Bills & Legislation

Emergency custody and involuntary admissions; transfer of custody to facility.

Emergency custody and involuntary admissions; transfer of custody to facility. Permits the law-enforcement agency or alternative transportation provider providing a person subject to an emergency custody order transportation to a facility or location for the required evaluation to transfer custody of such person to such facility or location if it (i) agrees to accept custody of the person; (ii) is actually capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the person and others from harm, including having appropriate security personnel; and (iii) in cases in which transportation is provided by a law-enforcement agency, has entered into an agreement or memorandum of understanding with the law-enforcement agency setting forth the terms and conditions under which it will (a) accept a transfer of custody and (b) request that the law-enforcement agency will return to the facility or location upon request to protect the person and others should the security needs of such facility or location be exceeded, provided, however, that the facility or location may not require the law-enforcement agency to pay any fees or costs for the transfer of custody. Current law permits such transfer of custody if the facility or location (1) is licensed to provide the level of security necessary to protect both the person and others from harm, (2) is actually capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the person and others from harm, and (3) in cases in which transportation is provided by a law-enforcement agency, has entered into an agreement or memorandum of understanding with the law-enforcement agency setting forth the terms and conditions under which it will accept a transfer of custody, provided, however, that the facility or location may not require the law-enforcement agency to pay any fees or costs for the transfer of custody.

Mike A. CherryRepublican

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices; income requirements and up-front charges. Expands the list of unlawful discriminatory housing practices to include (i) refusing to rent or negotiate for the rental of a dwelling because the income of an applicant renter does not meet a threshold determined by the landlord and (ii) requiring any charges or deposits from a renter prior to the commencement date of a rental agreement for any purpose other than monthly rent, a security deposit, and any other deposit meant to pay for access to a specific service or facility related to the rental of the dwelling.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Voter registration; cancellation of registration by voter.

Voter registration; cancellation of registration by voter; effective for the immediately proceeding election. Provides that any valid authorization for cancellation submitted by a registered voter prior to the day of the immediately proceeding election shall be effective in such election. Under current law, when submitted by any means other than when notarized or in person, such cancellation must be made at least 22 days prior to an election in order to be valid in that election.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican

Extreme Weather Relief Act; established.

Extreme Weather Relief Act established. Establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Program, administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, for the purpose of holding parties responsible for covered greenhouse gas emissions between the covered period of January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2024, for the parties' share of the Commonwealth's costs due to climate change. The bill defines responsible parties as fossil fuel extractors or crude oil refiners causing emissions of one billion metric tons or more of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. Under the bill, responsible parties are strictly liable for cost recovery payments to the Commonwealth. The bill requires the State Treasurer to conduct an assessment of the costs to the Commonwealth and its residents of the emissions of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. The bill establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Fund into which the cost recovery payments from responsible entities are deposited and used to pay for extreme weather relief projects, as defined in the bill.

Rae CousinsDemocrat

Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry; registration intervals for Tier I and Tier II offenses.

Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry; registration intervals for Tier I and Tier II offenses. Requires any person who is required to register with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry and who is convicted of a Tier I or Tier II offense to register yearly. The bill also requires any person convicted of providing false information or failing to provide registration information where such person was included on the Registry for a Tier II offense to register twice a year.

Chris ObenshainRepublican

Crime victim rights; notification.

Crime victim rights; notification. Requires notification through the Virginia Statewide VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) System or other similar electronic or automated system to a victim regarding the commitment or release of a defendant who was acquitted by reason of insanity. The bill contains technical amendments.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

Voter registration; automatic registration upon application for hunting and fishing license.

Voter registration; automatic registration; hunting and fishing license applicants; resident concealed handgun permit applicants. Provides for automatic voter registration by the clerk of any circuit court of the Commonwealth and the Department of Wildlife Resources upon the application for any hunting or fishing license or Virginia resident concealed handgun permit. The bill also requires any such applicant be offered a separate application to be placed on the permanent absentee voter list.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program and Fund; established, sunset.

Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program and Fund established. Directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish and administer the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program. The bill allows any person to participate in the Program if such person (i) owns livestock that graze in the Commonwealth, (ii) is enrolled in the federal Rainfall Index Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage insurance program (PRF insurance) and provided proof of payment of his annual premium, and (iii) certifies to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that, within the past three years and in accordance with the general sampling recommendations from Virginia Cooperative Extension for the land enrolled in PRF insurance, soil samples have been taken from the land enrolled in PRF insurance and analyzed. The bill allows the Commissioner to request documentation of such soil sampling from a Program participant who receives reimbursement through the Program and requires the person to repay such reimbursement to the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program Fund if the person fails to provide the requested documentation. The bill allows the Department to reimburse 50 percent, up to a maximum of $500, of the Program participant's annual premium payment. The bill specifies that such reimbursement shall be provided on a first-come, first-served basis and shall be subject to availability of funds. Finally, the bill creates the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program Fund to be used for carrying out the provisions of the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.

Timmy FrenchRepublican

Virginia Public Procurement Act; discrimination prohibited, military spouse-owned businesses.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; discrimination prohibited; military spouse-owned businesses. Prohibits a public body from discriminating against military spouse-owned businesses, as defined in the bill, in the solicitation or awarding of contracts. The bill further requires public bodies to facilitate the participation of military spouse-owned businesses in procurement transactions.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Human trafficking; nonprofit organizations supplying informational materials to state entities.

Nonprofit organizations supplying human trafficking informational materials to state entities for distribution. Allows a nonprofit organization that has been granted tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to supply to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (the Authority) and the Department of Transportation (the Department) copies of informational materials about human trafficking at no cost, which may take the form of adhesive stickers. If any such nonprofit organization supplies such materials to the Authority, the bill requires the Authority to include a copy of the materials with the issuance and renewal of every on-premises retail license. If any such nonprofit organization supplies the Department with such materials, the bill requires the Department to make such materials available at all rest areas along Interstate System highways in the Commonwealth in a place readily visible and accessible to the public.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Campaign finance; coordination and required independent expenditure committee disclosure.

Campaign finance; coordination and required independent expenditure committee disclosure; civil penalties. Provides a more detailed definition of the term "coordinated" or "coordination" in the context of campaign finance than is provided in current law. The bill also requires all persons making independent expenditures to file statements of organization and to file campaign finance reports thus making such persons subject to existing civil penalties for violations of filing laws.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

State Corporation Commission; certificate of operation for high load facilities.

State Corporation Commission; certificate of operation for high load facilities. Prohibits any person from operating a high load facility, defined in the bill as a facility whose electricity demand exceeds 25 megawatts that was not operating before July 1, 2026, without first having obtained a certificate of operation from the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires the Commission to permit the operation of a high load facility upon a finding that such facility and associated facilities (i) will have no material adverse effect upon the rates paid by customers of any regulated public utility in the Commonwealth, taking into account any likely generation, transmission, or distribution needs attributable to the operation of the high load facility; (ii) will have no material adverse effect upon reliability of electric service provided by any regulated public utility; (iii) would be consistent with the Commonwealth Clean Energy Policy; and (iv) are not otherwise contrary to the public interest. The bill requires the Commission to consider certain factors in a review of a petition for a certificate to operate a high load facility, including whether there is sufficient energy, capacity, and grid infrastructure to support the operation of the high load facility and whether the operation of the high load facility would create an unreasonable cross-subsidy across customers served by the incumbent electric utility. Finally, the bill requires the Commission to conduct a proceeding to establish minimum criteria for the issuance of a certificate of operation for a high load facility and requirements for public notice and an opportunity for hearing.

Joshua E. ThomasDemocrat

Reaffirming the Commonwealth's support and commitment to the State of Israel and 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.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Person not free on bail; court appearance.

Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused, (ii) the information provided to counsel for the accused, (iii) a requirement that counsel for the accused be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing, and (iv) the compensation of counsel for the accused. Effective in due course, the bill provides that the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2025, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet these requirements. The remainder of the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities.

Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities. Requires an electric utility seeking approval to construct or purchase a generating facility that emits carbon dioxide to demonstrate that it has conducted a request for proposals designed to fairly evaluate all available supply-side and demand-side options prior to seeking approval for such generating facility. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to review the request for proposals before the utility's issuance to ensure all available resources will be fairly evaluated.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Medical Conscience Protection Act; established.

Medical Conscience Protection Act established. Establishes the right of a health care professional not to participate in any medical procedure or service that violates such health care professional's conscience, as those terms and conditions are defined in the bill. The bill provides protections for health care professionals who disclose violations of the bill or report violations of laws or ethical guidelines for the safe provision of any medical procedure or service. The bill also provides a private right of action for any party harmed by violations of the bill.

R. Lee WareRepublican

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates, includes Phase I and Phase II Utilities.

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates; Phase I Utility and Phase II Utility. Prohibits candidates, campaign committees, and political committees from soliciting or accepting contributions from any public utility, as defined in the bill, and prohibits any public utility or any political committee established by such public utility from making any such contribution.

R. Lee WareRepublican

Food service permits; out-of-state caterers.

Department of Health; food service permits; out-of-state caterers. Directs the Department of Health to adopt regulations allowing caterers located outside of the Commonwealth to obtain a permit to provide food services for events located in the Commonwealth.

Wren M. WilliamsRepublican

Public schools; certain calculations in Standards of Quality, support services.

Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; support services. Requires the Department of Education, (i) in calculating the deduction of federal funds in the Standards of Quality funding formula, to examine actual school division spending on support costs as a percentage of actual school division spending on all public education costs, with certain exceptions such as food service, and (ii) in calculating the costs in the Standards of Quality funding formula beginning with fiscal year 2029, to include all employee benefit costs incurred by a majority of school divisions, including costs related to retirement, health care, life insurance, and payout of earned but unused leave. The bill also requires support services positions to be funded based on a calculation of prevailing costs and prohibits such positions from being subject to any method of funding calculation that caps the number of funded support services positions based on a ratio of such positions to students enrolled in the school division, with the exception of certain support services positions enumerated in the bill.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Uniform Health Care Decisions Act; created, repeals most provisions of Health Care Decisions Act.

Uniform Health Care Decisions Act. Repeals most provisions of the Health Care Decisions Act and enacts the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act. The bill creates a process for the execution of advance health care directives, as defined in the bill; establishes criteria for determining the capacity of an individual to make health care decisions; provides for the establishment of a default surrogate in the absence of an appointed agent for health care decisions; establishes powers and duties of agents appointed by powers of attorney for health care; and establishes duties of health care professionals.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

High-energy facilities; water and energy usage info. reports statewide clearinghouse established.

High-energy facilities; water and energy usage information reports; statewide clearinghouse established. Requires any owner or operator of a high-energy facility, as defined in the bill, to submit to the Department of Environmental Quality no later than May 1, 2026, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, a report that contains certain information relating to water and energy usage for each such facility. The bill requires the Department, no later than July 1, 2026, to design, implement, and maintain a publicly accessible website to serve as a statewide clearinghouse for information relating to water and energy usage of all high-energy facilities operating in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that, in order to fully cover the costs of designing, implementing, and maintaining the statewide clearinghouse, the Department shall assess an initial fee to each owner or operator of a high-energy facility and may assess an annual fee thereafter for each year that such high-energy facility is in active use. The bill requires any owner or operator of a high-energy facility to notify the Department of any substantial change in operations or technologies that would require an update to the information required by the bill at least 60 days prior to making such change. The bill also requires the Department to convene a work group of stakeholders for the purpose of identifying additional information required to be published to the statewide clearinghouse. Such work group is required to convene at least three times by July 1, 2026, in a manner that is open to the public, and each such meeting is required to include a public comment period of no less than 60 days following such meeting.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; failure to communicate or cooperate.

Failure of Commonwealth or locality to communicate or cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; waiver of sovereign immunity. Provides that when (i) the Commonwealth adopts any rule, regulation, or policy or passes any law or (ii) any locality adopts any ordinance, resolution, or motion that impedes the ability of law-enforcement officers, corrections officers, or jail officers to communicate or cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about a person in the United States illegally, the Commonwealth or such locality waives sovereign immunity as it relates to any injuries or damages sustained by victims of crimes committed by such person.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Restorative Schools in Virginia Pilot Program; established, report, sunset date.

Public schools; student discipline; Restorative Schools in Virginia Pilot Program; established. Establishes the Restorative Schools in Virginia Pilot Program (the Program), to be administered by the Department of Education (the Department), for the purpose of addressing school discipline issues and promoting evidence-based restorative practices, as that term is defined in the bill, in public schools in the Commonwealth by awarding grants to an eligible school in each superintendent's region in the Commonwealth to be used in developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to integrate evidence-based restorative practices in such schools in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the Department to (i) develop the application process by which a school board may apply on behalf of an eligible school, as defined in the bill, in the applicable school division to receive funds pursuant to the Program; (ii) establish criteria for the selection and award of grants pursuant to the Program; and (iii) develop a process for evaluating the progress and performance of each eligible school selected to receive a grant pursuant to the Program in implementing such evidence-based restorative practices and satisfying the Program requirements set forth in the bill. The bill requires any eligible school selected to receive funds pursuant to the Program, in collaboration with the applicable school board, to (a) establish a learning collaborative for the purpose of developing a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based restorative practices in such school in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (b) submit to the Department by July 1 of each year a report on the school's progress in implementing such evidence-based restorative practices for the preceding school year. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

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 and 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, 2025, 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, beginning with October 1, 2025, a report on each such biennial review.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Voter registration; automatic registration of hunting, fishing, and milk distributor license.

Voter registration; automatic registration of hunting, fishing, and milk distributor license and concealed handgun permit applicants; penalty. Provides for automatic voter registration by the clerk of any circuit court of the Commonwealth, the Department of Wildlife Resources, and the Milk Commission upon the application for any hunting, fishing, or milk distributor license or Virginia resident concealed handgun permit.

W. Chad GreenRepublican

Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination.

Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination. Prohibits any state agency or political subdivision in the Commonwealth from supporting, implementing, recognizing, or utilizing any program, process, or procedure that conveys or denies a benefit, advantage, or privilege to an individual based solely on such individual's race, sex, or ethnicity.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Electric utilities; data center cost allocation.

Electric utilities; data center cost allocation. Directs the State Corporation Commission to initiate proceedings to determine if the current allocation of costs among different customer classifications of electric utilities requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customers that are data centers. If the Commission determines that the current allocation of costs requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customers that are data centers, the bill directs the Commission to promulgate such rules as necessary to eliminate or minimize such unreasonable subsidies to the maximum possible extent. The bill directs the Commission to complete such proceedings prior to January 1, 2026.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat

Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacy notice; cookies; consumer consent.

Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacy notice; cookies; consumer consent. Requires the privacy notice that a controller must provide to consumers to include a method by which a consumer may opt out of the automatic placement of a data file, commonly referred to as a "cookie," on the consumer's computer or web browser and a disclosure of the purposes for which the data files are used. The bill prohibits controllers from using cookies, except those that are strictly necessary, without the prior express consent of the consumer and prohibits controllers from preventing access to their services if such consent is not granted. The bill also requires controllers to document and store proof of such consent and make available an easily accessible method by which consumers may withdraw such consent.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Virginia School Improvement Grant Program; established, report.

Public schools; Virginia School Improvement Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia School Improvement Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of providing additional support to public schools identified based on their school performance score as "off track" or "needs intensive support," as those terms are defined by the bill, by awarding three-year grants to eligible schools for the development and implementation of school improvement plans. The bill (i) provides that the Department of Education shall be responsible for the administration of the Program and that the Office of School Improvement shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Program; (ii) provides that any public school identified as "off track" or "needs intensive support" is eligible to apply for such three-year grant disbursed in annual installments; and (iii) permits any participating school that is identified as "off track" or "needs intensive support" for the school year coinciding with or subsequent to such participating school's final year in the three-year grant period to reapply for another grant pursuant to the Program. The bill requires any eligible school, in order to receive any grant funds pursuant to the Program, to develop and submit a school improvement plan or, in the case of a participating school receiving a grant upon reapplication pursuant to clause (iii), a revised school improvement plan outlining specific strategies for improving academic outcomes and addressing identified performance gaps for such school.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Income tax, state; housing opportunity tax credit, sunset extended.

Income tax; housing opportunity tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the housing opportunity tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2025 to taxable year 2030. The bill also increases the aggregate credit cap across all calendar years from $255 million to $1.505 billion and imposes an annual aggregate credit cap of $250 million in each calendar year between 2026 and 2030. The bill also provides that of the $250 million in credits authorized per calendar year from 2026 through 2030, 33 percent shall be reserved for qualified projects located in a geographic area within the Balance of State Pool, defined in the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Professionally Licensed Teacher Supplemental Pay Program; established, report.

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.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Highway maintenance; Town of New Market.

Highway maintenance; Town of New Market. Adds the Town of New Market to the list of localities authorized to receive state funds for the performance of certain highway maintenance projects.

Timmy FrenchRepublican

Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund; established, report.

Commonwealth Savers Plan; Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund established; report. Establishes (i) the Endowment Scholarship Program for the purpose of providing scholarships to students at eligible institutions, as defined in the bill; (ii) the Virginia College Opportunity Endowment as an agency of the Commonwealth for the purpose of establishing and administering the Endowment Scholarship Program; (iii) as a subfund of the Commonwealth Savers Plan's fund, the DB529 Fund for the purpose of holding in trust the assets of prepaid tuition contracts to meet contractual obligations; (iv) as a subfund of the Commonwealth Savers Plan's fund, the Virginia College Opportunity Fund (the Opportunity Fund), into which certain funds from the DB529 Fund shall be deposited for the purpose of funding, by income generated from investments of such deposits, the Endowment Scholarship Program and other programs established for the purpose of enhancing educational access and affordability for students with recognized financial need, as set forth in the bill; and (v) the College Opportunity Investment Advisory Committee for the purpose of making recommendations to and assisting the General Assembly in determining the prudence of directing deposits, and the amounts of any such deposits, of actuarial surpluses of the Commonwealth Savers Plan from the DB529 Fund into the Opportunity Fund. The bill requires the board of the Commonwealth Savers Plan to (a) after the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, deposit $500 million into the Opportunity Fund from the DB529 Fund; (b) each fiscal year thereafter, in accordance with the timeline set forth in the bill, submit to the General Assembly a report on the funded status, as defined by applicable law, of the DB529 Fund and the recommendation of the College Opportunity Investment Advisory Committee as to the prudence of directing deposits of additional actuarial surpluses of the Plan from the DB529 Fund into the Opportunity Fund; and (c) each subsequent year, deposit additional actuarial surpluses into the Opportunity Fund in accordance with the provisions of the bill. Finally, the bill contains provisions (1) relating to voluntary contributions to the Opportunity Fund for the purpose of receiving tax fund contributions and income tax deductions; (2) exempting from mandatory disclosure requirements certain information contained in a public record relating to the Commonwealth Savers Plan or the Virginia College Opportunity Endowment and Fund, and (3) authorizing the College Opportunity Investment Advisory Committee to hold closed meetings for certain purposes.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; algorithmic device services or products prohibited; civil penalty.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; algorithmic device services or products prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits the sale of algorithmic device services or products, as defined in the bill, for the purpose of setting or recommending the amount of rent to be charged to a tenant for the occupancy of a dwelling unit. The bill also prohibits a person engaged in the business of providing algorithmic device services or products for the purpose of advising a landlord of the amount of rent that such landlord may consider charging a tenant for the occupancy of a dwelling unit from using nonpublic competitor data, defined in the bill, pertaining to residential properties in the Commonwealth in algorithmic calculations. A violation of such prohibited practices is considered an unfair deceptive trade practice for which the Attorney General may cause an action to be brought in the name of the Commonwealth.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

School resource officers and school security officers; crisis intervention training.

School resource officers and school security officers; crisis intervention training. Requires compulsory minimum training standards for school resource officers and school security officers to include crisis intervention training.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Resource intensive facilities; permitting reqmts., Resource Intensive Facility Fee Fund established.

Permitting requirements for resource intensive facilities, Resource Intensive Facility Fee Fund established; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) to develop a required permitting process for the construction and operation of resource intensive facilities (RIF), as defined in the bill, to protect the Commonwealth's natural resources environment and the public health. The bill requires the Department to consult with certain state agencies and relevant stakeholders to assist in the development of any conditions and standards for such permit and establishes the Resource Intensive Facility Fee Fund sourced by fees collected by the owner or operator of an RIF to help with the cost to the Department of administering the permit. The bill requires the Department to prepare an annual report explaining the permit status of each RIF and make such report publicly available on its website by October 1 of each year. Prior to the effective date of the required permitting process, the bill requires the Department to establish an advisory panel consisting of representatives of the Department of Forestry, the State Corporation Commission, the Department of Energy, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, and other relevant stakeholders to assist in developing the initial criteria for the permit and to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Commerce and Labor no later than December 1, 2025. The required permitting portion of the bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Retail Sales and Use Tax; exemption for electric utility equipment.

Sales and use tax; exemption for electric utility equipment. Exempts from the retail sales and use tax, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending July 1, 2030, tangible personal property used directly in the initiation, production, generation, transmission, or distribution of electricity by Appalachian Power.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Charitable gaming; certain common interest communities to conduct bingo.

Charitable gaming; common interest communities; bingo. Allows common interest communities that serve residents age 55 or older to become a qualified organization for the purposes of conducting bingo in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Estimated tax; failure by individual, trust, or estate to pay.

Estimated tax; failure by individual, trust, or estate to pay. Increases from $150 to $1,000 the maximum underpayment of estimated tax for which no addition to tax shall be added.

Emily M. JordanRepublican

Faith and housing; affordable housing on property owned by religious or tax-exempt organizations.

Faith and housing; comprehensive plan; zoning; Department of Housing and Community Development. Grants authority to localities to adopt a variety of strategies intended to encourage and facilitate the development of affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. The bill allows localities to request administrative support from the Department of Housing and Community Development in preparation of a faith and housing ordinance.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; boards; appointment requirements; years of experience.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; boards; appointment requirements; years of experience. Lowers from at least five years to at least three years the years of experience required for the appointment of (i) home inspectors to the Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors; (ii) hearing aid specialists, otolaryngologists, opticians, and ophthalmologists to the Board for Hearing Aid Specialists and Opticians; (iii) real estate appraisers to the Real Estate Appraiser Board; (iv) alternative onsite sewage system operators, alternative onsite sewage system installers, and onsite soil evaluators to the Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals; and (v) cemetery operators to the Cemetery Board.

Jonathan "Jed" ArnoldRepublican

Health records; disclosure of laboratory test results.

Health records; disclosure of laboratory test results. Requires health care entities to wait 72 hours before disclosing test results that could indicate malignancy or genetic markers as part of a patient's health records. The bill permits health care entities to disclose health records to an electronic health information exchange to comply with the 21st Century Cures Act.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report.

Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program (the Program) to provide matching funds to employers in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (the Foundation). To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-delivery provider or to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2026, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2027, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Retail Sales and Use Tax; data center exemption expiration, distribution of revenues.

Retail sales and use tax; data center exemption expiration; distribution of revenues. Provides for a sunset on the data center retail sales and use tax exemption, and any extensions thereof, on and after July 1, 2025. The bill requires that the revenues generated by the expiration of the exemption be distributed for school construction and road and bridge construction.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Elections; absentee ballot security measures; watermark.

Elections; absentee ballot security measures; watermark. Requires that any ballot mailed to an absentee voter must be printed on security paper that incorporates a visible watermark that identifies the ballot as an official ballot in a manner that preserves the absolute secrecy of the ballot.

W. Chad GreenRepublican

Income tax, corporate and state; defines "entire net income."

Corporate income tax; Virginia taxable income; definitions. Defines, for purposes of income tax, "entire net income" as the total net income from all sources that a taxpayer is required to report for purposes of the federal income tax. The bill further defines "net operating loss" as the excess of any allowable income tax deductions over the gross income used in computing entire net income.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Single-family homes; prohibited acquisition and ownership, restrictions, civil penalty.

Prohibited acquisition and ownership of single-family homes; restrictions; civil penalty. Restricts any partnership, corporation, or real estate investment trust that manages funds pooled from investors and has $50 million or more in net value or assets under management on any day during a taxable year from acquiring any interest in single-family homes, as defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth and requires registration with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026, for any such business that acquired such interest prior to July 1, 2026. The bill also requires any such business to divest at least 10 percent of such interest per year over a course of 10 years whereby no such business shall own any interest in single-family homes on and after July 1, 2036. The bill requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to report annually by December 1 on the registrations and any penalties assessed for failure to register or divest ownership interests and to submit such report to the Governor and the General Assembly. The bill also requires all real property tax bills to contain notice of such prohibited business ownership restrictions and registration requirements. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Fees for concealed handgun permits.

Fees for concealed handgun permits. Reduces from $50 to $25 the total amount assessed for processing an application for a concealed handgun permit by reducing the total amount charged by the local law-enforcement agency from $35 to $10.

Bill WileyRepublican