Bills & Legislation

Marijuana-related offenses; modification of sentence, sunset.

Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which persons convicted of certain felony offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated or on community supervision on July 1, 2025, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The provisions of this bill sunset on July 1, 2028. This bill was incorporated into HB 2555.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty.

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 two months' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, described in the bill as the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent during any 12-month period, in effect at the time of the increase. The bill sets such allowance as equal to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index or seven percent, whichever is less, states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year, and 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 to establish an anti-rent gouging board that will develop and implement rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Legal representation of indigent defendant; abolition of fees.

Abolition of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant. Eliminates the fees for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation for persons who are determined to be indigent.

Rae CousinsDemocrat

Public school funding; certain funding calculations.

Public school funding; certain funding calculations. Requires the Department of Education to calculate the composite index of local ability-to-pay for each school division by excluding the true value of real property that is eligible for certain disabled veteran and surviving spouse property tax exemptions in the locality.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

School crossing zones; expands definition to include higher educational institutions.

School crossing zones; institutions of higher education. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. The existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets such expanded definition.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Private schools, certain; memoranda of understanding with local law enforcement permitted.

Certain private schools; certain memoranda of understanding with local law enforcement permitted. Permits the administration of any private elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth that has a campus that is (i) located wholly within one locality but (ii) contiguous to another locality to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the local law-enforcement agency in such contiguous locality governing such agency's response to any law-enforcement emergency involving any immediate threat to life or public safety on such campus in accordance with the authority granted to the local law-enforcement agency pursuant to relevant law to so respond.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Proposed plat, site plan, etc.; time period for action by local planning commission.

Proposed plat, site plan, or plan of development or preliminary subdivision plat; time period for action by local planning commission. Reduces from 45 days to 30 days the period of time that a local planning commission or other agent has to act on any proposed plat, site plan, or plan of development that it has previously disapproved after the first time such plat or plan has been modified, corrected, and resubmitted for approval, and provides that such planning commission or other agent has within 15 days after the second or any subsequent time such plat or plan has been resubmitted for approval to act on such plat or plan. The bill makes similar changes to the review timelines for state agencies that review such plats. The bill also provides that, in any instance in which an initial review by a locality determines that the resubmitted application contains solely technical changes requiring less than 60 minutes of review, a locality's approved agent shall approve such application within five business days. The bill further provides that if a local planning commission has the responsibility of review of preliminary subdivision plats and conducts a public hearing, it shall act on the proposed preliminary subdivision plat within 35 days, rather than the current 45 days, after receiving approval from all state agencies.

Paul V. MildeRepublican

Tax increment financing; use of other local taxes.

Tax increment financing; use of other local taxes. Authorizes the governing body of a county, city, or town to apply tax revenues from sources other than real estate taxes for use in tax increment financing of development projects. Under current law, only real estate taxes are specifically authorized to be used for such projects. The governing body may choose any or all of such taxes to be applied in such manner. The amount of revenues to be so used shall be the amount of the increase of such taxes collected in the development project area in a given year compared with the base amount of revenues prior to the establishment of such area. The local taxes that may be so applied include local sales and use taxes, merchants' capital taxes, license taxes, admissions taxes, transient occupancy taxes, meals taxes, and other local taxes and fees for utilities and transportation purposes.

Paul V. MildeRepublican

Actions for medical malpractice; minors, gender transition procedures.

Actions for medical malpractice; minors; gender transition procedures. Provides a 20-year statute of limitations for any cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death accruing on or after July 1, 2025, on behalf of a person who was a minor at the time the cause of action accrued against a health care provider for medical malpractice wherein the act or omission giving rise to such cause of action occurred during a gender transition procedure, as defined in the bill, on such minor.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Signs or advertisements within the limits of a highway; increases civil penalty.

Signs or advertisements within the limits of a highway; civil penalty. Increases the civil penalty for placing advertisements and signs within the limits of any highway from $100 to $250 but retains the $100 civil penalty for identical signs and advertisements located within a 100-yard radius of a sign or advertisement for which the $250 civil penalty is imposed. The bill clarifies that when such signs and advertisements are removed, civil penalties may be collected in addition to the cost of removing such advertisements or signs.

Paul V. MildeRepublican

Unemployment compensation; allowance for dependents.

Unemployment compensation: allowance for dependents. Provides that, in addition to the weekly unemployment benefit amount determined by relevant law, an eligible claimant who is unemployed in any week shall be paid an allowance of $25 for each of up to three dependents of such claimant. The bill defines "dependent" as the child, adopted child, or stepchild of a claimant who, on January 1 of the benefit year, is wholly or partly supported by such claimant and younger than 16 years of age. The bill requires any claimant declaring one or more dependents to provide proof of such dependents in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission in conformance with certain conditions enumerated in the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.

Karen Keys-GamarraDemocrat

Local gov't. employees; establishes framework for locality to establish & implement telework policy.

Telework by local government employees. Establishes a framework for localities to establish and implement a telework policy for local government employees. The bill specifies that such policy shall require all employees applying for telework to submit a standard telework agreement as provided by the locality and shall include provisions requiring (i) department head approval for any telework agreement where one telework day per week is requested, (ii) chief administrative officer approval for any telework agreement where two telework days per week are requested, and (iii) local governing body approval for any telework agreement where more than two telework days per week are requested. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Paul V. MildeRepublican

Sexual abuse of children; penalty.

Sexual abuse of certain children; penalty. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for sexual abuse of a child who is 13 or 14 years of age.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Standards of School Safety; Board of Education, et al., to establish.

Board of Education; Standards of Quality; Standards of School Safety. Requires the Board of Education (the Board), in collaboration with the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety and such other stakeholders as it deems appropriate, to establish pursuant to regulation the Standards of School Safety for the purpose of assessing school safety in each local school division in the Commonwealth and each school building therein based on such objective, quantifiable measures of safety as the Board deems appropriate. The bill requires the Board to incorporate compliance with the Standards of School Safety as a school and school division accountability measure for the purposes of the Standards of Accreditation.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Blue catfish; Board of Wildlife Resources to amend regulations to remove one-fish daily limit.

Board of Wildlife Resources; creel limits; blue catfish. Requires the Board of Wildlife Resources to amend regulations to remove the one-fish daily limit for blue catfish longer than 32 inches in Lake Gaston, Kerr Reservoir, and the James, Rappahannock, and York Rivers and their tributaries below the fall line.

Hillary Pugh KentRepublican

State plan for medical assistance services; recovery residences; work group; report.

State plan for medical assistance services; recovery residences; work group; report. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of care provided at certain recovery residences for individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The bill also directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to (i) convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to (a) establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness and impact of recovery residences on long-term recovery outcomes and (b) study the economic impact of recovery residences on the Commonwealth and (ii) in consultation with such work group, promulgate regulations to ensure recovery residences are operating in compliance with American Society of Addiction Medicine standards. The bill directs the work group to report its 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, 2025.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Public school teachers; teacher compensation; Professionally Licensed Teacher Supplemental Pay Program established.

Public school teachers; teacher compensation; Professionally Licensed Teacher Supplemental Pay Program established. Establishes the Professionally Licensed Teacher Supplemental Pay Program (the Program) for the purpose of addressing shortages of professionally licensed teachers and reducing reliance on provisionally licensed teachers in public schools in the Commonwealth by providing, with such funds as are appropriated for such purpose, an annual supplemental payment to each professionally licensed teacher, as that term is defined by the bill, employed in any high-vacancy public school in the Commonwealth, defined as any public school that, based on the most recent data in the positions and exits collection, has a teacher vacancy rate that places it in the top 10 percent of public schools with the highest teacher vacancy rates in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department of Education to administer and oversee the Program and, in doing so, requires it to (i) identify and develop a list, every four years, of each high-vacancy public school in the Commonwealth; (ii) ensure that, each year, such funds are disbursed in a timely manner and in an amount sufficient to provide the supplemental payment to each professionally licensed teacher employed in a high-vacancy public school in each school division; and (iii) annually submit to the Governor and publish on its website a report detailing the effect of the Program on recruitment and retention of professionally licensed teachers and the overall success of the Program in addressing teacher vacancy rates.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Department of Housing and Community Development; rental assistance pilot program.

Department of Housing and Community Development; rental assistance pilot program. Establishes the rental assistance pilot program within the Department of Housing and Community Development for the purpose of providing monthly rental assistance to qualifying households, as defined by the bill. The bill directs the Department to submit an annual report to the General Assembly on the implementation and impact of the rental assistance program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

Briana D. SewellDemocrat

Intercollegiate athletics programs; certain intrastate competition required.

Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; intercollegiate athletics programs; certain intrastate competition required. Requires the board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education that is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to ensure that each intercollegiate athletics program that contributes to the institution's athletics revenue competes at least once every eight years against the intercollegiate athletics program in the same sport and in the same NCAA division at each other baccalaureate public institution of higher education. The bill provides that the foregoing provisions shall not be construed to prohibit or affect any contract or agreement between baccalaureate public institutions of higher education for the provision and receipt of compensation for competition between their intercollegiate athletics programs.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Unlawful picketing or parading to obstruct or influence justice; penalty.

Unlawful picketing or parading to obstruct or influence justice; penalty. Provides that any person who, with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing or intimidating in the discharge of his duty any judge, juror, witness, court officer, or court employee, pickets or parades in or near a residence occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness, court officer, or court employee is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that the provisions regarding the issuance and service of summons in place of a warrant do not apply to such violations.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school; threats to bomb or damage.

Threats to bomb or damage; false information as to danger; public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school; penalty. Provides that for any person who (i) makes and communicates to another by any means any threat to bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damage a public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school, as defined in relevant law, or (ii) communicates to another, by any means, information, knowing the same to be false, as to the existence of any peril of bombing, burning, destruction, or damage to a public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school, the punishment includes a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which is a mandatory minimum. Under current law, a person who is 15 years of age or older is guilty of a Class 5 felony and a person who is under 15 years of age is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for such violation, but no minimum term or mandatory minimum term of confinement is provided in current law.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

"Family or household member"; clarifies definition.

Definition of "family or household member." Clarifies that, for the purposes of the definition of "family or household member," an individual does not have to currently be or previously have been in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with another person for such individual to be considered a family or household member of such other person if such individual cohabits or, within the previous 12 months, cohabited with such other person and any children of either of them then residing in the same home with such other person.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; exceptions; competency evaluation.

Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; exceptions; competency evaluation. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for an evaluation to determine a defendant's competency to stand trial.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Fentanyl; manufacturing, selling, etc., weight-based and pill-based penalties.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl; weight-based and pill-based penalties. Creates a penalty structure for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute fentanyl based on the weight of the fentanyl, its salts, isomers, or salts of its isomers; the weight of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, its salts, isomers, or salts of its isomers; or the number of pills containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, its salts, isomers, or salts of its isomers.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Controlled substances; possession unlawful, second or subsequent conviction, mandatory minimum fine.

Possession of controlled substances unlawful; second or subsequent conviction; mandatory minimum. Provides that the sentence of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act for (i) a second offense within less than five years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (ii) a second offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (iii) a third offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500, unless the three offenses were committed within a five-year period, in which case the sentence shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of six months and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000; and (iv) a fourth or subsequent offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000. The bill also provides that the driver's license of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act (a) may be suspended for a period of up to 30 days for the first offense and (b) shall be suspended for a period of 30 days for a second or subsequent offense.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Admission to bail; creates rebuttable presumptions against bail.

Admission to bail; rebuttable presumptions against bail. Creates a rebuttable presumption against bail for certain criminal offenses enumerated in the bill. The bill also requires the court to consider specified factors when determining whether the presumption against bail has been rebutted and whether there are appropriate conditions of release.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units.

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) dedicated parking for the ADU except in densely developed neighborhoods; (ii) setbacks for the ADU greater than that of the primary dwelling; and (iii) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into HB 2533.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; virtual meetings; advisory boards, commissions, and councils.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; virtual meetings; advisory boards, commissions, and councils. Allows advisory boards, commissions, and councils to convene all-virtual public meetings regardless of whether any such board, commission, or council convenes in-person meetings. Current law prohibits certain public bodies from convening an all-virtual public meeting (i) more than two times per calendar year or 50 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater, or (ii) consecutively with another all-virtual public meeting.

Marty MartinezDemocrat

Social Security Disability Insurance; DMAS to seek authorization to provide to certain individuals.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid; Social Security Disability Insurance. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek federal authorization to provide Medicaid coverage, regardless of income or assets, to individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance but are not yet eligible for Medicare coverage.

James W. MorefieldRepublican

State plan for medical assistance services; violence prevention services benefit; work group.

State plan for medical assistance services; violence prevention services benefit; work group. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for violence prevention services, defined in the bill, provided by a qualified violence prevention professional to an individual who receives medical treatment for an injury sustained as a result of community violence, defined in the bill, and who is determined by a health care provider to be at risk of repeat injury or retaliation. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group to advise the Board on the design and implementation of the violence prevention services benefit and to post on its website the date upon which violence prevention services may be provided and billed pursuant to the provisions of the bill.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Earned income tax credit.

Earned income tax credit. Allows eligible low-income taxpayers to claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year by the taxpayer for the same taxable year. The bill also states that individuals who would have been entitled to the federal equivalent of this credit but for the fact that the individual, the individual's spouse, or one or more of the individual's children does not have a valid social security number are eligible to claim this credit. Under current law, taxpayers may choose to claim either a nonrefundable tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year or a refundable tax credit equal to 15 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed that year.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Department of Medical Assistance Services; reimbursement rates for Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; work group; report.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; reimbursement rates for Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; work group; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to assess and make recommendations related to reimbursement rates for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities. The bill requires the work group to report its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; landlord obligations, access of tenant to broadband services.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord obligations; access of tenant to broadband services. Prohibits the landlord of a multifamily dwelling unit from accepting payment from a provider of broadband service for granting such provider mere access to the landlord's tenants or giving such tenants mere access to such service. The bill also prohibits a landlord from demanding or accepting payment from tenants in exchange for such a service unless the landlord itself is the provider of the service.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Access to Housing Task Force; report.

Access to Housing Task Force; report. Establishes the Access to Housing Task Force for the purpose of evaluating short-term and long-term access to housing in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly no later than November 1, 2025, regarding its activities and recommendations.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Study; JLARC to study Virginia's campaign finance system; independent agency; report.

Study; JLARC to study Virginia's campaign finance system; independent agency; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study Virginias's campaign finance system. In its study, JLARC is directed to (i) identify any legal, technical, and staffing shortcomings in the current campaign finance and ethics systems relating to (a) reporting and investigating violations, (b) enforcing legal and regulatory requirements, and (c) implementing directions from state government at the local level and (ii) determine whether current budgetary allocations are sufficient to effectively carry out such aspects of the campaign finance and ethics systems. To that end, JLARC is required to analyze how existing campaign finance and ethics systems can be modernized by creating a new independent agency to increase transparency and accountability using best practices from other jurisdictions across the United States. JLARC is required to produce a report of clear recommendations and best practices for creating such an independent agency for improving the current system.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Short-term rentals; compliance; civil penalty.

Short-term rentals; compliance; civil penalty. Authorizes localities to notify an accommodations intermediary that a short-term rental on its platform is not lawfully authorized to be offered on its platform. The accommodations intermediary shall remove any such listing from its platform within seven days of receiving notice and shall provide a refund to any customer reserving such listing. Under the bill, any accommodations intermediary who does not remove such a listing from its platform shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000, to be paid into the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Any such listing required to be removed shall remain unlisted until the accommodations intermediary has been notified by the locality that the short-term rental has been brought into compliance. Once the locality determines that a delisted short-term rental has been brought into compliance, the locality shall have seven days to notify the accommodations intermediary of the change in status.

Kelly K. Convirs-FowlerDemocrat

Pedestrian crossing & stop sign violation monitoring systems; violation enforcement, civil penalty.

Pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems and stop sign violation monitoring systems; violation enforcement; civil penalty. 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 intersection segments for purposes of recording pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill imposes the same requirements on pedestrian crossing and stop sign violation monitoring systems as currently exist for photo speed monitoring devices and requires local law-enforcement agencies implementing or expanding the use of such systems to, prior to the implementation or expansion of such systems, conduct a public awareness program for such implementation or expansion.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act; recordkeeping by resellers.

Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act; recordkeeping by resellers. Removes the requirement under the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act that, if contact information has been obtained by a reseller of a time-share from any source, such reseller and the lead dealer of such time-share maintain a copy of a current government-issued photographic identification of the lead dealer who provided the contact information.

Thomas C. Wright, Jr.Republican

Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation by certain localities.

Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation by certain localities. Allows localities without a law-enforcement agency to place and operate photo speed monitoring devices. The bill requires such localities to authorize by ordinance officers of the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction within such locality to issue the summons and to swear to or affirm the certificate stating that the information produced by such photo speed monitoring device shows evidence of a vehicle speed violation.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Sale and distribution of plastic carryout bags by grocery stores prohibited; civil penalty.

Sale and distribution of plastic carryout bags by grocery stores prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits any grocery store, as defined in the bill, from selling or distributing any plastic carryout bag, as defined in the bill, to its customers on or after January 1, 2027, unless such bag qualifies as an exempt bag, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that any grocery store that violates this provision shall be issued by the Department of Environmental Quality a written warning for the first violation and shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for a second and each subsequent violation as determined by the Director of the Department. The bill also requires any grocery store, no later than January 1, 2027, to develop, implement, and maintain a program to encourage its customers to utilize reusable bags, as defined in the bill.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Alcoholic beverage control; limitation on manufacturers, etc., restrictions on employment.

Alcoholic beverage control; limitation on manufacturers, bottlers, and wholesalers; restrictions on employment; exemptions. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, or wholesaler to employ any person employed by a retail licensee and a retail licensee to employ any person employed by a manufacturer, bottler, or wholesaler, provided that (i) no person employed by a manufacturer is employed as a designated manager of a retail licensee or similar position in a retail licensee establishment and (ii) no retail licensee is required by agreement or otherwise to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, or wholesalers.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Zoning; traffic studies.

Zoning; traffic studies. Provides that no locality shall require a traffic study as a condition for approval of a rezoning application that involves either a single-family or multifamily residential use of fewer than 50 residential units. The bill further provides that in any instance in which a locality requires a rezoning applicant to submit a traffic study as part of the application, the applicant shall be reimbursed by the locality for the costs of the traffic study if the locality does not accept the results of the traffic study or if the locality requires the applicant to make additional traffic-related improvements that are not required by the traffic study.

David OwenRepublican

Short-term rental properties; definitions, human trafficking awareness training.

Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training. Mandates every accommodations intermediary to require its accommodations providers to complete certain training on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking. Current law limits this requirement to every hotel proprietor and its employees and excludes short-term rentals. The bill prohibits an accommodations intermediary from listing a short-term rental property prior to receipt of an up-to-date written certification signed by the accommodations provider of such property that such accommodations provider has complied with the relevant training requirements.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware.

Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties; civil action. Requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of digital electronic 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 digital electronic 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 equipment sold or in use in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2026.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; operation on secondary highway system, penalty.

All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; penalty. Authorizes the use of all-terrain vehicles on secondary state highways if (i) such operation is approved by action of the governing body of a locality for operation on the secondary state highways within such locality and (ii) such all-terrain vehicles, when operated between dusk and dawn, are equipped with two front and two rear lights that render discernible a person or object at a distance of 200 feet.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Israel, State of; reaffirming Commonwealth's support and commitment to its supporters.

Reaffirming the Commonwealth's support and commitment to the State of Israel and its supporters. Reaffirms the Commonwealth's support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel and to Jewish Americans and to the inherent rights and safety of those who support Israel regardless of their faith or persuasion.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican

Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent.

Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent. Removes planning commission and governing body approval authority for the administrative review process for plats and plans and assigns such authority solely to a designated agent, defined in the bill. The bill also expedites the review process by shortening the timeframe for forwarding plats and plans to state agencies for review.

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Public elementary and secondary schools; reports of certain acts to law enforcement and parents.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student discipline; reports of certain acts to law enforcement and parents; failure to make required reports prohibited; penalty. Makes (i) the failure of any principal to report, in accordance with applicable law, incidents involving certain school-based offenses to (a) law enforcement or (b) the parent of any minor student who is the specific object of such an incident a Class 3 misdemeanor and (ii) any subsequent conviction under the provisions of the bill or any conviction for a substantially similar offense under the law of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, any state or territory of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, the District of Columbia, or the United States a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican