Va. Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers, delayed effective date.

SB847, Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking or ongoing domestic

Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking or ongoing domestic violence; sealing. Expands the current process for the issuance of writs of vacatur for victims of human trafficking to include victims of ongoing domestic violence, defined in the bill, and any charge or arrest related to a qualifying offense as defined in current law. The bill also permits sealing of such writ and the record of the proceedings.

SB848, Pilot program for the compensation of private court-appointed counsel in the Cities of Newport News and Hampton; hourly rate; felony fee caps; report; sunset.

Pilot program for the compensation of private court-appointed counsel in the Cities of Newport News and Hampton; hourly rate; felony fee caps; report; sunset. Creates a two-year pilot program for the compensation of private court-appointed counsel in the Cities of Newport News and Hampton. The bill provides guidelines for the pilot program and requires the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to report on the pilot program on or before December 1, 2028. The bill provides that the pilot program sunsets on June 30, 2029.

SB846, Educational and cultural institutions; recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; requirements; task force established; report.

Educational and cultural institutions; recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; requirements; task force established; report. 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 enumerates the funding and programs Hampton University shall be eligible for as a land-grant university. The bill also provides for the establishment, 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, of an evaluation task force by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on for the purpose of evaluating the feasibility of recognizing Hampton University as a land-grant university of the Commonwealth in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

SB845, Reporting requirements of state, regional, and local correctional facilities; pregnant and postpartum inmates.

Reporting requirements of state, regional, and local correctional facilities; pregnant and postpartum inmates. Requires additional data on pregnant and postpartum prisoners to be collected and reported, including (i) the method of pregnancy identification for each pregnant prisoner; (ii) the gestational age at the time of pregnancy identification for each pregnant prisoner; (iii) each pregnant prisoner's access to prenatal care and the total number of prenatal care encounters for each pregnant prisoner; (iv) any pregnancy-related complaints and the nature of such complaints; (v) the amount of time elapsed between any pregnancy-related complaint and any clinical evaluation in response to such complaint; (vi) the treatment provided or recommended in response to any pregnancy-related complaint; (vii) any instance in which no clinical action was taken in response to any pregnancy-related complaint; (viii) labor and delivery conditions; (ix) pregnancy outcome and any associated complications; and (x) postpartum care and follow-up during custody for each applicable prisoner. The bill also provides that any such data collected shall not be used for criminal investigations, prosecution, immigration enforcement, or disciplinary action related to pregnancy outcomes. Further, the bill exempts such data from disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

SB849, Individual income tax; rates and distribution.

Individual income tax; rates and distribution. Establishes a new individual income tax bracket on income above $1 million at a rate of 10 percent beginning in taxable year 2027. Under current law, all income in excess of $17,000 is taxed at the rate of 5.75 percent. The bill provides that 40 percent of revenues generated by the new tax bracket will be dedicated to providing additional basic aid funding for public schools, 35 percent to the Child Care Subsidy Program, and 25 percent to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This bill also contains technical amendments.

SB844, Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority, report.

Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority; report. Authorizes licensed clinical psychologists who meet specified requirements and obtain a license from the Board of Psychology to prescribe certain medications pursuant to a collaborative practice agreement with a qualified prescribing provider. The bill establishes education, training, and practice requirements and limits prescribing for certain patient populations. The bill requires the Board to adopt implementing regulations by July 1, 2028, and directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to evaluate the implementation of such prescriptive authority and report its findings.