Bills & Legislation

Assault and battery; adds district court temporary recall judge, penalty.

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.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Marijuana field test; testimony as to the results; consuming, etc., while in a motor vehicle.

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.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Income tax, state; subtractions for income attributable to overtime.

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.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Alcoholic beverage control; commercial lifestyle center licenses.

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.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training.

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.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Income tax, state; subtraction for long-term capital gains from sale of principal residence.

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.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Probation; decreasing period.

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.

Christie New CraigRepublican

PFAS monitoring; DEQ to require for industrial wastewater source, publicly owned treatment works.

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.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Agritourism purposes; Bd. of HCD to review regulations for temporary tents.

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.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Public education; early childhood care and education, child care access calculations, report.

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.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Parental prenatal & postnatal substance use; work group to evaluate Commonwealth's response to use.

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.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Fantasy contests; regulation and taxation, civil penalty, repeals Fantasy Contests Act.

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.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Chatham, Town of; amending charter, updating or removing outdated provisions.

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.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

Towing, impoundment, etc.; payments or reimbursements by the Commonwealth.

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.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees, temporary foreign workers.

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.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

School boards; student diabetes care & management in schools, division wide plan required.

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.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Poquoson, City of; amending charter, relating to school boards, terms of membership.

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.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Public school teachers; reemployment of teacher who has not received continuing contract status.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Zoning; special exceptions for City of Portsmouth.

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.

L. Louise LucasDemocrat

Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services, employer of record.

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.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Virginia Retirement System; service retirement allowance, return to work.

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.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Trespassing on emergency vehicles; prohibition, penalty.

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.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Va. War Memorial Foundation; Commissioner of Dept. of Veterans Services shall provide supervision.

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.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Certified school library specialists; Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ in DOE.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

School boards; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household.

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.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

STEM+C competition team grants; DOE to consider changes to application and eligibility guidelines.

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.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Full-time deputy sheriffs, certain; salary increase.

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.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Volunteer emergency responders; protection of employees, civil action.

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.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Med. assistance serv.; supplemental payment for ground emerg. medical serv. vehicle transportation.

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.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

School boards; high school courses or dual enrollment programs for certain certifications.

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.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Celebrating the life of Terrence Lee Schrum.

Celebrating the life of Terrence Lee Schrum.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.

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.

L. Louise LucasDemocrat

Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeship program for children 16 years of age or older.

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.

David R. SuetterleinRepublican

Commending Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.

Commending Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.

Israel D. O'QuinnRepublican

Commending the Virginia Housing Alliance.

Commending the Virginia Housing Alliance.

Rae CousinsDemocrat

Celebrating the life of William Edward Ross II.

Celebrating the life of William Edward Ross II.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Commending Cameran Drew.

Commending Cameran Drew.

Kimberly Pope AdamsDemocrat

Commending Billiken's Smokehouse.

Commending Billiken's Smokehouse.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Celebrating the life of McArthur Myers.

Celebrating the life of McArthur Myers.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Commending the Reverend Dr. Charles W. Wormley, Sr.

Commending the Reverend Dr. Charles W. Wormley, Sr.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Commending Halifax Pharmacy.

Commending Halifax Pharmacy.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Commending Sweet Briar College.

Commending Sweet Briar College.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Celebrating the life of Patrick Sherman.

Celebrating the life of Patrick Sherman.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Celebrating the life of Linwood Roy Griffin.

Celebrating the life of Linwood Roy Griffin.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Commending Kristy N. Somerville-Midgette, Ed.D.

Commending Kristy N. Somerville-Midgette, Ed.D.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Commending the Front Royal Little League 12U All-Stars.

Commending the Front Royal Little League 12U All-Stars.

Delores OatesRepublican

Commending Emily Barrows, M.D.

Commending Emily Barrows, M.D.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Commending Blake Bryant.

Commending Blake Bryant.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican