Bills & Legislation

Air Pollution Control Board; regulations, small renewable energy projects, anaerobic tech., report.

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.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Child abuse or neglect; centralized hotline for reports or complaints, etc.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Health insurance; coverage of medications prescribed for treatment of cancer & diseases of blood.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Office-based buprenorphine treatment; Board of Medicine to amend regulations.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Transportation; changes various provisions of existing funds, etc.

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.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Motor vehicle registration; authority of school division to request numbers.

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.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Juveniles; commitment to DJJ, petition to extend duration of indeterminate commitment.

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.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Virginia Human Rights Act; nondiscrimination, procedures for charge of unlawful discrimination.

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.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Emergency medical services and medical support; VDH to publish resources regarding large events.

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.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Elections; candidates and elected officials, confidentiality of personally identifiable information.

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.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Health insurance; tobacco surcharge.

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.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Graduation with an advanced studies diploma; requirements, complet. of Int'l Baccalaureate diploma.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Callous disregard for human life and probable consequences; penalties.

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.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Health insurance; reporting requirements.

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.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses, principal limits.

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.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Eviction Reduction Program; established, report.

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.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Assault and battery; definition of "Islamophobia", penalty.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Electric utilities; electric grid utilization metrics; State Corporation Commission.

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.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry, performance bond.

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.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Executive Secretary, Office of; annual trauma-informed education for certain court personnel.

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.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

Consumer Data Protection Act; online device pricing, prohibition.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Real estate salesperson; DPOR to conduct review of current process for obtaining licensure.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials, purchase and display of barrels.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Motion picture production; extends income tax credit sunset.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Peer recovery specialists; VDH & DOC to develop guidelines for hiring.

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.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Economic development incentives; wage requirements.

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.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program; established.

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.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan Advisory Committee; agencies shall provide assist. to Comm. on request.

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.

L. Louise LucasDemocrat

Charitable gaming; common interest communities, bingo.

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.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Accountancy, Board of; licensing requirements, inactive and emeritus status.

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.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program; grants.

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.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Marcus alert system; external database information removal.

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.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Virginia National Guard; nonjudicial disciplinary proceedings.

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.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote.

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.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Contraception; definitions, establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement.

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.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program, zero-carbon electricity, etc.

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.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Mechanics and storage liens; vehicle data.

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.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Motor vehicle insurance; unauthorized addition of insured drivers prohibited.

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.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; biennial review, report.

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.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Income tax, state; free tax filing program for individuals.

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.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Photo speed monitoring devices; photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals, proof of violation.

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.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Benefit awareness & access prog.; establishes, military service members transition to civilian life.

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.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Bus obstruction monitoring systems; parking, stopping, and standing enforcement, civil penalties.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Trees; conservation and replacement during development process in certain localities, report.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Health carriers; use of artificial intelligence, disclosures.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Fairfax, City of; amending charter, elections, compensation for members of boards or commissions.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.

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.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Illegal gambling; online sweepstakes games, civil penalty.

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.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information, etc.

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.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Auctioneers; definition.

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.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican