified in a tourism improvement district plan. Current law does not permit such public-private partnerships in tourism improvement districts. The bill also requires a newly formed administering nonprofit's board of directors to be wholly composed of business owners and an existing administering nonprofit to create a committee of business owners to oversee the activities prescribed in the tourism improvement district plan. Finally, the bill permits any locality with the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) to impose an additional transient occupancy tax of up to one percent. This bill is identical to HB 524.
Notarization, filing, and recordation of certain land records; duties of notary or settlement agent; acknowledgement and satisfactory evidence of identity; requirements for commission or recommission of notary; clerk of circuit court to establish property alert notification system. Removes personal knowledge of identity from the methods by which a notary public, electronic notary public, or other person authorized by law to perform a notarial act may identify an individual for purposes of performing a notarial act such as acknowledgement or affirmation. Under current law, the identity of an individual for such purpose may be established if such individual is personally known to the person performing the notarial act or by a presentation of satisfactory evidence of identity, as defined by law. The bill also adds a requirement that, within the six months immediately preceding the submission of his application, a person applying for commission to be a notary public or electronic notary public, or an existing notary public or electronic notary public applying for recommission, complete a course of instruction developed and approved by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The bill specifies that one hour of such course of instruction shall be on the topic of real estate fraud and financial exploitation of elderly persons and shall include training on current trends on such topics and on recognizing instances of such fraud or financial exploitation. The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to develop the curricula for such courses of instruction by January 1, 2027, and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, for those provisions related to the requirement that applicants for commission and recommission complete and present proof of completion of such courses of instruction.
The bill also requires any clerk of a circuit court that has established a network or system of electronic filing of land records to also establish a property alert notification system for owners of real property within the circuit court's jurisdiction. The bill provides that an owner who enrolls his real property into such property alert notification system may do so at no cost and that such system shall send notifications to such owner when documents affecting or purporting to affect the enrolled property are filed with the clerk's office. The provisions related to the establishment of the property alert notification system have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Finally, the bill requires notaries public to keep a record of all notarial acts occurring on or after July 1, 2026, and to include in such record the form of satisfactory evidence of identification used to verify the identity of the principal and credible witnesses. Similarly, the bill requires settlement agents responsible for recording deeds, deeds of trust, or other documents relating to land records to obtain satisfactory evidence of identity of a seller of real property prior to settlement. This bill is identical to HB 163.
Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 248.
Migrant labor camp permits; expiration. Removes the annual December 31 expiration date for all issued migrant labor camp permits and provides that such permits expire 12 months from the date of issuance. This bill is identical to HB 340.
Department of Transportation; autonomous truck-mounted attenuators; pilot program authorized. Authorizes the Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program for the implementation and deployment of autonomous truck-mounted attenuators within mobile work zones, defined in the bill. The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2031. This bill is identical to HB 582.
Abandonment of highway; section of the secondary state highway system; local authority. Removes the requirement that a section of the secondary state highway system be in a residence district for a county to find that such section is no longer necessary for the purpose of abandoning such section of highway as a public highway.
Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony.
The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 40.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel. Removes the requirement that military personnel terminating a rental agreement due to identified permissible circumstances shall provide the landlord with a termination date that is no more than 60 days prior to the date of departure necessary to comply with the official orders or any supplemental instructions for interim training or duty prior to the transfer.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement; re-roofing. Excludes roofing maintenance, repair, restoration, and component replacement of existing facilities that do not involve modification to the structure from the prohibition on using cooperative procurement to purchase construction.
Housing for local employees; grants for homeownership and workforce housing alternatives. Eliminates the maximum amount a locality may provide (i) to employees of the locality, employees of the school board, and employees of constitutional officers for homeownership grants to purchase primary residences in the locality and (ii) to school division personnel for residential housing assistance grants to provide affordable workforce housing alternatives. The bill also eliminates the requirement that such grants adhere to the Virginia Housing and Development Authority regional sales price and household income limitation guidelines. Current law imposes a maximum grant amount of $25,000 for individual grants per employee, as well as a maximum lifetime cumulative amount of $25,000 per employee. This bill is identical to HB 164.
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund; additional fee for certain offenses. Provides that the clerk shall assess a fee of $500 for conviction of certain offenses outlined in the bill. The bill requires such fees to be credited to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund and designated for funding support services for eligible victims. This bill is identical to HB 1233.
Board of Veterinary Medicine; traineeships. Expands eligibility for veterinary traineeship programs to include (i) graduates of an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited college of veterinary medicine who have not yet passed the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE); and (ii) registrants in the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program who have taken and received a passing score on the NAVLE and have completed all steps of the ECFVG program except for the clinical proficiency examination.
Remediated Mine Gas Grant Program established; report. Directs the Department of Energy to establish the Remediated Mine Gas Grant Program to assist projects in the Commonwealth with capture and sequestration of remediated mine gas. The bill requires (i) the Department to award grants for the Program to taxpayers on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, and (ii) grant recipients to submit a report to the Department by October 1 of any year in which funds are made available for the Program. The bill also directs the Department to submit a report summarizing the information received from grant recipients to relevant committees of the General Assembly by January 1 after any year in which funds are made available for the Program.
Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition. Provides a definition of "agrivoltaics" for the purposes of small renewable energy projects. This bill is identical to HB 508.
Charlie's Law to Protect All Students; private elementary and secondary schools; student codes of conduct, policies, and procedures relating to bullying and cyberbullying prevention. Requires each principal, headmaster, or other chief administrator of each private elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth to include in such school's codes of student conduct policies and procedures (i) for addressing and handling instances of bullying and cyberbullying and (ii) that include a prohibition against bullying and a requirement to notify the parent of any student involved in a confirmed incident of bullying within 24 hours of confirming the incident of bullying. This bill is identical to HB 894.
Zoning; manufactured housing. Amends existing provisions that require localities to permit manufactured homes in areas zoned for agriculture by expanding such requirement to all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed, with certain conditions. The bill provides that localities shall not adopt or enforce any zoning, land-use, or development regulation that treats manufactured homes differently or more restrictively than a single-family site-built dwelling allowed in the same zoning district. The bill also removes the authority of localities without a zoning ordinance to designate the areas within the locality in which manufactured homes may be located. This bill is identical to HB 655.
Distributing nitrous oxide prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of (i) a device that is designed or intended to deliver a gas containing nitrous oxide through direct inhalation, with exceptions defined in the bill; (ii) nitrous oxide that has, or is marketed as having, the taste or smell of any food or beverage that is distinguishable by an ordinary consumer either prior to or during consumption or use of such nitrous oxide to any person not exempted in the bill; and (iii) a container of nitrous oxide that exceeds eight grams, with exceptions defined in the bill. A violation of such prohibitions is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 648.
Electric utilities; high energy demand customers; demand flexibility programs; reports. Directs Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to file a petition with the State Corporation Commission by January 15, 2027, for approval of voluntary demand flexibility programs that apply to high energy demand customers, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to consider all forms of demand flexibility and other specific factors in approving each such program. The bill directs each cooperative that serves one or more high energy demand customers to establish a voluntary demand flexibility program for such customers by January 1, 2029. Under the bill, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power are required to file status reports on their demand flexibility programs with the Commission three years after initial program approval and every three years thereafter. Additionally, in 2028 and annually thereafter, the Commission is required to submit information summarizing the status and performance of such programs as part of an existing report. This bill is identical to HB 284.
Utility consumer services cooperatives; substation construction agreements. Permits an electric cooperative to enter into an agreement to construct a substation with a member receiving regulated electric service, with an electric demand of at least 20 megawatts during the most recent calendar year, that requires a point of interconnection with a transmission line system of 230 kilovolts or more. The bill provides that, upon final completion of a substation constructed under such an agreement, the member shall transfer ownership of such substation to the cooperative for the cooperative to operate and maintain at the member's sole expense. Under the bill, the costs of acquisition, operation, or maintenance of such a substation shall be excluded from the cooperative's general and base rates and shall not be recovered from any other ratepayer. This bill is identical to HB 1191.
Board of Pharmacy; regulation of psilocybin. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to reschedule psilocybin consistent with federal scheduling upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of a formulation of psilocybin designed to be administered by a health care professional in a health care setting. This bill is identical to HB 1347.
Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; invasive plant species installation; written notification to property owners; civil penalty. Provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services may assess a civil penalty in an amount of not more than $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second violation, and $1,000 for each subsequent violation to any tradesperson involved with proposing or installing plants who fails to provide written notification to property owners when such plants are on the Department of Conservation and Recreation's list of invasive plant species. Current law provides that any such tradesperson who fails to provide such written notice is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 710.
Joint Commission on Technology and Science; artificial intelligence; independent verification organizations. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to evaluate the feasibility and impact of developing a framework for any person or entity seeking to act as an independent verification organization that assesses artificial intelligence models' or applications' adherence to standards reflecting best practices for the prevention of personal injury and property damage. The bill directs JCOTS to submit a report with its recommendations and any findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology and the House Committees on Appropriations and Communications, Technology and Innovation by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 797.
Charter; Town of Front Royal. Amends the charter for the Town of Front Royal in Warren County by eliminating the requirement that the town manager reside in the town.
Apple Board; repeal. Repeals the Apple Board and Apple Fund effective July 1, 2028, and provides that any funds remaining in the Apple Fund as of July 1, 2028, shall be transferred to the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund. The bill provides that the excise tax levied on apples grown in the Commonwealth shall not be collected for the 2026 harvest season and requires the chair of the Apple Board to file a report with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services no later than June 30, 2028, with a statement of total receipts and disbursements of the Apple Board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028. This bill is identical to HB 65.
Driver training school and driver training instructors; standards; discipline; report. Prohibits the licensure of a person as a driver training school instructor for driver education courses for minors if the person has been convicted of certain sex crimes or any offense that requires registration on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The bill removes the five-year limitation on the period the Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to set for a licensee whose license was revoked to reapply and provides that if the revocation was due to a conviction of (i) driving under the influence, (ii) reckless driving, (iii) refusal to submit to alcohol or drug testing, or (iv) vehicular manslaughter, such period shall be no less than 10 years. The bill requires the Department to establish and maintain a public, searchable database of disciplinary action taken by the Department against an instructor or driver training school. The bill requires driver training schools to notify students, prospective students, and guardians thereof of any such disciplinary actions taken in the preceding 24 months or while such student is enrolled. The bill also requires the Department to annually by November 1 submit a report to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation detailing such disciplinary actions. This bill is identical to HB 559.
Admissions tax in counties; retail sales and use tax dedicated to promotion of tourism. Allows a county in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed to levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event. Under current law, any county may levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event except such counties in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed. This bill is identical to HB 550.
Authorized septic system inspectors; scope of services and requirements. Provides that system components are not considered readily accessible if access requires removal of surface material exceeding 30 inches in depth to uncover septic tank access lids, distribution devices, or other inspection ports. The bill specifies that an authorized septic system inspector shall submit a written report to the client within 10 business days from the start of the inspection, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties, which shall also indicate whether the system is operating as intended. The bill removes the requirement that authorized septic system inspectors report the advertised bedroom count or design capacity as listed in the multiple listing service or written statement by the property owner. This bill is identical to HB 1178.
Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority; administration of nursing scholarships. Grants the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority the authority to administer scholarships related to nursing and to promulgate regulations exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act as may be necessary to carry out the administration of nursing scholarship and loan programs. Under current law, the Board of Health is the administrative authority for such scholarships and the Commissioner of Health serves as the fiscal agent for the Board in the administration of some scholarship funds. The bill directs the Authority to establish an annual reporting schedule requiring submission of health workforce data, requires the Authority to establish and provide oversight and strategic guidance to the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center, and grants the Authority the authority to evaluate health workforce programs administered or supported by the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Virginia Nursing Workforce Center to establish an advisory board to provide it with strategic oversight and guidance. This bill is identical to HB 815.
Transportation electrification; integrated resource planning; fast-charging stations; cost recovery by electric utilities. Permits Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to file a proposed tariff with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to provide utility owned and operated electrical distribution infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging stations. The bill requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to file transportation electrification plans with the Commission by February 1, 2028, and every three years thereafter, and includes requirements for information to include in such plans. Under the bill, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company are required to seek recovery of necessary and appropriate expenditures for transportation electrification only through their rates for generation and distribution services.
The bill prohibits Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company from petitioning for approval of expenditures to own and operate electric vehicle fast-charging stations unless such stations are located at or beyond a radial distance as determined by the Commission relative to the location of any privately owned fast charging station. The bill also directs the Commission to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to determine the appropriate radial distance for such utility-owned fast-charging stations from privately-owned fast charging stations, to enter its final rule in such proceeding no later than December 31, 2027, and to review such final rule by December 31, 2029. Provisions of the bill restricting the radial distance of utility owned and operated fast-charging stations expire on July 1, 2031.
This bill is identical to HB 1225.
Assisted living facilities; electronic monitoring in resident rooms. Permits residents of assisted living facilities to have electronic monitoring devices placed in their rooms. The bill defines "electronic monitoring" as the use of a surveillance device with a fixed position video camera or audio recording device, or combination thereof, that is installed in a resident's room and broadcasts or records activities or sounds occurring within the confines of the room. The bill contains several provisions establishing the requirements for the placement and utilization of any such electronic monitoring device in any resident's room, including requirements relating to ensuring that residents or their legal representatives and residents' roommates or their legal representatives consent to the placement and utilization of electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. The bill directs the Virginia Department of Social Services to promulgate regulations consistent with the bill, and the provisions of the bill become effective when such regulations become effective.
Remote pharmacist verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs. Authorizes a pharmacist licensed in the Commonwealth to exercise verification, counseling, and supervision duties remotely when a pharmacy technician or other authorized personnel dispenses medication prescribed for the management of opioid use disorder at a federally certified opioid treatment program.
Alteration of suspension system and bumper heights; proof of compliance. Authorizes a court to dismiss a summons for offenses related to altering the suspension system or bumper heights of vehicles when proof of compliance is provided to the court on or before the court date.
High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits; certain substitutions permitted. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute the African American History course or the Advanced Placement African American Studies course for the World History I course or the World Geography course for the purpose of satisfying the history and social studies credit requirements, provided that (i) such a course is available to the student and (ii) the student is required to complete and receive a passing score on an applicable local alternative assessment or an equivalent Board-approved assessment, in order to satisfy history and social studies credit requirements for graduation. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill and to ensure that no student who makes such a substitution is required to earn a verified credit for the World History I or World Geography course in order to graduate. This bill is identical to HB 182.
Authority of local governments; service employees. Permits a locality to provide for certain requirements concerning successor service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor service employers retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, service employees are those who perform work in connection with the care or maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparation services at schools. The bill provides that an employer that violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetary damages. This bill is identical to HB 338.
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the boards of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (v) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (vi) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to HB 1040.
Green warning lights, snow plows and vehicles equipped with truck-mounted attenuators. Authorizes snow plows used for clearing or removing snow on or along public highways and vehicles equipped with a truck-mounted attenuator that are used in constructing, maintaining, and repairing highways or utilities on or along public highways to be equipped with and use either (i) flashing, blinking, or alternating amber warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent of State Police or (ii) alternating amber and green warning lights of a type approved by the Superintendent of State Police. The bill requires that warning lights be lit only when performing the functions that qualify them to be equipped with such lights and that if a vehicle is equipped with multiple warning lights that are alternating amber and green warning lights, such lights shall be used synchronously with each other.
Use of license plates from another vehicle; authorized time period. Extends from five to 30 days the time period for which the owner of a motor vehicle is authorized to use license plates from his motor vehicle on another motor vehicle owned by a person operating a garage or owned by a motor vehicle dealer, provided that such use is limited to the time during which his motor vehicle is being repaired or while the motor vehicle owned by the garage operator or motor vehicle dealer is loaned to him for demonstration.
Use of license plates; special permit; validity period. Extends from five to 30 days the validity period of a special permit authorizing the use of license plates on a vehicle other than the vehicle for which the license plates were issued, when the vehicle for which the license plates were issued is undergoing repairs in a licensed motor vehicle dealer's repair shop and when the license plates are being used on a vehicle owned by the dealer in whose repair shop the vehicle is being repaired. The bill removes the provisions authorizing the renewal of such permit and limiting such renewals to once per permit.
Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to HB 662.
Department of Motor Vehicles data; certain institutions of higher education; fees. Authorizes the release of certain privileged Department of Motor Vehicles data to those institutions of higher education that have entered into an agreement with the Department to offer special license plates bearing the seal, symbol, emblem, or logotype of that institution of higher education. The bill authorizes the Department to charge a one-time fee of $10,000 from each participating institution to cover the cost of implementing the provisions of this bill. The bill limits the use of such data to surveys, marketing, and solicitations related to such institution of higher education and such purposes as are otherwise authorized in writing by the subject of the information and requires the consent of the subject of the information prior to disclosure of the information. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1226.
Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to HB 781.
Tow truck drivers; registration. Prohibits towing and recovery operators from employing tow truck drivers who are not registered with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, as required under current law. The bill also limits the requirement that a registered tow truck driver have his registration in his possession when driving a tow truck to when such driving is for hire.
Charter; Town of Louisa. Establishes a new charter for the Town of Louisa in Louisa County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The new charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to HB 657.
Collection and reporting of data related to adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment; Virginia Longitudinal Data System. Allows the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to contribute the statewide and locality-level data it collects on adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by incarceration to the Virginia Longitudinal Data System administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill states that any data provided that contains any personal or case identifying information shall be kept confidential and shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This bill is identical to HB 1084.
Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists. Adds geology to the definition of "professional services" as used in the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The bill also eliminates the option for the Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists to waive the examination requirement for licensure as a professional geologist for an applicant who has at least 12 years of geological work. The bill also requires the Board to promulgate regulations governing continuing education requirements for geologists licensed by the Board that require the completion of eight hours annually in continuing education for any license renewal or reinstatement. This bill is identical to HB 1289.
Policy of the Commonwealth; siting of certain new electric transmission facilities; Department of Transportation work group; report. Provides that in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, it is the policy of the Commonwealth that existing linear infrastructure corridors shall be prioritized over new corridors. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to convene a work group to identify opportunities and develop recommendations to amend regulations and permitting processes to facilitate the expedient and efficient siting of new electrical transmission infrastructure in existing state highway rights-of-way. This bill is identical to HB 889.
Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset. Eliminates the expiration date of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which, pursuant to current law, is set to expire on July 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Commission to (i) meet at least four times each year and post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with applicable law; (ii) update annually the statewide needs estimate for construction and modernization of school facilities; (iii) develop and deliver by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap; and (iv) collaborate with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in order to assist the Commission with its work, to update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 544.
State Corporation Commission; electric utilities; fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices. Directs the State Corporation Commission, in certain cost recovery proceedings and other annual filings as determined by the Commission, to examine the efficacy and sufficiency of fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices by Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power. Under the bill, the Commission is required to include legislative recommendations related to effectively regulating fuel and purchased power cost risk in an existing report. This bill is identical to HB 1256.
Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.
Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 225.
Uninsured Employer's Fund; administrative expenses. Provides that the costs of administering the Uninsured Employer's Fund, which is administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, are paid out of such fund. This bill is identical to HB 572.
Competency treatment in misdemeanor proceedings. Provides that in cases where the defendant has been charged with a misdemeanor offense, the court may (i) order inpatient or outpatient treatment or (ii) dismiss the charges. Where a defendant is found to be incompetent, the bill permits a court to (a) order that such defendant receive treatment to restore his competency on an outpatient basis in a local correctional facility or at a location determined by the appropriate community services board or behavioral health authority, (b) order that such defendant receive treatment to restore his competency on an inpatient basis at a hospital designated by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as appropriate for treatment of persons under criminal charge, (c) order that such defendant be evaluated to determine whether he meets the criteria for temporary detention, or (d) dismiss the misdemeanor charge and release such defendant. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Public schools; school security and discipline; employment of school security officers; training requirements. Amends the requirements for the training course of which an individual employed as a school security officer is required to submit proof of completion to the Department of Criminal Justice Services in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by (i) eliminating the requirement that such training course include training in active shooter emergency response and, instead, requiring it to include training in critical incident preparedness and response and (ii) clarifying that such training course include training in behavioral threat assessment.
State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; electronic disclosure by local government officers and employees. Requires local government officers and employees to file annual disclosure statements electronically with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council in accordance with approved standards. Such officers and employees shall be able to file the annual disclosure statement electronically beginning January 1, 2027, but such electronic filing shall be required (i) for localities with populations in excess of 250,000, beginning January 1, 2028; (ii) for localities with populations in excess of 100,000 but not more than 250,000, beginning January 1, 2029; and (iii) for localities with populations not exceeding 100,000, beginning January 1, 2030. The bill provides that the Department of Elections shall be responsible for coordinating the electronic filing by candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the Senate, or the House of Delegates, and the general registrars shall be responsible for coordinating the electronic filing by candidates for constitutional offices, local governing bodies, and elected school boards.
Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; required liability insurance coverage. Provides that the regulations of the Board of Health shall require purchasers of licensed nursing homes or certified nursing facilities with claims-made policies of liability insurance coverage to purchase an extended reporting endorsement of two years after the date of sale or to purchase liability insurance coverage with dates that begin two years prior to the date the existing owner's policies end.
Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; required liability insurance coverage. Provides that the regulations of the Board of Health shall require purchasers of licensed nursing homes or certified nursing facilities with claims-made policies of liability insurance coverage to purchase an extended reporting endorsement of two years after the date of sale or to purchase liability insurance coverage with dates that begin two years prior to the date the existing owner's policies end.
Undue influence; presumption in actions contesting validity of certain document or instrument. Provides that, in an action contesting the validity of a document or instrument that conveys or transfers real or personal property upon the death of the owner of such real or personal property, such as a trust or trust instrument, a payment on death account, or a transfer on death deed, where a presumption of undue influence arises, the fact finder shall presume that the undue influence was exerted over the decedent unless evidence leads the fact finder to determine that the decedent did intend for the real or personal property to be conveyed or transferred as indicated. Current law applies this presumption of undue influence only to actions contesting the validity of a will.
Undue influence; presumption in actions contesting validity of certain trust or instrument. Provides that, in an action contesting the validity of a trust or trust instrument, where a presumption of undue influence arises, the fact finder shall presume that the undue influence was exerted over the decedent unless evidence leads the fact finder to determine that the decedent did intend for the real or personal property to be conveyed or transferred as indicated. Current law applies this presumption of undue influence only to actions contesting the validity of a will.
Forgery; venue. Amends the venue provision for prosecution of forgery to apply only to forging public records, etc., forging coin or bank notes, and forging, uttering, etc., other writings. Current law covers venue for any forgery.
Forgery; venue. Clarifies that the venue provision for prosecution of forgery applies to forging public records, etc., forging coin or bank notes, and forging, uttering, etc., other writings.
Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund; claim limits; license threshold amounts. Expands the scope of Chapters 127 and 133 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025, which increased certain claim limits and license threshold amounts, to apply to any claimant who filed a verified claim with the Director of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation on or after June 6, 2024, for recovery from the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund and whose claim was thereafter approved by the Board for Contractors.
Public schools; student instruction; addictive potential of time spent using certain electronic devices. Requires instruction concerning time spent using electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, and other smart devices and the addictive potential thereof to be provided by the public schools as prescribed by the Board of Education. This bill is identical to HB 1486.
Flashing red and white warning lights; emergency vehicle exemptions; Department of Military Affairs emergency vehicles. Authorizes Department of Military Affairs emergency vehicles to (i) be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating red or red and white combination warning lights and (ii) disregard certain regulations regarding the operation of vehicles without being subject to criminal prosecution while responding to an emergency. This bill is identical to HB 351.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Auctioneers Board; citizen members. Clarifies that no citizen member appointed to the Auctioneers Board shall (i) have training or experience as an auctioneer; (ii) be the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of an auctioneer; or (iii) have any direct or indirect financial interest, except as a consumer, in auctioneering. The bill further prohibits appointing any citizen member of the Board currently licensed in, employed by, or financially affiliated with any profession or occupation that provides similar services to auctioneers, including a real estate broker or salesperson.
Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; required disclosures for buyer to beware; proximity to military ground installation. Adds a property's proximity to any military ground installation to the residential property disclosure statement provided by the Real Estate Board on its website for the buyer to beware as to whether a property may be impacted by related noise or other effects of military operations.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to HB 1304.
Charter; City of Fairfax; financial powers; elections; compensation for members of boards or commissions. Amends the charter for the City of Fairfax by replacing a cap on the transient occupancy tax with a reference to general law. The bill also amends the charter to align it with current law requiring municipal elections to be held at the November general election. Finally, the bill removes the limit of $50 per meeting for compensation of members of boards and commissions and provides that such compensation is in such amounts as established by the City Council. This bill is identical to HB 1342.
Conservation and replacement of trees during development process; work group; report. Expands certain existing local government authority to plant or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by modifying a provision that requires the granting of an exception when the strict application of the ordinance would result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developer, and replacing it with a requirement that the locality concur with such a determination. The bill permits localities to monitor and assess the condition and coverage of tree canopies at development sites during a period of up to 20 years after the trees are planted. The bill also allows any town within Planning District 8 belonging to an eight-hour nonattainment area for air quality standards to require, by ordinance, that a subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy or cover 10 years after development is projected to meet specified coverage criteria. Under current law, the criteria apply to tree canopy coverage 20 years after development. Finally, the bill directs the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the tree canopy laws and regulations and report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 549.
Department of Taxation; free tax filing program for individuals. Directs the Tax Commissioner to develop and offer a free individual state income tax filing program, effective beginning in taxable year 2028, that is similar to the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Direct File Program as it existed during the 2025 tax filing season. The bill contains technical amendments that remove obsolete language regarding fillable forms. This bill is identical to HB 1180.
Board of Education; career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; biennial review; report. Requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, with the assistance of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to conduct, beginning with the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026, and each odd-numbered year thereafter, a biennial review of all career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings available to public school students across the Commonwealth for the purpose of ensuring that all such career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings are (i) aligned with current and emerging industry and workforce needs, demands, and standards and (ii) designed to effectively prepare students for postsecondary success through gainful employment in a high-demand industry or field, enrollment in postsecondary education, or enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. The bill requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development to develop and submit to the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1 of each odd-numbered year a report on each such biennial review.
Board of Education; career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; biennial review; report. Requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, with the assistance of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to conduct, beginning with the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026, and each odd-numbered year thereafter, a biennial review of all career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings available to public school students across the Commonwealth for the purpose of ensuring that all such career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings are (i) aligned with current and emerging industry and workforce needs, demands, and standards and (ii) designed to effectively prepare students for postsecondary success through gainful employment in a high-demand industry or field, enrollment in postsecondary education, or enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. The bill requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development to develop and submit to the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1 of each odd-numbered year a report on each such biennial review.
Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to HB 6.
Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated clean energy buyers. Revises the conditions under which accelerated clean energy buyers, defined in existing law as accelerated renewable energy buyers, may contract with Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia to obtain renewable energy certificates (RECs). The bill exempts an accelerated clean energy buyer obtaining capacity, energy, or RECs from qualifying resources or facilities from the assignment of non-bypassable costs associated with compliance with the renewable portfolio standard program based on the amount and type of renewable energy certificates obtained in proportion to such accelerated clean energy buyer's total electric energy consumption. This bill incorporates SB 470. This bill is identical to HB 369.
Board of Accountancy; licensing requirements; inactive and emeritus status. Directs the Board of Accountancy to establish "Inactive" and "Emeritus" CPA license statuses for licensees who no longer provide services to the public or services to or on behalf of an employer. The bill requires the Board to develop guidelines to provide active and inactive licensees additional clarity governing the manner in which such licensees should reference autobiographical and biographical information with respect to their CPA licensure to remain historically accurate and compliant with the law and relevant regulations. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Board of Accountancy; licensing requirements; inactive and emeritus status. Directs the Board of Accountancy to establish "Inactive" and "Emeritus" CPA license statuses for licensees who no longer provide services to the public or services to or on behalf of an employer. The bill requires the Board to develop guidelines to provide active and inactive licensees additional clarity governing the manner in which such licensees should reference autobiographical and biographical information with respect to their CPA licensure to remain historically accurate and compliant with the law and relevant regulations. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 870.
Department of Health; Department of Corrections; peer recovery specialists. Directs the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to develop agency guidelines for hiring peer recovery specialists with previous criminal convictions for compensated employment. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 209.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; review of real estate salesperson licensure process; report. Directs the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to conduct a comprehensive review of the Commonwealth's current process for obtaining licensure as a real estate salesperson and to submit, on or before January 1, 2027, a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology.
Health insurance; reporting requirements. Amends various reporting requirements related to health insurance, including by requiring the State Corporation Commission to maintain and publicly post an inventory of mandated benefits and providers, requiring health carriers to report annually on provider terminations and reinstatements, and consolidating reports related to balance billing and arbitration. The bill repeals reporting requirements related to the Comparable Health Care Service Incentive Program and Virginia Health Savings Account Plan.
Health insurance; reporting requirements. Amends various reporting requirements related to health insurance, including by requiring the State Corporation Commission to maintain and publicly post an inventory of mandated benefits and providers, requiring health carriers to report annually on provider terminations and reinstatements, and consolidating reports related to balance billing and arbitration. The bill repeals reporting requirements related to the Comparable Health Care Service Incentive Program and Virginia Health Savings Account Plan. This bill is identical to HB 618.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Eviction Reduction Program; report. Establishes the Eviction Reduction Program within the Department of Housing and Community Development to expand the Department's work to (i) promote housing stability, (ii) identify factors that contribute to eviction filings, and (iii) provide interventions to prevent or divert evictions. The bill requires the Department to report annually to the General Assembly regarding the Program. The bill directs the Department to develop and include in its report criteria and guidelines necessary to administer the Program in consultation with stakeholders, including Eviction Diversion Program grantees as identified by the Department. This bill is identical to HB 527.
Health insurance; tobacco surcharge. Eliminates the authority of a health carrier to vary its premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a nonuser. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 220.
Elections; candidates and elected officials; address confidentiality. Prohibits the custodian of any filing made by a candidate from releasing the address, phone number, or email address of such candidate in response to a request made under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill permits a candidate to provide the unique identifier assigned to him in the voter registration system pursuant to relevant law in place of his residence address on any candidate filing. The State Board of Elections is prohibited from requiring candidates to disclose their address or unique identifier on petitions prior to their being filed. The bill also adds elected officials to the list of people who may furnish, in addition to their residence street address, a post office box address located within the Commonwealth to be included in lieu of their street address on the lists of registered voters. The certificate of election delivered to the winner of an election is required to be accompanied by a notice that the person meets the qualifications for being granted protected voter status along with instructions for updating their voter registration in order to attain such status. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 835.
Health care planning; statewide emergency medical services system and services; provision of emergency medical services for events. Requires the Department of Health to publish on its website a document for event planners and event venues to provide to prospective clients containing (i) notice that emergency medical services personnel may be made available for events, (ii) information regarding the benefits of appropriate medical support for large or high-risk events, and (iii) a list of emergency medical services providers available to provide services at event venues in each locality of the Commonwealth.
Department of Health; resources for provision of emergency medical services for events. Directs the Department of Health to publish on its website a document for event planners and event venues to provide to prospective clients containing (i) notice that emergency medical services personnel may be made available for events, (ii) information regarding the benefits of appropriate medical support for large or high-risk events, and (iii) a list of emergency medical services providers available to provide services at event venues in each locality of the Commonwealth.
Board of Medicine; office-based buprenorphine treatment; counseling. Directs the Board of Medicine to amend its regulations regarding office-based buprenorphine treatment to require providers to offer counseling or referral to counseling to each patient as clinically necessary and mutually agreed-upon. The bill specifies that a patient's refusal of counseling does not preclude the patient from receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 712.
Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants; model policy. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause by an authorized judicial official, as defined in the bill, and permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime or to respond to a public safety call for service when such crime scene or call for service is located on public property, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location during the initial response to an incident, or to provide real-time aerial observation to increase on-scene safety and security. Such provisions are subject to a reenactment clause.
The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, to establish a model policy for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 1219.
Real property tax; special assessment for land use; notice requirements; civil penalty. Establishes notice requirements for the sale of real estate that is valued, assessed, and taxed by a locality under a special assessment on the basis of use. The bill directs the Department of Taxation to create a written notice that may be provided to the purchaser of real estate in a land use program. The notice must include disclosures regarding the special classification of the real estate and liability for roll-back taxes if a change in use occurs. The bill also requires settlement agents to provide this written notice to purchasers of real estate in a land use program and to obtain the purchaser's written acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The willful failure of a settlement agent to provide the notice and obtain the written acknowledgement will subject the settlement agent to a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding $250. The bill directs the Real Estate Board to include in the residential property disclosure statement on its website a statement that the owner makes no representations or warranties with respect to whether the property is located in a locality that has adopted a land-use plan that may provide use value assessment and taxation for certain real estate and that advises purchasers to exercise due diligence to determine whether the property may be subject to roll-back taxes and interest for taxation on the basis of a use assessment and the liability for additional taxes and penalties that may attach if a change in use occurs. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Public utilities; water and sewerage companies; discounted rates for low-income customers. Provides that a public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities may propose and the State Corporation Commission may approve rates and tariff provisions that provide discounted service to customers with an annual household income equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill permits the utility to recover the costs of providing such discounted service through its rates for commercial and industrial customers. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 770.
Bureau of Insurance; report on data collected from property and casualty insurance providers; report. Requires that, as part of its existing requirements to submit annual findings and reports on companies issuing property and casualty insurance policies in the Commonwealth, the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance shall submit an additional annual report summarizing relevant information from property and casualty insurance customer satisfaction surveys.
Department of Housing and Community Development; local housing policy; report to Department. Expands the range of local housing policy changes that are required to be submitted annually in a report to the Department of Housing and Community Development by any locality with a population greater than 3,500. This bill is identical to HB 356.
Pharmacy benefits managers; requirements; scope; report. Requires all health insurance carriers to use the pass-through pricing model and may limit a pharmacy benefits manager from deriving income from pharmacy benefits management services provided to a carrier except for income derived from a pharmacy benefits management fee. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from (i) reversing and or resubmitting the claim of a pharmacist or pharmacy without meeting certain requirements, (ii) reducing any payment to a pharmacist or pharmacy to an effective rate of reimbursement, or (iii) retroactively denying or reducing a claim or aggregate of claims except under certain circumstances. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to examine the practice of carriers or pharmacy benefits managers requiring or inducing covered individuals to utilize pharmacy services at an affiliated pharmacy. The Commission is required to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by December 1, 2027. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates SB 410 and SB 413 and is identical to HB 830.
Stalking by electronically transmitted communication; penalty. Provides that "electronically transmitted communication" includes communication by telephone, computer, or other electronic device for the offense of stalking, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor or, if the second offense occurs within five years of a prior conviction for stalking, is punishable as a Class 6 felony.
Restaurants; certain facilities or programs; exemptions. Exempts certain facilities that provide custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home from regulations applicable to restaurants. This bill is identical to HB 840.
Charter; City of Virginia Beach. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach to reflect the City's transition to a city council consisting solely of single-member districts and the mayor. This bill is identical to HB 187 and contains an emergency clause.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission; extension of expiration date. Extends the expiration date of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to HB 431.
Appointment of receiver for waterworks; public waterworks. Allows the Commissioner of Health to petition the circuit court for the jurisdiction in which any public or private waterworks is located for the appointment of a receiver for such waterworks. Currently such appointment of receivership is only for private waterworks.
Holding a handheld personal communications device while driving; driver improvement clinic. Clarifies that a court may order, for a first violation of texting and driving, the satisfactory completion of a driver improvement clinic in lieu of a conviction.
Western Virginia Public Education Consortium; governance; funding; duties. Makes several changes relating to the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium (the Consortium), including (i) requiring the chair of the board of the Consortium to submit an annual executive summary only in each biennium in which the Consortium receives funding from the General Assembly, (ii) adjusting the membership of the governing board of the Consortium to (a) accurately reflect school division consolidation that occurred after the Consortium's initial establishment and (b) include each member of the House of Delegates who represents a House District that is partially or wholly located in Western Virginia and each member of the Senate of Virginia who represents a Senatorial District that is partially or wholly located in Western Virginia, and (iii) removing the requirement for the governing board of the Consortium to develop and maintain linkages with schools and school divisions in Northern Virginia to promote enhanced usage of educational technology. This bill is identical to HB 584.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; public bodies to post meeting agendas. Requires public bodies subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to post the proposed agenda on the public body's official government website, if any, prior to the meeting. The bill provides that no final action may be taken on any items added to an agenda after a meeting commences unless the matter is time-sensitive or is the subject of a closed meeting properly identified in a motion in accordance with FOIA requirements and defines "final action." This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council.
Virginia Lottery; disclosure of identity of winners. Prohibits the Virginia Lottery (the Department) from disclosing information about any individual winner and exempts such information from disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act unless the winner consents to such disclosure. Under current law, the Department is prohibited from disclosing information about any individual winner whose prize exceeds $1 million unless the winner consents to such disclosure.
Duties and responsibilities of local pretrial services officers; assessments. Requires a local pretrial services officer to conduct a risk assessment of defendants arrested on state and local warrants and who are detained in jails located in jurisdictions served by the local pretrial services agency while awaiting a hearing before any court that is considering or reconsidering bail, at initial appearance, advisement or arraignment, or at other subsequent hearings. Current law requires a local pretrial services officer to interview such defendants. The bill also provides that each local pretrial services officer may conduct defendant interviews as appropriate and when available resources permit.
Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation; National Environmental Policy Act. Authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to enter into agreements for a term of five years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as provided for in federal law, regarding state assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions and the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume certain responsibilities of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation pursuant to such agreement. Under the bill, the Commonwealth waives its immunity from civil suit in a federal court under certain circumstances. The bill contains an expiration date of five years after the date on which the first agreement is entered into. This bill is identical to HB 411.
Driver training schools; instructor identification license. Requires any instructor employed by a driver training school, when conducting behind-the-wheel training or any other training in which a student of a driver training school is driving or operating a motor vehicle, to display, or cause to be displayed, in the motor vehicle in a location that is clearly visible to the student his license authorizing him to act as a driving instructor.
Driver training schools; instructor identification license. Requires any instructor employed by a driver training school, when conducting behind-the-wheel training or any other training in which a student of a driver training school is driving or operating a motor vehicle, to display, or cause to be displayed, in the motor vehicle in a location that is clearly visible to the student his license authorizing him to act as a driving instructor.
Open captioning at motion picture theaters. Establishes requirements for open captioning for motion picture theaters. The bill requires all motion picture theater companies, excluding outdoor theaters such as drive-in theaters, that own, operate, control, or lease five or more locations in the Commonwealth and are open to the general public to provide open captioning on any film that has at least seven showings per operating week for a period greater than one operating week, provided that open captioning is available to the theater for such film as part of the digital cinema package. The bill specifies that (i) within the first two operating weeks following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least four open captioning viewings; (ii) at least one of such open captioning viewings shall start between (a) 5:59 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Friday, (b) 10:59 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, or (c) 5:59 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday; and (iii) beginning in the third operating week following a film's release, a theater shall provide at least one open captioning viewing within 72 hours after receiving a request for such a viewing provided that no theater shall be obligated to provide open captioning viewing for any particular screening for which advance tickets have been sold prior to its receipt of such request.
Under the bill, motion picture theater companies are required to provide contact information on their websites for receiving and fulfilling requests for open captioning screenings and advertise the date and time of open captioning screenings in the same manner used to advertise all other motion picture screenings and indicate which screenings shall include open captioning by utilizing the character symbol "OC" or such other language or symbols as may reasonably identify which screenings will include open captioning. The bill directs the Office of Civil Rights of the Attorney General of Virginia to establish a process for receiving consumer reports of suspected violations of the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Disability Commission. This bill is identical to HB 602.
Private activity bonds; allocation of state ceiling. Increases the housing allocation of the Virginia state ceiling on private activity bonds from 57 to 67 percent by (i) increasing the allocation to the Virginia Housing Development Authority from the current 43 percent to 50 percent and (ii) increasing the allocation to local housing authorities from the current 14 percent to 17 percent. The bill also maintains the current 18 percent for the Governor's state allocation portion and reduces the industrial development bonds for manufacturing and exempt facilities portion of the ceiling from 25 to 15 percent. This bill is identical to HB 1227.
Temporary detention; certified evaluators; sunset extended. Extends from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027, the sunset date on the current provisions of law authorizing hospitals with a psychiatric emergency department located in the City of Hampton to employ certain trained individuals to perform evaluations to determine whether a person meets the criteria for temporary detention for behavioral health treatment. The current law also requires participating hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments in the City of Hampton to submit monthly and annual reports on temporary detentions and crisis evaluations. This bill is identical to HB 1292.
State/Local Hospitalization Program; repeal. Eliminates the State/Local Hospitalization Program. Under current law, with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly, the State/Local Hospitalization Program is established to assist indigent persons with certain inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses. This bill is identical to HB 817.
Hospitals; psychiatric emergency departments. Allows hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments located in the City of Hampton to operate without a physician on duty when certain conditions are met, including having written agreements in place with emergency medical service providers and being immediately adjacent to a non-psychiatric emergency department. The bill requires such psychiatric emergency departments to submit treatment data to the General Assembly on an annual basis by November 1. This bill is identical to HB 1318.
Removal of clutter; cutting of grass; agricultural use exemption; Planning District 19. Exempts localities located in Planning District 19 from provisions that exclude agricultural land from requirements relating to the removal of clutter and cutting of grass when such land is one acre or less and located in an area that is used for a residential purpose. This bill is identical to HB 1316.
Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to HB 317.
Health insurance; prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from prohibiting an in-network provider, as defined in the bill, from referring any enrollee or specimen to any in-network clinical laboratory or in-network pathology service provider under the terms of such insurance unless such referral would constitute a violation of certain laws. This bill is identical to HB 424.
Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to display obscene material, as defined in relevant law, to a minor younger than 13 years of age with lascivious intent. Current law only prohibits the display of child pornography or a grooming video or materials to a child younger than 13 years of age by a person 18 years of age or older.
Charter; City of Norfolk. Amends the charter for the City of Norfolk to require, on any property where there is a substantial negative impact on public health, safety, and welfare, conformity with the city's zoning ordinance within a reasonable time, to be specified by ordinance, but never less than two years. This bill is identical to HB 1477.
School boards; opening of the school year; certain alternative schedules and schedule flexibility permitted. Extends from no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day to no earlier than 14 days before September 1 of each year the requirement relating to the earliest date that each school board is permitted to schedule as the first day on which students are required to attend school each year. This bill is identical to HB 1455.
Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited; certain exception for certain employees of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. Excludes from the prohibition against any officer or employee of any governmental agency of state government having a personal interest in a contract with the governmental agency of which he is an officer or employee, other than his own contract of employment, the personal interest of an employee of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in a contract between the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and a publisher or wholesaler of textbooks or other educational materials for students that accrues to him solely because he has authored or otherwise created such textbooks or materials. This bill is identical to HB 1311.
School boards; public middle and high schools; parental notification of course registration deadlines and processes required. Requires each school board to develop and implement, by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, policies requiring each public middle and high school in the school division to provide, at least 30 days prior to the course registration deadline, parental notification by email or SMS text message to the parent of each student in the public middle or high school of course enrollment deadlines and the process for requesting changes to the student's course selection.
Community Builders Pilot Program; name change; sunset repeal; statewide demonstration model site. Makes permanent and renames the Community Builders Pilot Program established within Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools as the Community Builders Program (the Program). The Community Builders Pilot Program is currently set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill also requires, with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, Roanoke City Public Schools to serve as the statewide demonstration model site for the Program for the purpose of hosting interested representatives of other school divisions to observe the Program and receive training and materials from Roanoke City Public Schools in order to facilitate the replication of the Program in such other school divisions. This bill is identical to HB 1153.
School board employee grievance procedure; timing of dispute resolution. Requires the grievance procedure for certain school board employees to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees before dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions. Current law requires such procedure to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees regarding dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions, but is silent on the timing of such dispute resolution. This bill is identical to HB 116.
Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2046, in an amount not to exceed $6 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $97,723,000 to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of solid rocket motors, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $537,570,000 and create and maintain at least 1,546 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to HB 1531.
Transformer Manufacturing Expansion Grant Fund. Establishes the Transformer Manufacturing Expansion Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2041, in an amount not to exceed $5.1 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60 million, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of electrical transformers, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $301 million and create and maintain at least 1,185 new full-time jobs.
Regulation and taxation of electronic skill gaming devices; penalties. Authorizes and specifies the registration and licensing requirements for the manufacture, distribution, operation, hosting, and playing of electronic skill gaming devices, as defined in the bill, under the regulatory authority of the Virginia Lottery. The bill imposes a 25 percent tax on all gross profits generated from the play of such electronic skill gaming devices and provides for the use of such tax proceeds after deposit in the Virginia Gaming Commerce and Development Fund, established in the bill. The bill also imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the law and regulations related to electronic skill gaming devices.
Casino gaming; eligible host localities. Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.
Time zone; permanent daylight saving time in the Commonwealth. Provides that the Commonwealth shall observe Eastern Daylight Time (Eastern Standard Time, advanced one hour) year-round upon the enactment by Congress of a law allowing states to observe Eastern Daylight Time year-round.
Emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment center or to residence of the person subject to emergency custody order. Provides that transportation provided pursuant to an emergency custody order shall include, upon completion of emergency medical evaluation or treatment, transportation to an approved treatment center or to the residence of the person subject to the emergency custody order.
Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products beginning on July 1, 2026. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue.
Constitutional amendment (first reference); personal property tax; exemption for motor vehicles owned for personal, noncommercial use. Exempts one motor vehicle used for personal, noncommercial purposes from state and local taxes. The amendment specifies that such exemption is only applicable (i) for automobiles, motorcycles, and pickup trucks and (ii) on and after the date the motor vehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whichever is later, and is not applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date of the amendment.
Study; Department of Taxation; impact of repealing the individual income tax; report. Requests the Department of Taxation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Finance, to study the impact of repealing the individual income tax. In conducting its study, the Department shall consider and assess potential reforms to the Commonwealth's tax structure which would be necessary to eliminate individual income tax liability in the Commonwealth. The Department shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and submit a report of its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly for publication as a House or Senate Document no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.
Study; JLARC; non-federal sponsor contributions to conduct legacy property managed retreat studies; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the methodology for determining the monetary contributions by localities or other non-federal sponsors to the total cost of legacy property managed retreat studies, as those terms are defined in the resolution. The study also directs JLARC to determine whether a stand-alone fund shall be established to support and manage cost-share requests from non-federal sponsors to provide relief to legacy property owners threatened by sea level rise.
Birthplace of American Cuisine Day. Designates April 27, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Birthplace of American Cuisine Day in Virginia.
Study; JLARC; public institutions of higher education; options to improve affordability for students; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study options and provide updated recommendations to improve the affordability of higher education for students in the Commonwealth.
Voter registration; regular periodic review of registration records. Requires the Department of Elections to complete, not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election, any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the voter registration system based on evidence of ineligibility, including evidence of lack of eligible residence or evidence of noncitizenship. This restriction is not to be construed to preclude (i) the removal of names from the voter registration system at the request of the registrant or as provided by existing law by reason of criminal conviction or mental incapacity or the death of the registrant if the triggering conviction, incapacity order, or death occurred within 120 days of the election or (ii) the correction of details, such as name and address, in a voter's registration record that does not result in the removal of a voter from the voter registration system. Under current law, such restriction only applies to federal primaries and federal general elections. The bill also provides a process for confirming a voter's citizenship status prior to cancellation based on a report of non-citizen status and extends (a) the period of time registrars have to cancel registrations from 30 days to 60 days after notification of the need to cancel by the Department of Elections and (b) the period of time a registered voter has to respond to a notice of cancellation related to citizenship status from 14 days to 28 days.
Budget Bill. Provides for all appropriations of the Budget submitted by the Governor of Virginia in accordance with the provisions of § 2.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia, and provides a portion of revenues for the two years ending respectively on the thirtieth day of June 2027 and the thirtieth day of June 2028.
Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Directs the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.
Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Directs the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.
Restorative housing and isolated confinement; restrictions on use. Prohibits the use of isolated confinement, defined in the bill, in state correctional facilities, subject to certain exceptions. The bill requires that before placing an incarcerated person in restorative housing or isolated confinement for his own protection, the facility administrator shall place an incarcerated person in a less-restrictive setting, including by transferring such person to another institution or to a special-purpose housing unit for incarcerated persons who face similar threats. The bill requires that if an incarcerated person is placed in restorative housing or isolated confinement, such placement shall be reviewed every two business days and the facility administrator shall ensure that the incarcerated person receives a medical and mental health evaluation from certified medical and mental health professionals within one working day of placement in restorative housing or any form of isolated confinement. The bill also requires the facility administrator to notify the regional administrator in writing that an incarcerated person was placed in restorative housing or isolated confinement within 24 hours of such placement. Finally, the bill requires that formal reviews of an incarcerated person's placement in any form of isolated confinement shall be held in such person's presence, inform him of any reasons administrative officials believe isolated confinement remains necessary, and give the incarcerated person an opportunity to respond to those reasons, and a formal ruling shall be provided to the incarcerated individual within 24 hours.
Study; JLARC; housing projects; zoning restrictions and permitting and approval processes; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study local zoning ordinances and permitting and approval processes for housing projects. The resolution additionally directs JLARC to provide recommendations to address regulations, ordinances, and processes that inhibit the approval and construction of multi-family or smaller square-footage housing projects in order to improve access to more affordable housing for residents of the Commonwealth.
Posting of building permit; identification of mechanics' lien agent. Requires a building permit issued pursuant to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to be conspicuously and continuously posted on the property for which the permit is issued until all work is completed on the property. The bill further provides that no person may claim a lien or otherwise perfect and enforce a lien if such person fails to notify any mechanics' lien agent identified on such building permit. The bill requires a person performing labor or furnishing materials on which a building permit is not posted at the time he first performs his labor or first furnishes his material or, if posted, does not state the name of the mechanics' lien agent, to determine whether a permit has been issued, the date on which it is issued, and the name of the mechanics' lien agent, if any, that has been appointed. Under current law, these specifications are limited to one or two-family dwelling units.
Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters; 16-year-olds permitted to vote. Provides that, notwithstanding the requirement that a voter shall be 18 years of age, any person who is 16 years of age or older and is otherwise qualified to vote shall be permitted to register to vote and to vote in local elections.
Winter Salt Week. Designates the week of the fourth Monday in January, in 2027 and in each succeeding year, as Winter Salt Week in Virginia.
Winter Salt Week. Designates the week of the fourth Monday in January, in 2027 and in each succeeding year, as Winter Salt Week in Virginia.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.0125 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.0125 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities.
Study; JLARC; potential effects of revising the distribution of 599 funding to distressed localities with high crime and poverty rates; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the potential effects of revising the distribution of 599 funding to distressed localities with high crime and poverty rates.
Fees for vehicles designed and used for transportation of passengers; funds returned to a locality; permitted uses. Expands the permitted use of funds returned to a locality from certain vehicle fees to include the purchase or maintenance of necessary equipment, supplies, facilities, and vehicles permitted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and other operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical services in such locality by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies. Under current law, such funds may be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for use in the locality for emergency medical services provided by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies.
Fees for vehicles designed and used for transportation of passengers; funds returned to a locality; permitted uses. Expands the permitted use of funds returned to a locality from certain vehicle fees to include the purchase or maintenance of necessary equipment, supplies, facilities, and vehicles permitted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and other operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical services in such locality by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies. Under current law, such funds may be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for use in the locality for emergency medical services provided by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Social Services; administration of medical assistance and social services programs; technology modernization; report. Directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to contract with a third-party vendor to study and create a plan for the modernization of the technological systems used to administer federal benefit programs in the Commonwealth. The bill requires DSS and DMAS to develop and submit a legislative report that includes a plan to modernize the current technological systems to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by December 1, 2026, and to use the recommendations and plan outlined in such legislative report to move forward with the procurement process.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Department of Social Services; administration of medical assistance and social services programs; technology modernization; report. Directs the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to contract with a third-party vendor to study and create a plan for the modernization of the technological systems used to administer federal benefit programs in the Commonwealth. The bill requires DSS and DMAS to develop and submit a legislative report that includes a plan to modernize the current technological systems to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by December 1, 2026, and to use the recommendations and plan outlined in such legislative report to move forward with the procurement process.
Local taxation of real property; effect on rate when assessment results in tax increase; consideration of inflation. Provides that, in determining a locality's total real property tax levies for purposes of determining the rate of levy that the locality shall impose upon such properties in order to produce no more than 101 percent of the previous year's real property tax levies, such real property assessed value shall be reduced by the greater of (i) the change in the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the U.S. Department of Labor, since the fiscal year of the last assessment or (ii) zero.
Absentee voting in person; voter satellite offices; days and hours of operation. Authorizes the governing body of any county or city establishing voter satellite offices for absentee voting in person to prescribe, by ordinance, the dates and hours of operation for such offices. The bill requires the governing body to provide notice to the general registrar of the county or city at least two weeks prior to the enactment of any such ordinance.
Christian Heritage Week. Designates April 24 to April 30, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Christian Heritage Week in Virginia.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; duties of landlord; mold remediation; civil penalty. Provides that a tenant, authorized occupant, or guest or invitee of a tenant or authorized occupant may bring a personal injury or wrongful death action for exposure to mold arising from the condition within the interior of a dwelling unit or for any property damage claims arising out of the landlord-tenant relationship to recover (i) compensatory damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and injury to personal property; (ii) punitive damages; and (iii) reasonable attorney fees and costs, if the mold is caused solely by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the landlord or managing agent. The bill also mandates a landlord to require a tenant to temporarily vacate the dwelling unit in order for the landlord to perform mold remediation in accordance with professional standards if it has been determined by a physician or other qualified medical professional and certified by a written medical statement that the mold condition in the dwelling unit materially affects the health or safety of the tenant or any authorized occupant.
Civilian deaths in custody; failure to comply with annual report; funding for local and regional adult correctional facilities. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to notify the Office of the Governor if any local or regional correctional facility fails to send reports with information required by law regarding civilian deaths in custody within 10 days. If such facility fails to comply within 10 days, the bill allows the Governor discretion to direct the Comptroller to withhold all further payment to such facility of all funds, or of any part of them, appropriated and payable by the Commonwealth to such facility, for any and all purposes, until such correctional facility complies.
Civilian deaths in custody; failure to comply with annual report; funding for local and regional adult correctional facilities. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to notify the Office of the Governor if any local or regional correctional facility fails to send reports with information required by law regarding civilian deaths in custody within 10 days. If such facility fails to comply within 10 days, the bill allows the Governor discretion to direct the Comptroller to withhold all further payment to such facility of all funds, or of any part of them, appropriated and payable by the Commonwealth to such facility, for any and all purposes, until such correctional facility complies.
State agencies; amendment of regulations pertaining to the maximum temperature at which certain rooms may be kept. Directs the Department of Social Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health, and the Department of Corrections to amend their regulations to provide that the maximum temperature at which certain rooms in facilities regulated by such agencies may be kept shall be no more than 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Virginia Information Technologies Agency; powers of the CIO; creation of Cyber Civilian Corps. Allows the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) to select persons to serve as Virginia Cyber Civilian Corp (the Corps) volunteers and Corps advisors and deploy such volunteers to provide rapid response assistance under the direction of VITA upon request of a client affected by a cybersecurity incident, defined in the bill. The bill also establishes an advisory board within VITA to review and make recommendations regarding the creation and administration of the Corps. The bill instructs the Chief Information Officer to consult with the advisory board in decisions related to deployment of the Corps during cybersecurity incidents.
State Council of Higher Education; Virginia-specific postsecondary transition counselor certificate program; development and establishment. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to collaborate with the Council for Exceptional Children and its Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) and each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth that has an education preparation program to develop and establish a Virginia-specific postsecondary transition counselor certificate program that is equivalent in rigor and quality to the National Certification in Transition Services offered by DCDT in order to facilitate the establishment of postsecondary transition counselor certificate programs at such institutions that would qualify for program approval by DCDT.
Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; annual report. Establishes in Standard of Quality 2 the At-Risk Program and a state-supported add-on for special education students and requires corresponding formulas for the funding of such initiatives to be established in the general appropriation act. The bill also requires the Department of Education to report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health the total and per pupil annual operating expenditures from local, state, and federal sources in each school division and the change in expenditures from each such source over the immediately preceding two-year, three-year, and five-year timeframes, expressed in both dollar amounts and percentages.
School breakfast; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill clarifies that the provision of a breakfast by a school to a student at no cost to the student shall not be construed as creating a disincentive for the school or local school division to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision program. Additionally, the bill provides that schools shall maximize the number of students who participate in the school breakfast program by implementing one or more suggested service models to increase access to such program. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each eligible school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one reimbursable breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger.
State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report. Directs the Department of Energy (the Department) and the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. The bill requires the Department and the Commission to complete their analysis and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than July 1, 2027.
Surveillance pricing; prohibited; civil penalties. Prohibits the use of surveillance pricing in connection with a consumer transaction. The bill defines "surveillance pricing" as the selling or offering for sale of a good or service at a customized price for a specific consumer or group of consumers that is based, in whole or in part, on personal data that is collected through electronic surveillance technology, regardless of whether the seller collected or purchased the personal data. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings in jurisdictions having a public defender office, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused and (ii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing. The bill also allows a jurisdiction that does not have a public defender office establish to implement such provisions. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definitions; federally recognized tribes. Provides that a federally recognized tribe, as defined in the bill, can be a conservation easement holder and that such a tribe is not bound by the same restrictions on the location of a principal office or the duration of existence that are placed on other types of easement holders. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing. Requires the Department of General Services to determine whether, following an offer of surplus property to the chief administrative officer of the locality within which the surplus property is located, as well as to any economic development entity for such locality, such surplus property is suitable for the development of affordable housing, as defined by the bill. If the Department so determines, the bill provides that such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to eligible organizations, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of developing affordable housing, provided that the terms of the disposition include a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years.
The bill also requires the chief administrative officer of each locality to prepare and maintain an inventory of all real property within its jurisdiction to which the locality holds fee simple title and that the locality has determined to be feasible for the development of affordable and middle-income housing. If the governing body of a locality chooses to dispose of such a property, such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to public or private entities, for the purpose of developing affordable and middle-income housing, through purchase, lease, exchange, or donation in return for a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years.
Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; misdemeanors; exceptions; retaining counsel. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for the accused to retain private counsel or have counsel appointed to him pursuant to relevant law. The bill requires the court to conduct, not more than 30 days apart, reviews of the accused's attorney status and provides that such tolling shall end when the accused has either retained counsel or had counsel appointed to him and such counsel has entered an appearance in the case or the accused executes a valid waiver of counsel. Lastly, the bill provides that such provisions shall not be construed as ending the tolling of speedy trial for any other reason pursuant to relevant law.
Official emblems and designations; state grass; little bluestem. Designates little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) as the official state grass.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; proceedings for enforcement; petition for mandamus or injunction. Specifies that service of process or a summons for a hearing shall not be required when a petition for mandamus or injunction to enforce rights granted under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act has been filed.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; proceedings for enforcement; petition for mandamus or injunction. Specifies that service of process or a summons for a hearing shall not be required when a petition for mandamus or injunction to enforce rights granted under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act has been filed.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; officers, employees, or members of a public body; alleged willful and knowing violations; mitigating factors to be considered. Specifies that civil penalties may only be imposed on officers, employees, or members of a public body in actions brought against them in their individual capacity for certain violations of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill further requires a court, when determining whether an officer, an employee, or a member of a public body has committed certain violations of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act willfully and knowingly, to consider certain mitigating factors, including good faith reliance on (i) opinions of the Attorney General; (ii) court cases substantially supporting such officer's, employee's, or member's actions; (iii) advisory opinions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council; and (iv) advice of counsel for the public body, as evidence that such officer, employee, or member did not willfully and knowingly commit such violation. Current law provides any officer, employee, or member of a public body the right to introduce at any proceeding regarding such willful and knowing violation a copy of a relevant advisory opinion issued by the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; officers, employees, or members of a public body; alleged willful and knowing violations; mitigating factors to be considered. Specifies that civil penalties may only be imposed on officers, employees, or members of a public body in actions brought against them in their individual capacity for certain violations of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill further requires a court, when determining whether an officer, an employee, or a member of a public body has committed certain violations of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act willfully and knowingly, to consider certain mitigating factors, including good faith reliance on (i) opinions of the Attorney General; (ii) court cases substantially supporting such officer's, employee's, or member's actions; (iii) advisory opinions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council; and (iv) advice of counsel for the public body, as evidence that such officer, employee, or member did not willfully and knowingly commit such violation. Current law provides any officer, employee, or member of a public body the right to introduce at any proceeding regarding such willful and knowing violation a copy of a relevant advisory opinion issued by the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Public campaign financing; counties and cities may establish for certain offices. Authorizes the governing body of a county or city to establish by ordinance a system of public campaign financing for elected local offices. The bill specifies certain requirements for a system of public campaign financing established by a governing body, including the provision of a public election fund to be administered by the treasurer of the county or city. A system of public campaign financing established by a county or city is permitted to more stringently regulate the campaign finance activity of participating candidates and shall be subject to regulation and oversight by the State Board of Elections to ensure its conformity with state law and policy to the extent practicable.
Noise ordinances; industrial property; civil penalties. Removes the exemption for noise generated in connection with the business being performed on industrial property from being subject to civil penalties for violations of local noise ordinances.
Real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty. Authorizes localities by ordinance to provide a total exemption from real property taxes regardless of assessed value beginning in taxable year 2026 for surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty. Under current law, a total exemption is only allowed for such surviving spouses for those dwellings in the locality with assessed values in the most recently ended tax year that are not in excess of the average assessed value for such year of a dwelling situated on property that is zoned as single family residential.
Real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty. Authorizes localities by ordinance to provide a total exemption from real property taxes regardless of assessed value beginning in taxable year 2026 for surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty. Under current law, a total exemption is only allowed for such surviving spouses for those dwellings in the locality with assessed values in the most recently ended tax year that are not in excess of the average assessed value for such year of a dwelling situated on property that is zoned as single family residential.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000. The bill defines first-time home buyer, and includes that term in the definition of qualified beneficiary.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000. The bill defines first-time home buyer, and includes that term in the definition of qualified beneficiary.
Certain student assessment requirements; calculation of final course grade; repeal. Repeals a provision of law that requires the score of any student in grades seven through 12 on any Standards of Learning assessment or permissive local alternative assessment to account for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in the relevant course. The bill contains a reenactment clause.
General district courts; jurisdictional limits; motor vehicle accidents. Provides that general district courts of the Commonwealth shall have jurisdiction over actions for bodily injury to or death of a person caused by a motor vehicle accident for an amount in controversy not to exceed $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs, and any prior settlement made pursuant to a motor vehicle owner's insurance policy.
Board of zoning appeals; appellate jurisdiction upon appeal from the circuit court. Provides that appeals lie directly to the Supreme Court of Virginia from any final decision of a circuit court on appeal from a board of zoning appeals.
Middle Eastern and North African Advisory Board established. Establishes the Middle Eastern and North African Advisory Board in the executive branch for the purpose of advising the Governor on ways to develop economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmental links between the Commonwealth and the Middle Eastern and North African community in Virginia. The bill provides for the expiration of the advisory board on June 30, 2029.
Kei vehicles; operation and requirements. Prohibits kei vehicles, as defined in the bill, from being operated on any limited access highway, interstate highway, or highway with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour or more. The bill provides for the licensing and registration of kei vehicles by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill prohibits localities from placing certain restrictions on kei vehicles and prohibits the imposition of liability for motor vehicle dealers for any damages that are directly or indirectly attributable to the sale of a kei vehicle that was not manufactured in accordance with federal safety standards. The bill directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to develop and adopt emissions inspection standards for kei vehicles and directs the Superintendent of State Police to promulgate any regulations necessary for conducting safety inspections of kei vehicles.
Elections; districts, precincts, and polling places; super precincts; pilot program. Authorizes the State Board of Elections to conduct a pilot program under which one or more counties or cities with a population of more than 350,000 and less than 400,000 in the most recent United States census whose proposal for participation in such pilot program is unanimously approved by the State Board would be permitted to use super precincts in elections. The bill requires the governing body of a county or city applying to participate in the pilot program to submit a plan for participation that includes (i) the number of super precincts to be established in the county or city and the boundaries of each such super precinct, (ii) the number of vote centers to be established in each super precinct and the location of each such vote center, (iii) the elections during which such super precincts and vote centers are to be used, and (iv) a description of the process for operating such vote centers on election day, including how voters will be checked in, how ballots will be provided, how votes will be counted, and any additional voting systems that will be used to ensure the integrity of the election. The bill defines "super precinct" as the territory established by a county or city and approved by the State Board pursuant to the pilot program, to be served by one or more vote centers, and "vote center" as the structure that contains a place provided for a super precinct at which the qualified voters who are residents of the super precinct may vote in an election. The bill contains minimum criteria for any proposal for participation in the pilot program. The bill requires the State Board report on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program by December 1 of any year in which one or more localities participate in the pilot program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.
Admission to bail; fixing terms of bail; mental health considerations. Requires the judicial officer, prior to conducting any hearing on the issue of bail, release, or detention, to obtain the person's criminal history and any emergency custody or temporary detention order or involuntary admission issued for such person. The bill also requires the judicial officer to consider any emergency custody or temporary detention order or involuntary admission issued for the person when determining admission to bail. Lastly, the bill requires the judicial officer to take into account the following factors in fixing the terms of bail if such person is admitted to bail: (i) whether the person is likely to obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice, or threaten, injure, or intimidate, or attempt to threaten, injure, or intimidate a family or household member as defined in relevant law; (ii) the history of the accused or juvenile, including medical, mental health, including any emergency custody or temporary detention order or involuntary admission issued pursuant to relevant law, or substance abuse treatment; (iii) any evidence the person provided indicating that such person (a) is currently pregnant, (b) has recently given birth, or (c) is currently nursing a child; and (iv) whether such person will be an unreasonable danger to himself, family or household members as defined in relevant law, or the public.
Corporate welfare tax. Imposes on large employers, as defined in the bill, a corporate welfare tax equal to 100 percent of the qualified employee benefits received by any employees of such large employer residing in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department of Taxation to obtain identifying data for individuals receiving qualified federal benefits, as defined by the bill, from the Department of Social Services pursuant to an interagency agreement and to compare such data to employment rosters received quarterly from large employers to determine the amount of qualified federal benefits received by employees of such large employers. The bill also prohibits an employer, in connection with the selection or referral of applicants or candidates for employment, to make inquiries or otherwise seek information relating to whether such applicant receives qualified federal benefits.
Robbery. Conforms certain provisions of the Code referencing robbery to the degrees of robbery offenses established by Chapter 534 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I. These changes include: (i) limiting to the three higher degrees of robbery certain non-robbery crimes for which committing such crime with the intent to commit a robbery is an element of the offenses, (ii) limiting the types of robbery that are included in the definition of "acts of violence" to the two higher degrees of robbery, (iii) clarifying how robbery offenses will be scored on the sentencing guidelines, (iv) allowing persons convicted of the two lesser degrees of robbery to be eligible for conditional release if they are terminally ill and for enhanced earned sentence credits, (v) allowing persons who are ineligible for parole as a result of being convicted of three of certain enumerated offenses to be eligible for parole if convicted of an offense that would constitute robbery by presenting of firearms, and (vi) limiting the application of the three-strikes law to the two higher degrees of robbery and making persons convicted under the three-strikes law eligible for parole if one of the three convictions resulting in the mandatory life sentence would constitute one of the two lesser degrees of robbery. The bill leaves unchanged the current law making all degrees of robbery predicate criminal acts by adding the two lesser degrees of robbery to the definition of "predicate criminal act" and specifying that the two higher degrees of robbery are included in the definition of "act of violence." The bill requires the changes made to the eligibility for conditional release of terminally ill prisoners and enhanced earned sentence credits to apply retroactively if certain criteria are met.
Assault and battery; serious bodily injury; penalty. Creates a Class 6 felony for any person who commits an assault and battery that results in serious bodily injury, as defined in relevant law, but does not rise to the level of the current offenses of unlawful or malicious wounding. The bill adds such new offense to the list of violent felony offenses for the purposes of the discretionary sentencing guidelines.
Prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work by public service companies. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to determine and make available the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, each public service company shall ensure that its bid specifications or other contracts applicable to underground infrastructure work require payment at the prevailing wage rate. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. The bill also requires each contractor or subcontractor subject to the provisions of the bill to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements. The provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2027.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; employment of certified school library specialists. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ in the Department of Education at least one certified school library specialist who shall have several duties enumerated in the bill, including (i) providing leadership and technical assistance with the implementation and use of information literacy skills to school divisions, Department staff, and other stakeholders to support student achievement; (ii) directing the implementation of state and national school library standards and consulting with and providing technical assistance to local school divisions relating to such standards; (iii) collaborating on various grants and other initiatives that promote student literacy through school library programs throughout the Commonwealth; (iv) supporting student learning through instructional programs in which students are required to demonstrate information literacy, digital literacy and fluency, and effective use of technology and instructional programs that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math learning; and (v) providing the Department, the Board of Education, the General Assembly, and school boards with support relating to student learning through the use of school library standards and library resources.
Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection; deferred payment agreement. Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.
The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charges for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the period of limitations for payment of such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties shall start to run on the due date for such deferred payment agreement.
The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Motorized mobility vehicles; civil penalties. Establishes a new class of vehicle, the motorized mobility vehicle, as defined in the bill, and establishes requirements for the sale, operation, registration, and titling of such vehicles. The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish regulations governing motorized mobility vehicle safety training courses and to implement an educational outreach program to inform the public about the requirements of the bill. The bill, other than the educational outreach program, has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Virginia Gaming Commission established; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Gaming Commission as an independent agency of the Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government, to oversee and regulate all forms of legal gambling in the Commonwealth except for the state lottery. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the appointment of a Commissioner and Virginia Gaming Commission Board members, provides powers and duties of such Commissioner and Board members, and provides for the transfer of current employees of relevant state agencies to the Commission. The bill contains numerous technical amendments.
Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent, and states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year. The bill requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality adopting an anti-rent gouging ordinance to establish an anti-rent gouging board to establish rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance or delegate such duties and functions to an existing local board, department, or agency. The bill also requires the anti-rent gouging board to establish a fair return on investment rent increase exemption to the annual anti-rent gouging allowance where necessary to offset increased operating expenses. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.
Malicious bodily injury to correctional officers; penalties. Provides that if any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means, including the means set out in existing law, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a correctional officer, as defined in relevant law, engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, such person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to existing law, a fine of not more than $100,000; upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.
The bill also provides that if any person unlawfully, but not maliciously, with the intent aforesaid, causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know such other person is a correctional officer engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, he is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.
Assisted living facilities; resident referral agencies; required disclosures; referral fee limitations; civil penalty. Sets forth requirements for resident referral agencies, defined in the bill as any individual or entity that receives compensation from an assisted living facility, a third party, or a prospective resident for providing resident referrals to an assisted living facility, including required disclosures, referral fee limitations, enforcement, and civil penalties. The bill provides that assisted living facilities and residents are not obligated to participate with any resident referral agency and specifies that residents may opt out at any time in writing. The bill also specifies the minimum services a resident referral agency must provide before becoming eligible to receive a referral fee.
Assisted living facilities; resident referral agencies; required disclosures; referral fee limitations; civil penalty. Sets forth requirements for resident referral agencies, defined in the bill as any individual or entity that receives compensation from an assisted living facility, a third party, or a prospective resident for providing resident referrals to an assisted living facility, including required disclosures, referral fee limitations, enforcement, and civil penalties. The bill provides that assisted living facilities and residents are not obligated to participate with any resident referral agency and specifies that residents may opt out at any time in writing. The bill also specifies the minimum services a resident referral agency must provide before becoming eligible to receive a referral fee.
Expiration of cooperative agreements; period of oversight by Commissioner of Health; transfer of records. Establishes that cooperative agreements approved pursuant to the recommendation of the Southwest Virginia Health Authority shall automatically expire on June 30, 2028. The bill directs the Department of Health to transfer all records related to the approval and supervision of any cooperative agreement to the Commissioner of Health within 60 days of such expiration, establishes a five-year supervision period after such expiration during which the Commissioner supervises any managed care pricing restrictions in effect at the time of expiration pursuant to an agreement, and requires the Commissioner to report annually the status of its supervision to the Attorney General. The bill directs the Department of Health to repeal the provisions of 12VAC5-221 of the Virginia Administrative Code upon the expiration of cooperative agreements pursuant to the bill.
All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; operation in the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority. Expands the authorized operation of all-terrain vehicles to include (i) operation on highways in all localities embraced by the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority, in addition to Buchanan County and Tazewell County, which are already authorized under current law, provided that certain conditions are met, and (ii) operation on public highways or other public property by employees of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority conducting official business. The bill also authorizes any locality embraced by the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority to provide for the lawful seizure, impounding, and disposition of an unlawfully operated all-terrain vehicle or off-road motorcycle operated on a highway or sidewalk within the boundaries of such locality.
Board of Housing and Community Development; Uniform Statewide Building Code; homeowners who live off grid. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code to exempt any homeowner who lives off the electrical grid from complying with provisions of the Building Code regarding electrical systems, so long as his home is otherwise habitable pursuant to Building Code regulations.
Board of Housing and Community Development; Uniform Statewide Building Code; homeowners who live off grid. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code to exempt any homeowner who lives off the electrical grid from complying with provisions of the Building Code regarding electrical systems, so long as his home is otherwise habitable pursuant to Building Code regulations.
Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities; (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill; or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land. The bill provides that a private developer may apply for a grant in an amount equal to 70 percent of the private developer's non-utility costs for the installation of such public electric vehicle charging stations. The awarding of a grant under the Program is conditional upon an agreement with the applicant that any cost of a project not funded by a grant awarded by the Program be funded by non-federal funds. The bill directs the Department of Energy to establish guidelines for the administration of the Program, including guidelines related to the application for and award of grants. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.
Disposition of Fort Whitworth. Authorizes the Governor to convey Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation. The conveyance shall be made without consideration and in as-is condition.
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.
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.
Employee protections; wage and hour, health and safety, and mining safety provisions; federal rules. Requires that, if a federal wage or hour law, federal occupational health and safety law, or federal mine safety law is repealed, revoked, amended, or reinterpreted in any manner that results in the federal protections becoming less stringent or effective, the Commissioner, the Safety and Health Codes Board, or the Department of Energy, respectively, shall promulgate regulations that incorporate the federal law as it existed prior to being repealed, revoked, amended, or newly interpreted.
Department of Emergency Management; emergency services and disaster preparedness programs; inclusion of federally recognized tribes. Requires the Department of Emergency Management to administer certain emergency services in coordination with federally recognized tribes that the Department has entered into a contract or memorandum of understanding with for assistance regarding such emergency services. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Department of Emergency Management; emergency services and disaster preparedness programs; inclusion of federally recognized tribes. Requires the Department of Emergency Management to administer certain emergency services in coordination with federally recognized tribes that the Department has entered into a contract or memorandum of understanding with for assistance regarding such emergency services. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services; powers and duties; online portal. Requires the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services to develop and maintain an online portal to connect veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, and Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves who qualify for veteran status, and their immediate family members, to available resources, programs, and services in the Commonwealth and provide a means to submit electronic applications for such resources, programs, and services. The bill requires the online portal to collect, maintain, use, disseminate, and safeguard personal information in compliance with state and federal law.
Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services; powers and duties; online portal. Requires the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services to develop and maintain an online portal to connect veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, and Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves who qualify for veteran status, and their immediate family members, to available resources, programs, and services in the Commonwealth and provide a means to submit electronic applications for such resources, programs, and services. The bill requires the online portal to collect, maintain, use, disseminate, and safeguard personal information in compliance with state and federal law.
Use of public funds for private elementary or secondary school tuition; standards. Establishes several requirements and conditions relating to the use of certain public funds enumerated in the bill to fund student tuition at private elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including (i) requiring all students enrolled at schools who receive such funds to take Standards of Learning assessments; (ii) requiring all such schools to receive accountability ratings from the Board of Education; and (iii) prohibiting such schools from discriminating in admissions, enrollment, discipline, retention, or access to educational programs and services on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, special education status, language proficiency, or socioeconomic status.
Public elementary and secondary student textbooks; print as primary curriculum basis. Requires, unless otherwise indicated in a student's individualized education program, print textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials to serve as the primary curriculum basis for a grade-level subject or course but permits digital textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials to serve as the secondary curriculum basis for a grade-level subject or course.
Small claims court; jurisdictional limit. Allows a plaintiff to file a small claims civil warrant when the amount claimed does not exceed $25,000, exclusive of interest, up to two times in the Commonwealth in a calendar year. Under current law, the small claims court has jurisdiction when the amount claimed does not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest.
Definitions; American Indians; Virginia recognized tribes; federally recognized tribes; sovereignty. Provides that the Commonwealth acknowledges the inherent sovereignty of federally recognized tribes within the present-day external boundaries of the Commonwealth. The bill also establishes definitions for "American Indian," "federally recognized tribe," and "Virginia recognized tribe" and amends various sections throughout the Code for the purpose of uniformity in terminology. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Definitions; American Indians; Virginia recognized tribes; federally recognized tribes; sovereignty. Provides that the Commonwealth acknowledges the inherent sovereignty of federally recognized tribes within the present-day external boundaries of the Commonwealth. The bill also establishes definitions for "American Indian," "federally recognized tribe," and "Virginia recognized tribe" and amends various sections throughout the Code for the purpose of uniformity in terminology. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Local authority on requiring water consumption in zoning ordinance; industrial and commercial facilities. Authorizes a locality to include in its zoning ordinance provisions for (i) requiring proposed industrial and commercial facilities to submit water consumption estimates and (ii) considering water consumption from public resources when making rezoning and special use permit decisions related to such facilities.
Earned income tax credit. Removes the sunset from and makes permanent the increase in Virginia's refundable earned income tax credit from 15 percent to 20 percent of the allowable federal earned income tax credit. Under current law, the Virginia refundable earned income tax credit expires in taxable year 2027, and Virginia's nonrefundable earned income tax credit, which has no expiration date, is equal to 20 percent of the federal credit.
Uniform Statewide Building Code; amendments; energy efficiency and conservation. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to adopt amendments to the Uniform Statewide Building Code within 18 months of publication of a new version of the International Code Council's International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to incorporate the latest IECC standards related to energy efficiency and conservation. The bill requires the Board to adopt Building Code standards that are at least as stringent as those contained in the new version of the IECC.
School board chairmen and vice-chairmen; additional annual salary; amount. Permits any school board to pay (i) the chairman of the school board an additional annual salary not exceeding 30 percent of the base annual salary or $3,500, whichever is greater, and (ii) the vice-chairman of the school board an additional annual salary not exceeding 15 percent of the base annual salary or $1,750, whichever is greater. Current law caps school board chairmen's additional annual salary at $2,000 and is silent on additional annual salary amounts for school board vice-chairmen.
Marine Resources Commission; fisheries climate adaptation plan; report. Directs the Marine Resources Commission, in collaboration with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, to develop and maintain a fisheries climate adaptation plan that utilizes the best available science to consider climate-driven impacts to Virginia fisheries and aquaculture and identify adaptive management strategies and research needs necessary to safeguard the economic and environmental health of Virginia fisheries. The Commission is directed to convene a technical advisory committee of relevant stakeholders to aid in the development of such plan, to update the plan at least once every three years, and to submit a report detailing the plan to relevant executive agency personnel and committees of the General Assembly by December 1, 2026, for the initial plan and December 1 in any year in which the plan is updated.
Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund established. Creates the Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund to award grants to localities for costs incurred in providing certain cancer detection tests to firefighters. The bill provides that in any year that the amount of funds in the Firefighters Cancer Screening Fund reduces to zero and the Fund does not receive a separate appropriation, the Grant Program and Fund shall expire.
Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund established. Creates the Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund to award grants to localities for costs incurred in providing certain cancer detection tests to firefighters. The bill provides that in any year that the amount of funds in the Firefighters Cancer Screening Fund reduces to zero and the Fund does not receive a separate appropriation, the Grant Program and Fund shall expire.
Workers' compensation; disability of law-enforcement officer; spousal wage replacement; report. Requires the employer of a law-enforcement officer who sustains a line of duty injury, as defined in the bill, to pay or cause to be paid to the spouse of such law-enforcement officer 66 percent of such spouse's average weekly wage during the previous three years, up to 80 percent of the average weekly wage of the Commonwealth, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill directs the Workers' Compensation Commission to establish an application review process for claims for spousal wage replacement pursuant to the bill's provisions by January 1, 2027. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Official emblems and designations; state fruit; pawpaw. Designates the pawpaw fruit (Asimina triloba) as the official state fruit.
Approval of land use applications; residential development. Requires every locality to take final action to approve, approve with conditions, or deny any land use application for the rezoning or development of property that includes residential development within 12 months from the date of submission of such application to the locality.
Public utilities; reopening rate case in certain instances. Provides that if an application is filed with the State Corporation Commission for approval of the acquisition or disposition of control involving a public utility and such application is filed within 24 months after the entry of a final order in a rate increase proceeding, the Commission may, on its own initiative or upon petition of any interested person, reopen such rate increase proceeding.
Eminent domain; condemnation of public waterworks systems; determination of lost profits. Requires the body determining just compensation in a condemnation proceeding initiated by a locality for the taking of a waterworks system to consider in its determination of lost profits the difference between the rates, fees, and charges for water service provided by (i) the condemning locality or authority and (ii) the owner on the date of valuation. The bill requires, upon the petition of any party or upon the request of the court, that such determination of lost profits be commensurately reduced to the extent that the body determining just compensation and the court find to be just and reasonable.
High school graduation requirements; alternative pathway to standard diploma established; report. Requires the Board of Education to (i) establish pursuant to regulation an alternative pathway to the standard diploma for any student with a disability whose individualized education program indicates that the student demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the standard diploma but requires significant instructional, course sequencing, or assessment accommodations or modifications in order to do so and (ii) take all steps necessary to ensure that such pathway and the Applied Studies diploma are, to the maximum extent practicable, treated as a standard diploma for the purpose of eligibility for enrollment at an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, eligibility for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and federal financial aid programs, consideration for military service enlistment opportunities, and consideration for state employment opportunities that require a standard diploma. The bill requires the Department of Education to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the implementation of such alternative pathway to the standard diploma, including the number of students utilizing such alternative pathway and the postsecondary outcomes of such students.
Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; reform. Increases from seven to 12 the number of members of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission (the Commission) by adding two additional attorney members, an additional active judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and two additional citizen members. The bill provides that such attorney members be chosen by members of the General Assembly from recommendations provided by the Council of the Virginia State Bar, the Board of Directors for the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, and the Board of Directors for the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and reduces the required years of practice for such lawyer members from 15 to eight. The bill establishes an initial and subsequent annual training requirement for each member and any newly hired counsel for the Commission. Additionally, the bill requires the Commission to adopt and implement a conflict of interest policy.
The bill clarifies appointment powers of the Governor in any case where a member of the Commission or staff for the Commission is disqualified from or voluntarily recuses himself from participation in a proceeding. Further, the bill requires the Commission to adopt, the Committees for Courts of Justice to approve, and the Commission to make publicly available a Code of Conduct for all Commission members and Commission staff. The bill provides that the Commission shall make all reasonable efforts to contact any witnesses specified in complaints alleging judicial misconduct to assist the Commission. Further, the bill clarifies that the Commission may investigate any complaints within their purview arising out of matters that are pending or on appeal, and that the Commission shall not dismiss such complaints solely on the basis that the matter from which such complaint arose is pending or on appeal. The bill requires the Commission to make publicly available a publication specifying all possible sanctions, informal disciplinary actions, and supervision agreements the Commission may impose on a judge who is the subject of a complaint and provides an option for requiring the mandatory recusal of such judge in certain instances. The bill prohibits the Attorney General from acting as counsel in any proceeding where the Attorney General was involved in a case, either at trial or on appeal, where a complaint of judicial misconduct arose from such case, and provides that the Conflict of Interest policy the Commission adopts shall govern the Attorney General.
The bill removes provisions of confidentiality for a complainant that currently bars a complainant from discussing or sharing privileged information regarding any filed complaint and permits such complainant to discuss publicly the filing of a complaint and any associated events relating to the complaint. The bill clarifies notice requirements to the complainant by the Commission. Finally, the bill permits the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to provide the annual judicial performance evaluations for all judges subject to evaluation to the Commission, and such evaluations shall remain confidential.
Contesting local governing body or board of zoning appeals land use decisions; third-party standing requirements. Creates standing for any person who does not have an ownership interest in the property that is the direct subject of a local governing body or board of zoning appeals action if such person has alleged with particularity and proven by clear and convincing evidence that he (i) has an immediate, pecuniary, and substantial interest in the litigation, and not a remote or indirect interest; (ii) owns or occupies real property within or in close proximity to the property that is the subject of the land use determination; and (iii) has suffered (a) a particularized harm to a personal or property right, legal or equitable, or (b) an imposition of a burden or obligation different from that suffered by the general public. The bill clarifies that such standing requirements do not apply to any person who has an ownership interest in the property that is the direct subject of the decision of the local governing body or the board of zoning appeals.
Land records; certain financing statements; recording and indexing fees. Sets forth the fees that a clerk of the circuit court shall charge for recording and indexing a multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage, described in the bill as a deed of trust or mortgage, whether or not commercial, that serves multiple purposes and contains two or more components that may serve as independent legal instruments for independent legal purposes. The bill provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for such multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties.
Land records; certain financing statements; recording and indexing fees. Sets forth the fees that a clerk of the circuit court shall charge for recording and indexing a multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage, described in the bill as a deed of trust or mortgage, whether or not commercial, that serves multiple purposes and contains two or more components that may serve as independent legal instruments for independent legal purposes. The bill provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for such multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definitions; meetings; quorum and electronic communication. Amends the definition of "meeting" for purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act such that any assemblage of a quorum of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. Under current law, as many as three members or a quorum, if less than three, of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. The bill additionally authorizes members of a public body participating through electronic communication in a meeting in which other members are participating in person to count toward the quorum as if the individual were physically present, should such member's physical absence be due to an approved cause of absence.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definitions; meetings; quorum and electronic communication. Amends the definition of "meeting" for purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act such that any assemblage of a quorum of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. Under current law, as many as three members or a quorum, if less than three, of the constituent membership of a public body constitutes a meeting. The bill additionally authorizes members of a public body participating through electronic communication in a meeting in which other members are participating in person to count toward the quorum as if the individual were physically present, should such member's physical absence be due to an approved cause of absence.
Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of director; accessory dwelling unit construction guide. Requires the director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop an accessory dwelling unit construction guide that provides (i) an overview of the accessory dwelling unit construction process; (ii) a review of ordinances, permits, fees, programs, and incentives related to accessory dwelling unit development by locality; and (iii) a catalog of model accessory dwelling unit designs suitable for various local restraints. Such guide shall be updated at least every five years.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services; employer of record. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery and designate another individual to perform all or a portion of the duties of the EOR on the individual's behalf when the individual receiving services is unable to perform such duties or direct his own care. The bill specifies that when an individual (i) has not yet reached the age of majority, (ii) is ineligible to use his existing employer identification number (EIN) to facilitate the taxation of benefits, or (iii) is otherwise determined to be ineligible by DMAS by administrative rule, the EIN shall be assigned to the individual receiving services and shall not be transferred to another individual. Under the bill, DMAS has the authority to limit such amendments to specify that an individual receiving services may make such designation no more than twice per calendar year.
Children's Cabinet established; report. Establishes the Children's Cabinet to advise the Governor on matters pertaining to children in the Commonwealth and ways to improve their health, safety, and well-being.
State-owned bottomlands; Marine Resources Commission; conveyance of certain easements to City of Norfolk; Coastal Storm Risk Management Program. Allows the Marine Resources Commission to convey to the City of Norfolk, in locations acceptable to the Commission, permanent easement interests, temporary construction easements, and fee simple interests in subaqueous land that are necessary for the City’s Phase I drawings, defined in the bill, pursuant to quitclaims. The bill also allows the Commission to quitclaim to the City any interest that the Commonwealth may have in and to the property known as Newton Canal, a/k/a Mahone's Canal, a/k/a Brambleton Canal, which property is located within the boundaries of City of Norfolk GPIN 1437339770.
Elections; absentee voting; accessibility; ballots received, marked, and cast electronically through the internet. Requires the Department of Elections to make available to all localities a tool to allow a voter with a visual impairment or print disability or a covered voter to receive, mark, and return his absentee ballot electronically through the internet. The bill makes the tool available through the internet in lieu of other currently available assistive technologies.
School boards; mental health awareness training; full-time school bus drivers. Permits any school board to require each school bus driver employed on a full-time basis in the local school division to complete mental health awareness training at least once. The bill requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to consider condensing and abbreviating the existing mental health first aid training program into a two-hour module that any school board may utilize in order to train full-time school bus drivers.
Department of Conservation and Recreation; acquisition of property to establish a state park; Loudoun County. Allows the Department of Conservation and Recreation to acquire from the Conservation Fund approximately 1,240 acres of real property and any buildings or structures thereon between Little River Turnpike, James Monroe Highway, and Tail Race Road, known as Oak Hill Farm, in Loudoun County for the purpose of establishing and operating a state park on such property. This bill incorporates HB 239.
Electric utilities; cost recovery; costs substantially related to serving data center customers. Prohibits the recovery of costs incurred by an electric utility that (i) are substantially related to the provision of electric service to data center customers and (ii) would not have been incurred but for the demand of such data center customers from being included in any rates or charges approved by the State Corporation Commission under current law, unless such rates and charges are designed to recover, or substantially recover, such costs solely from data center customers. Under the bill, "data center customers" are data centers with a peak demand of 100 megawatts or greater.
Income tax; tax credit for certain small businesses. Establishes a one-time, nonrefundable tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for eligible small businesses, as defined in the bill, equal to $2,500. The bill limits the total aggregate amount of small business credits claimed to $5 million per taxable year.
Zoning; agricultural operations; rental of accessory dwellings. Provides that no locality shall prohibit the rental for 30 days or more of existing accessory residential dwellings located on property with an agricultural operation. The bill does not apply to areas within a town.
Department of Veterans Services; benefit awareness and access; program. Establishes an outreach program to ensure military service members transitioning from military to civilian life, veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, residents of the Commonwealth in the Armed Forces Reserves, and their family members can easily access federal, state, and local benefits and other programs and services available to them. The bill requires the outcomes of such program to be published in the annual report submitted to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, the Governor, and the General Assembly.
Uniform Health Care Decisions Act; civil penalty. Repeals most provisions of the Health Care Decisions Act and enacts the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act. The bill creates a process for the execution of advance health care directives, as defined in the bill; establishes criteria for determining the capacity of an individual to make health care decisions; provides for the establishment of a default surrogate in the absence of an appointed agent for health care decisions; establishes powers and duties of agents appointed by powers of attorney for health care; and establishes duties of health care professionals.
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; accreditation of nondegree workforce training programs. Directs the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to establish an accreditation pathway for nondegree workforce training programs in order to align the skills of the Commonwealth's workforce with the needs of industry in the Commonwealth and to provide a workforce entrance pathway for underserved populations in the Commonwealth. The bill includes minimum standards, admissions requirements, and reporting requirements for such programs. Additionally, the bill includes provisions related to the eligibility of accredited programs for state and federal workforce funding, including the federal Workforce Pell Grant.
Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought. Specifies that the Administrative Process Act applies to case decisions regarding the grant or denial, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service, of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. The bill also removes provisions limiting review of case decisions to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency.
Personal property taxation; classifications; major energy consumer equipment upgrades. Establishes a special classification for generating equipment purchased on and after July 1, 2026, for the purpose of upgrading the backup or standby power systems of a major energy consumer (i) from equipment that does not meet Tier 2 emission standards to selective catalytic reduction generators that meet or exceed Tier 4 emission standards or (ii) to meet New Source Performance Standards as enforced by the Department of Environmental Quality, as applicable. The bill provides that such equipment may be taxed at a lower rate than is applied to other tangible personal property.
Student literacy programs and plans; certain adjustments. Prohibits any Department of Education-approved student literacy screener that is administered to identify deficiencies that warrant reading intervention services for students in grades kindergarten through eight from commencing earlier than the tenth full instructional day of the academic year, and requires the testing window established by the Department to extend no fewer than 15 full instructional days to ensure adequate instructional readiness and equitable access. The bill requires (i) the Department's template for student reading plans to (a) auto-populate all available student data from the results on the literacy screener provided by the Department; (b) minimize duplicative manual data entry; (c) authorize the use of standardized instructional profiles for students presenting substantially similar literacy needs, where appropriate; and (d) permit the batch creation of plans when it is appropriate to the instructional context; (ii) the Department to annually compile, in a de-identified format, themes and trends reported through division-level educator feedback mechanisms related to the implementation of the literacy screeners provided by the Department and the development of reading plans; and (iii) prior to the statewide implementation of any substantial modification to the literacy screeners provided by the Department or associated data systems, the Department to conduct an implementation feasibility analysis that assesses system readiness, teacher workload impact, and anticipated training needs. The bill also establishes several new requirements for divisionwide literacy plans.
All-terrain vehicles; operation on highways in certain localities. Authorizes the operation of all-terrain vehicles in Giles County and Pulaski County on highways designated by such counties, provided that certain conditions are met. The bill provides certain requirements for the operation of all-terrain vehicles on such designated highways.
Policy of the Commonwealth; data centers. Provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage the responsible operation of data centers in the Commonwealth while supporting grid reliability, affordability, and the deployment of renewable resources. The bill provides that in furtherance of this policy, the Commonwealth shall (i) promote coordination between data centers, state agencies, and regional grid operators to share information on energy usage, interconnection timelines, and barriers to rapid deployment of renewable and flexible energy resources; (ii) incentivize data centers to participate in demand response programs, implement energy storage and management systems, and leverage automated technologies to reduce peak demand and support grid stability; (iii) encourage flexible energy practices that allow data centers to adjust energy consumption in real time in alignment with available renewable generation; (iv) ensure large-scale data centers pay their fair share of infrastructure investments, mitigating impacts on residential and small business ratepayers; (v) require data centers to report water and aggregated energy usage, sustainability measures, and participation in grid support programs to appropriate state and federal agencies; and (vi) promote cybersecurity, physical security, and supply chain security measures to protect Virginia data center operations from foreign adversary access or compromise.
Specialty civil court dockets; business and complex litigation dockets established; criteria for eligible actions. Establishes a specialty docket, known as the business and complex litigation docket, to assist circuit courts with certain civil actions that involve specialized legal issues, complex contexts, intricate transactions, multiple parties, or other complicating factors. The bill provides that for an action to be eligible to be considered for a business and complex litigation docket, the action shall (i) present special complexity, including specialized issues or acute litigation management needs, and (ii) fall into one or more of several enumerated categories of civil actions. The bill also requires that such eligible action has a minimum amount in controversy of $100,000. The bill also enumerates several types of civil actions that are ineligible for such specialty docket but creates an exception for any such action that demonstrates extraordinary circumstances that would require specialized docket management. The bill creates a process by which counsel for any party or the circuit court judge initially assigned to an eligible action may request that the matter be transferred to the specialty docket and directs the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, in collaboration with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Specialty Docket Advisory Committee studying business and complex litigation dockets, to establish any rules or procedures as necessary for the transfer of such eligible actions.
Department of Environmental Quality; study of aggregate air pollution; data center generators; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a three-year study to research and model a variety of scenarios regarding aggregate air pollution in areas with a large volume of data centers and provide recommendations for future handling of minor air permits for data center generators and the need for increased air quality monitoring in the Commonwealth. The Department is directed to report its findings and any recommendations to the Chairs 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 by October 1, 2029.
Corporate income tax; sourcing of sales, other than sales of tangible personal property. Implements market-based corporate income tax sourcing for attributing sales, other than sales of tangible personal property, to Virginia, beginning with taxable year 2027.
Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units. Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as defined in the bill, as a permitted accessory use. The bill requires a person to seek a permit for an ADU from the locality, requires the locality to issue such permit if the person meets certain requirements enumerated in the bill, and restricts the fee for such permit to $500 or less. The bill prohibits the locality from requiring (i) construction of new dedicated parking for an ADU in most instances; (ii) setbacks for the ADU more than five feet from the property line; (iii) conditions for ADUs that are more restrictive than those for single-family dwellings within the same zoning area with regard to height, rear or side setbacks, lot size or coverage, or building frontage; or (iv) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Department of Education; division superintendents; Teacher Recruitment and Retention Mentorship Pilot Program established; administration; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department), in coordination with the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, to establish and administer the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Mentorship Pilot Program (the Program) for the purpose of supporting division superintendents of school divisions with high teacher vacancy rates in improving teacher recruitment and retention in such school division by coordinating the establishment of mentorships whereby a division superintendent of a low vacancy-rate school division is connected with a division superintendent of a high vacancy-rate school division to provide mentorship in developing and implementing plans, strategies, and best practices for improving teacher vacancy rates in the high vacancy-rate school division. The bill directs the Department, in coordination with the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, to implement policies and procedures for the establishment and administration of the Program, including policies for coordinating such mentorships, encouraging participation of division superintendents in the Program, and for Program oversight. The bill directs each division superintendent mentorship pair participating in the Program to annually submit to the Department a report on their activities for the preceding school year and any recommendations relating to improving the effectiveness of mentorships under the Program. Finally, the bill directs the Department to submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1 of each year a report on the activities of the Program for the preceding school year. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.
Property Owners' Association Act; disclosure requirements; declarant control. Requires a declarant who has any unexpired right to control the conduct of business of a property owners' association, once the majority of the members of the board of directors other than the declarant are owners of improved lots in the association, to disclose such rights and the status of the declarant's control in any contract for the sale of any lot in the association other than for development or resale. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.
Forfeiture of certain weapons; petition for return by Commonwealth. Permits the attorney for the Commonwealth to petition a court for the return of a weapon to its lawful owner where such weapon was used by any person in the commission of a criminal offense and forfeited to the Commonwealth by order of the court.
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act established; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act, which prohibits an operator from making a companion chatbot, as those terms are defined in the bill, available to a user in the Commonwealth unless the companion chatbot is incapable of certain actions specified in the bill. The bill also requires an operator of a companion chatbot to include a disclaimer to users of all ages that a companion chatbot is not a human via a static, persistent disclosure and notify a user via a pop-up that he is not engaging with a human counterpart at specified intervals. The bill makes it unlawful for any operator of a companion chatbot to operate or provide a companion chatbot to a user unless such companion chatbot contains a protocol to take reasonable efforts for detecting and addressing expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm by a user to the companion chatbot. The bill also includes certain data privacy and transparency requirements. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Regulation of data brokers; civil penalties. Prohibits a person from acquiring personally identifiable information, defined in the bill, through fraudulent means or acquiring and using such information for the purpose of (i) stalking or harassing another person; (ii) committing a fraud, including identity theft, financial fraud, or email fraud; or (iii) engaging in unlawful discrimination, including employment discrimination or housing discrimination. The bill requires a data broker, defined in the bill, to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive information security program that includes certain features and technical elements. The bill also requires a data broker operating in the Commonwealth, beginning on December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to register with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; data center land conservation tax; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Creates a data center land preservation tax on and after January 1, 2027, in an amount equal to $3 per square foot of each data center facility footprint, as defined in the bill, and directs no less than $250 million of revenues from the tax to be distributed for various land protection and preservation purposes, including into the Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund, as created in the bill.
The bill also repeals provisions requiring the Governor to include in the budget bill or in his amendments to the general appropriation act a recommended appropriation from the general fund, up to $20 million, for land preservation as follows: (i) 80 percent of the unissued credits to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, of which at least 50 percent must be used for acquisitions with public access; (ii) 10 percent to the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund; and (iii) 10 percent to the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund.
Traffic regulation; bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, and motorized skateboards or scooters. Authorizes any person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or motorized skateboard or scooter to yield instead of stop at an intersection controlled by a stop sign if certain conditions are met. The bill also authorizes such a person to proceed through the intersection on a steady red light if the pedestrian control signal corresponding to the person's direction of travel and to the parallel crosswalk indicates "Walk" and if certain other conditions are met. The bill requires any such persons riding two abreast on roadways with only one travel lane in the direction of such persons and a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or more to not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. Under current law, such persons riding two abreast are required to not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and are required to move into a single-file formation when being overtaken from the rear by a faster moving vehicle, regardless of the type of road and posted speed limit.
Gift certificates; international transactions; fraud reports. Amends the definition of "gift certificate" and prohibits merchants from selling a gift certificate as part of an international transaction without first implementing a 24-hour hold on the activation of such gift certificate. The bill also requires local law enforcement to communicate reports of gift certificate fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
State government; transaction of public business; prohibited website domains. Prohibits a public body, defined in the bill, from maintaining an official website for public use with a domain other than a .gov, .edu, or .museum domain. The bill provides that any email address that a public body provides to its employees shall utilize a .gov domain and directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2029.
State government; transaction of public business; prohibited website domains. Prohibits a public body, defined in the bill, from maintaining an official website for public use with a domain other than a .gov, .edu, or .museum domain. The bill provides that any email address that a public body provides to its employees shall utilize a .gov domain and directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2029.
Tax on electronic distribution of material harmful to minors. Creates a tax at the rate of 10 percent of the gross receipts of any commercial entity operating an adult website, defined in the bill, for all sales, distributions, memberships, and other content amounting to material harmful to minors, defined in the bill, that is produced, sold, filmed, generated, or otherwise based in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that the revenues generated by this tax shall be deposited into the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund.
Subdivision of property; sale and transfer. Provides that any subdivision created (i) 40 or more years prior to the sale or transfer of the subdivided residential property or (ii) 60 or more years prior to the sale or transfer of the subdivided commercial property and other nonresidential property shall be deemed to be lawful. Under current law, no person shall sell or transfer any land of a subdivision, before a plat has been duly approved and recorded, unless the subdivision was lawfully created prior to the adoption of an applicable subdivision ordinance.
Barbers and cosmetologists; barbershop trainees. Establishes a path to licensure for barbershop trainees, as defined by the bill, through employment at a registered barbershop under the supervision of one or more licensed barbers. The bill allows any barbershop trainee to take the examination approved by the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology upon submission of a signed statement to the Board attesting that such trainee has the necessary skills to competently practice barbering. Barbershop trainees shall not exceed four years of training for competency-based licensure and shall pass the examination approved by the Board within four years of commencing training at any barbershop. The bill authorizes the Board to (i) develop forms for barbershop and barbershop trainee registration and the attestation required for examination; (ii) waive any part of the examination requirement for good cause; and (iii) establish penalties for any violation of the provisions of the bill.
Mechanics' liens; liens attaching to property; memorandum of lien. Removes the exclusion of the attachment of a mechanic's lien to property improved or repaired when the lien is based on a claim for repairs or existing structures. The bill further removes (i) the ability of a lien claimant to file any number of memoranda of lien including the details relating to the lien and (ii) the provisions of the Code specifying that no memorandum filed shall include sums due for (a) labor or materials furnished more than 150 days prior to the last day labor was performed or (b) material furnished to the job preceding the filing of such memorandum.
App Store Accountability Act; civil penalties; civil action. Requires an app store provider, defined in the bill, to verify the age category of an account holder, obtain verifiable parental consent for a minor account holder, and share such age category and consent information with the developer of an app, defined in the bill. The bill requires a developer to verify the age category of an account holder with a developer's app and notify app store providers of any significant change to a developer's app. The bill also requires a developer to provide a parental consent disclosure for each of its apps to each app store provider that makes the developer's app available on its app store, and such provider shall provide such disclosure on its app store. The bill allows the Attorney General and any minor or parent of a minor who suffers harm by reason of a violation of this bill to initiate an action. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Health insurance; reimbursement rates. Requires health insurance carriers to reimburse in-network providers for covered mental health services and outpatient treatment at rates negotiated between the health carrier and the in-network provider, provided that such rates are no less than 100 percent of the applicable reimbursement rate under Medicare for the same provider and service.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; procurement of goods transported by privately owned commercial vessels; required contract provisions. Provides that any contract a state agency enters into for goods that exceeds $10,000 shall contain a provision that the contractor must comply with federal law relating to the transportation of goods on privately owned commercial vessels, defined in the bill.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; procurement of goods transported by privately owned commercial vessels; required contract provisions. Provides that any contract a state agency enters into for goods that exceeds $10,000 shall contain a provision that the contractor must comply with federal law relating to the transportation of goods on privately owned commercial vessels, defined in the bill.
Pop-up events; local enhanced enforcement actions. Allows a locality by ordinance to establish pop-up event zones, as defined in the bill, for the purpose of taking enhanced enforcement actions within such zone if the pop-up event may significantly disrupt normal community operations. A local governing body's presiding officer, a locality's chief law-enforcement officer, and a locality's chief administrative officer must be in concurrence to activate such zone. The bill requires a locality to give notification of a pop-up event zone through an online webpage, providing as much advance notice as is practicable. The bill further grants the authority to take enhanced enforcement actions such as (i) declaring the pop-up event zone a gun free zone, (ii) establishing temporary speed limit reductions and enhanced traffic fines within the pop-up event zone, (iii) establishing and enforcing occupancy limits on both public and private property within the pop-up event zone, and (iv) declaring a curfew for unaccompanied minors. The bill allows a locality to recover all relevant costs and fees incurred from the designation and enforcement of the zone directly from event organizers.
Judicial Council of Virginia; work group to study the implementation of provisions to improve procedures for and responses to victims of family abuse and their children in child custody proceedings; report. Directs the Judicial Council of Virginia to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study the implementation of provisions to improve procedures for and responses to victims of family abuse and their children in child custody proceedings. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2026, to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.
Professions and occupations; definition of "practice of athletic training"; dry needling. Adds dry needling to the definition of "practice of athletic training," as such term relates to the practice of medicine and other healing arts, and directs the Board of Medicine to adopt regulations requiring training and certification for the practice of dry needling by athletic trainers.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of "small business"; direct procurement; set-asides. Amends the definition of "small business," for purposes of provisions related to the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and the Virginia Public Procurement Act, to mean a business that is at least 51 percent independently owned and controlled by one or more individuals, or in the case of a cooperative association, is at least 51 percent independently controlled by one or more members, who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens and, together with affiliates, has 50 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $5 million or less averaged over the previous three years and for which the individual owners do not have a combined net worth exceeding $1.5 million. Current law defines a small business as such, but with 250 or fewer employees and average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years, with no limit on the combined net worth of individual owners.
The bill allows any public body to directly solicit or award a contract of less than $200,000 to a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business, or to a business identified by a public body as a service disabled veteran-owned or military family-owned business, without engaging in the competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation process. The bill also provides that purchases made by a public body for goods, services, and construction up to $100,000 that are not directly awarded shall be set aside for award to small businesses.
Abolition of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant; jury trial costs; report. Eliminates the fees for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation for persons who are determined to be indigent. The bill also eliminates fees for persons who utilize a jury trial. The bill contains a reenactment clause for such elimination of fees.
The bill also directs the Indigent Defense Commission, in consultation with the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court or his designee, to convene a work group with all relevant stakeholders, including the Attorney General or his designee, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources or his designee; representatives from the Compensation Board, the Virginia Crime Commission, the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Virginia Court Clerk's Association, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, staff from the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and the Virginia Probation and Parole Association; and a minimum of two criminal justice reform organizations working on fees and other financial assessments imposed in criminal prosecutions in Virginia; on several topics, including current collection practices, use of funds received as a result of such collections, and the burden of a fee assessment on indigent individuals. The bill requires the work group to submit an executive summary and report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, and a final report by November 1, 2027.
Petition for modification of a sentence; eligibility; procedures; report. Provides procedures for individuals serving a sentence for certain felony convictions or a combination of such convictions who remain incarcerated in a state or local correctional facility or secure facility and meet certain criteria to petition the circuit court that entered the original judgment or order to (i) suspend the unserved portion of such sentence or run the unserved portion of such sentence concurrently with another sentence, (ii) place such person on probation for such time as the court shall determine, or (iii) otherwise modify the sentence imposed. Depending on the type of conviction, the bill allows the court to grant a hearing on such petition after an individual has served at least 25 years for certain offenses, after 20 years for certain other offenses, and after 15 years for any other felony conviction not specified. The bill directs the Department of Corrections to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to (a) consider and recommend best practices for implementation of the bill and (b) evaluate and recommend updates to victim notification systems. The work group shall complete its meetings by November 1, 2026, and report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid estate recoveries. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to limit the operation of its estate recovery program to the recovery of only federally required costs. The bill directs the Department to make information on estate recovery available on its website in multiple languages. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Official emblems and designations; state pet; shelter pets. Designates shelter pets as the official state pet.
Legal holidays; Indigenous Peoples' Day. Replaces Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, with Indigenous Peoples' Day as a state holiday.
Elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses. Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement for certain crimes.
Workers' compensation; presumption of compensability for certain cancers. Expands the workers' compensation presumption of compensability for certain cancers causing the death or disability of certain employees who have completed five years of service in their position to include lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for any individual diagnosed with such a condition on or after July 1, 2027.
Elections; political campaign advertisements; synthetic media; penalty. Prohibits electioneering communications containing synthetic media, as those terms are defined in the bill, from being published or broadcast without containing the following conspicuously displayed statement: "This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." The bill creates a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for a violation of such prohibition and a Class 1 misdemeanor for a willful violation. The bill permits any registered voter who receives an electioneering communication in violation of this requirement to institute an action for preventative relief to prohibit the publication or dissemination of such electioneering communication, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programs for local farm or food products. Directs all state agencies to implement a purchase program for local farm or food products, defined in the bill, in order to reach a goal by 2035 of 20 percent of all the food and food products purchased by state agencies being local farm or food products. The bill also provides that for any public body partially or wholly funded by the Commonwealth, in which the total contract cost for food or food products is in excess of $25,000 per year, such public body shall implement a purchase program for local farm or food products in order to reach a goal by 2035 of 10 percent of all the food and food products purchased by such public bodies being local farm or food products. In order to meet such goals, state agencies and public bodies are authorized to give a preference to an otherwise qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use of local farm or food products over the lowest responsible bidder so long as the cost included in the bid for the local farm or food products is not more than 10 percent greater than the cost included in the other bids.
Public elementary school students; physical activity. Increases from 20 minutes to 30 minutes daily, and from an average of 100 minutes to 150 minutes per week, the minimum amount of time provided to public elementary school students for programs of physical activity. The bill provides that no student shall be prohibited from participating in a program of physical activity as a form of disciplinary action, with the exception that a student may be prohibited if it is determined that such program constitutes a health or safety risk to the student.
Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality with a population density of at least 2,500 persons per square mile may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill provides that any such ordinance shall become enforceable not less than 12 months after the date it is enacted by the local governing body. The bill also provides that the ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty and that the funds from such civil penalties may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses.
Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case in general district court or circuit court for whom the court has a telephone number prior to any scheduled hearing that requires his appearance and allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program. The Program has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
The bill also directs the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to convene a Court Date Reminder Program work group to advise on the implementation and expansion of the Program and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by December 1, 2026.
Health care; decision-making; end of life; penalties. Allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease to request and an attending health care provider to prescribe a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill requires that a patient's request for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life be given orally on two occasions and in writing, signed by the patient and one witness, and that the patient be given an express opportunity to rescind his request at any time. The bill makes it a Class 2 felony (i) to willfully and deliberately alter, forge, conceal, or destroy a patient's request, or rescission of request, for a self-administered controlled substance to end his life with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; (ii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to request a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending his life or to destroy the patient's rescission of such request with the intent and effect of causing the patient's death; or (iii) to coerce, intimidate, or exert undue influence on a patient to forgo a self-administered controlled substance for the purpose of ending the patient's life. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary action to any person who complies with the provisions of the bill and allows health care providers to refuse to participate in the provision of a self-administered controlled substance to a patient for the purpose of ending the patient's life.
Director of the Department of General Services; electric vehicles and charging stations; state targets. Directs the Director of the Department of General Services (the Director) to set a goal for the electrification of the Commonwealth's centralized fleet that is aligned with the Commonwealth Clean Energy Policy, with interim targets set for 2028, 2030, and 2032. The bill also requires the Director to set targets for the number and type of electric vehicle charging stations installed at state facilities by those same years that are achievable under the current Department of General Services appropriations and for the same years if additional funds were made available. The Director is required to report his findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by October 1, 2026.
Sales and use tax on taxable services and digital personal property; taxes levied in certain transportation districts; funding for transportation. Decreases the retail sales and use tax from 4.3 percent to four percent and expands such tax to taxable services, defined in the bill, and digital personal property, also defined in the bill, beginning on January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the bill imposes (i) an additional retail sales and use tax in any county or city that is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.385 percent; any county or city that is embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority but that is not a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.615 percent; and any county or city that is a member of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.2 percent; (ii) a retail delivery fee in the amount of 20 cents upon each retail delivery, defined in the bill, made in any county or city located within the Northern Virginia Transportation District or the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission; and (iii) a regional highway use fee on all vehicles in the Commonwealth that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
State Corporation Commission; work group; energy load flexibility protocols; high electric demand customers; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to convene a work group to evaluate and assess energy load flexibility protocols for high electric demand customers, including any commercial or industrial customer located in the Commonwealth with an electricity demand of greater than 50 megawatts. In conducting its assessment, the work group shall consider factors as outlined in the bill, provide an analysis of the current regulatory framework in the Commonwealth regarding high electric demand customers, and develop recommendations for improving load flexibility protocols and demand response management programs by electric utilities or the regional transmission entity. The work group shall include members as outlined in the bill and shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2026. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Local Environmental Impact Fund. Allows a locality 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) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment; or (iv) micromobility devices. The bill requires the Fund to be administered and managed by the locality.
Board of Pharmacy; compounding pharmacies; use of bulk drug substances; recordkeeping. Establishes additional requirements for when pharmacists may use bulk drug substances in compounding and specifies prohibitions on pharmacist use of (i) bulk drug substances that were withdrawn or removed from the market for reasons of safety and effectiveness or were covered by an investigational new drug application and not approved and (ii) compounded drug products that are essentially a copy of commercially available drug products. The bill permits the Board of Pharmacy to request records of all compounded drug products and requires pharmacists to furnish such records within 48 hours of such request or within a reasonable time as determined by the Board. The bill also permits the Board of Pharmacy to submit any information related to investigations, disciplinary proceedings, or inspection of a licensee to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center; established. Establishes the Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center (the Center) as an interdisciplinary study, research, and informational resource for individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth. The Center is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from several colleges and universities in the Commonwealth, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. The board is directed to establish an advisory council to provide expertise and guidance related to the functions and duties of the Center. Functions and duties of the Center include providing technical assistance in matters related to energy technologies, siting, permitting, project design, interconnection, electric infrastructure, electric utilities, ratepayer proceedings, and environmental impacts of energy projects. Under the bill, the Center shall conduct an annual evaluation and collaborate with state agencies and institutions of higher education to provide technical assistance, research, or support in matters related to siting and permitting, programs to improve electric grid reliability, energy programs established at a participating institution of higher education, and administration and implementation of the Virginia Energy Plan. The bill also requires the Center to submit an annual report to the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation summarizing its research activities and any funding received by the Center by November 1 of each year.
This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Firearm and ammunition tax. Imposes a firearm and ammunition tax equal to 11 percent of the gross receipts from the retail sale of any firearm or ammunition by a dealer in firearms, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill provides that proceeds from such tax shall be distributed to the Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.
County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance. Increases local authority over affordable housing for counties that have adopted the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) by (i) potentially increasing the cash contribution to the county's affordable housing fund by developers in lieu of providing affordable dwelling units and (ii) providing that applications for a special exception approval for a change of use of an existing building from commercial to residential may be subject to an affordable housing requirement.
Prohibition on outdoor shooting of firearm on property without reasonable care; penalty. Permits localities to adopt an ordinance prohibiting outdoor shooting of a firearm unless the discharge of such firearm is conducted (i) on land of at least five acres and (ii) with reasonable care, described in the bill, to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the land. The bill permits such an ordinance to create a rebuttable presumption that the discharge of firearms across or over the bounds of a property without written permission of that property owner was without reasonable care. The bill requires that a violation of such an ordinance not exceed a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Uniform Power of Attorney Act; acknowledged power of attorney; definition. Amends the definition of "acknowledged" as it relates to a power of attorney under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act to mean purportedly verified before a notary public or other individual authorized to take acknowledgements. Under current law, "acknowledged" as it relates to a power of attorney under the Act means verified before a notary public or other individual authorized to take acknowledgements. The bill further eliminates the provisions of the Act prohibiting a person relying in good faith upon an acknowledged power of attorney that is invalid when such power of attorney contains a forged signature of a principal.
Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Program established; report. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to establish the Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Program. The purpose of the Program is to (i) promote the adoption, deployment, and understanding of solar energy and battery storage technologies; (ii) support market development, public information, and workforce development initiatives; and (iii) conduct research and technical studies on cost reduction, deployment barriers, and grid integration. The bill establishes the Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Board as a policy board in the executive branch of state government to coordinate with the Director to establish a program for the promotion, research, and market development of clean energy and battery storage. Additionally, the bill establishes the Virginia Clean Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Fund to fund the administration and implementation of the Program. The bill requires the developer of a solar energy project or an energy storage system to pay a one-time fee of $0.02 per watt of generation or storage capacity to the Fund. The fee is assessed by the Department of Energy.
Workplace violence policy required for certain employers; civil penalty. Requires any employer of 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and maintain a workplace violence policy no later than January 1, 2027. The bill includes requirements for such a policy, such as procedures and methods for employee reporting of incidents and post-incident investigations. Employers subject to the bill are required to maintain documentation of workplace violence incidents for not less than five years. An employer that violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation. The bill prohibits retaliation from an employer on the basis of reporting a workplace violence incident and provides that any employee who makes a report of workplace violence shall be immune from civil liability. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Income tax credit; affordable rental housing tax credit. Establishes a nonrefundable tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for eligible landlords equal to $750 per affordable dwelling unit, as certified by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill limits the (i) total amount of such credits available to an eligible landlord to $15,000 per taxable year and (ii) aggregate amount of such credits claimed to $5 million per taxable year.
Covenants not to compete; exceptions; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from entering into, enforcing, or threatening to enforce a covenant not to compete with employees who perform key duties of the employer's enterprise or customarily and regularly solicit customers or make sales or contracts for the employer. Under the bill, certain employees are permitted to enter agreements to refrain from soliciting business from the employer for a stated period of time following termination. The penalty provisions in current law for covenants not to compete for low-wage employees shall apply to a violation of the provisions of the bill. The provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.
Corporate income tax; taxable income; net operating loss. Provides that, beginning in taxable year 2027, for purposes of calculating the Virginia taxable income of corporations, federal income means any income taxable to the corporation under federal law for such year excluding net operating loss deductions under federal tax law.
The bill also creates a Virginia corporate income tax net operating loss deduction, beginning in taxable year 2027, in an amount equal to the aggregate Virginia net operating losses for such taxable year, plus any transitional net operating loss deduction, pursuant to a calculation in the bill, and subject to certain other adjustments in the bill. The bill also prohibits a corporation's Virginia taxable income, after all other adjustments, allocation, and apportionment, from being reduced below zero by a Virginia net operating loss deduction. The bill also includes particular procedures for corporate income tax returns prepared on a consolidated or a combined basis.
Finally, the bill directs the Department of Taxation to issue preliminary guidelines implementing the provisions of the bill and to cooperate with and seek counsel from interested stakeholders before issuing its final guidelines.
The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Corporate income tax; taxable income; net operating loss. Provides that, beginning in taxable year 2027, for purposes of calculating the Virginia taxable income of corporations, federal income means any income taxable to the corporation under federal law for such year excluding net operating loss deductions under federal tax law.
The bill also creates a Virginia corporate income tax net operating loss deduction, beginning in taxable year 2027, in an amount equal to the aggregate Virginia net operating losses for such taxable year, plus any transitional net operating loss deduction, pursuant to a calculation in the bill, and subject to certain other adjustments in the bill. The bill also prohibits a corporation's Virginia taxable income, after all other adjustments, allocation, and apportionment, from being reduced below zero by a Virginia net operating loss deduction. The bill also includes particular procedures for corporate income tax returns prepared on a consolidated or a combined basis.
Finally, the bill directs the Department of Taxation to issue preliminary guidelines implementing the provisions of the bill and to cooperate with and seek counsel from interested stakeholders before issuing its final guidelines.
The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Personal property taxes; valuation. Requires that tangible personal property employed in a trade or business, other than such property set out for different valuation in current law, shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost to the taxpayer. Current law requires such property to be valued only by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost. The provisions of this bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Personal property taxes; valuation. Requires that tangible personal property employed in a trade or business, other than such property set out for different valuation in current law, shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost to the taxpayer. Current law requires such property to be valued only by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost. The provisions of this bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Taxation in the Commonwealth. Levies the retail sales and use tax on the following services: admissions; charges for recreation, fitness, or sports facilities; nonmedical personal services or counseling; dry cleaning and laundry services; companion animal care; residential home repair or maintenance, landscaping, or cleaning services when paid for directly by a resident or homeowner; vehicle and engine repair; repairs or alterations to tangible personal property; storage of tangible personal property; delivery or shipping services; travel, event, and aesthetic planning services; and digital services. Digital services are defined in the bill as the following: software application services, computer-related services, website hosting and design, data storage, and digital subscription services. The services taxed under the bill include any transaction for digital services where the purchaser or consumer of the service is a business but do not include any service otherwise exempt under law.
The bill also imposes the retail sales and use tax on digital personal property, defined in the bill as a digital product delivered electronically that the purchaser owns or has the ability to continually access without having to pay an additional subscription or usage fee to the seller after paying the initial purchase price.
Revenues generated by the taxes levied on services and digital personal property shall be allocated in the same manner as other sales and use taxes; however, revenues from the state portion of the sales and use tax that would be allocated to the general fund shall instead be allocated as follows: first, (i) revenue generated by the imposition of such tax on delivery services in the Northern Virginia Transportation District shall be distributed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and (ii) all other revenues generated by the imposition of such tax on delivery services shall be distributed to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund. Of the remaining revenues, (a) 60 percent shall be distributed to localities on the basis of school-age population and (b) 40 percent shall be distributed to localities on the basis of the high-need student population in the locality. The bill clarifies that a high-need student population includes students who are (1) automatically certified for free school meals because of participation in social services programs, (2) participants in a program of special education, or (3) English language learners.
The bill provides certain exemptions to the sales and use tax on services, including health care services that must be performed by a person licensed or certified by the Department of Health Professions, veterinary services, professional services, internet access services, and services provided by a person who does not receive more than $2,500 per year in gross receipts for performance of such services. The bill exempts services purchased by a nonprofit organization and services purchased by a homeowners' association or by a landlord for the benefit of his tenant. The bill also repeals the service exemptions currently provided for the sale of custom programs and modification of prewritten programs.
Finally, the bill exempts food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products from all state, local, and regional sales taxes on and after July 1, 2026. Under current law, food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products are subject only to the one percent local option sales tax.
Taxation provisions. Increases the standard deduction to $10,000 for single individuals, $15,000 for individuals eligible to claim head of household for federal tax purposes, and $20,000 for married individuals beginning in taxable year 2027 and indexes such deduction amount for inflation beginning in taxable year 2028. The bill also removes the aggregate amount of housing opportunity tax credits that may be claimed for qualified projects across all calendar years and exempts food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products from the local sales tax. The bill establishes two new tax brackets beginning on and after January 1, 2027, that tax income in excess of $600,000 but not in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of eight percent and income in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of 10 percent. Finally, the bill provides that 50 percent of revenues generated by the new tax brackets will be dedicated to localities for maintenance, operation, capital outlays, debt and interest payments, or other expenses incurred in the operation of public schools.
Long-term care insurance; premium rate increases; regulations. Requires regulations promulgated by the State Corporation Commission for long-term care insurance rates to (i) provide a cap on premium rate schedule increases; (ii) require any capped premium rate schedule increase to be spread by the insurer over a period of not less than five years, during which time no further rate schedule increases may be requested; and (iii) prohibit additional premium rate schedule increases after prior cumulative rate schedule increases amount to 250 percent of the original premium. Under the bill, no additional rate increases shall be approved for a long-term care insurance policy that has already reached or surpassed the limit of 250 percent of its original premium. The bill directs the Commission to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this act, including by establishing a regulatory cap on premium rate schedule increase for long-term care insurance policies that is no more than 30 percent of the maximum amount of premium rate schedule increase permitted under current regulations, as calculated on the request date of the premium rate increase.
Transportation network companies; minimum compensation; civil penalty. Establishes minimum compensation rates for TNC partners. The bill also prohibits gratuities from passengers from being included in TNC partner compensation calculations, authorizes TNC partners to collect gratuity in cash or electronically, and prohibits transportation network companies from limiting the amount that can be paid as gratuity through such companies' digital platforms. The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to establish a process for reporting violations and to investigate claims. The bill authorizes enforcement by civil action or by civil penalties assessed by the DMV Commissioner.
Motor vehicle sales and use tax; exemption. Exempts from the retail sales and use tax imposed on motor vehicles in Virginia, any electric vehicle, defined in the bill, being registered for the first time in the Commonwealth if the applicant holds a valid, assignable title or registration issued to him by another state or a branch of the United States Armed Forces and such applicant has owned the vehicle for less than 12 months and provides evidence of purchasing the vehicle while a resident of another state. Current law provides such first-time registration exemption only if the vehicle has been owned by the applicant for longer than 12 months or less than 12 months if such applicant provides evidence of such sales tax payment made to another state.
Motor vehicle sales and use tax; exemption. Exempts from the retail sales and use tax imposed on motor vehicles in Virginia, any electric vehicle, defined in the bill, being registered for the first time in the Commonwealth if the applicant holds a valid, assignable title or registration issued to him by another state or a branch of the United States Armed Forces and such applicant has owned the vehicle for less than 12 months and provides evidence of purchasing the vehicle while a resident of another state. Current law provides such first-time registration exemption only if the vehicle has been owned by the applicant for longer than 12 months or less than 12 months if such applicant provides evidence of such sales tax payment made to another state.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service; cats and dogs; list of toxic houseplants. Requires the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service to create a list of common houseplants that are toxic to cats and dogs no later than November 1, 2026, and to update such list at least every four years thereafter. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to make such list publicly available on its website.
School boards; excusing students from attendance at school; grounds; verified medical reasons. Requires each school board to excuse from attendance any pupil who, for any continuous period of time not exceeding 30 school days in length, is absent from school for medical reasons as verified in writing by the student's health care provider.
Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group every four years to study and develop recommendations for implementing a statewide strategic plan to guide legislation and budget decisions relating to veterans in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, and every four years thereafter.
Affordable housing; assisted living facilities. Allows localities that have adopted an affordable housing program to require that, in an application for a special exception or special use permit, affordable rental units be included for any proposed development of an assisted living facility.
Part-time or adjunct instructors in public schools; locally awarded subject matter expert credentials; career and technical education subjects or courses. Establishes, enumerates criteria for, and permits a division superintendent or a comprehensive community college to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, valid for a period of one year, to any individual who demonstrates expertise in content or subject matter area relating to career and technical education in order for such individual to provide instruction or coursework in one career and technical education course per semester in grades six through 12 at any public school in the Commonwealth or comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses. The bill delineates the criteria for issuance of such locally awarded subject matter expert credential. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the employment of individuals under a locally awarded subject matter expert credential, including (i) permitting any school division or institution of higher education to hire any such individual as a part-time or adjunct instructor to teach a career and technical education subject or course; (ii) requiring any such individual to be subject to a background clearance check and the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements required as a condition of employment of any applicant who is offered or accepts employment at a school division pursuant to applicable law; (iii) requiring each employing school board to assign an individual employed by such school board as a mentor to supervise any individual issued a locally awarded subject matter expert credential; and (iv) permitting any division superintendent to renew an individual's locally awarded subject matter expert credential for a period not to exceed one additional year, provided that such individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations. Finally, the bill requires each school board to annually report to the Department of Education the number of locally awarded subject matter expert credentials issued pursuant to the provisions of the bill.
Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children; exception. Provides that the crime of using communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children only applies when (i) the child involved is within the age ranges prescribed by law or (ii) the other person involved is a law-enforcement officer posing as a child within the age ranges prescribed by law while in the performance of his official duties.
Public schools; school security and discipline; employment of school security officers; training requirements. Amends the requirements for the training course of which an individual employed as a school security officer is required to submit proof of completion to the Department of Criminal Justice Services in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by (i) eliminating the requirement that such training course include training in active shooter emergency response and, instead, requiring it to include training in critical incident preparedness and response and (ii) clarifying that such training course include training in behavioral threat assessment.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement; re-roofing. Excludes re-roofing that does not involve modification to the structure from the prohibition on using cooperative procurement to purchase construction.
Industrial development authorities in certain localities; housing. Allows industrial development authorities in the Counties of Halifax, Henry, and Pittsylvania and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville to exercise their powers with respect to facilities used primarily for single or multifamily residences in order to promote safe and affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Under current law, such powers may be exercised only in a locality where a housing authority has not been activated. The bill also grants industrial development authorities in such localities the power to issue bonds associated with the construction of affordable housing.
Procedure for use of prior conviction as element of offense charged. Establishes a procedure for using a defendant's prior conviction to prove an element of an offense charged or to enhance the punishment for the offense charged.
State taxation in the Commonwealth. Makes numerous changes to the Commonwealth's tax structure. The bill creates a new income tax bracket for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, for income in excess of $1,000,000, which is to be taxed at 7.75 percent. The bill increases the standard deduction to $10,000 for single individuals and $20,000 for married individuals beginning in taxable year 2026. The bill also increases the income tax subtraction available for military benefits from $40,000 to $60,000 for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2027. For taxable years on and after January 1, 2027, such $60,000 amount shall be adjusted annually for inflation. Under the bill, eligible low-income taxpayers may claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 25 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed by the taxpayer for the same taxable year. Current law allows such a taxpayer to claim a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal credit claimed by the taxpayer in the same year.
The bill establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for taxpayers (i) with a Virginia adjusted gross income equal to or less than 250 percent of the poverty guidelines and (ii) eligible for a tax credit pursuant to § 36B of the Internal Revenue Code in an amount equal to 100 percent of such taxpayer's enhanced premium credit, defined in the bill. The total amount of credits allowed does not exceed $50 million per taxable year, but no credit is allowed during any taxable year in which § 36B of the Internal Revenue Code is in effect.
The bill also creates a one-time tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for taxpayers whose households include dependents younger than 6 years of age and whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, defined in the bill, does not exceed $100,000. Such credit is in an amount equal to $400 for each such dependent and only one credit may be claimed for each such dependent. The bill provides that, if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, the credit is refundable and requires the Department of Taxation to develop a process allowing taxpayers to elect to receive any such refund in multiple payments. Otherwise, the credit is nonrefundable.
State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility; 2026 biennial rate review; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to consider certain requirements in the 2026 review of the rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services by Appalachian Power. The bill directs the Commission to review the decision by Appalachian Power to satisfy its capacity obligations with the regional transmission entity through a fixed resource requirement alternative. The bill also directs the Commission to conduct a review of Appalachian Power's efforts to improve system efficiency, resilience, and reliability to address rising costs of responding to severe weather events. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report summarizing its review and providing recommendations by September 1, 2027, or to include such report as part of an existing annual report.
Right to farm; solar panels. Adds any operation for the production of electricity from solar panels concurrent with the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl to the definition of "agricultural operation" in the Right to Farm law, which limits the circumstances under which agricultural operations may be deemed a nuisance by preventing certain actions by localities.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; work group; best practices for student-athlete name, image, and likeness deal transparency; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene a work group to evaluate best practices for increasing transparency in name, image, and likeness deals for student-athletes at baccalaureate public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.
Marine Products Board; blue catfish; Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification. Directs the Marine Products Board to establish and maintain a voluntary Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification and labeling program for any blue catfish that is taken or caught in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries and is processed in the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any person from labeling any product as Chesapeake Wild Harvest unless such product conforms to the provisions of the bill.
Zoning; high-energy users; local authority. Permits the governing body of any locality to give consideration to the adverse impacts on the electric grid caused by high-energy users, as defined in the bill, and impacts resulting from new electric infrastructure in the design of zoning ordinances and the drawing of districts. The bill also permits the governing body of any locality in Planning District 8 to consider the current availability of electric energy against the expected annual electric energy consumption of high-energy users when evaluating land use applications and zoning amendments. Finally, the bill provides that any governing body considering such an application or amendment shall require a high-energy user seeking such application or amendment to provide information regarding the projected annual electric energy usage for the project prior to consideration.
Military leaves of absence for employees of the Commonwealth or political subdivisions; law-enforcement officers. Provides that any person who is employed by the Commonwealth or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth as a law-enforcement officer shall receive paid leaves of absence for up to 388 hours for which a leave of absence is required, during which such person is engaged in federally funded military duty, to include training duty, or is called forth by the Governor for military duty.
Data center tax revenue; local residential renewable energy incentive program; tangible personal property tax reimbursement; penalty. Authorizes the governing body of any county, city, or town that collects real or personal property taxes for any real or personal property owned by a data center to create a local residential renewable energy incentive program, through which funds shall be used to reduce existing utility bills for residential customers, to reduce reliance upon fossil fuel power generation facilities, to reduce the need for construction and placement of new transmission lines, and to minimize future electricity costs for residential customers. The bill provides that 15 percent of new data center revenue, defined in the bill, shall be spent toward residential solar and battery storage investment and 15 percent of new data center revenue shall be spent toward providing pro rata reimbursements for residents' tangible personal property tax assessments for any qualifying vehicle.
Finally, the bill provides that if any locality violates the requirements for such incentive program, the local treasurer shall immediately transfer any remaining funds directly to the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall direct such remaining funds to be used for authorized purposes and thereafter such locality's incentive fund shall be dissolved. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a local treasurer to violate such requirement.
Department of Energy; Virginia Solar Energy and Battery Energy Storage Systems Program and tax credit; solar energy and battery energy storage projects. Establishes the Virginia Solar Energy and Battery Energy Storage Systems Program, to be administered by the Department of Energy for the purpose of (i) coordinating and supporting the development of solar energy and short duration battery energy storage industries and projects by other public or private entities; (ii) evaluating and approving solar energy and short duration battery energy storage projects as qualified projects for the purposes of the tax credit established by the bill; and (iii) determining which items and services are considered eligible project costs for a given qualified project, as defined in the bill. The bill establishes requirements for what can be considered a qualified solar energy and battery energy storage project based on whether the use of such project is for a residential, commercial and industrial, or utility-scale project. The bill establishes a tax credit for the installation of such residential, commercial and industrial, or utility-scale solar energy and energy storage projects for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2027, but before January 1, 2032. Finally, the bill requires the Department to monitor allocation of the tax credit and publish quarterly transparency reports summarizing such information and to establish and maintain a public dashboard displaying certain information on the solar energy and short duration battery energy storage installations by January 1, 2027. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Deferred or installment payment agreements; outstanding court-assessed fines, fees, taxes, or costs. Provides that the attorney for the Commonwealth or the clerk of the circuit court shall not require any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge for which such defendant was incarcerated, or any other chare for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement with a due date set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charges for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day.
Registration decals; discontinued. Discontinues the requirement for and issuance of decals displaying the expiration month and year of motor vehicle registration to be displayed on license plates. The bill also removes the requirement for the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue appropriately designated license plates for motor vehicles held for rental. The bill does not eliminate existing requirements that vehicles are to be registered.
State correctional facilities; required education or vocational training; earned sentence credits classification levels. Requires a prisoner in a state correctional facility, as a part of his reentry plan developed and implemented by the Department of Corrections, to complete a high school equivalency test or vocational, technical, or other certification prior to such prisoner's release. The bill also provides that the annual review of a prisoner's classification level for earned sentence credits shall include such prisoner's quantifiable or measurable progress, as available, in any programs, job assignments, and educational curricula in which he is participating, such as test scores achieved or completion of a high school equivalency test or other trade or vocational certification.
Board of Education; development of alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma; report. Directs the Board of Education to develop alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma that are designed to expand opportunities for students to complete the verified credit requirements for the Standard Diploma that do not require achieving a passing score on applicable Standards of Learning assessments. In developing such alternative graduation pathways, the bill directs the Board to (i) consult with and integrate the perspectives of a broad range of relevant stakeholders; (ii) consider alignment with the competencies articulated in the Profile of a Virginia Graduate; (iii) consider certain elements for incorporation into such alternative pathways, including nonassessment demonstrations of competence, alternative assessments that could be used in lieu of or alongside Standards of Learning assessments, and pathway structures or elements designed to encourage hands-on learning and civic engagement; (iv) ensure that any such alternative graduation pathways do not impact or replace the current requirements for earning a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma; (v) ensure at least one alternative pathway is developed that includes a nonassessment demonstration of competence; and (vi) consider next steps for approval and implementation of such alternative graduation pathways. Finally, the bill directs the Board to submit to the Governor and Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by January 1, 2027, a report detailing the Board's progress in developing alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma, in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Alcoholic beverage control; special events; mixed beverage caterer's licenses. Expands the definition of "special event" used in the context of alcoholic beverage control to include events where a duly organized nonprofit corporation or association is engaged to be the concession operator entitled to the net proceeds from the sale of alcoholic beverages for such event. The bill also allows mixed beverage caterers' licenses to be granted to a person regularly engaged in the business of providing food and beverages to others for service at cultural or sporting events sponsored by a locality, destination marketing organization, or regional attractions marketing agency.
Comprehensive community colleges; procurement; machinery and equipment for courses and programs; certain limitations prohibited. Prohibits the State Board for Community Colleges and any comprehensive community college from establishing or adhering to any procurement policy, practice, procedure, regulation, or rule that prohibits the procurement of used machinery or equipment when such machinery or equipment is necessary to provide proper student instruction in any relevant course or program.
Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board established; report. Creates the Virginia-Ireland Advisory Board to advise the Governor and General Assembly on ways to improve economic and cultural links between Virginia and Ireland, with a focus on the areas of commerce and trade, art and education, and general government. The bill requires the Board to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly.
High school students; postsecondary opportunities; concurrent enrollment. Defines "concurrent enrollment" as the enrollment of a high school student in an associate degree-level course, creditable toward high school completion, offered on a campus, center, location, or site operated by an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, requires postsecondary degree attainment agreements between school boards and comprehensive community colleges to specify options for high school students to earn college credit through dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, or a combination thereof, requires the College and Career Ready Virginia Program to include the opportunity for any qualified high school student to earn college credit, including pursuant to the Passport Program or the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program, or a full associate degree through concurrent enrollment, and provides that any student participating in concurrent enrollment courses through the College and Career Ready Virginia Program shall be counted as a high school student for the purpose of the calculation and receipt of state funding for such student.
School boards and independent contractors; applicants for employment involving direct contact with children in public schools; employment history review. Requires each school board and each independent contractor that provides services in any public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth to (i) require each applicant for employment whose position will involve direct contact with children, as that term is defined in the bill, in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth to provide (a) the address and telephone number of and other any other relevant contact information for the applicant's current employer and any former employer that employed the applicant in a position that involved direct contact with children and (b) a written, signed statement as to whether the applicant has (1) been the subject of an investigation and finding or adjudication of abuse or sexual misconduct, as that term is defined in the bill, by any employer, state licensing agency, law-enforcement agency, or child protective services agency or (2) been disciplined, discharged, nonrenewed, asked to resign, or otherwise separated from employment or had a professional license or certificate suspended, surrendered, or revoked while such an investigation was pending or due to such a finding or adjudication and (ii) request, from each such employer, confirmation of the dates of the applicant's employment and a written statement as to the veracity of the applicant's abovementioned statement, to the best of such employer's knowledge. The bill requires each such employer to respond no later than 20 days after receipt of such a request. The bill permits any school board or independent contractor to use any information received pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) to evaluate an applicant's fitness to be hired and to consider an applicant's provision of false information or willful failure to disclose information to be grounds for declining to further consider such applicant for employment.
Property Owners' Association Act; operation and management of association; condemnation of common area; procedure. Requires consideration of the physical characteristics of a property owners' association's common area land when determining such land's highest and best use for purposes of valuing the property for award or payment for such land in a condemnation proceeding after the common area land is taken or damaged under the power of eminent domain.
Health professionals; mandatory suicide training required. Requires health care professionals to complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The bill requires counselors, licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners, marriage and family therapists, behavioral health technicians, qualified mental health professionals, occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers to complete such training at least once every six years and requires other health professionals to complete such training once. The bill requires the Commissioner of Health and the Department of Health Professions to develop a model list of training programs in suicide assessment, treatment, and management and update such list at least once every two years.
Income tax; sustainable aviation fuel production tax credit. Provides, for taxable years 2026 through 2030, a nonrefundable tax credit against individual and corporate income taxes for eligible producers of sustainable aviation fuel, as such terms are defined in the bill. The amount of the credit is the lesser of (i) $0.75 per gallon of sustainable aviation fuel produced in the taxable year or (ii) $5 million. The aggregate amount of credits allowable under this bill shall not exceed $20 million per taxable year.
Commission on Black Land Loss established; study; report. Establishes the Commission on Black Land Loss in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of studying existing and historical laws utilized by the state and localities to take land from Black people. The Commission consists of 17 members, 10 of whom are legislative members and seven of whom are nonlegislative citizen members.
Local ordinances; regulation of pet shops. Authorizes the governing body of any locality to, by ordinance, regulate or prohibit the sale of animals in a pet shop. Such ordinance may distinguish between certain types of pet shops and include provisions for special licensing, inspections, reporting, restrictions, or prohibitions on the sale of certain types of animals. The bill also includes certain existing statewide provisions related to pet shops in the list of sections for which a locality may adopt parallel or more stringent ordinances. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority; Creative Economy Task Force established; strategic plan; report; sunset. Establishes within the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority the Creative Economy Task Force for the purpose of developing a strategic plan to improve the creative economy, defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth. The Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2027. The bill contains an expiration date of January 1, 2028.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; algorithmic pricing device use by certain landlords; civil penalties. Requires a landlord, defined in the bill as a landlord who owns more than 10 rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than 10 rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth, who uses an algorithmic pricing device, defined in the bill, to establish the advertised rent, renewal rent, or rent offered to a prospective tenant to disclose such use in writing to the tenant or the prospective tenant under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The bill provides that, upon request, a landlord shall provide to the tenant or prospective tenant a plain-language summary of the general factors considered by the algorithmic pricing device in determining rent, and that a tenant or prospective tenant shall be entitled to a human review of any rent determination or renewal increase generated or recommended by an algorithmic pricing device.
The bill allows the Attorney General to seek an injunction and civil penalties to restrain any violations of the bill.
Law-enforcement agencies; use of certain technologies and interrogation practices; forensic laboratory accreditation. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a comprehensive framework for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and custodial and noncustodial interrogations of adults and juveniles by law-enforcement agencies, which shall include (i) developing policies and procedures and publishing model policies for the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and interrogation practices and (ii) establishing compulsory minimum training standards for basic training and recertification of law-enforcement officers on the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and conducting interrogations. The bill provides that the Department shall establish and publish such model policies by January 1, 2027, and that all law-enforcement agencies shall adopt policies consistent with such model policies by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2026, to complete the training required by the bill by January 1, 2030.
The bill also prohibits local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments from purchasing any equipment or instrument that is intended to be used in forensic laboratory analysis or any breath test device, presumptive chemical test, or presumptive mobile instrument unless such equipment, instrument, device, or test has been approved by the Department of Forensic Science or the Forensic Science Board. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2030.
Law-enforcement agencies; use of certain technologies and interrogation practices; forensic laboratory accreditation. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a comprehensive framework for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and custodial and noncustodial interrogations of adults and juveniles by law-enforcement agencies, which shall include (i) developing policies and procedures and publishing model policies for the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and interrogation practices and (ii) establishing compulsory minimum training standards for basic training and recertification of law-enforcement officers on the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and conducting interrogations. The bill provides that the Department shall establish and publish such model policies by January 1, 2027, and that all law-enforcement agencies shall adopt policies consistent with such model policies by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2026, to complete the training required by the bill by January 1, 2030.
The bill also prohibits local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments from purchasing any equipment or instrument that is intended to be used in forensic laboratory analysis or any breath test device, presumptive chemical test, or presumptive mobile instrument unless such equipment, instrument, device, or test has been approved by the Department of Forensic Science or the Forensic Science Board. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2030.
Law-enforcement agencies; use of certain technologies and interrogation practices; forensic laboratory accreditation. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) to establish a comprehensive framework for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and custodial and noncustodial interrogations of adults and juveniles by law-enforcement agencies, which shall include (i) developing policies and procedures and publishing model policies for the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and interrogation practices and (ii) establishing compulsory minimum training standards for basic training and recertification of law-enforcement officers in the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and in conducting interrogations. The bill provides that the Department shall establish and publish such model policies by January 1, 2027, and that all law-enforcement agencies shall adopt policies consistent with such model policies by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2026, to complete the training required by the bill by January 1, 2030.
The bill also provides that no local law-enforcement agency or campus police department shall operate a forensic laboratory, defined in the bill, unless such forensic laboratory is accredited by an accrediting body that requires conformance to forensic-specific requirements and that is a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement with a scope of accreditation that covers the testing being performed. The bill also prohibits local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments from purchasing any equipment or instrument that is intended to be used in forensic laboratory analysis or any breath test device, presumptive chemical test, or presumptive mobile instrument unless such equipment, instrument, device, or test has been approved by the Department of Forensic Science or the Forensic Science Board. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2030.
Law-enforcement agencies; use of certain technologies and interrogation practices; forensic laboratory accreditation. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) to establish a comprehensive framework for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, machine learning systems, audiovisual surveillance technologies, and custodial and noncustodial interrogations of adults and juveniles by law-enforcement agencies, which shall include (i) developing policies and procedures and publishing model policies for the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and interrogation practices and (ii) establishing compulsory minimum training standards for basic training and recertification of law-enforcement officers in the use of generative AI, machine learning systems, and audiovisual surveillance technologies and in conducting interrogations. The bill provides that the Department shall establish and publish such model policies by January 1, 2027, and that all law-enforcement agencies shall adopt policies consistent with such model policies by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2026, to complete the training required by the bill by January 1, 2030.
The bill also provides that no local law-enforcement agency or campus police department shall operate a forensic laboratory, defined in the bill, unless such forensic laboratory is accredited by an accrediting body that requires conformance to forensic-specific requirements and that is a signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement with a scope of accreditation that covers the testing being performed. The bill also prohibits local law-enforcement agencies and campus police departments from purchasing any equipment or instrument that is intended to be used in forensic laboratory analysis or any breath test device, presumptive chemical test, or presumptive mobile instrument unless such equipment, instrument, device, or test has been approved by the Department of Forensic Science or the Forensic Science Board. Such provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2030.
Virginia Accountability Commission established. Creates the Virginia Accountability Commission (the Commission). The Commission shall (i) create a public record of the conduct of federal agents and any federal military-style operations throughout the Commonwealth, (ii) examine the impact of that conduct on individuals and communities, and (iii) consider policy recommendations to prevent future harms to these individuals and communities. The bill requires the Commission to provide, not later than January 31, 2027, an initial status report outlining its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and not later than April 30, 2027, any supplementary reports the Commission deems appropriate. The bill provides that the Commission shall be composed of a chair, vice-chair, and up to seven additional members, for a total membership of up to nine uncompensated members, as appointed by the Governor, the House of Delegates, and the Senate. The bill also provides that the term of each Commission member shall expire one year from the date of his appointment, and Commissioners may be reappointed or replaced at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Finally, the bill requires the Office of Civil Rights with the Office of the Attorney General to provide administrative and professional staff support to the operations of the Commission. The Commission may also work with subject matter experts and non-profit organizations as it deems appropriate.
Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Expenses of localities and constitutional offices related to presidential visits; publishing unreimbursed expenses; budget. Requires each locality and constitutional officer to determine all expenses of the locality or office of the constitutional officer, respectively, related to the provision of security for visits to the locality by the President of the United States. The bill specifies that a locality or office of a constitutional officer that incurs such expenses shall seek reimbursement from the appropriate agency of the federal government within 30 days of incurring the expenses and shall concurrently publish such expenses on its official website, if one exists. The bill also requires each locality and constitutional officer that anticipates incurring expenses in the upcoming fiscal year related to the provision of security for visits to the locality by the President of the United States to include the total anticipated expenses in the locality's budget or the constitutional officer's budget request for such fiscal year.
Health care providers; required estimate for nonemergency health care services. Requires health care providers to provide a good faith estimate of the payment amount for which the patient will be responsible for such nonemergency health care service, including any fees or other charges for an item or service the patient may reasonably be expected to receive in connection with the nonemergency health care service. The bill requires the good faith estimate to include (i) description of the scheduled nonemergency health care service, (ii) the provider's standard charge for the service and any related item or service, (iii) the provider's standard charges and any contracted rates known at the time the estimate is prepared, and (iv) a statement that the estimate is not binding and the actual amount billed may differ depending on changes in the scope of services or the health carrier's processing of the claim.
State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.
Department of Juvenile Justice; transfer of responsibility from Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to Secretary of Health and Human Resources; stakeholder work group. Directs the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a stakeholder work group to create a plan and recommended timeline for transferring responsibility for the Department of Juvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. The bill requires the work group to be composed of interested parties, including representatives from civil liberty organizations, organizations engaged in the daily work of youth justice and violence prevention, formerly incarcerated persons and their families, and mental health experts. The bill directs the work group to submit its plan and recommended timeline for executing the transfer to the Chairs of the House Committee for Courts of Justice, House Committee on Public Safety, Senate Committee for Courts of Justice, and Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026.
Use of artificial intelligence-based tools; covered artificial intelligence; disclosure of use. Requires the use of covered artificial intelligence, as defined in the bill, in a criminal investigation to be disclosed in a police report filed for that investigation. Such a report shall be submitted to the attorney for the Commonwealth upon arrest or issuance of a summons and made available to the individual under investigation or such individual's counsel. The bill provides that any use of covered artificial intelligence subsequent to arrest shall be disclosed to the attorney for the Commonwealth and the individual under investigation as soon as practicable but no later than 30 calendar days following such use. The bill enumerates what each report shall include regarding the use of covered artificial intelligence and provides that the first draft of any report or record created in whole or in part by generative artificial intelligence shall be retained for as long as the final report is retained. The bill also provides that the program used to generate a draft or final report shall maintain an audit trail that identifies (i) the person who used artificial intelligence to create or edit the report; (ii) any changes made to the report following the initial draft; and (iii) the video and audio footage used to create a report, if any. The bill provides that the Attorney General may investigate and, if warranted, bring a civil action against any law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill and provides that a resident of the jurisdiction may bring a civil action against the law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill requires such plaintiff to provide written notice of any alleged violation to the law-enforcement agency at least 90 days prior to filing suit, in a manner that is reasonably calculated to enable the law-enforcement agency to cure the alleged violation.
Law enforcement; artificial intelligence inventory; civil action. Requires all law-enforcement agencies, defined in the bill as any state or local law-enforcement agency or sheriff's department, to conduct an inventory of any covered artificial intelligence system, defined in the bill, used by such agency and to make such inventory publicly available by November 1 of each year. The bill also provides that the Attorney General may investigate and, if warranted, bring a civil action against any law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill and provides that a resident of the jurisdiction may bring a civil action against the law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill requires such plaintiff to provide written notice of any alleged violation to the law-enforcement agency at least 90 days prior to filing suit, in a manner that is reasonably calculated to enable the law-enforcement agency to cure the alleged violation.
Rules of construction; use of "shall." Provides that "shall," as used in the Code of Virginia, establishes a mandatory requirement and is not merely directory, unless the statute explicitly provides otherwise. The bill responds to the holding in Henderson v. Commonwealth, 77 Va. App. 250 (2023), in which the Court of Appeals held that when the General Assembly uses "shall" in a statute commanding action by a public official or public body such usage is directory and not mandatory. The foregoing provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly. The bill requires, effective in due course, the Virginia Code Commission to review the bill's provisions and evaluate the bill's effect on the Code of Virginia and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; evaluation; impact of recent federal changes to graduate and professional student loan programs on in-state students; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, with the assistance of an advisory group that it convenes, to evaluate the impact of revised federal borrowing limits, the elimination of federal Grad PLUS loans, and any related federal definitions that alter the classification of graduate and professional programs for student financial aid purposes on in-state students enrolled at public institutions of higher education and private nonprofit institutions eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Civil action for deprivation of rights; liability of persons acting under color of law. Creates a state civil cause of action for violations of rights guaranteed by the constitutions or laws of the United States and the Commonwealth. The bill provides that a person acting under color of law who deprives an individual of such rights and any supervisor of such person who is responsible for directing or overseeing such person's conduct shall be liable to such individual for compensatory damages, punitive damages, equitable relief, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Line of Duty Act; payments to beneficiaries. Provides that if a deceased person, as that term is defined in the Line of Duty Act, died as a result of certain cancers within 10 years from his date of retirement, his beneficiary shall be entitled to the payment of certain benefits. Under current law, such beneficiary shall be entitled to such payment if the deceased person's death (i) arose out of and in the course of his employment or (ii) was within five years from his date of retirement.
Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Farm Equipment Right to Repair Act; Virginia Consumer Protection Act; penalties; civil action. Requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of agricultural equipment, or parts for such equipment, to make available to owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation, parts, and tools for purposes of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of such equipment. The bill requires, for agricultural equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, OEMs to make available to the owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, any special documentation, parts, and tools needed to disable such lock or function and to reset it when disabled. A violation of the bill's provisions is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Any person who suffers a loss as the result of a violation of the bill's provisions shall be entitled to initiate an action for an injunction to enforce such provisions. The bill applies with respect to agricultural equipment sold or in use in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2027.
Speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems; placement and operation; violation enforcement; civil penalties. Authorizes state and local law-enforcement agencies to place and operate pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones, and high-risk speed corridors for purposes of recording pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill changes the terms "photo speed monitoring device" to "speed safety camera" and "high-risk intersection segment" to "high-risk speed corridor" in provisions related to vehicle speed violations. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of speed safety cameras and extends most of those requirements to the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems. The bill requires local law-enforcement agencies implementing or expanding the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems, prior to the implementation or expansion of such systems, to conduct a public awareness program for such implementation or expansion.
The bill also limits the use of speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a speed safety camera, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, as applicable, placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the speed safety camera, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, respectively, provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the violation.
The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for violations captured by speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems and requires summonses issued for such violations to be such summons. The bill also establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, or stop sign violation monitoring systems, as applicable, render such summons invalid.
The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
School division accessibility challenges and barriers; reports, summary, and plan. Requires each school board or division superintendent to review and report to the Department of Education no later than August 1, 2026, certain challenges and barriers relating to the accessibility of public elementary and secondary school buildings and grounds in the local school division. The bill requires the Department to consolidate all such reports into a summary document and submit (i) such document, (ii) a plan for achieving full compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 across all school divisions in the Commonwealth, and (iii) any legislative and budgetary recommendations for fully executing such plan to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on Education no later than November 1, 2026.
Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program established; workforce development; certified nurse aides; licensed practical nurses; report. Directs the Department of Health to establish the Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program to permit health care entities to enter into compacts, as defined by the bill, to incentivize health care workforce development. The bill permits such compacts to engage in workforce development activities, pool resources, enter into agreements with other entities to expand training and placement capacity, establish shared goals, and share workforce data in accordance with applicable privacy laws. The bill directs the Department to provide technical assistance and permits the Department to administer the Program in coordination with the Department of Health Professions, the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, and other relevant entities. The bill requires compacts to report to the Department on their activities and requires the Department to submit a consolidated report to the Governor and General Assembly each year by December 1.
Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Fund and Program; public, private, or nonprofit entity under contract with public school division. Amends the Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Fund and Program to allow moneys from the Fund to be awarded to any public, private, or nonprofit entity currently under contract with, or expected to be under contract with, a public school division to cover certain costs associated with transitioning from diesel school buses and other commercial motor vehicles, heavy equipment, or other machinery to electric school buses or other equipment that reduces air emissions. The bill also removes a provision that prohibits the allocation of funds to the Fund or the Program unless federal funds or nonstate funds are available to cover the entire cost of such allocation.
Public schools; indoor air quality; industry-recognized uniform inspection and evaluation. Adds several items that are required to be included in the industry-recognized uniform inspection and evaluation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system that is required at least every four years for each public elementary and secondary school building, including measurement of radon levels in the air and testing for moisture incursion. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Noncustodial Parent Employment and Child Support Pilot Program established; report; work group; sunset. Establishes the Noncustodial Parent Employment and Child Support Pilot Program within the Department of Social Services to assist noncustodial parents who are in arrears on child support payments or unemployed or underemployed with referrals to various resources, including employment referrals, employment skills training, education classes, parenting classes, and other forms of case management in lieu of or in addition to any available remedy available to enforce or collect child support payments. The bill directs the Department to report annually by December 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly data and information about the Program, including the number of parents participating in the Program, any reduction in the use of enforcement remedies to collect child support payments, and the amount of child support payments paid on time by parent participants. The bill also directs the Department to convene a work group to advise the Department on the design of and criteria for participation in the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.
Precipitation design standards; non-stationary precipitation; climate-adjusted rainfall. Requires the State Water Control Board to serve as the lead agency responsible for establishing and maintaining precipitation design standards to be used by all state agencies, localities, and other political subdivisions and in transportation projects. The bill requires such precipitation design standards to include the most recent precipitation frequency estimates published in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration national precipitation frequency atlas to account for observed and projected increases in precipitation intensity, frequency, and duration. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Transportation, and any other state agency to update any relevant manuals and design standards consistent with the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027. The bill also allows the State Water Control Board and the Department of Transportation to adopt interim guidance or regulations implementing the provisions of the bill consistent with the Administrative Process Act, ensuring that updated precipitation design standards take effect no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.
Employment discrimination against members of the General Assembly; prohibition; penalty. Prohibits discrimination in employment against a member of the General Assembly on the basis of his absence from employment due to his attendance at any regular or special session of the General Assembly or any meeting of a legislative committee, subcommittee, commission, council, or other entity on which he serves by reason of his status as a member of the General Assembly. A violation of the bill's provisions is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Department of Education; English language learner students; expenditures; data collection; report. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with each school board, to annually collect, maintain, post publicly and conspicuously on its website, and report no later than November 1 to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly data on expenditures for the education of English language learner students in each local school division. The bill requires such data to be disaggregated by school level, grade level, and student English proficiency level.
Special license plates; QUAIL FOREVER. Authorizes the issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supporters of Quail Forever bearing the legend QUAIL FOREVER. The bill exempts such special license plates from requirements related to the minimum number of prepaid applications and the minimum number of active license plates after five years of issuance for special license plates.
Solar energy facilities; prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements; state and local tax exemption; report; civil penalties. Requires each solar developer, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. The bill requires each solar developer to (i) ensure that a percentage of the total labor hours of such work is performed by qualified apprentices and (ii) employ at least one qualified apprentice if four or more individuals are employed to perform such work. Under the bill, a solar developer that fails to meet the requirements of its provisions is required to make penalty payments to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry.
Additionally, the bill provides that any certified solar generation facility, as defined in the bill, is declared a separate class of property and shall be classified for local taxation separately from other classifications of real or personal property. Such facilities shall be wholly exempt from state and local taxation under the Constitution of Virginia.
Department of Education; assessment; utilization of funds for regional special education students; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department), in collaboration with the Office of Children's Services, staff from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and such other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate, to assess potential enhancements and strategies to maximize utilization of funds designated for regional special education students, commonly referred to as the Students with Intensive Support Needs Application program, in order to decrease the number of referrals of students with disabilities into private day school placements. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Education and the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations no later than December 15, 2026.
Pesticides; manufacture, distribution, use, or sale of paraquat prohibited. Prohibits any person from manufacturing, distributing, using, or selling any pesticide containing paraquat, defined in the bill, as an active ingredient. The bill allows the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to seize any such pesticide containing paraquat on complaint to the circuit court in the area where the pesticide is located.
Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund; funding requirements; report. Revises the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund by expanding the qualifying private entities available for partnership with a local government for the redevelopment of local sites, removing the existing $500,000 grant cap for such local government, and eliminating the requirement that each grant be conditioned upon a 100 percent match of funds by the local government. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (the Department), on or before December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Governor, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, including the number of projects funded and the costs of the Fund. In addition, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to develop appropriate criteria and guidelines for the administration of the grant program established by the Fund, including for (i) how to prioritize awards for (a) localities experiencing an above average and high level of fiscal stress as designated by the Commission on Local Government and (b) localities experiencing a significant decrease in commercial real estate assessments and (ii) the amount and type of local match, including both requirements that consider monetary contributions and non-monetary contributions. The bill requires the work group to include representatives of the Department, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia First Cities Coalition, the Virginia Municipal League, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026. Under current law, the Board of Housing and Community Development is directed to develop guidelines for administration of the Fund. Finally, the bill repeals the Housing Revitalization Zone Act.
State Board for Community Colleges; powers; Laurel Ridge Community College; acquisition and improvement of certain property; authorization. Authorizes the State Board of Community Colleges to acquire, by purchase, certain real property and improvements located adjacent to the Laurel Ridge Community College Campus and to execute and deliver such deeds, agreements, plats, and other instruments as necessary to carry out such acquisition in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Electric utilities; interconnection service standards; high-demand customers. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish standards for interconnection service by an electric utility to high-demand customers, as defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth that are designed to support economic growth in the Commonwealth while maintaining the reliability of the electric grid and minimizing the potential for stranded infrastructure costs.
Teacher licensure; technical professional license; curriculum and instruction coursework; comprehensive community colleges. Permits any individual seeking a technical professional license to complete any required coursework in curriculum and instruction at any comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth that offers such coursework, regardless of whether such coursework is offered on a for-credit basis or as part of a noncredit workforce credential.
Police Chief Bill of Rights. Creates independent protections and procedures for certain chiefs of police, defined in the bill, by requiring a showing of just cause when a chief of police is proposed for removal from office. The bill requires that a police chief be given written notice of the specific grounds for his proposed removal and that such police chief be afforded an opportunity to be heard in his own defense, personally and with counsel, before an impartial hearing panel.
Health insurance; pharmacies; freedom of choice; delivery of prescription drugs; penalties. Prohibits an insurer, health maintenance organization, corporation providing preferred provider subscription contracts, or pharmacy benefits manager from imposing upon any person receiving pharmaceutical benefits any policy or practice requiring or incentivizing certain provisions relating to the delivery of prescription drugs. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes an unfair trade practice under existing law and is subject to injunctive, penalty, and enforcement provisions in existing law.
Loitering; unhoused persons. Prohibits any locality from discriminating against any person on the basis of actual or perceived unhoused status by imposing a civil or criminal penalty against any unhoused person, defined in the bill, of any age for engaging in life-sustaining activities in or upon any public place, including in a legally parked car in a public place, provided that such activities do not obstruct the movement of pedestrian or vehicular traffic in a manner that creates a hazard to others. Life-sustaining activities include sleeping, resting, sitting, standing, lying down, or protecting oneself from the elements.
Department of Wildlife Resources; permits; use of dogs in hunting game animals, fur-bearing animals, and nuisance species; civil penalties. Directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to establish a permit for persons and a permit for organizations that hunt game animals, fur-bearing animals, or nuisance species with the aid of dogs and makes it unlawful for any person to (i) release a dog to hunt, pursue, or chase any game animal, fur-bearing animal, or nuisance species on any tract of real property or (ii) engage in hunting for any game animal, fur-bearing animal, or nuisance species with the aid of any dog unless such person has been issued a permit to hunt with dogs by the Department. The bill exempts from permitting requirements any person or organization (a) engaged in mounted fox hunting or hunting waterfowl, migratory birds, or upland game birds; (b) using a tracking dog to retrieve a wounded or dead bear, turkey, or deer; (c) whose dog remains in the immediate visual presence and control of such person or organization; or (d) on public lands where hunting is allowed. Finally the bill subjects any person who violates the provisions of the bill to a civil penalty of no more than $50 for a first violation and no less than $100 but no more than $250 for a second or subsequent violation within three years.
Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team established; penalty; report. Establishes the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team to develop and implement procedures to ensure that fetal and infant deaths occurring in the Commonwealth are analyzed in a systematic way. The bill requires the Team to compile triennial statistical data regarding fetal and infant deaths and to make such data available to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Department of Health. The bill provides that information and records obtained or created by the Team and portions of meetings of the Team at which individual fetal and infant deaths are discussed shall be confidential.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements; landlord's maintenance responsibilities. Prohibits a rental agreement from containing any provision stating that the tenant agrees to pay (i) any fee for the maintenance of the premises, including the maintenance or provision of heating and cooling systems, pest control, trash disposal, common area utilities, and mail or package delivery; (ii) a fee for internet, cable, or any other utilities or services that amount to more than the cost paid by the landlord; or (iii) for the maintenance or security of the common areas. The bill also repeals the provision allowing the landlord and tenant to agree in writing that the tenant may perform certain duties typically assigned to the landlord and also specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, and remodeling, but only if the transaction is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord and if the agreement does not diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.
Certain student assessment requirements; exception for certain students with disabilities. Excludes any students in grades seven through 12 who are children with disabilities and who participate in an alternative method of Standards of Learning assessment administration or who participate in an alternate assessment through the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program from the requirement that such students take Standards of Learning assessments or permissive local alternative assessments no earlier than two weeks prior to the last day of the school year and that each such student's score on any such assessment accounts for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in the relevant course.
Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations. Provides that the court shall consider all technical violations that are alleged to have occurred after a prior sentencing or revocation hearing as single technical violation and adjudicate the case as such, with punishment imposed pursuant to relevant law. The bill also prohibits the court from treating multiple technical violations during a single probationary period between such prior sentencing or revocation hearing as separate cases or adjudicate such violations at separate hearings. The bill requires that when a defendant has been taken into custody for an alleged violation for which the court may impose not more than 14 days of active incarceration, the court shall docket such case as soon as practicable, and any such case shall be given precedence on the docket. The bill states that if such violation is not adjudicated within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody, the defendant shall be admitted to bail, unless (i) such defendant consents to being further detained while awaiting adjudication or sentencing or (ii) the Commonwealth has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant presents a significant risk of harm to himself or the community based on substance use disorder or serious mental illness and has been referred for residential treatment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the bill provides that no such defendant shall be held in custody awaiting adjudication of or sentencing on such alleged technical violation for longer than 30 days. The bill also expands the list of technical violations and provides that it shall be a defense to an alleged violation if the defendant can show that he has substantially complied with his probation obligations.
Department of Health; Board of Health; powers and duties; onsite sewage system designs. Directs the Board of Health to establish and maintain a pre-certified library of engineered onsite sewage system designs that may be used by right when site conditions materially match the design envelope for such systems. The bill also directs the Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality, to implement a fast-track permitting timeline for subdivision plat review when a subdivision will have identical, decentralized onsite sewage system designs. Within 30 days from the date of written submission of a request for approval of a site evaluation and design for subdivision plat review, the Department of Health shall (i) issue the requested letter, permit, or approval or (ii) set forth in writing the specific reasons for denial.
Alcoholic beverage control; definitions; designer and vintage spirit bottles. Defines, for the purposes of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, "designer spirit bottle" and "vintage spirit bottle."
Impact fees; residential development. Authorizes any locality to impose impact fees on certain residential developments in order to defray the costs of constructing public facilities necessitated by those developments. Under current law, such impact fees have limited applicability and may be imposed only by those counties that have established urban transportation service districts. The bill also deletes provisions of current law that narrow the scope of included public facilities for localities in the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products; consequences; procedures. Reduces the penalties for underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages or marijuana or marijuana products to a written warning for a first violation, a written warning and the provision of informational materials about how to access community services for a second violation, and a write-up and an optional referral for accessing community services for a third or subsequent violation. Under current law, underage consumption, purchase, or possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor with a period of license suspension and an option for a deferred dismissal in certain circumstances. The current penalties for underage consumption or possession of marijuana or marijuana products is a civil penalty of $25 and an order to enter a substance abuse treatment or education program.
The bill also provides that such underage persons are not capable of giving lawful consent to a search and that the unconcealed possession of an alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products shall not constitute probable cause to initiate a search of a person or that person's personal property to determine any further violations of law. The bill specifies that such underage persons shall not be subject to arrest or otherwise detained or taken into custody by a law-enforcement officer and that a law-enforcement officer's body-worn camera system shall be activated during any encounter involving an underage person suspected to be in violation of such provisions. The bill also puts limits on the dissemination and retention of any law-enforcement records related to violations of such provisions.
Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry; performance bond. Removes the requirement for a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (VESMP) authority to have a performance bond with surety, cash escrow, letter of credit, any combination thereof, or such other legal arrangement in order to enter any establishment or upon any property, public or private, for the purpose of initiating or maintaining appropriate actions that are required by conditions imposed by the VESMP authority on a land-disturbing activity when an owner, after proper notice, has failed to take acceptable action within the time specified.
Labor and employment; warehouse employers; required disclosures and recordkeeping; civil penalties. Requires each employer of 500 or more warehouse employees in the Commonwealth to provide a written description of each quota to which an employee is subject, any incentive or bonus associated with meeting the quota, and any potential adverse employment action that may result from failure to meet the quota. Such employers are also required to disclose the use of an automated or algorithmic management system to monitor or evaluate employee performance. Under the bill, the time periods in quotas must account for relevant standards for meal periods, rest periods, bathroom access, or workplace safety. The bill also requires such employers to keep records of each employee's work-speed data, aggregate work-speed data, and written quota disclosures provided to employees. The bill prohibits retaliatory action against an employee for requesting information, making a good faith complaint, or participating in an investigation and includes a rebuttable presumption that any adverse employment action taken within 90 days of such conduct is retaliatory. Provisions of the bill are enforceable by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry under existing provisions to enforce and remedy safety and health violations.
Government efficiency; agency reporting requirements; healthcare financing reform; Interagency Health Financing Task Force; managed care organization performance review; housing regulatory review; procurement reform; technology consolidation; real property management; personnel efficiency; federal funding contingency; establishment of the Joint Subcommittee on Government Efficiency; data integration and transparency.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources; private equity ownership of health care facilities; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources (the Secretary) to convene a work group to study the impact of private equity on health care. The bill requires the Secretary to submit a report on the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.
Powers and duties of the Marine Products Board; full-time equivalent position established; marketing and production of blue catfish. Directs the Marine Products Board to establish a full-time equivalent position to identify grants and other funding opportunities for the marketing and production of blue catfish in the Commonwealth and disburse moneys from such grants and funds.
Public institutions of higher education; students and campus; restrictions on student speech; limitations. Clarifies the requirements for and limitations on the ability of a public institution of higher education to impose restrictions on the time, place, or manner of student speech that occurs in outdoor areas of the institution's campus and is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by (i) clarifying the criteria for demonstrating that the restriction is permissible; (ii) prohibiting any public institution of higher education from imposing certain restrictions, punishments, policies, or restraints designed to restrict student speech in ways that violate the First Amendment rights of students, faculty, and staff; and (iii) requiring any public institution of higher education that deems any student speech or assembly unlawful and imposes a restriction on the time, place, or manner of such speech to submit to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education within 45 days of imposing such restriction a report detailing the justification for such restriction, demonstrating how the restriction satisfies the criteria required pursuant to applicable law and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Virginia Fungi Task Force established; report. Requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish the Virginia Fungi Task Force to assess, categorize, and protect the Commonwealth's natural fungi species and explore the economic potential of fungi. The bill directs the Task Force to develop recommendations to (i) conduct a gap analysis and needs assessment on the Commonwealth's natural fungi species; (ii) identify economic development opportunities for fungi; (iii) build a Virginia database of native and invasive fungi species; (iv) conduct statewide fungal monitoring and research; (v) support forest health, agriculture, and water quality in the Commonwealth; (vi) provide guidance on toxic mushrooms and public safety; and (vii) build public education and identification resources on fungi in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to report its initial findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1, 2027, and update such report at least every five years.
Maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearings en banc; summary disposition of certain civil cases. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill provides that the Supreme Court of Virginia shall prescribe by rule the number of judges needed for the Court of Appeals to sit en banc, and that such number shall not be fewer than 13 judges. Additionally, the bill permits the Court of Appeals to summarily affirm the decision below in certain civil cases.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; enhanced oversight of services facilitators. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to enhance oversight of Medicaid services facilitation for consumer directed services, including incorporation of such services into the statewide Fiscal Employer Agent contract and development of a contract monitoring and oversight plan.
Educational and cultural institutions; Recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; Hampton University Land-Grant Restoration Fund established; requirements.
Department of Environmental Quality; standby generators study; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a one-year study of all standby generators used by a commercial facility with an air permit in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the study to (i) identify commercial facilities with an air permit that use standby generators, (ii) identify the type of pollutants emitted from such standby generators, and (iii) analyze and describe the amount of pollutants from such standby generators. The Department is required to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by July 1, 2027.
Notaries; altered documents; name across instruments. Provides that a notary shall not affix an official signature or seal on a notarial certificate that is altered. The bill further provides that the name associated with the commissioned notary shall be the same on and across such notary's signature, certificate, seal, and any other document or instrument requiring such notary's name and information.
Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act; Auditor of Public Accounts. Adds the Auditor of Public Accounts to the definition of "appropriate authority" for purposes of whistle blower reporting pursuant to the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act. The bill also requires additional notice and posting requirements related to the Act for local governments. Finally, the bill grants authority to the Auditor of Public Accounts to perform any type of audit, review, or investigation of the accounts and records of a locality that may be required pursuant to the Act.
Department of Corrections; investigations of violent incidents. Designates the Department of State Police as the law-enforcement agency responsible for investigating (i) alleged serious violent incidents that result in the death of either an inmate or officer and (ii) alleged or suspected incidents of inmate suicide.
Uniform Statewide Building Code; regulations superseded; exceptions; interpretations; report. Removes existing exceptions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code and establishes a process by which counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions may petition the State Building Code Technical Review Board (the Review Board) to grant single project exceptions. The bill requires the Review Board, in granting approval for an exception, to identify other counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions of the Commonwealth in which the conditions are substantially similar and to which such exception shall therefore apply. The bill additionally requires the Review Board to report to the General Assembly annually no later than November 1 regarding the number of petitions received, the disposition of such petitions, technical findings supporting approvals and denials, and the cost and safety impacts of any approved exception. The bill requires any interpretation issued by the Review Board to apply statewide. Finally, the bill directs the Board of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, to establish a training program for local plan reviewers and inspectors to ensure enforcement of the Uniform Statewide Building Code is uniform across the Commonwealth.
Local approval of data centers; temporary moratorium. Prohibits final approval of any application for a rezoning, special exception, special use permit, site plan, or plan of development for the siting of a new data center by a locality until the earlier of (i) the fulfillment of all pending requests for interconnection to distribution service by an electric utility customer that is a data center or (ii) July 1, 2028.
Military - spouse employment and economic opportunities.
Digital innovation and infrastructure; establishing rights in digital property and technology resources; requiring risk management policies for critical infrastructure facilities controlled by critical artificial intelligence systems; providing safe harbors; preempting local regulation; and providing for enforcement and remedies.
School breakfast; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill.
School breakfast; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill.
Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Requests the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.
Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Requests the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.
Income tax; standard deduction and earned income tax credit. Removes the sunset from and makes permanent the standard deduction amounts of $8,750 for single individuals and $17,500 for married individuals filing jointly. Under current law, the standard deduction is scheduled to revert to $3,000 for single individuals and $6,000 for married individuals filing jointly after taxable year 2026. The bill also removes the sunset from and makes permanent the increase in Virginia's refundable earned income tax credit from 15 percent to 20 percent of the allowable federal earned income tax credit. Under current law, the Virginia refundable earned income tax credit expires in taxable year 2027 and Virginia's nonrefundable earned income tax credit, which has no expiration date, is equal to 20 percent of the federal credit.
Real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Authorizes localities to provide, for tax years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, up to a total exemption from real property taxes for dwellings owned by surviving spouses of members of the armed forces that are situated on property zoned as single family residential. Under current law, a total exemption is only allowed for such dwellings with assessed values in the most recently ended tax year that are not in excess of the average assessed value for such year of a dwelling situated on property that is zoned as single family residential.
Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Department of Juvenile Justice; transfer of responsibility from Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to Secretary of Health and Human Resources; stakeholder work group. Directs the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a stakeholder work group to create a plan and recommended timeline for transferring responsibility for the Department of Juvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. The bill requires the work group to be composed of interested parties, including representatives from civil liberty organizations, organizations engaged in the daily work of youth justice and violence prevention, formerly incarcerated persons and their families, and mental health experts. The bill directs the work group to submit its plan and recommended timeline for executing the transfer to the Chairs of the House Committee for Courts of Justice, House Committee on Public Safety, Senate Committee for Courts of Justice, and Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026.
Study; Department of Conservation and Recreation; state park in Washington County; report. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study the feasibility of establishing a state park in Washington County at the Mendota Trail and Abrams Falls located within the Holston River Watershed.
Study; Department of Conservation and Recreation; state park in Washington County; report. Requests the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study the feasibility of establishing a state park in Washington County at the Mendota Trail and Abrams Falls located within the Holston River Watershed.
Department of Education; impact of requiring each school board to pay unpaid meal balance from uncollectible school meal debts; report. Directs the Department of Education to evaluate and submit to the chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Education by November 1, 2026, a report on the impact of requiring each school board, at the end of each school year, to pay for the total unpaid school meal balance on the nonprofit food service account of each public elementary or secondary school in the school division resulting from uncollectible school meal debts on any student account.
Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program established; incorporation into National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund. Establishes the Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program and incorporates such program into the existing National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program. The bill also renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program Fund as the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program Fund (the Fund) and expands the purpose for which disbursements may be made from the Fund to include the award of incentive grants to school psychologists obtaining national certification from the National Association of School Psychologists consisting of an initial state-funded award of $5,000 and a subsequent award of $2,500 each year for the life of the certificate.
Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program established; incorporation into National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund. Establishes the Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program and incorporates such program into the existing National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program. The bill also renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program Fund as the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program Fund (the Fund) and expands the purpose for which disbursements may be made from the Fund to include the award of incentive grants to school psychologists obtaining national certification from the National Association of School Psychologists consisting of an initial state-funded award of $5,000 and a subsequent award of $2,500 each year for the life of the certificate.
Virginia Personnel Act; certain Department of Elections officers and employees not exempt. Excludes the Department of Elections from the provision of the Virginia Personnel Act that exempts employees of executive branch agencies who have accepted serving in the capacity of chief deputy, or equivalent, and of a confidential assistant for policy or administration.
Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of awarding grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs (the Department) shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall award grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services.
The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually, beginning November 1, 2027, to the Governor and the General Assembly containing a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.
Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of awarding grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs (the Department) shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall award grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services.
The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually, beginning November 1, 2027, to the Governor and the General Assembly containing a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.
Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; At-Risk Program established. The bill establishes (i) the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at-risk, including programs and services of prevention, intervention, or remediation; (ii) a state-funded, flexible per pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on to be applied for each special education student, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the bill, for the purpose of better meeting the educational needs of students with disabilities; and (iii) a state-funded, flexible per-pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on to be provided for each English language learner student, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the bill, for the purpose of better meeting the educational needs of English language learner students. The bill also establishes requirements and conditions for each school division receiving funding pursuant to the At-Risk Program or either of the per pupil Standards of Quality funding add-ons established pursuant to the bill, including a requirement that each such school division annually report to the Department of Education on the planned and actual uses of such funds. The bill directs the Department to annually compile and publish on its website a summary of the reports received from each school division on the use of such funds. Finally, the bill authorizes the Department, upon providing notice and an opportunity for corrective action, withhold, recover, or redirect funds provided pursuant to the bill from any school division found to be in noncompliance with the requirements set forth in the bill.
Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; At-Risk Program established. The bill establishes (i) the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at-risk, including programs and services of prevention, intervention, or remediation; (ii) a state-funded, flexible per pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on to be applied for each special education student, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the bill, for the purpose of better meeting the educational needs of students with disabilities; and (iii) a state-funded, flexible per-pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on to be provided for each English language learner student, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the bill, for the purpose of better meeting the educational needs of English language learner students. The bill also establishes requirements and conditions for each school division receiving funding pursuant to the At-Risk Program or either of the per pupil Standards of Quality funding add-ons established pursuant to the bill, including a requirement that each such school division annually report to the Department of Education on the planned and actual uses of such funds. The bill directs the Department to annually compile and publish on its website a summary of the reports received from each school division on the use of such funds. Finally, the bill authorizes the Department, upon providing notice and an opportunity for corrective action, withhold, recover, or redirect funds provided pursuant to the bill from any school division found to be in noncompliance with the requirements set forth in the bill.
Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; tuition and fee waivers. Requires the Commissioner of Veterans Services to consider certain domicile or physical presence requirements for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program satisfied when (i) the failure to meet such requirements is solely attributable to a relocation outside of the Commonwealth by lawful military order or (ii) in the case of a survivor or dependent that meets all other eligibility requirements who has relocated to the Commonwealth by lawful military order, when the survivor or dependent has established residency in the Commonwealth, after having been enrolled in a higher education tuition and fees program for military survivors and dependents in another state.
Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; tuition and fee waivers. Requires the Commissioner of Veterans Services to consider certain domicile or physical presence requirements for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program satisfied when (i) the failure to meet such requirements is solely attributable to a relocation outside of the Commonwealth by lawful military order or (ii) in the case of a survivor or dependent that meets all other eligibility requirements who has relocated to the Commonwealth by lawful military order, when the survivor or dependent has established residency in the Commonwealth, after having been enrolled in a higher education tuition and fees program for military survivors and dependents in another state.
Bank franchise tax; retail sales and use tax; tangible personal property tax; data centers. Provides that on and after July 1, 2026, if any tenant of a data center is a bank, then the retail sales and use tax exemption for data center computer equipment shall not apply to the data center operator and any tenants of the data center.
The bill also adds computer equipment and peripherals of all banks used in a data center to personal property that is taxable for banks subject to the bank franchise tax in lieu of most other taxes.
Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program. Renames the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program, established pursuant to applicable law, as "the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program" and amends the Program by expanding the criteria that a public institution of higher education or eligible private institution of higher education must satisfy to receive a designation as a "Hunger-Free Campus" and be awarded a grant under the Program to include a requirement that any such institution to establish both (i) an on-campus food pantry, pursuant to current law, and (ii) if such institution offers a meal swipe program or equivalent student meal swipe plan, a student meal credit sharing program, whereby students may voluntarily donate unused meal plan credits to be distributed for use by other students at campus dining halls or at its on-campus food pantry or to otherwise support its on-campus food pantry. The bill also requires grants awarded pursuant to the Program to be used to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of both its food pantry, pursuant to current law, and its student meal credit sharing program established in accordance with the bill.
Medical malpractice; limitation on recovery; certain actions. Eliminates the cap on the recovery in actions against health care providers for medical malpractice where the act or acts of malpractice occurred on or after July 1, 2026, and occurred against a patient age 10 or younger.
Medical malpractice; limitation on recovery; certain actions. Eliminates the cap on the recovery in actions against health care providers for medical malpractice where the act or acts of malpractice occurred on or after July 1, 2026, and occurred against a patient age 10 or younger.
Medical assistance services; volunteer emergency medical services agencies; supplemental payment for ground emergency medical services vehicle transportation. Directs the State Board of Health to include a provision in the state plan for medical assistance services to implement a supplemental payment program for qualified volunteer emergency medical services agencies to cover the difference between the agency's costs for ground emergency medical services vehicle transport services and the reimbursement amount received from the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
Medical assistance services; volunteer emergency medical services agencies; supplemental payment for ground emergency medical services vehicle transportation. Directs the State Board of Health to include a provision in the state plan for medical assistance services to implement a supplemental payment program for qualified volunteer emergency medical services agencies to cover the difference between the agency's costs for ground emergency medical services vehicle transport services and the reimbursement amount received from the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
School boards; courses of instruction; high school courses or dual enrollment programs for certification as a certified nurse aide, emergency medical technician, or firefighter; establishment permitted; requirements. Permits any school board to provide to high school students, either on school premises or through a dual enrollment program or other partnership with a comprehensive community college, courses of instruction that prepare students for and lead to (i) certification as a certified nurse aide, provided that such course is approved by and meets the requirements of the Board of Nursing and is taught by a qualified individual, consistent with the requirements of the Board of Nursing; (ii) certification as an emergency medical technician, provided that such course is consistent with the requirements established by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and taught by an emergency medical technician instructor who meets the requirements set forth in the bill; or (iii) firefighting level 1 certification, as defined by the bill, provided that such course is consistent with the National Fire Protection Association 1001, level one, firefighter standards as administered by the Department of Fire Programs and taught by an individual qualified to provided such instruction. The bill also requires any school board that provides any such course of instruction on school premises to high school students to ensure that any individual employed, contracted, or permitted to volunteer to provide instruction in such course meets the requirements set forth in applicable law relating to data on convictions for certain crimes and child abuse and neglect, fingerprinting, and criminal history records checks.
School boards; courses of instruction; high school courses or dual enrollment programs for certification as a certified nurse aide, emergency medical technician, or firefighter; establishment permitted; requirements. Permits any school board to provide to high school students, either on school premises or through a dual enrollment program or other partnership with a comprehensive community college, courses of instruction that prepare students for and lead to (i) certification as a certified nurse aide, provided that such course is approved by and meets the requirements of the Board of Nursing and is taught by a qualified individual, consistent with the requirements of the Board of Nursing; (ii) certification as an emergency medical technician, provided that such course is consistent with the requirements established by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and taught by an emergency medical technician instructor who meets the requirements set forth in the bill; or (iii) firefighting level 1 certification, as defined by the bill, provided that such course is consistent with the National Fire Protection Association 1001, level one, firefighter standards as administered by the Department of Fire Programs and taught by an individual qualified to provided such instruction. The bill also requires any school board that provides any such course of instruction on school premises to high school students to ensure that any individual employed, contracted, or permitted to volunteer to provide instruction in such course meets the requirements set forth in applicable law relating to data on convictions for certain crimes and child abuse and neglect, fingerprinting, and criminal history records checks.
Salaries of certain full-time deputy sheriffs. Provides that, beginning on and after July 1, 2026, the salary of certain full-time deputy sheriffs shall be increased by an amount equal to $100 for each full year of service.
Salaries of certain full-time deputy sheriffs. Provides that, beginning on and after July 1, 2026, the salary of certain full-time deputy sheriffs shall be increased by an amount equal to $100 for each full year of service.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; employment of certified school library specialists. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ in the Department of Education at least one certified school library specialist who shall have several duties enumerated in the bill, including (i) providing leadership and technical assistance with the implementation and use of information literacy skills to school divisions, Department staff, and other stakeholders to support student achievement; (ii) directing the implementation of state and national school library standards and consulting with and providing technical assistance to local school divisions relating to such standards; (iii) collaborating on various grants and other initiatives that promote student literacy through school library programs throughout the Commonwealth; (iv) supporting student learning through instructional programs in which students are required to demonstrate information literacy, digital literacy and fluency, and effective use of technology and instructional programs that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math learning; and (v) providing the Department, the Board of Education, the General Assembly, and school boards with support relating to student learning through the use of school library standards and library resources.
Superintendent of Public Instruction; employment of certified school library specialists. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ in the Department of Education at least one certified school library specialist who shall have several duties enumerated in the bill, including (i) providing leadership and technical assistance with the implementation and use of information literacy skills to school divisions, Department staff, and other stakeholders to support student achievement; (ii) directing the implementation of state and national school library standards and consulting with and providing technical assistance to local school divisions relating to such standards; (iii) collaborating on various grants and other initiatives that promote student literacy through school library programs throughout the Commonwealth; (iv) supporting student learning through instructional programs in which students are required to demonstrate information literacy, digital literacy and fluency, and effective use of technology and instructional programs that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math learning; and (v) providing the Department, the Board of Education, the General Assembly, and school boards with support relating to student learning through the use of school library standards and library resources.
Virginia Retirement System; service retirement allowance; return to work. Allows a retired law-enforcement officer to continue to receive his service retirement allowance during a subsequent period of employment by a local law-enforcement agency in a civilian role that does not require law-enforcement certification as a fingerprint examiner, forensics specialist, property and evidence technician, background investigator, or firearms instructor, so long as he has a break in service of at least six calendar months between retirement and reemployment, did not retire under an early retirement program, did not retire under the Workforce Transition Act of 1995, and retired in good standing from his sworn law-enforcement officer position.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services; employer of record. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery and designate another individual to perform all or a portion of the duties of the EOR on the individual's behalf when the individual receiving services is unable to perform such duties or direct his own care. The bill specifies that when an individual (i) has not yet reached the age of majority, (ii) is ineligible to use his existing employer identification number (EIN) to facilitate the taxation of benefits, or (iii) is otherwise determined to be ineligible by DMAS by administrative rule, the EIN shall be assigned to the individual receiving services and shall not be transferred to another individual. Under the bill, DMAS has the authority to limit such amendments to specify that an individual receiving services may make such designation no more than twice per calendar year.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services; employer of record. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery and designate another individual to perform all or a portion of the duties of the EOR on the individual's behalf when the individual receiving services is unable to perform such duties or direct his own care. The bill specifies that when an individual (i) has not yet reached the age of majority, (ii) is ineligible to use his existing employer identification number (EIN) to facilitate the taxation of benefits, or (iii) is otherwise determined to be ineligible by DMAS by administrative rule, the EIN shall be assigned to the individual receiving services and shall not be transferred to another individual. Under the bill, DMAS has the authority to limit such amendments to specify that an individual receiving services may make such designation no more than twice per calendar year.
Zoning; special exceptions; City of Portsmouth. Adds the City of Portsmouth to those localities that have been granted authority to impose a condition upon any special exception relating to retail alcoholic beverage control licensees that provides that such special exception will automatically expire upon a change of ownership of the property, a change in possession, a change in the operation or management of a facility, or the passage of a specific period of time.
Individual income tax subtraction; long-term capital gains from sale of principal residence. Provides an individual income tax subtraction in taxable years 2025 through 2029 for income that is (i) taxed as a long-term capital gain for federal income tax purposes, (ii) attributable to the sale of property that served as the taxpayer's principal residence for at least two of the five years preceding such sale, and (iii) in excess of federal limitations only allowing an exclusion from gross income for up to $250,000, or $500,000, for joint filers, of gain from such a sale.
Individual income tax subtraction; long-term capital gains from sale of principal residence. Provides an individual income tax subtraction in taxable years 2025 through 2029 for income that is (i) taxed as a long-term capital gain for federal income tax purposes, (ii) attributable to the sale of property that served as the taxpayer's principal residence for at least two of the five years preceding such sale, and (iii) in excess of federal limitations only allowing an exclusion from gross income for up to $250,000, or $500,000, for joint filers, of gain from such a sale.
Individual income tax subtractions; overtime. Establishes an individual income tax subtraction for income attributable to overtime in an amount equal to (i) 25 percent of the federal overtime deduction for taxable year 2026 and (ii) 50 percent of the federal overtime deduction for taxable year 2027 and thereafter.
Individual income tax subtractions; overtime. Establishes an individual income tax subtraction for income attributable to overtime in an amount equal to (i) 25 percent of the federal overtime deduction for taxable year 2026 and (ii) 50 percent of the federal overtime deduction for taxable year 2027 and thereafter.
Marijuana field test; testimony as to the results; consuming or possessing marijuana or marijuana products while in a motor vehicle or on public school grounds. Allows a law-enforcement officer to testify as to the results of any marijuana field test approved as accurate and reliable by the Department of Forensic Science regarding whether or not any plant material at issue is marijuana in a trial for a violation of using or consuming marijuana or marijuana products while in a motor vehicle being driven upon a public highway or consuming or possessing marijuana or marijuana products in or on public school grounds, provided the defendant has been given written notice of his right to request a full chemical analysis. Current law allows a law-enforcement officer to testify as to the results of a marijuana field test in a trial for underage possession or consumption of marijuana.
Board of Education; development, approval, and implementation of alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma; report. Directs the Board of Education to develop, approve, and implement alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma that are designed to expand opportunities for students to complete the verified credit requirements for the Standard Diploma that do not require achieving a passing score on applicable Standards of Learning assessments. In developing, approving, and implementing such alternative graduation pathways, the bill directs the Board to (i) consult with and integrate the perspectives of a broad range of relevant stakeholders; (ii) consider alignment with the competencies articulated in the Profile of the Virginia Graduation; (iii) consider certain elements for incorporation into such alternative pathways, including nonassessment demonstrations of competence, alternative assessments that could be used in lieu of or alongside Standards of Learning assessments, and pathway structures or elements designed to encourage hands-on learning and civic engagement; (iv) ensure that any such alternative graduation pathways do not impact or replace the current requirements for earning a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma; (v) ensure at least one alternative pathway is approved that includes a nonassessment demonstration of competence; and (vi) consider potential timelines for implementation of such alternative graduation pathways. Finally, the bill directs the Board to submit to the Governor and Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by January 1, 2027, a report detailing the Board's progress in developing, approving, and implementing alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma, in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Board of Education; development, approval, and implementation of alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma; report. Directs the Board of Education to develop, approve, and implement alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma that are designed to expand opportunities for students to complete the verified credit requirements for the Standard Diploma that do not require achieving a passing score on applicable Standards of Learning assessments. In developing, approving, and implementing such alternative graduation pathways, the bill directs the Board to (i) consult with and integrate the perspectives of a broad range of relevant stakeholders; (ii) consider alignment with the competencies articulated in the Profile of the Virginia Graduation; (iii) consider certain elements for incorporation into such alternative pathways, including nonassessment demonstrations of competence, alternative assessments that could be used in lieu of or alongside Standards of Learning assessments, and pathway structures or elements designed to encourage hands-on learning and civic engagement; (iv) ensure that any such alternative graduation pathways do not impact or replace the current requirements for earning a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma; (v) ensure at least one alternative pathway is approved that includes a nonassessment demonstration of competence; and (vi) consider potential timelines for implementation of such alternative graduation pathways. Finally, the bill directs the Board to submit to the Governor and Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by January 1, 2027, a report detailing the Board's progress in developing, approving, and implementing alternative graduation pathways to earn a Standard Diploma, in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Income tax subtraction; military retirement benefits; uniformed services. Expands the military benefits income tax subtraction to include retirement income received for service in the uniformed services of the United States, which includes the United States Armed Forces, the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissioned corps of the United States Public Health Service. Under current law, the subtraction is only allowed for military retirement income received for service in the United States Armed Forces.
Income tax subtraction; military retirement benefits; uniformed services. Expands the military benefits income tax subtraction to include retirement income received for service in the uniformed services of the United States, which includes the United States Armed Forces, the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissioned corps of the United States Public Health Service. Under current law, the subtraction is only allowed for military retirement income received for service in the United States Armed Forces.
Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for animal control officers. Adds full-time animal control officers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service for service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2027. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for animal control officers. Adds full-time animal control officers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service for service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2027. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Official emblems and designations; state native pollinator; brown-belted bumblebee. Designates the brown-belted bumblebee (Bombus griseocollis) as the official state native pollinator.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.025 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities. The bill also increases the distribution percentage provided from the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund from 0.01 percent to 0.025 percent.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.025 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities. The bill also increases the distribution percentage provided from the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund from 0.01 percent to 0.025 percent.
Virginia Student Teacher Scholarship Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Student Teacher Scholarship Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in coordination with the Department of Education, whereby a student teacher who (i) is completing a required supervised clinical practice through a traditional educator preparation program in the Commonwealth, (ii) is assigned to complete such supervised clinical practice at a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth without pay, and (iii) applies and meets certain eligibility criteria shall be awarded a scholarship in an amount not to exceed $7,500 per each supervised clinical practice experience to assist with expenses incurred during the supervised clinical practice. The bill contains provisions relating to Program administration and requires the Council to submit and publish an annual report containing certain Program data.
Virginia Student Teacher Scholarship Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Student Teacher Scholarship Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in coordination with the Department of Education, whereby a student teacher who (i) is completing a required supervised clinical practice through a traditional educator preparation program in the Commonwealth, (ii) is assigned to complete such supervised clinical practice at a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth without pay, and (iii) applies and meets certain eligibility criteria shall be awarded a scholarship in an amount not to exceed $7,500 per each supervised clinical practice experience to assist with expenses incurred during the supervised clinical practice. The bill contains provisions relating to Program administration and requires the Council to submit and publish an annual report containing certain Program data.
Sales tax exemption; vital baby products. Creates a retail sales and use tax exemption for vital baby products, including (i) children's diapers, (ii) therapeutic or preventative creams and wipes marketed primarily for use on the skin of children, (iii) child restraint devices or booster seats, (iv) cribs, (v) strollers meant for transporting children from infancy to 36 months of age, and (vi) food represented for dietary use solely as a food for infants.
State-owned bottomlands; localities; property interest. Provides that any city or county that is party to an executed project partnership agreement with the Department of the Army for a flood or storm risk management program, damage reduction project, or similar program specifically authorized by the United States Congress shall be deemed to hold a legal property interest in the use of state-owned waters, bottoms, or subsurface soils sufficient to qualify for any easements necessary for the construction or completion of the project or program.
State-owned bottomlands; localities; property interest. Provides that any city or county that is party to an executed project partnership agreement with the Department of the Army for a flood or storm risk management program, damage reduction project, or similar program specifically authorized by the United States Congress shall be deemed to hold a legal property interest in the use of state-owned waters, bottoms, or subsurface soils sufficient to qualify for any easements necessary for the construction or completion of the project or program.
Elections; filling vacancies in county and city governing bodies. Removes the ability to fill a vacancy in a county or city governing body by an interim appointment and requires that a special election be held to fill any such vacancy. The bill requires the local governing body to petition the court for a writ of special election within one day of the occurrence of the vacancy and for the court to promptly issue the writ for a special election no more than 45 days from the date the writ is issued, with extensions for special election dates that would conflict with primary and general elections.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children five years of age or younger to receive services through such program.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children five years of age or younger to receive services through such program.
Property and casualty insurance; regulation and licensing of all-lines adjusters. Provides for State Corporation Commission licensing and regulation of all-lines adjusters investigating, negotiating, or settling property, casualty, or workers' compensation claims for insurers or for self-insurers. The bill prohibits a person from acting as an all-lines adjuster without first obtaining a license from the Commission and requires all-lines adjusters to comply with standards of conduct and continuing education requirements. The bill also allows the Commission to suspend or revoke licenses under certain conditions. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Property and casualty insurance; regulation and licensing of all-lines adjusters. Provides for State Corporation Commission licensing and regulation of all-lines adjusters investigating, negotiating, or settling property, casualty, or workers' compensation claims for insurers or for self-insurers. The bill prohibits a person from acting as an all-lines adjuster without first obtaining a license from the Commission and requires all-lines adjusters to comply with standards of conduct and continuing education requirements. The bill also allows the Commission to suspend or revoke licenses under certain conditions. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Income tax subtraction; incentive stock options. Establishes an income tax subtraction for any income received as gains from exercising incentive stock options, as defined by the bill, that were previously taxed in another state.
National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification and an additional $2,500 in any year during the life of certificate in which the public school staff member is employed in a Title 1 school. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification.
National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification and an additional $2,500 in any year during the life of certificate in which the public school staff member is employed in a Title 1 school. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification.
Parole; eligibility; youthful offenders. Expands the eligibility requirements for juvenile parole to include (i) any person sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was 20 years of age or younger and who has served at least 20 years of such sentence and (ii) any person who has active sentences that total more than 20 years for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was 20 years of age or younger and who has served at least 20 years of such sentence. Under current law, only a person who was a juvenile when he committed any such offense is eligible for juvenile parole.
Localities; liability insurance; certain waiver of sovereign immunity. Provides that a locality or political subdivision may provide liability insurance, including self-insurance, to cover damages or other expenses in certain civil actions arising out of an act or omission of certain officers, employees, board or commission members, or volunteers while such person is acting within the scope of his official duties. The bill provides that the provision of such liability insurance or self-insurance shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity in an amount not to exceed the combined total of any self-insurance coverage, insurance coverage under a group self-insurance pool, or any coverage pursuant to a policy purchased from an insurance company, including any excess or reserve coverage. The bill also provides that the insurer or self-insured shall not have a duty to defend or indemnify any covered person in cases where the act or omission took place outside the scope of such covered person's employment or official duties, where such act or omission was done maliciously or occurred as a result of gross negligence or willful misconduct, or is otherwise excluded by the terms of the policy.
Localities; liability insurance; certain waiver of sovereign immunity. Provides that a locality or political subdivision may provide liability insurance, including self-insurance, to cover damages or other expenses in certain civil actions arising out of an act or omission of certain officers, employees, board or commission members, or volunteers while such person is acting within the scope of his official duties. The bill provides that the provision of such liability insurance or self-insurance shall constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity in an amount not to exceed the combined total of any self-insurance coverage, insurance coverage under a group self-insurance pool, or any coverage pursuant to a policy purchased from an insurance company, including any excess or reserve coverage. The bill also provides that the insurer or self-insured shall not have a duty to defend or indemnify any covered person in cases where the act or omission took place outside the scope of such covered person's employment or official duties, where such act or omission was done maliciously or occurred as a result of gross negligence or willful misconduct, or is otherwise excluded by the terms of the policy.
State Board for Community Colleges and Virginia Community College System; funding model; report. Directs the State Board for Community Colleges (the State Board) and the Virginia Community College System to develop a community college funding model for the Commonwealth, and an implementation plan for such model, that balances base adequacy support and performance with outcomes-based funding. The bill requires the State Board to provide an interim report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2026, and a final report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2027.
State Board for Community Colleges and Virginia Community College System; funding model; report. Directs the State Board for Community Colleges (the State Board) and the Virginia Community College System to develop a community college funding model for the Commonwealth, and an implementation plan for such model, that balances base adequacy support and performance with outcomes-based funding. The bill requires the State Board to provide an interim report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2026, and a final report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2027.
Consumer Data Protection Act; prohibitions and duties relating to minors. Prohibits a controller of an online service, product, or feature from entering into certain agreements with a known minor, unless such controller obtains verified consent from the minor's parent as specified in the bill. The bill imposes certain duties on a controller of an online service, product, or feature related to advertising, algorithm use, and reasonable care toward known minors. The bill expands the consumer rights of a parent to minors and adds a provision allowing a parent to obtain a copy of the minor's data. Current law offers certain consumer rights to the parents of children younger than age 13. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Consumer Data Protection Act; prohibitions and duties relating to minors. Prohibits a controller of an online service, product, or feature from entering into certain agreements with a known minor, unless such controller obtains verified consent from the minor's parent as specified in the bill. The bill imposes certain duties on a controller of an online service, product, or feature related to advertising, algorithm use, and reasonable care toward known minors. The bill expands the consumer rights of a parent to minors and adds a provision allowing a parent to obtain a copy of the minor's data. Current law offers certain consumer rights to the parents of children younger than age 13. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Newborn and stillborn tax credit. Establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for married individuals in an amount equal to $2,000 per eligible birth so long as such eligible birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill also allows individuals and married individuals filing jointly to claim a refundable income tax credit in an amount equal to $2,000 per stillborn birth so long as such stillborn birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill specifies that only one tax credit may be claimed for each eligible birth or stillborn birth.
App Store Accountability Act; civil penalties; civil action. Requires an app store provider, defined in the bill, to verify the age category of an account holder, obtain verifiable parental consent for a minor account holder, and share such age category and consent information with the developer of an app, defined in the bill. The bill requires a developer to verify the age category of an account holder with a developer's app and notify app store providers of any significant change to a developer's app. The bill also requires a developer to provide a parental consent disclosure for each of its apps to each app store provider that makes the developer's app available on its app store, and such provider shall provide such disclosure on its app store. The bill allows the Attorney General and any minor or parent of a minor who suffers harm by reason of a violation of this bill to initiate an action. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Home care organizations; licensure. Provides that no license to establish or operate a home care organization shall be issued or renewed until such time as all existing home care organizations have been inspected. The bill also prohibits a home care organization from maintaining its office in a private residence or virtual office.
Adult protective services; adult abuse, neglect and exploitation central registry. Creates a central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements for local departments of social services related to reports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retention and disclosure requirements for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and local departments of social services; (iii) notice requirements related to findings by local departments and central registry entries; and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findings of a local department related to substantiated reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill directs the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and exempts the Commissioner's initial adoption of such regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
Adult protective services; adult abuse, neglect and exploitation central registry. Creates a central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements for local departments of social services related to reports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retention and disclosure requirements for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and local departments of social services; (iii) notice requirements related to findings by local departments and central registry entries; and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findings of a local department related to substantiated reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill directs the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and exempts the Commissioner's initial adoption of such regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program established; pilot programs; development of modules; report. Establishes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program, to be administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) in coordination with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, for the purpose of providing and expanding the accessibility of early childhood mental health consultation services, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill requires, pursuant to the Program, early childhood mental health consultation services shall be provided to families of children three through five years of age who exhibit developmental delays and behavioral health concerns and to early childhood care and education programs as enumerated in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in administering the Program, to (i) develop, or contract with community services boards to develop, and make available to early childhood care and education programs and providers developmental readiness modules, in accordance with the requirements of the bill; (ii) designate three pilot regions for initial implementation of the Program, with implementation beginning no later than January 1, 2027; and (iii) submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on the implementation and outcomes of the Program for each pilot region selected for initial implementation. The provisions of the bill relating to initial implementation of the Program in the pilot regions shall expire on July 1, 2029.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program established; pilot programs; development of modules; report. Establishes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program, to be administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) in coordination with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, for the purpose of providing and expanding the accessibility of early childhood mental health consultation services, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill requires, pursuant to the Program, early childhood mental health consultation services shall be provided to families of children three through five years of age who exhibit developmental delays and behavioral health concerns and to early childhood care and education programs as enumerated in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in administering the Program, to (i) develop, or contract with community services boards to develop, and make available to early childhood care and education programs and providers developmental readiness modules, in accordance with the requirements of the bill; (ii) designate three pilot regions for initial implementation of the Program, with implementation beginning no later than January 1, 2027; and (iii) submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on the implementation and outcomes of the Program for each pilot region selected for initial implementation. The provisions of the bill relating to initial implementation of the Program in the pilot regions shall expire on July 1, 2029.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; certification for service disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses; participation requirements; penalty. Provides that the Director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity may adopt regulations to implement certification programs for service disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth and adds such businesses to the definition of "SWaM" and relevant provisions. The bill requires each public body to annually award at least one percent of its contract dollars to service disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned businesses under the Virginia Public Procurement Act and requires each public body that has annual procurement expenditures exceeding $10 million to designate a Veteran Business Procurement Liaison.
The bill requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Services, to develop a plan to implement the provisions of the bill and make such plan available to the public on the electronic procurement system known as eVA by December 1, 2026. The bill requires the Department of General Services to update eVA to reflect the procurement opportunities available to service disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned businesses. The bill directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Autumn's Law; elementary and secondary schools; institutions of higher education; aggravated bullying and cyberbullying unlawful; policies and procedures; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to commit an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying, as defined in the bill, against any student enrolled in any elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education. The bill requires the administrator of each elementary or secondary school and each institution of higher education, or his designee, to, upon receiving satisfactory proof of an incident of aggravated bullying by a student enrolled in such school or institution, address such incidents, discipline the student guilty thereof, and report such incidents to local law-enforcement. The bill also requires (i) reports to be made to the division superintendent and the principal or his designee on all incidents involving an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying occurring on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity; (ii) each principal to immediately report to the local law-enforcement agency any incident involving an an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying occurring on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity; and (iii) the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct developed pursuant to applicable law standards for school board policies on aggravated bullying. Finally, the bill requires each school board to include in its code of student conduct policies and procedures prohibiting aggravated bullying and aggravated cyberbullying, including (a) a citation to the provision of the bill that makes committing an act of aggravated bullying a Class 1 misdemeanor; (b) detailed procedures for reporting any incident of aggravated bullying or aggravated bullying in accordance with the bill; (c) clear, escalating, and appropriate disciplinary procedures for addressing incidents of aggravated bullying; and (d) information and resources relating to any civil rights of action or remedies available to victims of an act of aggravated bullying or cyberbullying.
Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish the Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund to reimburse participating veterinarians for the surgical sterilizations they perform on eligible cats or dogs beginning July 1, 2027. The bill provides that a surcharge of $50 per ton of pet food distributed in the Commonwealth be deposited in the Fund and that such pet food be exempted from the existing litter tax. An animal will be eligible for sterilization under the Program beginning July 1, 2027, if it is a feral or free-roaming cat, is owned by a low-income individual, or is in the possession of a releasing agency such as an animal shelter.
Individual income tax; child tax credit. Creates a refundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2027 through 2031 in an amount equal to that allowed for the corresponding federal child tax credit. Only one credit may be claimed for each qualifying child, as defined in the bill.
Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers to assist in providing therapy or counseling services if such mental health service provider maintains full responsibility for all interactions, outputs, and data use associated with the system. The bill prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.
Educational and cultural institutions; Recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; requirements; task force. Recognizes and restores the status of Hampton University as an 1862 and 1890 land-grant university of the Commonwealth, in accordance with the provisions of applicable federal law, and (i) enumerates the funding and programs Hampton University shall be eligible for as a land-grant university and (ii) provides for the establishment of an evaluation task force by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on appropriations upon federal recognition of Hampton University as an institution eligible to receive federal funding and participate in federal and state programs established under applicable law relating to land-grant universities for the purpose of evaluating the status of Hampton University and the feasibility of recognizing the institution as a land-grant university of the Commonwealth in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; community health worker expansion. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services, in coordination with the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, to (i) evaluate opportunities for Medicaid managed care organizations to embed certified community health workers into care coordination models, (ii) evaluate the implementation of 2024 Medicare Community Health Integration services codes, (iii) develop and implement statewide workforce pathways for community health worker training, and (iv) identify opportunities to expand the use of community health workers in programs supporting high-cost Medicaid populations. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2026.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; community health worker expansion. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services, in coordination with the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, to (i) evaluate opportunities for Medicaid managed care organizations to embed certified community health workers into care coordination models, (ii) evaluate the implementation of 2024 Medicare Community Health Integration services codes, (iii) develop and implement statewide workforce pathways for community health worker training, and (iv) identify opportunities to expand the use of community health workers in programs supporting high-cost Medicaid populations. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2026.
Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2027 or 2028 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029 and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.
Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2027 or 2028 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029 and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.
Department of State Police; Executive Protection Division; security and transportation duties. Provides that the Executive Protection Division of the Virginia Department of State Police shall have a duty to provide security and transportation to those persons designated by the Constitution of Virginia to succeed to the office of the Governor should a vacancy exist.
Department of State Police; Executive Protection Division; security and transportation duties. Provides that the Executive Protection Division of the Virginia Department of State Police shall have a duty to provide security and transportation to those persons designated by the Constitution of Virginia to succeed to the office of the Governor should a vacancy exist.
County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance. Increases local authority over affordable housing for counties that have adopted the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) by (i) potentially increasing the cash contribution to the county's affordable housing fund by developers in lieu of providing affordable dwelling units and (ii) providing that applications for a special exception approval for a change of use of an existing building from commercial to residential may be subject to an affordable housing requirement. The bill directs the governing body of such counties to appoint an advisory board to advise the governing body regarding the appropriate provisions of an ordinance to amend the cash contribution amounts to such county's affordable housing fund. Certain provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Official emblems and designations; state snack; peanut. Designates the peanut as the official state snack.
Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher on or after July 1, 2027, but allows an employer, as that term is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher before July 1, 2027, in addition to service earned on or after that date. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for local products and firms; by localities. Allows the governing body of a county, city, or town to give preference to goods, services, and construction produced in such locality or provided by persons, firms, or corporations having principal places of business in the locality if the bid price is not more than five percent greater than the bid price of the lowest responsive and active bidder. In such a circumstance, the bill permits the bidder of goods, services, and construction produced in such locality or provided by persons, firms, or corporations having principal places of business in the locality to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Under current law, such preference may only be given in the case of a tie bid.
State Corporation Commission; data center generators. Directs the State Corporation Commission to evaluate the impact of requiring data centers to limit the use of Tier 2 generators and prioritize the use of Tier 4 equivalent or better generators. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report on any findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources no later than October 15, 2026.
State Corporation Commission; cost allocation proceedings for certain electric utilities. Directs the State Corporation Commission to conduct proceedings to review cost allocation among different customer classifications for certain electric utilities. For Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, the Commission is directed to determine if the cost allocation of transmission costs require customers that are not high-load customers, as defined in the bill, to unreasonably subsidize the transmission costs attributable to serving high-load customers by January 1, 2027. For Dominion Energy, the Commission is directed to determine if the current allocation of generation and distribution costs require customers that are not high-load customers to unreasonably subsidize the generation and distribution costs attributable to serving high-load customers by January 1, 2028.
Guardianship or conservatorship of incapacitated adult; right to request counsel; right to a jury trial. Provides that, upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a guardian or conservator for an incapacitated person and where the incapacitated person is unable to communicate verbally, in writing, or with the assistance of any device to the extent that he is unable to request that he be represented by counsel or to have a jury trial, either an immediate family member of the incapacitated person or an agent under a power of attorney authorized to act on behalf of such incapacitated person, provided that such immediate family member or agent has become a party to the proceedings, may make such request on behalf of the incapacitated person.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; pre-tenancy fees. Prohibits a landlord from charging or collecting any fee that is not a pre-tenancy fee as described in the bill and limits the charging or collection of such pre-tenancy fees to either prior to or upon the execution of a rental agreement. The bill requires a landlord to, prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant and prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to a prospective tenant, notify the prospective tenant of any pre-tenancy fees in writing or by posting in a manner accessible to a prospective tenant. The bill provides that no landlord shall charge any fee to a prospective tenant prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to the prospective tenant, unless the prospective tenant agrees to waive such requirement.
The bill allows a landlord to collect a pet deposit, defined in the bill as separate from a security deposit, from a tenant if a pet is occupying the dwelling unit. The bill provides that no security deposit or pet deposit may be applied by the landlord toward (i) the cost of professional services or (ii) the cost of materials and labor performed by the landlord or an employee of the landlord, unless such costs are (a) reasonably necessary to return the premises to the same condition as the condition of the premises at the start of the rental agreement, less reasonable wear and tear, and (b) the landlord provides a receipt reflecting such costs to the tenant. The bill also reduces from two months of rent to one month of rent the maximum security deposit amount and decreases from 45 days to 30 days the amount of time after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last, that the landlord shall provide a written notice to the tenant of the itemized charges deducted from the security deposit and applies the same provisions to pet deposits.
The bill also provides that nothing shall be construed to allow an owner, manager, or operator of a residential building to charge a tenant for water, sewer, electrical, natural gas, oil, or other utilities if the utility is supplied directly to the tenant.
Finally, the bill applies the provisions of law relating to the rental application process and administrative or renewal fees, as amended by this bill, to the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; pre-tenancy fees. Prohibits a landlord from charging or collecting any fee that is not a pre-tenancy fee as described in the bill and limits the charging or collection of such pre-tenancy fees to either prior to or upon the execution of a rental agreement. The bill requires a landlord to, prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant and prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to a prospective tenant, notify the prospective tenant of any pre-tenancy fees in writing or by posting in a manner accessible to a prospective tenant. The bill provides that no landlord shall charge any fee to a prospective tenant prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to the prospective tenant, unless the prospective tenant agrees to waive such requirement.
The bill allows a landlord to collect a pet deposit, defined in the bill as separate from a security deposit, from a tenant if a pet is occupying the dwelling unit. The bill provides that no security deposit or pet deposit may be applied by the landlord toward (i) the cost of professional services or (ii) the cost of materials and labor performed by the landlord or an employee of the landlord, unless such costs are (a) reasonably necessary to return the premises to the same condition as the condition of the premises at the start of the rental agreement, less reasonable wear and tear, and (b) the landlord provides a receipt reflecting such costs to the tenant. The bill also reduces from two months of rent to one month of rent the maximum security deposit amount and decreases from 45 days to 30 days the amount of time after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last, that the landlord shall provide a written notice to the tenant of the itemized charges deducted from the security deposit and applies the same provisions to pet deposits.
The bill also provides that nothing shall be construed to allow an owner, manager, or operator of a residential building to charge a tenant for water, sewer, electrical, natural gas, oil, or other utilities if the utility is supplied directly to the tenant.
Finally, the bill applies the provisions of law relating to the rental application process and administrative or renewal fees, as amended by this bill, to the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act.
Elections; absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. Allows officers of election at a central absentee precinct to begin ascertaining and recording the number of votes cast by absentee ballots at any time after noon on the day of the election. Under current law, absentee ballots that are counted by hand may be tallied, but not counted, at any time after noon on the day of the election, and no ballot totals for any absentee ballots shall be ascertained until after polls close. The bill also clarifies that vote totals for absentee ballots cast in person on voting systems cannot be determined until the day of the election. The bill also requires that general registrars begin processing absentee ballots on the fourteenth day prior to the day of the election. Under current law such processing is not required until the seventh day prior to the day of the election.
Consultation with federally recognized tribes; permits and reviews with potential impacts on environmental, cultural, and historic resources. Adds to the duties of the Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation requirements to (i) facilitate communication between federally recognized tribes and relevant state agencies and local governments to ensure an opportunity for meaningful and timely consultation on environmental, cultural, and historical permits and reviews; (ii) assist the Department of Transportation in developing consultation policies; (iii) make recommendations to the Governor on the basis of communications with federally recognized tribes about (a) circumstances under which tribal consent should be required for issuance of certain permits and (b) additional agencies that should develop policies and procedures to ensure meaningful, timely, and appropriate consultation with federally recognized tribes; (iv) provide training at least once a year to certain state agency personnel on issues of concern to the federally recognized tribes to support effective communication, collaboration, and positive government-to-government relations between the Commonwealth and the federally recognized tribes; and (v) submit an annual report to the Secretary of the Commonwealth on the activities undertaken to implement such provisions and the issues that have arisen in that pursuit. The bill also requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Historic Resources, Department of Transportation, and Marine Resources Commission to engage in consultation with federally recognized tribes on certain issues. During such consultation, the burden is on the agency to show that it has made a good faith effort to elicit meaningful and timely feedback, including formal communication between agency employees and the federally recognized tribe. When a burial permit will result in the disturbance of a burial site of an individual that has a cultural affiliation with a particular federally recognized tribe, the bill requires the Department of Historic Resources to acquire the consent of such federally recognized tribe before issuing a permit for the archaeological excavation of human remains. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Consultation with federally recognized tribes; permits and reviews with potential impacts on environmental, cultural, and historic resources. Adds to the duties of the Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation requirements to (i) facilitate communication between federally recognized tribes and relevant state agencies and local governments to ensure an opportunity for meaningful and timely consultation on environmental, cultural, and historical permits and reviews; (ii) assist the Department of Transportation in developing consultation policies; (iii) make recommendations to the Governor on the basis of communications with federally recognized tribes about (a) circumstances under which tribal consent should be required for issuance of certain permits and (b) additional agencies that should develop policies and procedures to ensure meaningful, timely, and appropriate consultation with federally recognized tribes; (iv) provide training at least once a year to certain state agency personnel on issues of concern to the federally recognized tribes to support effective communication, collaboration, and positive government-to-government relations between the Commonwealth and the federally recognized tribes; and (v) submit an annual report to the Secretary of the Commonwealth on the activities undertaken to implement such provisions and the issues that have arisen in that pursuit. The bill also requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Historic Resources, Department of Transportation, and Marine Resources Commission to engage in consultation with federally recognized tribes on certain issues. During such consultation, the burden is on the agency to show that it has made a good faith effort to elicit meaningful and timely feedback, including formal communication between agency employees and the federally recognized tribe. When a burial permit will result in the disturbance of a burial site of an individual that has a cultural affiliation with a particular federally recognized tribe, the bill requires the Department of Historic Resources to acquire the consent of such federally recognized tribe before issuing a permit for the archaeological excavation of human remains. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent, and states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year. The bill requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality adopting an anti-rent gouging ordinance to establish an anti-rent gouging board to establish rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance or delegate such duties and functions to an existing local board, department, or agency. The bill also requires the anti-rent gouging board to establish a fair return on investment rent increase exemption to the annual anti-rent gouging allowance where necessary to offset increased operating expenses. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.
Definitions; American Indians; Virginia recognized tribes; federally recognized tribes; sovereignty. Provides that the Commonwealth acknowledges the inherent sovereignty of federally recognized tribes within the present-day external boundaries of the Commonwealth. The bill also establishes definitions for "American Indian," "federally recognized tribe," and "Virginia recognized tribe" and amends various sections throughout the Code for the purpose of uniformity in terminology. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Definitions; American Indians; Virginia recognized tribes; federally recognized tribes; sovereignty. Provides that the Commonwealth acknowledges the inherent sovereignty of federally recognized tribes within the present-day external boundaries of the Commonwealth. The bill also establishes definitions for "American Indian," "federally recognized tribe," and "Virginia recognized tribe" and amends various sections throughout the Code for the purpose of uniformity in terminology. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Special license plates in recognition of those lost or injured in military service; fees. Eliminates the annual registration fee and annual fee for one special license plate for any veteran who has been certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a service-connected disability. Existing law authorizes the waiver of such fees for one special license plate for any disabled veteran who has either lost, or lost the use of, a leg, arm, or hand, is blind, or is permanently and totally disabled as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or his unremarried surviving spouse.
The bill also exempts special license plates for immediate family members of persons who have died in military service to their country from the annual fee assessed for special license plates.
Special license plates in recognition of those lost or injured in military service; fees. Eliminates the annual registration fee and annual fee for one special license plate for any veteran who has been certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a service-connected disability. Existing law authorizes the waiver of such fees for one special license plate for any disabled veteran who has either lost, or lost the use of, a leg, arm, or hand, is blind, or is permanently and totally disabled as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or his unremarried surviving spouse.
The bill also exempts special license plates for immediate family members of persons who have died in military service to their country from the annual fee assessed for special license plates.
Fostering Access, Innovation, and Responsibility in Artificial Intelligence Act established. Establishes the Fostering Access, Innovation, and Responsibility in Artificial Intelligence Act (FAIR AI Act) that requires a developer of a base artificial intelligence model, as defined in the bill, to clearly and conspicuously disclose, in a manner that is appropriate for the medium of the content and is easily accessible to the user of such model, in the terms of service governing the use of such model, certain elements related to the artificial intelligence system. The bill creates the FAIR AI Enforcement Fund for the purpose of supporting agency enforcement of artificial intelligence system misuse, bias, and workforce disruption. Finally, the bill limits the defenses available in any criminal or civil action against a defendant that is alleged to have developed, modified, or deployed an artificial intelligence system that caused harm to a plaintiff. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Civil actions; assignment as business litigation action; requirements. Allows counsel for any party or the judge of the circuit court initially assigned to certain civil actions to request to have such action assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia to have such civil action assigned as a business litigation action. The bill provides that an action to be eligible to be considered a business litigation action, the action shall (i) have a minimum amount in controversy of $1,000,000, (ii) present special complexity, including specialized issues or acute litigation management needs, and (iii) fall into one or more of several enumerated categories of civil actions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Motor vehicle collisions; preservation and collection of certain mobile telephone data; collision reports. Allows an attorney who has certified that he represents a party involved in a motor vehicle collision to request in writing that the mobile telephone provider of another party alleged to have caused or contributed to the cause of such collision preserve for a period of 180 days from the date of such preservation request certain information related to such other party's mobile telephone. In addition, the bill requires any collision report filed as a result of such collision to include the mobile telephone number, mobile telephone provider, and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number for any driver involved in a motor vehicle collision. The bill also creates a rebuttable presumption of spoliation of evidence where a person refuses to provide such information to a law-enforcement officer for such collision report and where such refusal materially prevents another person involved in such collision from showing liability for the collision.
Income tax subtraction; broadband grant fund awards. Establishes an individual and corporate income tax subtraction for any amount of public grant awards received in the taxable year for the exclusive purpose of planning, constructing, expanding, or improving upon broadband infrastructure and services in the Commonwealth beginning in taxable year 2026.
Board of Health; site cleanup guidelines; other illicit drugs. Directs the Board of Health to establish guidelines for the cleanup of residential property and other sites formerly used to manufacture illicit drugs. Under current law, the Board of Health is only required to establish such guidelines for sites formerly used to manufacture methamphetamine.
Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Creates a data center land preservation tax on and after January 1, 2027, in an amount equal to $3 per square foot of each data center facility footprint, as defined in the bill, and directs no less than $250 million of revenues from the tax to be distributed for various land protection and preservation purposes, including into the Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund, as created in the bill.
The bill also repeals provisions requiring the Governor to include in the budget bill or in his amendments to the general appropriation act a recommended appropriation from the general fund, up to $20 million, for land preservation as follows: (i) 80 percent of the unissued credits to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, of which at least 50 percent must be used for acquisitions with public access; (ii) 10 percent to the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund; and (iii) 10 percent to the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund.
Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Creates a data center land preservation tax on and after January 1, 2027, in an amount equal to $3 per square foot of each data center facility footprint, as defined in the bill, and directs no less than $250 million of revenues from the tax to be distributed for various land protection and preservation purposes, including into the Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund, as created in the bill.
The bill also repeals provisions requiring the Governor to include in the budget bill or in his amendments to the general appropriation act a recommended appropriation from the general fund, up to $20 million, for land preservation as follows: (i) 80 percent of the unissued credits to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, of which at least 50 percent must be used for acquisitions with public access; (ii) 10 percent to the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund; and (iii) 10 percent to the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund.
Virginia State Bar; work group to study the use of nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions in certain settlement agreements; report. Directs the Virginia State Bar to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study and make recommendations relating to the use of nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions or agreements pursuant to or contained in settlement agreements reached in civil actions for personal injury arising from an unlawful act that would constitute criminal sexual assault, commercial sex trafficking, or other sexual offense that occurred during the infancy or incapacity of the injured person. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2026.
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused; (ii) the information provided to counsel for the accused; (iii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing; and (iv) the compensation of counsel for the accused. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused; (ii) the information provided to counsel for the accused; (iii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing; and (iv) the compensation of counsel for the accused. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact; withdrawal. Removes authorization for the Commonwealth's membership in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact. The bill directs the Marine Resources Commission, on or after February 1, 2027, to take all actions necessary and appropriate to effectuate the Commonwealth's renunciation of and withdrawal from the Compact and to complete such actions no later than July 1, 2027. The bill also directs the Commission, no later than July 31, 2026, to provide written notice to all states that are a party to the Compact that the Commonwealth intends to renounce and withdraw from the Compact. Finally, the bill removes from the Menhaden Management Advisory Committee the Virginia appointee to the Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact; withdrawal. Removes authorization for the Commonwealth's membership in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact. The bill directs the Marine Resources Commission, on or after February 1, 2027, to take all actions necessary and appropriate to effectuate the Commonwealth's renunciation of and withdrawal from the Compact and to complete such actions no later than July 1, 2027. The bill also directs the Commission, no later than July 31, 2026, to provide written notice to all states that are a party to the Compact that the Commonwealth intends to renounce and withdraw from the Compact. Finally, the bill removes from the Menhaden Management Advisory Committee the Virginia appointee to the Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund. Increases from $100 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields to $200 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields the grant amount a project developer can receive from the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund. Increases from $100 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields to $200 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields the grant amount a project developer can receive from the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; reclaimed water usage. Requires data center operators applying for grant payments from the Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund to utilize reclaimed water, defined in the bill, for water-dependent cooling processes at data center and cloud computing cluster operations facilities. The bill gradually increases the reclaimed water utilization requirement at such facilities from 60 percent of all water-dependent cooling processes beginning on July 1, 2027, to 100 percent on and after July 1, 2031.
Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; reclaimed water usage. Requires data center operators applying for grant payments from the Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund to utilize reclaimed water, defined in the bill, for water-dependent cooling processes at data center and cloud computing cluster operations facilities. The bill gradually increases the reclaimed water utilization requirement at such facilities from 60 percent of all water-dependent cooling processes beginning on July 1, 2027, to 100 percent on and after July 1, 2031.
Retirement systems and creditable service. Awards an individual who has reached normal retirement age under the State Police Officers' Retirement System (SPORS) or Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS), as determined by relevant law, one additional year of creditable service for every five full years of creditable service earned (i) as a member of SPORS, (ii) as a member of VaLORS, or (iii) while employed by a locality that has elected to provide SPORS-benefits to its employees. This bill only affects those retirements that take place on or after July 1, 2027.
Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definitions; federally recognized tribes. Provides that a federally recognized tribe, as defined in the bill, can be a conservation easement holder and that such a tribe is not bound by the same restrictions on the location of a principal office or the duration of existence that are placed on other types of easement holders. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definitions; federally recognized tribes. Provides that a federally recognized tribe, as defined in the bill, can be a conservation easement holder and that such a tribe is not bound by the same restrictions on the location of a principal office or the duration of existence that are placed on other types of easement holders. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Commonwealth Savers Plan; ImABLE accounts established; tax treatment. Provides a process whereby eligible individuals, defined in the bill, may establish ImABLE savings accounts, defined in the bill, with the Commonwealth Savers Plan. Payments and contributions, up to limits defined in the bill, to such accounts are made on an after-tax basis, distributions are generally exempt from income taxes, collections, and withdrawal penalties, and such accounts shall not be used as a factor in employment classifications. The bill authorizes the Commonwealth Savers Plan to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill also establishes the Virginia ImABLE Fund and Grant Program to award competitive grants to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and localities for projects that assist eligible individuals with support expenses, as defined in the bill.
Institutions of higher education; eligibility for in-state tuition for citizens of federally recognized Virginia tribes. Makes any non-Virginia student who is a member or citizen of a federally recognized tribe and who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program eligible for in-state tuition. The bill also allows the governing board of any public institution of higher education to charge in-state tuition to such students enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program. This is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Institutions of higher education; eligibility for in-state tuition for citizens of federally recognized Virginia tribes. Makes any non-Virginia student who is a member or citizen of a federally recognized tribe and who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program eligible for in-state tuition. The bill also allows the governing board of any public institution of higher education to charge in-state tuition to such students enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program. This is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
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, including the costs of any associated land acquisition, from being recovered from any other customer.
High load facilities; impact assessments. Prohibits a governing body or board of zoning appeals from issuing final approval for any special exception, special use permit, variance, rezoning application, or other land disturbing permit, including building permits and erosion and sediment control permits, for a high load facility, defined in the bill, until the applicant submits a finding of no impact or minimal impact issued by the State Corporation Commission. The bill provides that upon request by the owner or operator of a high load facility, the Commission will assess whether the high load facility will have a material adverse impact upon the incumbent electric utility's ability to (i) to maintain electric grid reliability, (ii) avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or (iii) meet certain statutory requirements.
Juvenile secure detention facilities; placement of juveniles referred from another locality; high-needs or high-risk juveniles; funding. Requires the statewide plan developed by the Department of Juvenile Justice (the Department) for the establishment and maintenance of a range of institutional and community-based, diversion, predispositional and postdispositional services to be reasonably accessible to each court to include (i) a plan for juvenile secure detention facilities in the Commonwealth, which shall designate the total number of facilities to be in operation in the Commonwealth, the location of each facility, the localities each facility shall serve, and the number of beds required for each facility and (ii) procedures for determining the appropriate placement of juveniles pursuant to the plan. The bill provides that the Department may reduce or cease the apportionment of any state funds to any localities or commissions that choose not to participate in the plan for juvenile secure detention facilities in the Commonwealth included in the statewide plan as required by this section.
The bill also allows the Department to designate up to three juvenile secure detention facilities to provide additional support and services to juveniles identified as high-needs or high-risk. The bill requires any locality or commission operating a juvenile secure detention facility that receives state funds to accept the placement of any juvenile referred from another locality, unless accepting placement of such juvenile is not feasible due to security concerns or exigent circumstances related to staffing or other operational factors. The bill also provides that if any locality or commission refuses to accept the placement of any such juvenile, the Department may cease the apportionment of any funds to the locality or commission, including any funds for facility operations and education programs.
The bill also provides that when a locality or commission operating a juvenile secure detention facility accepts the placement of a juvenile referred from another locality, (a) any medical expenses incurred on behalf of such juvenile shall be borne by the locality from which the juvenile was referred, unless otherwise agreed to by the locality referring such juvenile and the locality or commission accepting such juvenile; (b) if an employee of the juvenile secure detention facility is injured in the course of his employment by any such juvenile, the locality from which such juvenile was referred shall be considered the employer for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act; (c) any sheriff's departments that are impacted by additional travel requirements related to transporting juveniles shall be compensated to the extent practicable from identified savings; and (d) the locality referring such juvenile and the locality or commission accepting such juvenile shall negotiate in good faith to arrive at mutually agreeable funding contributions. The bill provides that if the localities or commissions are unable to reach an agreement on the funding contributions required by clause (d), then the Department shall determine the funding contributions and that failure of any locality or commission to comply with such funding contributions may result in the loss or reduction of the apportionment of any funds to the locality or commission, including any funds for facility operations and education programs.
Juvenile secure detention facilities; placement of juveniles referred from another locality; high-needs or high-risk juveniles; funding. Requires the statewide plan developed by the Department of Juvenile Justice (the Department) for the establishment and maintenance of a range of institutional and community-based, diversion, predispositional and postdispositional services to be reasonably accessible to each court to include (i) a plan for juvenile secure detention facilities in the Commonwealth, which shall designate the total number of facilities to be in operation in the Commonwealth, the location of each facility, the localities each facility shall serve, and the number of beds required for each facility and (ii) procedures for determining the appropriate placement of juveniles pursuant to the plan. The bill provides that the Department may reduce or cease the apportionment of any state funds to any localities or commissions that choose not to participate in the plan for juvenile secure detention facilities in the Commonwealth included in the statewide plan as required by this section.
The bill also allows the Department to designate up to three juvenile secure detention facilities to provide additional support and services to juveniles identified as high-needs or high-risk. The bill requires any locality or commission operating a juvenile secure detention facility that receives state funds to accept the placement of any juvenile referred from another locality, unless accepting placement of such juvenile is not feasible due to security concerns or exigent circumstances related to staffing or other operational factors. The bill also provides that if any locality or commission refuses to accept the placement of any such juvenile, the Department may cease the apportionment of any funds to the locality or commission, including any funds for facility operations and education programs.
The bill also provides that when a locality or commission operating a juvenile secure detention facility accepts the placement of a juvenile referred from another locality, (a) any medical expenses incurred on behalf of such juvenile shall be borne by the locality from which the juvenile was referred, unless otherwise agreed to by the locality referring such juvenile and the locality or commission accepting such juvenile; (b) if an employee of the juvenile secure detention facility is injured in the course of his employment by any such juvenile, the locality from which such juvenile was referred shall be considered the employer for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act; (c) any sheriff's departments that are impacted by additional travel requirements related to transporting juveniles shall be compensated to the extent practicable from identified savings; and (d) the locality referring such juvenile and the locality or commission accepting such juvenile shall negotiate in good faith to arrive at mutually agreeable funding contributions. The bill provides that if the localities or commissions are unable to reach an agreement on the funding contributions required by clause (d), then the Department shall determine the funding contributions and that failure of any locality or commission to comply with such funding contributions may result in the loss or reduction of the apportionment of any funds to the locality or commission, including any funds for facility operations and education programs.
Court fines and fees; indigent defendant; waiver of fees. Provides that in any criminal or traffic case, the court may waive the assessment of certain fees specified in the bill, either wholly or in part, if the court determines the defendant to be indigent pursuant to the financial criteria set forth in relevant law and unable to pay such fee. The bill provides that the court may make such determination sua sponte or upon motion of the defendant at any time prior to the entry of an order for which such fee is assessed or the final order has been entered.
Court fines and fees; indigent defendant; waiver of fees. Provides that in any criminal or traffic case, the court may waive the assessment of certain fees specified in the bill, either wholly or in part, if the court determines the defendant to be indigent pursuant to the financial criteria set forth in relevant law and unable to pay such fee. The bill provides that the court may make such determination sua sponte or upon motion of the defendant at any time prior to the entry of an order for which such fee is assessed or the final order has been entered.
Occoquan Reservoir; low-flow protections for drinking water safe yield. Requires any Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit issued after July 1, 2026, authorizing the diversion of sewage or reclaimed water from a publicly owned treatment works for reuse that would otherwise discharge into the Occoquan Reservoir, the Occoquan River, Bull Run, or any of their tributaries above the Occoquan Reservoir to incorporate certain low-flow protection requirements for drinking water safe yield if the total diversion amount allowed by the permit exceeds 500,000 gallons per day. The bill also prohibits the issuance of any Virginia Water Protection Permit after July 1, 2026, authorizing the withdrawal of water for consumptive uses from the Occoquan Reservoir, the Occoquan River, Bull Run, or any of their tributaries above the Occoquan Reservoir for any purpose other than agricultural or irrigation purposes or for continued operation, expansion, or relocation of existing public water supply withdrawals.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Atlantic Menhaden Research Fund established; report. Establishes the Atlantic Menhaden Research Fund to be used by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), in collaboration with Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and relevant stakeholders, to produce research relating to Atlantic menhaden necessary to inform a scientifically defensible and ecologically meaningful harvest limit for Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and an annual report summarizing such research. VIMS is directed to annually report its progress, findings, recommendations, and a proposal for expenditures and disbursements from the Fund for the following year to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, the Ecological Reference Point Work Group of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Menhaden Management Advisory Committee of VMRC no later than October 1 of each year.
Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances and to provide any related information. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case or traffic infraction in general district court or circuit court, allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program, and allows the Program administrator or his designee to use other communication methods to contact a defendant when such defendant is unable to receive text messages, including telephone, email, or other internet-based technology.
Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances and to provide any related information. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case or traffic infraction in general district court or circuit court, allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program, and allows the Program administrator or his designee to use other communication methods to contact a defendant when such defendant is unable to receive text messages, including telephone, email, or other internet-based technology.
Department of Emergency Management; emergency services and disaster preparedness programs; inclusion of federally recognized tribes. Requires the Department of Emergency Management to administer certain emergency services in coordination with federally recognized tribes that the Department has entered into a contract or memorandum of understanding with for assistance regarding such emergency services. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Department of Emergency Management; emergency services and disaster preparedness programs; inclusion of federally recognized tribes. Requires the Department of Emergency Management to administer certain emergency services in coordination with federally recognized tribes that the Department has entered into a contract or memorandum of understanding with for assistance regarding such emergency services. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.
Study; Virginia Department of Transportation; alternatives to use of Sodium Chloride to treat and pretreat roadways for winter weather; report. Directs the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to conduct a study on safe and environmentally sensitive alternatives to using Sodium Chloride, or rock salt, to treat and pretreat roadways for winter weather. Such study shall measure the impact of current treatment and pretreatment substances on infrastructure and the environment and their corrosive effects on personal property and compare such impacts with those of potential alternatives, including nonchemical substances and new technologies. VDOT is directed to submit a report to the chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation by November 15, 2026, on its findings and include in such report an accounting of the annual spending by the state and local governments since 2020 on treating and pretreating activities and the amounts budgeted for 2026-2028.
Virginia Commission on Youth; work group to study extending oversight of Office of the Children's Ombudsman to include committed juveniles; report. Directs the Virginia Commission on Youth, in coordination with the Office of the Children's Ombudsman, to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study the changes necessary to extend the purview of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to include juveniles who are committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires the work group to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, a report of its findings and any recommendations for any legislative and organizational changes needed to implement such extension of oversight. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services; certain customers. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia to establish rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services for its customers within the GS-5 rate class, as established by final order of the State Corporation Commission, that require each such customer to pay a minimum generation charge equal to 100 percent of such customers' contracted electric demand.
Electric utilities; licensed suppliers of electric energy; aggregate demands; total retail load limit. Amends provisions that permit two or more individual nonresidential retail customers of electric energy to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to aggregate their electric demands for the purpose of purchasing electric energy from a licensed supplier. Under the bill, the five megawatt participation threshold is based on noncoincident peak demand in calendar year 2024 and any year thereafter. Under the bill, such customers are not required to petition the Commission for approval to aggregate their demands, but are required to notify the Commission and incumbent electric utility in writing that they have met the requirements for doing so. The bill makes it voluntary rather than mandatory for the Commission to impose certain periodic monitoring and reporting obligations for such customers to demonstrate continued compliance with the aggregate demand limitations.
Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center; established. Establishes the Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center (the Center) as an interdisciplinary study, research, and informational resource for individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth. The Center is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from several colleges and universities in the Commonwealth, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. The board is directed to establish an advisory council to provide expertise and guidance related to the functions and duties of the Center. Functions and duties of the Center include providing technical assistance in matters related to energy technologies, siting, permitting, project design, interconnection, electric infrastructure, electric utilities, ratepayer proceedings, and environmental impacts of energy projects. Under the bill, the Center shall conduct an annual evaluation and collaborate with state agencies and institutions of higher education to provide technical assistance, research, or support in matters related to siting and permitting, programs to improve electric grid reliability, energy programs established at a participating institution of higher education, and administration and implementation of the Virginia Energy Plan. The bill also requires the Center to submit an annual report to the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation summarizing its research activities and any funding received by the Center by November 1 of each year.
This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center; established. Establishes the Virginia Clean Energy Research and Support Center (the Center) as an interdisciplinary study, research, and informational resource for individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth. The Center is governed by a board of directors that includes representatives from several colleges and universities in the Commonwealth, the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. The board is directed to establish an advisory council to provide expertise and guidance related to the functions and duties of the Center. Functions and duties of the Center include providing technical assistance in matters related to energy technologies, siting, permitting, project design, interconnection, electric infrastructure, electric utilities, ratepayer proceedings, and environmental impacts of energy projects. Under the bill, the Center shall conduct an annual evaluation and collaborate with state agencies and institutions of higher education to provide technical assistance, research, or support in matters related to siting and permitting, programs to improve electric grid reliability, energy programs established at a participating institution of higher education, and administration and implementation of the Virginia Energy Plan. The bill also requires the Center to submit an annual report to the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation summarizing its research activities and any funding received by the Center by November 1 of each year.
This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.
Department of Conservation and Recreation; permanent land conservation feasibility; report. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assess how best to achieve permanent conservation by 2036 of (i) 20 percent of the land area of the Commonwealth and (ii) 10 percent of urban areas of the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department to submit a report on its findings and any recommendations to achieve such permanent conservation goals to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources no later than November 1, 2026.
Data centers; rainwater harvesting systems. Requires any new construction or substantial expansion, as defined in the bill, of a data center, as defined in the bill, to (i) include a rainwater harvesting system sufficient to capture rainwater runoff from at least 30 percent of the total roof surface area of such data center and (ii) use such harvested rainwater for non-potable water needs, as defined in the bill, including irrigation or the dissipation of heat from any component of such data center. The bill also requires any such system to be designed, installed, and periodically inspected by a person certified by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering and authorizes the State Board of Health to promulgate regulations in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality as necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill.
Line of Duty Act; payments to beneficiaries. Provides that if a deceased person, as that term is defined in the Line of Duty Act, died as a result of certain cancers within seven years from his date of retirement, his beneficiary shall be entitled to the payment of certain benefits. Under current law, such beneficiary shall be entitled to such payment if the deceased person's death (i) arose out of and in the course of his employment or (ii) was within five years from his date of retirement.
Mutual aid agreements; public safety radio equipment. Requires localities that have entered into certain public safety mutual aid agreements to provide access to the information necessary to program the public safety radio equipment owned or used by such locality, such as radio frequencies and security and encryption keys.
Elections; absentee voting in person; uniform availability. Requires absentee voting in person to be available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday during early voting, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the first and second Saturday immediately preceding all elections, and between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the second Sunday immediately preceding all elections. Under current law, local electoral boards have some discretion to decide certain hours and days when absentee voting in person is available.
Emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment center or to residence of the person subject to emergency custody order. Provides that transportation provided pursuant to an emergency custody order shall include, upon completion of emergency medical evaluation or treatment, transportation to an approved treatment center or to the residence of the person subject to the emergency custody order.
Parole; investigation prior to release; input from the attorney for the Commonwealth. Requires the Parole Board to notify the attorney for the Commonwealth in each jurisdiction in which an offense occurred for which a prisoner is incarcerated as part of the required investigation to determine if such prisoner will be released on parole. The bill further provides that the attorney for the Commonwealth may submit his input to the Board regarding the impact the release of the prisoner will have on the jurisdiction. The bill requires that any such input received shall be considered by the Board but shall not infringe on the Board's authority to exercise its decision-making authority.
Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund established. Establishes the Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund, to be managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of making loans and awarding grants to local governments for the purpose of assisting with improvement projects relating to public safety radio and communications infrastructure.
Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund established. Establishes the Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund, to be managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of making loans and awarding grants to local governments for the purpose of assisting with improvement projects relating to public safety radio and communications infrastructure.
Time zone; permanent Eastern Standard Time in the Commonwealth. Provides that the Commonwealth shall observe Eastern Standard Time year-round upon the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland enacting legislation providing that United States Eastern Standard Time shall be observed in all parts of the respective district or state year-round.
Department of Social Services; unlicensed care homes; registration. Requires every person that constitutes, or that operates or maintains, an unlicensed care home, defined in the bill, to register such home with the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services.
Search warrants; unattended deaths. Authorizes the issuance of a search warrant to search any place for (i) a dead human body where, at the time of death, the decedent was not being attended to by a physician or (ii) evidence of the cause or manner of death of such a body.
Search warrants; unattended deaths. Authorizes the issuance of a search warrant to search any place for (i) a dead human body where, at the time of death, the decedent was not being attended to by a physician or (ii) evidence of the cause or manner of death of such a body.
Department of Conservation and Recreation; Disabled Veteran's Family Passport; free entry into state parks and discounted services. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a Disabled Veteran's Family Passport that entitles the bearer to enter state parks in the Commonwealth without the payment of a parking or admission fee. The bill provides that the Passport will be issued upon request to any immediate family member, as defined in the bill, of a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who provides certain documentation to the Department. The bill authorizes the Department to require passport holders to re-certify such documentation no more than once every five years.
Department of Conservation and Recreation; Disabled Veteran's Family Passport; free entry into state parks and discounted services. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a Disabled Veteran's Family Passport that entitles the bearer to enter state parks in the Commonwealth without the payment of a parking or admission fee. The bill provides that the Passport will be issued upon request to any immediate family member, as defined in the bill, of a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who provides certain documentation to the Department. The bill authorizes the Department to require passport holders to re-certify such documentation no more than once every five years.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; auctioneers; definition. Specifies that sales meeting the definition of "auction" include sales made both in person and online. The bill contains a technical amendment.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; auctioneers; definition. Specifies that sales meeting the definition of "auction" include sales made both in person and online. The bill contains a technical amendment.
Illegal gambling; online sweepstakes games; civil penalty. Includes the (i) operating, conducting, or promoting of any online sweepstakes games and (ii) supporting or assisting in the operating, conducting, or promoting of any online sweepstakes game in the definition of "illegal gambling." The bill defines an "online sweepstakes game" as any game, contest, or promotion in which a prize is awarded based on chance that (a) is available on the internet and accessible on a mobile phone, computer, or similar device; (b) utilizes a dual currency system of payment allowing the player to exchange the currency for any prize, award, cash, or cash equivalent; and (c) simulates casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, lottery games, and sports betting. Persons who operate, conduct, or promote online sweepstakes games or take any action to support or assist in the operation, conduct, or promotion of online sweepstakes games shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 per violation. The bill contains technical amendments.
Illegal gambling; online sweepstakes games; civil penalty. Includes the (i) operating, conducting, or promoting of any online sweepstakes games and (ii) supporting or assisting in the operating, conducting, or promoting of any online sweepstakes game in the definition of "illegal gambling." The bill defines an "online sweepstakes game" as any game, contest, or promotion in which a prize is awarded based on chance that (a) is available on the internet and accessible on a mobile phone, computer, or similar device; (b) utilizes a dual currency system of payment allowing the player to exchange the currency for any prize, award, cash, or cash equivalent; and (c) simulates casino-style gaming, including slot machines, video poker, table games, lottery games, and sports betting. Persons who operate, conduct, or promote online sweepstakes games or take any action to support or assist in the operation, conduct, or promotion of online sweepstakes games shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 per violation. The bill contains technical amendments.
Health carriers; use of artificial intelligence; disclosures. Requires health carriers to disclose to the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance how artificial intelligence is used to manage claims coverage and to submit all information enabling decisions made by artificial intelligence to the Bureau upon request. The bill also requires health carriers to provide notice to enrollees and health care providers when artificial intelligence has been used to issue an adverse determination and to provide a clear and timely process for appeal of such determination.
Department of Veterans Services; benefit awareness and access; program. Establishes an outreach program to ensure military service members transitioning from military to civilian life, veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, residents of the Commonwealth in the Armed Forces Reserves, and their family members can easily access federal, state, and local benefits and other programs and services available to them. The bill requires the outcomes of such program to be published in the annual report submitted to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, the Governor, and the General Assembly.
Department of Veterans Services; benefit awareness and access; program. Establishes an outreach program to ensure military service members transitioning from military to civilian life, veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, residents of the Commonwealth in the Armed Forces Reserves, and their family members can easily access federal, state, and local benefits and other programs and services available to them. The bill requires the outcomes of such program to be published in the annual report submitted to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, the Governor, and the General Assembly.
Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program; grants. Requires at least $50,000 of discretionary annual spending of Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program grant funds to be used for recruitment. Under current law, discretionary spending on recruitment from grant funds is capped at $50,000 per fiscal year.
Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program; grants. Requires at least $50,000 of discretionary annual spending of Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program grant funds to be used for recruitment. Under current law, discretionary spending on recruitment from grant funds is capped at $50,000 per fiscal year.
Charitable gaming; common interest communities; bingo. Allows common interest communities that qualify for deductions pursuant to § 277 of the Internal Revenue Code and that are solely available to residents age 55 or older to become qualified organizations, subject to certain registration requirements, for the purposes of conducting bingo in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Charitable gaming; common interest communities; bingo. Allows common interest communities that qualify for deductions pursuant to § 277 of the Internal Revenue Code and that are solely available to residents age 55 or older to become qualified organizations, subject to certain registration requirements, for the purposes of conducting bingo in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
General funds, bonds, and capital outlay. Removes the Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Secretary of Finance from the Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan Advisory Committee. The bill also provides that the Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan Advisory Committee consists of four members, with voting privileges, including the staff directors of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget, and the Director of the Department of General Services.
Economic development incentives; wage requirements. Requires companies to pay an average wage for the jobs eligible for assistance under the component programs of the Virginia Jobs Investment Program that is no less than the prevailing average wage, defined in the bill, or, in the case of an economically distressed locality, defined in the bill, no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage. Under current law, to be eligible for the component programs, companies must pay a minimum entry-level wage rate per hour of at least 1.2 times the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage, whichever is higher, and in areas that have an unemployment rate of 1.5 times the statewide average unemployment rate, the wage rate minimum may be waived.
The bill also authorizes the payment of Virginia Investment Performance Grants if the average wage paid by the eligible manufacturer or research and development service, excluding fringe benefits, is no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage in localities with either (i) an annual unemployment rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that is greater than the final statewide average unemployment rate for that calendar year or (ii) a poverty rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that exceeds the statewide average poverty rate for that year. Under current law, such authorization is limited to those localities meeting both the unemployment rate and poverty rate thresholds.
Economic development incentives; wage requirements. Requires companies to pay an average wage for the jobs eligible for assistance under the component programs of the Virginia Jobs Investment Program that is no less than the prevailing average wage, defined in the bill, or, in the case of an economically distressed locality, defined in the bill, no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage. Under current law, to be eligible for the component programs, companies must pay a minimum entry-level wage rate per hour of at least 1.2 times the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage, whichever is higher, and in areas that have an unemployment rate of 1.5 times the statewide average unemployment rate, the wage rate minimum may be waived.
The bill also authorizes the payment of Virginia Investment Performance Grants if the average wage paid by the eligible manufacturer or research and development service, excluding fringe benefits, is no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage in localities with either (i) an annual unemployment rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that is greater than the final statewide average unemployment rate for that calendar year or (ii) a poverty rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that exceeds the statewide average poverty rate for that year. Under current law, such authorization is limited to those localities meeting both the unemployment rate and poverty rate thresholds.
Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels. Allows a retail licensee to elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill provides that such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and may be displayed on the retail licensee's premises.
Consumer Data Protection Act; online device pricing; prohibition. Provides that no controller or processor shall, in connection with a consumer transaction, generate, in whole or in part, a price offered to a consumer through the consumer's online device based on (i) the hardware or hardware state of the online device, as those terms are defined in the bill, (ii) the presence or absence of any software on the online device, or (iii) precise geolocation data of the online device when used to set a price based on inferences about the consumer made from such data. The bill provides for exemptions in certain instances.
Consumer Data Protection Act; online device pricing; prohibition. Provides that no controller or processor shall, in connection with a consumer transaction, generate, in whole or in part, a price offered to a consumer through the consumer's online device based on (i) the hardware or hardware state of the online device, as those terms are defined in the bill, (ii) the presence or absence of any software on the online device, or (iii) precise geolocation data of the online device when used to set a price based on inferences about the consumer made from such data. The bill provides for exemptions in certain instances.
Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry; performance bond. Removes the requirement for a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (VESMP) authority to have a performance bond with surety, cash escrow, letter of credit, any combination thereof, or such other legal arrangement in order to enter any establishment or upon any property, public or private, for the purpose of initiating or maintaining appropriate actions that are required by conditions imposed by the VESMP authority on a land-disturbing activity when an owner, after proper notice, has failed to take acceptable action within the time specified.
Office of the Executive Secretary; annual trauma-informed education for certain court personnel. Requires the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to provide annual continuing legal education on trauma-informed practices in proceedings involving sexual abuse or abuse of a family or household member to magistrates, clerks, judges of juvenile and domestic relations district courts, general district courts, and circuit courts, and other court employees.
Office of the Executive Secretary; annual trauma-informed education for certain court personnel. Requires the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to provide annual continuing legal education on trauma-informed practices in proceedings involving sexual abuse or abuse of a family or household member to magistrates, clerks, judges of juvenile and domestic relations district courts, general district courts, and circuit courts, and other court employees.
Assault and battery; definition of "Islamophobia"; penalty. Defines "Islamophobia" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery as malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims. This definition applies regardless of whether the victim is actually a practitioner of Islam, provided that the perpetrator targeted such victim based on a perceived adherence to such faith. The bill also clarifies that religious conviction includes Islam. The bill directs the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to include the bill's definition of "Islamophobia" in its hate crime reporting central repository.
Assault and battery; definition of "Islamophobia"; penalty. Defines "Islamophobia" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery as malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims. This definition applies regardless of whether the victim is actually a practitioner of Islam, provided that the perpetrator targeted such victim based on a perceived adherence to such faith. The bill also clarifies that religious conviction includes Islam. The bill directs the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to include the bill's definition of "Islamophobia" in its hate crime reporting central repository.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000.
Callous disregard for human life and probable consequences; penalties. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who commits a criminal act and whose conduct was so gross, wanton, or culpable as to indicate a callous disregard for human life and for the probable consequences of his conduct. The bill enhances the penalty to a Class 6 felony where such person knew or should have known that the consequences of such conduct would pose a greater risk to first responders.
Callous disregard for human life and probable consequences; penalties. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who commits a criminal act and whose conduct was so gross, wanton, or culpable as to indicate a callous disregard for human life and for the probable consequences of his conduct. The bill enhances the penalty to a Class 6 felony where such person knew or should have known that the consequences of such conduct would pose a greater risk to first responders.
Transportation funding. Changes various provisions of existing transportation funds, including the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Capital Fund, and creates new funds for the Northern Virginia Transportation District and the localities embraced by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission for regional transit purposes. The bill imposes a regional sales and use tax for certain localities, a tax on transportation network companies, a tax on retail deliveries, and a tax on regional commercial parking. The bill also imposes a regional highway use fee on all vehicles in the Commonwealth that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
Transportation funding. Changes various provisions of existing transportation funds, including the Commonwealth Mass Transit Fund and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Capital Fund, and creates new funds for the Northern Virginia Transportation District and the localities embraced by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission for regional transit purposes. The bill imposes a regional sales and use tax for certain localities, a tax on transportation network companies, a tax on retail deliveries, and a tax on regional commercial parking. The bill also imposes a regional highway use fee on all vehicles in the Commonwealth that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
Authority of school division to request motor vehicle registration numbers. Provides that any school division may request the vehicle registration number of a vehicle owned or operated by any person using the services or facilities of the school division.
Health insurance; treatment of cancer and certain diseases; coverage of certain medications. Requires an insurer, corporation providing preferred provider subscription contracts, or health maintenance organization that provides coverage for drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration and prescribed for the treatment of cancer or diseases of the blood to allow, at the patient's direction, (i) provider-administered drugs for such treatment to be dispensed by an in-network treating provider consistent with a provider agreement; (ii) provider-administered drugs for such treatment to be dispensed by an in-network treating provider when there is a documented delay of at least three days in the delivery of a medication from the designated specialty pharmacy; and (iii) self-administered drugs for such treatment to be sent to the pharmacy of the patient's choosing.
State pharmacy benefits manager; contractual provisions; report. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services' contract with the state pharmacy benefits manager to (i) require that that ingredient-cost reimbursement is based on the national average drug acquisition cost, or if unavailable, the wholesale acquisition cost minus a discount set by the Department, plus a professional dispensing fee, determined by the Department; (ii) require real-time or near real-time transparency in drug costs, rebates collected and paid, dispensing fees paid, administrative fees, and all other charges, fees, costs, and holdbacks, claim denials appeals, and network participation; (iii) prohibit the state pharmacy benefits manager from steering Medicaid recipients to affiliated pharmacies through differential cost-sharing, restrictive network design, or the mandatory use of a mail order pharmacy provider; (iv) require the state pharmacy benefits manager to (a) meet network adequacy standards established by the Department; (b) allow any willing pharmacy to participate in the pharmacy network; (c) verify that all contracted pharmacies are actively accepting Medicaid recipients; (d) submit annual reports containing certain information; (e) disclose to the Department pricing and maximum acquisition cost methodologies; and (f) allow invoice-based or national average drug acquisition cost-based appeals and require an adjustment of rates network-wide when an appeal is upheld; and (v) include enforcement mechanisms and monetary penalties for noncompliance.
Additionally, the bill requires Department to annually calculate the savings generated by the use of the state pharmacy benefits manager and to annually increase its dispensing fee by the amount of such savings. The bill requires the Department to annually (1) publish and make available on its website its annual and total savings achieved, the annual and total amount applied to dispensing fees increases, and the updated dispensing fees and (2) report to the General Assembly on the state pharmacy benefits manager's compliance, national average drug acquisition cost compliance, pharmacy reimbursement trends, network adequacy compliance, and dispensing fee sufficiency.
State pharmacy benefits manager; contractual provisions; report. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services' contract with the state pharmacy benefits manager to (i) require that that ingredient-cost reimbursement is based on the national average drug acquisition cost, or if unavailable, the wholesale acquisition cost minus a discount set by the Department, plus a professional dispensing fee, determined by the Department; (ii) require real-time or near real-time transparency in drug costs, rebates collected and paid, dispensing fees paid, administrative fees, and all other charges, fees, costs, and holdbacks, claim denials appeals, and network participation; (iii) prohibit the state pharmacy benefits manager from steering Medicaid recipients to affiliated pharmacies through differential cost-sharing, restrictive network design, or the mandatory use of a mail order pharmacy provider; (iv) require the state pharmacy benefits manager to (a) meet network adequacy standards established by the Department; (b) allow any willing pharmacy to participate in the pharmacy network; (c) verify that all contracted pharmacies are actively accepting Medicaid recipients; (d) submit annual reports containing certain information; (e) disclose to the Department pricing and maximum acquisition cost methodologies; and (f) allow invoice-based or national average drug acquisition cost-based appeals and require an adjustment of rates network-wide when an appeal is upheld; and (v) include enforcement mechanisms and monetary penalties for noncompliance.
Additionally, the bill requires Department to annually calculate the savings generated by the use of the state pharmacy benefits manager and to annually increase its dispensing fee by the amount of such savings. The bill requires the Department to annually (1) publish and make available on its website its annual and total savings achieved, the annual and total amount applied to dispensing fees increases, and the updated dispensing fees and (2) report to the General Assembly on the state pharmacy benefits manager's compliance, national average drug acquisition cost compliance, pharmacy reimbursement trends, network adequacy compliance, and dispensing fee sufficiency.
Commercial use of fully autonomous vehicles. Provides requirements for the operation of fully autonomous vehicles operated to transport property or passengers in furtherance of a commercial enterprise. The bill requires persons operating such fully autonomous vehicles to receive autonomous operation licenses prior to such operation in the Commonwealth.
Emergency Response Exposure Grant Fund and Program. Creates the Emergency Response Exposure Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Fire Programs, to award grants to localities to support certain emergency responders who were exposed to a qualifying emergency, defined in the bill. The bill requires funding to be used for annual cancer screenings and health care expenses incurred by eligible emergency responders, defined in the bill, in the event such emergency responders are diagnosed with cancer from toxic material exposure. The bill permits funding to be used for out-of-pocket medical expenses not otherwise covered by insurance, workers' compensation, or other available funding.
Emergency Response Exposure Grant Fund and Program. Creates the Emergency Response Exposure Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Fire Programs, to award grants to localities to support certain emergency responders who were exposed to a qualifying emergency, defined in the bill. The bill requires funding to be used for annual cancer screenings and health care expenses incurred by eligible emergency responders, defined in the bill, in the event such emergency responders are diagnosed with cancer from toxic material exposure. The bill permits funding to be used for out-of-pocket medical expenses not otherwise covered by insurance, workers' compensation, or other available funding.
Individual income tax; first-time homebuyer tax credit. Creates a one-time, nonrefundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for expenses incurred by a first-time homebuyer for the purchase of direct ownership in residential real property in an amount equal to five percent of the purchase price value of such property detailed on the purchase agreement up to $10,000. The bill requires that any credits be repaid in the event that the residential real property for which first-time homebuyer expenses were incurred and such credit was claimed is sold within three years from the purchase date of such property.
Individual income tax; first-time homebuyer tax credit. Creates a one-time, nonrefundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for expenses incurred by a first-time homebuyer for the purchase of direct ownership in residential real property in an amount equal to five percent of the purchase price value of such property detailed on the purchase agreement up to $10,000. The bill requires that any credits be repaid in the event that the residential real property for which first-time homebuyer expenses were incurred and such credit was claimed is sold within three years from the purchase date of such property.
Special fund for emergency medical services; distribution of certain funds to localities. Expands the use of funds by localities from the special emergency medical services fund. The bill allows funds to be used for (i) training of emergency medical services personnel; (ii) the purchase of equipment and supplies; (iii) maintenance of equipment, facilities, and certain vehicles; and (iv) operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical expenses in such locality. Under current law, funds may only be used for training of personnel and purchase of equipment and supplies.
Special fund for emergency medical services; distribution of certain funds to localities. Expands the use of funds by localities from the special emergency medical services fund. The bill allows funds to be used for (i) training of emergency medical services personnel; (ii) the purchase of equipment and supplies; (iii) maintenance of equipment, facilities, and certain vehicles; and (iv) operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical expenses in such locality. Under current law, funds may only be used for training of personnel and purchase of equipment and supplies.
Department of Education; special education and related services; educational rights, protections, and duties relating to the education of children with disabilities; requirements. Updates several provisions relating to the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), as defined by the bill, including special education and related services, to children with disabilities in the Commonwealth to ensure such provisions are current and consistent with applicable federal law and regulations, including by (i) updating several relevant definitions to bring such definitions up-to-date and (ii) amending several provisions of current law relating to the duties of the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and each school board in ensuring the provision of FAPE, including special education and related services, to children with disabilities in accordance with federal law and regulation. The bill also codifies several provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations, including provisions relating to (a) the educational rights of children with disabilities and their parents and the corresponding duties of the Board, Department, and school boards to protect such rights; (b) the evaluation, eligibility determination, and reevaluation of children for special education and related services; (c) the development, review, and revision of the individualized education plan of each child with disabilities, and (d) the procedural safeguards guaranteed to children with disabilities and their parents with respect to receiving a free appropriate public education.
The bill also codifies certain protections for qualified students with disabilities, as defined by the bill, from discrimination on the basis of disability in a public school setting, in accordance with § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations. The provisions of the bill relating to protections for qualified students with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in a public school setting shall not become effective unless and until any provision of § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and any of its implementing regulations has been repealed or declared invalid or nullified by the final judgement of a federal court applicable to the Commonwealth or by executive or administration action, including any action of the federal or judicial branch that nullifies the effectiveness of such law and regulations in prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs or activities.
Finally, the bill repeals certain sections and makes several technical amendments as necessary in order to update and bring into conformity with applicable federal law and regulation provisions of current law relating to the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities.
Department of Education; special education and related services; educational rights, protections, and duties relating to the education of children with disabilities; requirements. Updates several provisions relating to the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), as defined by the bill, including special education and related services, to children with disabilities in the Commonwealth to ensure such provisions are current and consistent with applicable federal law and regulations, including by (i) updating several relevant definitions to bring such definitions up-to-date and (ii) amending several provisions of current law relating to the duties of the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and each school board in ensuring the provision of FAPE, including special education and related services, to children with disabilities in accordance with federal law and regulation. The bill also codifies several provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations, including provisions relating to (a) the educational rights of children with disabilities and their parents and the corresponding duties of the Board, Department, and school boards to protect such rights; (b) the evaluation, eligibility determination, and reevaluation of children for special education and related services; (c) the development, review, and revision of the individualized education plan of each child with disabilities, and (d) the procedural safeguards guaranteed to children with disabilities and their parents with respect to receiving a free appropriate public education.
The bill also codifies certain protections for qualified students with disabilities, as defined by the bill, from discrimination on the basis of disability in a public school setting, in accordance with § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations. The provisions of the bill relating to protections for qualified students with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in a public school setting shall not become effective unless and until any provision of § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and any of its implementing regulations has been repealed or declared invalid or nullified by the final judgement of a federal court applicable to the Commonwealth or by executive or administration action, including any action of the federal or judicial branch that nullifies the effectiveness of such law and regulations in prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs or activities.
Finally, the bill repeals certain sections and makes several technical amendments as necessary in order to update and bring into conformity with applicable federal law and regulation provisions of current law relating to the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities.
Establishing the Virginia Recycling Development Center and the Virginia Recycling Infrastructure Fund; supporting statewide recycling infrastructure; incentivizing voluntary stewardship programs; authorizing public-private partnerships; and addressing priority materials including waste tires, mattresses, and bulky waste.
Establishing the Virginia Recycling Development Center and the Virginia Recycling Infrastructure Fund; supporting statewide recycling infrastructure; incentivizing voluntary stewardship programs; authorizing public-private partnerships; and addressing priority materials including waste tires, mattresses, and bulky waste.
Oral threat to kill or to do bodily harm; employees of local or state department of social services; penalty. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who orally makes a threat to kill or do bodily injury to any employee the Department of Social Services or a local department of social services, as those terms as defined in relevant law, who is engaged in the performance of his duties.
Individual income tax subtractions; tips. Establishes an individual income tax subtraction for income attributable to tips in an amount equal to (i) 25 percent of the federal tip income deduction for taxable year 2026 and (ii) 50 percent of the federal tip income deduction in taxable year 2027 and thereafter.
Individual income tax subtractions; tips. Establishes an individual income tax subtraction for income attributable to tips in an amount equal to (i) 25 percent of the federal tip income deduction for taxable year 2026 and (ii) 50 percent of the federal tip income deduction in taxable year 2027 and thereafter.
Large-Scale Electricity Consumer Infrastructure Impact Fund. Establishes the Large-Scale Electricity Consumer Infrastructure Impact Fund (the Fund) for the purposes of offsetting infrastructure replacement and enhancement costs incurred by utilities that are directly attributable to the electricity demand of large-scale electricity consumers and providing bill credits to residential customers to offset rate increases due to the electricity demand of large-scale electricity consumers.
The bill requires each large-scale electricity consumer operating in the Commonwealth to remit an annual infrastructure impact fee in an amount determined and assessed by the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) based on energy usage and demand in megawatts and square footage of the large-scale electricity consumer. Additionally, the bill requires each locality that gives final approval for the construction or operation of a large-scale electricity consumer on or after January 1, 2028, to remit an annual infrastructure impact fee to the Commission in an amount equal to five percent of the total annual tax revenue received by the locality that is directly or indirectly attributable to the construction or operation of each such large-scale electricity consumer. All fees collected from such assessments shall be deposited into the Fund.
Large-Scale Electricity Consumer Infrastructure Impact Fund. Establishes the Large-Scale Electricity Consumer Infrastructure Impact Fund (the Fund) for the purposes of offsetting infrastructure replacement and enhancement costs incurred by utilities that are directly attributable to the electricity demand of large-scale electricity consumers and providing bill credits to residential customers to offset rate increases due to the electricity demand of large-scale electricity consumers.
The bill requires each large-scale electricity consumer operating in the Commonwealth to remit an annual infrastructure impact fee in an amount determined and assessed by the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) based on energy usage and demand in megawatts and square footage of the large-scale electricity consumer. Additionally, the bill requires each locality that gives final approval for the construction or operation of a large-scale electricity consumer on or after January 1, 2028, to remit an annual infrastructure impact fee to the Commission in an amount equal to five percent of the total annual tax revenue received by the locality that is directly or indirectly attributable to the construction or operation of each such large-scale electricity consumer. All fees collected from such assessments shall be deposited into the Fund.
Individual income tax; brackets, deductions, and exemptions; inflation indexing. Adjusts annually the amount of the income tax brackets, standard deduction, personal and other individual exemptions and deductions, and filing threshold to the annual change in the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U). The bill directs the Department of Taxation to annually publish on its website the individual income tax inflation adjustments. This bill contains technical amendments.
Individual income tax; brackets, deductions, and exemptions; inflation indexing. Adjusts annually the amount of the income tax brackets, standard deduction, personal and other individual exemptions and deductions, and filing threshold to the annual change in the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U). The bill directs the Department of Taxation to annually publish on its website the individual income tax inflation adjustments. This bill contains technical amendments.
Physicians; informed consent; disclosure of certain information prior to hysterectomy or oophorectomy.
Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.
Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.
Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset.
Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset.
Land records; certain financing statements; recording and indexing fees. Sets forth the fees that a clerk of the circuit court shall charge for recording and indexing a multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage, described in the bill as a deed of trust or mortgage, whether or not commercial, that serves multiple purposes and contains two or more components that may serve as independent legal instruments for independent legal purposes. The bill provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for such multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties.
Land records; certain financing statements; recording and indexing fees. Sets forth the fees that a clerk of the circuit court shall charge for recording and indexing a multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage, described in the bill as a deed of trust or mortgage, whether or not commercial, that serves multiple purposes and contains two or more components that may serve as independent legal instruments for independent legal purposes. The bill provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for such multipurpose deed of trust or mortgage unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed or deed to correct a fraudulently recorded deed, including a deed of trust, between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties.
Transit-oriented housing overlay districts. Requires certain localities to establish one or more transit-oriented housing overlay districts covering qualifying areas, as defined in the bill, within their boundaries. The bill provides that within such overlay districts, the locality shall permit, by right, a minimum height of six stories and a minimum average density of 30 units per acre within one-quarter of a mile of a major transit stop and allow two units per lot and four units per corner lot between one-quarter of a mile and one mile from a such a stop. The bill further provides that applications for such housing development shall be approved ministerially by the zoning administrator or other designated official and that no public hearing is required for approval. The bill allows certain areas within a locality to be excluded from its provisions and sunsets on September 1, 2030. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2027.
Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program established; report. Directs the Department of Health to implement the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program that provides for remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. The bill requires the Department to select a managed care organization and technology vendor to administer the Pilot Program and to submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than 18 months after the first eligible participant is enrolled in the Pilot Program.
Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program established; report. Directs the Department of Health to implement the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program that provides for remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. The bill requires the Department to select a managed care organization and technology vendor to administer the Pilot Program and to submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than 18 months after the first eligible participant is enrolled in the Pilot Program.
Professions and occupations; definition of "practice of athletic training"; dry needling. Adds dry needling to the definition of "practice of athletic training," as such term relates to the practice of medicine and other healing arts.
Sales and use tax on taxable services and digital personal property; taxes levied in certain transportation districts; funding for transportation. Decreases the retail sales and use tax from 4.3 percent to four percent and expands such tax to taxable services, defined in the bill, and digital personal property, also defined in the bill, beginning on January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the bill imposes (i) an additional retail sales and use tax in any county or city that is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.385 percent; any county or city that is embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority but that is not a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.615 percent; and any county or city that is a member of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.2 percent; (ii) a retail delivery fee in the amount of 20 cents upon each retail delivery, defined in the bill, made in any county or city located within the Northern Virginia Transportation District or the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission; and (iii) a regional highway use fee on all vehicles in the Commonwealth that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
Sales and use tax on taxable services and digital personal property; taxes levied in certain transportation districts; funding for transportation. Decreases the retail sales and use tax from 4.3 percent to four percent and expands such tax to taxable services, defined in the bill, and digital personal property, also defined in the bill, beginning on January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the bill imposes (i) an additional retail sales and use tax in any county or city that is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.385 percent; any county or city that is embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority but that is not a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.615 percent; and any county or city that is a member of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission at the rate of 0.2 percent; (ii) a retail delivery fee in the amount of 20 cents upon each retail delivery, defined in the bill, made in any county or city located within the Northern Virginia Transportation District or the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission; and (iii) a regional highway use fee on all vehicles in the Commonwealth that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; accreditation of nondegree workforce training programs. Directs the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to establish an accreditation pathway for nondegree workforce training programs in order to align the skills of the Commonwealth's workforce with the needs of industry in the Commonwealth and to provide a workforce entrance pathway for underserved populations in the Commonwealth. The bill includes minimum standards, admissions requirements, and reporting requirements for such programs. Additionally, the bill includes provisions related to the eligibility of accredited programs for state and federal workforce funding, including the federal Workforce Pell Grant.
Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; accreditation of nondegree workforce training programs. Directs the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to establish an accreditation pathway for nondegree workforce training programs in order to align the skills of the Commonwealth's workforce with the needs of industry in the Commonwealth and to provide a workforce entrance pathway for underserved populations in the Commonwealth. The bill includes minimum standards, admissions requirements, and reporting requirements for such programs. Additionally, the bill includes provisions related to the eligibility of accredited programs for state and federal workforce funding, including the federal Workforce Pell Grant.
Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of awarding grants to community-based organizations for the purpose of placing mentors with high-risk youth in an effort to transition such youth into careers in certified high-wage trades.
Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of awarding grants to community-based organizations for the purpose of placing mentors with high-risk youth in an effort to transition such youth into careers in certified high-wage trades.
Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act; fund and council established; report. Establishes the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Fund (the Fund) to provide funding to support clinical research and implementation of FDA Breakthrough Therapies, defined in the bill, for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, and traumatic brain injury. Under the bill, the Fund shall be used to (i) establish public-private partnerships to jointly fund Phase III clinical trials of FDA Breakthrough Therapies; (ii) conduct investigator-initiated clinical trials; (iii) establish a compassionate use program; (iv) create education and training opportunities for mental health professionals; (v) begin patient access pilot programs; and (vi) conduct implementation studies for best practices, cost-effectiveness, and methods to reduce treatment costs. The bill also establishes the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to advise the Department of Health on administration of grant funding or contracting to carry out the purposes of the Fund. Finally, the bill requires the Board of Pharmacy to amend its regulations to designate, reschedule, or deschedule a controlled substance in accordance with federal law after the expiration of 30 days from the publication in the Federal Register of a final or interim final order or rule.
Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act; fund and council established; report. Establishes the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Fund (the Fund) to provide funding to support clinical research and implementation of FDA Breakthrough Therapies, defined in the bill, for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, and traumatic brain injury. Under the bill, the Fund shall be used to (i) establish public-private partnerships to jointly fund Phase III clinical trials of FDA Breakthrough Therapies; (ii) conduct investigator-initiated clinical trials; (iii) establish a compassionate use program; (iv) create education and training opportunities for mental health professionals; (v) begin patient access pilot programs; and (vi) conduct implementation studies for best practices, cost-effectiveness, and methods to reduce treatment costs. The bill also establishes the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to advise the Department of Health on administration of grant funding or contracting to carry out the purposes of the Fund. Finally, the bill requires the Board of Pharmacy to amend its regulations to designate, reschedule, or deschedule a controlled substance in accordance with federal law after the expiration of 30 days from the publication in the Federal Register of a final or interim final order or rule.
Line of Duty Act; transitional coverage. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to acquire and provide temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during the period of transition into the LODA (Line of Duty Act) Health Benefits Plans. Current law authorizes but does not require the Department to acquire and provide such temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during such period.
Line of Duty Act; transitional coverage. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to acquire and provide temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during the period of transition into the LODA (Line of Duty Act) Health Benefits Plans. Current law authorizes but does not require the Department to acquire and provide such temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during such period.
Property Owners' Association Act; operation and management of association; condemnation of common area; procedure. Requires consideration of the physical characteristics of a property owners' association's common area land when determining such land's highest and best use for purposes of valuing the property for award or payment for such land in a condemnation proceeding after the common area land is taken or damaged under the power of eminent domain.
Individual income tax; first-time homebuyer tax credit. Creates a one-time, nonrefundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for the purchase of a principal residence by a first-time homebuyer, as such terms are defined in the bill, in an amount equal to $5,000. The bill requires that any credits be repaid if the principal residence is sold or no longer serves as the first-time homebuyer's principal residence within three years from the purchase date of such property.
Individual income tax; first-time homebuyer tax credit. Creates a one-time, nonrefundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for the purchase of a principal residence by a first-time homebuyer, as such terms are defined in the bill, in an amount equal to $5,000. The bill requires that any credits be repaid if the principal residence is sold or no longer serves as the first-time homebuyer's principal residence within three years from the purchase date of such property.
Workforce Transition Act of 1995; eligibility for transitional severance benefit; officers and employees of the Fort Monroe Authority. Provides that employees of the Fort Monroe Authority are eligible for transitional severance benefits conferred by the Workforce Transition Act of 1995 if (i) reemployment with the Commonwealth is not possible because there is no available position for which the employee is qualified or the position offered to the employee requires relocation or a reduction in salary and (ii) involuntary separation was due to causes other than job performance or misconduct.
Workforce Transition Act of 1995; eligibility for transitional severance benefit; officers and employees of the Fort Monroe Authority. Provides that employees of the Fort Monroe Authority are eligible for transitional severance benefits conferred by the Workforce Transition Act of 1995 if (i) reemployment with the Commonwealth is not possible because there is no available position for which the employee is qualified or the position offered to the employee requires relocation or a reduction in salary and (ii) involuntary separation was due to causes other than job performance or misconduct.
Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility. Provides that for the purposes of the Utility Facilities Act, the term "public utility" does not include any company that owns or operates one or more facilities for the generation, distribution, or storage of electric energy exclusively for consumption by one or more customers located on the site of such facilities or on adjoining property, provided that such facilities are connected on the customer's side of the electric meter and electricity is delivered without the use of a public utility's distribution or transmission system. The bill also provides that after such a facility operates within the certificated service territory of an electric utility for a duration of five years, such company is required to submit to such public utility a written offer for the sale of such facility.
Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Local correctional facilities; reimbursements for housing convicted state felons. Provides that, notwithstanding the quarterly installment payments the Compensation Board is required to provide for reimbursements to localities, the Compensation Board shall ensure that it provides reimbursement to localities for the entirety of the costs incurred by such locality arising from housing convicted state felons in any local or regional correctional facility.
Local correctional facilities; reimbursements for housing convicted state felons. Provides that, notwithstanding the quarterly installment payments the Compensation Board is required to provide for reimbursements to localities, the Compensation Board shall ensure that it provides reimbursement to localities for the entirety of the costs incurred by such locality arising from housing convicted state felons in any local or regional correctional facility.
Retail sales and use tax; firearm and ammunition tax. Imposes a firearm and ammunition tax equal to 11 percent of the gross receipts from the sale and distribution of any firearm or ammunition by a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill provides that proceeds from such tax shall be distributed to the general fund with the intent that such proceeds are used for gun violence prevention efforts and community safety in the Commonwealth. The bill contains a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Commonwealth Flood Prevention Match Assistance Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Commonwealth Flood Prevention Match Assistance Fund and Program for the purpose of supporting local governments with grants to finance the cost share required of a local government for storm and flood risk management projects, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill also requires an annual audit and an annual report to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Finance and Appropriations.
Commonwealth Flood Prevention Match Assistance Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Commonwealth Flood Prevention Match Assistance Fund and Program for the purpose of supporting local governments with grants to finance the cost share required of a local government for storm and flood risk management projects, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill also requires an annual audit and an annual report to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Finance and Appropriations.
State Board for Community Colleges; powers; Laurel Ridge Community College; acquisition and improvement of certain property; authorization. Authorizes the State Board of Community Colleges to acquire, by purchase, certain real property and improvements located adjacent to the Laurel Ridge Community College Campus and to execute and deliver such deeds, agreements, plats, and other instruments as necessary to carry out such acquisition in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
State Board for Community Colleges; powers; Laurel Ridge Community College; acquisition and improvement of certain property; authorization. Authorizes the State Board of Community Colleges to acquire, by purchase, certain real property and improvements located adjacent to the Laurel Ridge Community College Campus and to execute and deliver such deeds, agreements, plats, and other instruments as necessary to carry out such acquisition in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
Insurance; Fire Programs Fund; fees for vehicles; Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program established; Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund established. Increases the fire insurance assessment from one percent of total direct gross premium income for such insurance to (i) 1.5 percent on and after July 1, 2026, but before July 1, 2027, and (ii) two percent on and after July 1, 2027. The bill also increases the vehicle registration fee used to provide support for emergency medical services from $4.25 to $6.25 for each pickup or panel truck and each motor vehicle.
The bill also establishes (a) the Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program, to be funded by 0.25 percent of the assessments on insurance companies, for the purposes of providing grants to localities with fire departments that are determined to be most at risk of being unable to provide fire suppression or rescue activities or maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations and (b) the Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund, for the purpose of purchasing breathing apparatus equipment and other non-vehicular equipment necessary for the protection of firefighters responding to a fire.
Insurance; Fire Programs Fund; fees for vehicles; Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program established; Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund established. Increases the fire insurance assessment from one percent of total direct gross premium income for such insurance to (i) 1.5 percent on and after July 1, 2026, but before July 1, 2027, and (ii) two percent on and after July 1, 2027. The bill also increases the vehicle registration fee used to provide support for emergency medical services from $4.25 to $6.25 for each pickup or panel truck and each motor vehicle.
The bill also establishes (a) the Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program, to be funded by 0.25 percent of the assessments on insurance companies, for the purposes of providing grants to localities with fire departments that are determined to be most at risk of being unable to provide fire suppression or rescue activities or maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations and (b) the Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund, for the purpose of purchasing breathing apparatus equipment and other non-vehicular equipment necessary for the protection of firefighters responding to a fire.
Corporations; limited liability decentralized autonomous organizations (LLDs). Creates the Limited Liability Decentralized Autonomous Organization (LLD) Act, which establishes requirements for an LLD, defined as a distinct legal entity that operates through decentralized governance using blockchain technology and smart contracts that execute decentralized decision-making mechanisms. The bill permits the formation of an LLD by filing articles of formation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), and, if certain requirements are met, the Commission may issue a certificate of formation. The bill includes requirements for amending an LLD's articles of formation and also includes requirements for LLD bylaws, operating agreements, underlying smart contracts, and participant interests and management of the LLD. Under the bill, an LLD and its participants have limited liability for debts, obligations, and liabilities of the LLD. The bill also includes provisions related to recordkeeping, transferring interests, withdrawal of participants, and dissolution of the LLD. The bill directs the Commission to adopt emergency regulations to implement certain provisions of the bill. Except for the emergency rulemaking, the provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Microchip and semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain tax credits; Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority evaluation; report. Creates a series of individual and corporate income tax credits for companies engaged in the microchip and semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain business that between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2036, (i) invest at least $400 million, (ii) create at least 100 new jobs, (iii) pay an average prevailing wage salary, and (iv) submit a plan for use of and committing $50 million of community investments.
The bill creates three refundable tax credits in taxable years 2026 through 2030 in amounts equal to (a) five percent of capital investment expenditures incurred during the year, (b) six percent of child care services expenditures incurred during the year, and (c) 7.5 percent of gross wages paid for each new job created during the year.
The bill also requires the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, in collaboration with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Department of Taxation, to evaluate the benefits and impacts of new economic development incentives for companies engaging in the microchip, semiconductor, and related equipment and material supplies sector. A report on such evaluation is due by November 30, 2026.
Microchip and semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain tax credits; Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority evaluation; report. Creates a series of individual and corporate income tax credits for companies engaged in the microchip and semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain business that between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2036, (i) invest at least $400 million, (ii) create at least 100 new jobs, (iii) pay an average prevailing wage salary, and (iv) submit a plan for use of and committing $50 million of community investments.
The bill creates three refundable tax credits in taxable years 2026 through 2030 in amounts equal to (a) five percent of capital investment expenditures incurred during the year, (b) six percent of child care services expenditures incurred during the year, and (c) 7.5 percent of gross wages paid for each new job created during the year.
The bill also requires the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, in collaboration with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Department of Taxation, to evaluate the benefits and impacts of new economic development incentives for companies engaging in the microchip, semiconductor, and related equipment and material supplies sector. A report on such evaluation is due by November 30, 2026.
Virginia National Guard TRICARE Reimbursement Fund established. Establishes the Virginia National Guard TRICARE Reimbursement Fund for the purpose of reimbursing the costs of federal TRICARE dental insurance plan premiums and TRICARE Reserve Select health insurance plan premiums for Virginia National Guard members deemed eligible by the Adjutant General.
Virginia National Guard TRICARE Reimbursement Fund established. Establishes the Virginia National Guard TRICARE Reimbursement Fund for the purpose of reimbursing the costs of federal TRICARE dental insurance plan premiums and TRICARE Reserve Select health insurance plan premiums for Virginia National Guard members deemed eligible by the Adjutant General.
Assisted living facilities; resident referral agencies; required disclosures; referral fee limitations; civil penalty. Sets forth requirements for resident referral agencies, defined in the bill as any individual or entity that receives compensation from an assisted living facility, a third party, or a prospective resident for providing resident referrals to an assisted living facility, including required disclosures, referral fee limitations, enforcement, and civil penalties. The bill provides that assisted living facilities and residents are not obligated to participate with any resident referral agency and specifies that residents may opt out at any time in writing. The bill also specifies the minimum services a resident referral agency must provide before becoming eligible to receive a referral fee.
Pet shops; sale of puppy mill dogs prohibited; civil penalty. Makes it unlawful for any pet shop to knowingly sell, offer for sale, or transfer any puppy mill dog, as defined in the bill. Any pet shop violating the provisions of the bill is subject to a civil penalty of $2,000 per dog offered for sale, sold, or transferred.
Maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearings en banc. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill provides that the Supreme Court of Virginia shall prescribe by rule the number of judges needed for the Court of Appeals to sit en banc, and that such number shall not be fewer than 13 judges.
Maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearings en banc. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill provides that the Supreme Court of Virginia shall prescribe by rule the number of judges needed for the Court of Appeals to sit en banc, and that such number shall not be fewer than 13 judges.
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act established; enforcement; civil penalties; individual action. Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act to require a covered entity, defined in the bill, to (i) implement certain reasonable systems and processes, (ii) make reasonable efforts to notify appropriate emergency services or law enforcement if it obtains knowledge that a user faces an imminent risk of death or serious physical injury, and (iii) submit a report to the Attorney General after obtaining knowledge of certain covered incidents, defined in the bill, connected to one or more of its chatbots. The bill also requires an operator, defined in the bill, to disclose the non-human nature of the chatbot to users at certain intervals. The bill authorizes the Attorney General to initiate an action to seek an injunction and civil penalties for violations and also provides an individual civil action for any person harmed by a violation or the parent or legal guardian of a minor harmed by a violation.
Boyd-Graves Conference and Virginia Criminal Justice Conference; work group to address legal deserts within the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Boyd-Graves Conference, in conjunction with the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference, to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to make recommendations for legislative solutions to address the disparities in the geographical distribution of available legal services within the Commonwealth. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2026.
Nursing facilities; related party rent disclosures; incentive payment reduction; penalty. Requires any nursing facility enrolled as a Medicaid provider that makes rent or lease payments to publicly disclose information related to the rent or lease payments, including whether payments are made to a related party, the nature of the related party, and the related party rent expense, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services to determine whether related party rent expenses exceed a fair rental value benchmark and if so, deduct a portion of any incentive payment owed to the nursing facility. A knowingly false attestation or disclosure is punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Clinical nurse specialists; practice agreements; consultation requirements.
Virginia Conservation Easement Act; demographic information on certain conservation easement owners; report. Requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly containing demographic information about each owner of a conservation easement in the Commonwealth that is funded with public funds. The bill requires such information to include (i) the owner's age, gender, ethnicity, household income, and geographic location; (ii) the type of conservation entity the owner formed under the laws of the Commonwealth; and (iii) if an owner is a part of a Indian tribe, the identity of such tribe. The bill requires the Department to submit the initial report by November 1, 2026, and annually by November 1 of each year thereafter.
Virginia State Crime Commission; kratom regulation and enforcement; report.
Real property tax bills; disclosure; resource protection area.
Real property tax bills; disclosure; resource protection area.
Elections; challenges of qualified voters; duty of local electoral board to certify; civil penalty. Provides that the certification of the results of an election is a clear ministerial duty of the local electoral boards and that a member of the local electoral board who neglects or refuses to perform such duty in accordance with law shall be subject to removal proceedings by the State Board of Elections and assessed a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000. The bill also authorizes the State Board of Elections to intervene and carry out the duties related to election certification in the event a local electoral board fails or refuses to do so. Additionally, the bill prohibits challenges to a voter's qualification to vote from any person who is not an officer of election.
Elections; challenges of qualified voters; duty of local electoral board to certify; civil penalty. Provides that the certification of the results of an election is a clear ministerial duty of the local electoral boards and that a member of the local electoral board who neglects or refuses to perform such duty in accordance with law shall be subject to removal proceedings by the State Board of Elections and assessed a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000. The bill also authorizes the State Board of Elections to intervene and carry out the duties related to election certification in the event a local electoral board fails or refuses to do so. Additionally, the bill prohibits challenges to a voter's qualification to vote from any person who is not an officer of election.
Open containers; prohibition on consumption and possession in the passenger area of motor vehicles.
Open containers; prohibition on consumption and possession in the passenger area of motor vehicles.