Bills & Legislation

County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance.

County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance. Increases local authority over affordable housing for counties that have adopted the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) by (i) potentially increasing the cash contribution to the county's affordable housing fund by developers in lieu of providing affordable dwelling units and (ii) providing that applications for a special exception approval for a change of use of an existing building from commercial to residential may be subject to an affordable housing requirement. The bill directs the governing body of such counties to appoint an advisory board to advise the governing body regarding the appropriate provisions of an ordinance to amend the cash contribution amounts to such county's affordable housing fund. Certain provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Health, State Board of, regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care.

State Board of Health regulations; standards for levels of neonatal care. Directs the State Board of Health to establish standards for designation of care in neonatal services consistent with, but not necessarily identical to, standards published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027, and prohibits enforcement of such regulations until July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to HB 456.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Richmond Internatl. Airport; discontinuing use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials, report.

Capital Region Airport Commission; plan for discontinuing the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials at Richmond International Airport; report. Directs the Capital Region Airport Commission to develop a plan for discontinuing by January 1, 2030, the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials at Richmond International Airport and to complete such plan and provide a report to the Virginia Aviation Board no later than November 15, 2026.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not remedied within a reasonable time frame, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of a tenant or occupant of the premises, a locality may institute an action on behalf of any tenant or occupant of the premises who is injured by such material noncompliance for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the premises where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the premises, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to HB 14.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention, report.

Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention; Safety and Health Codes Board. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board (the Board) to adopt regulations designed to protect workers from heat illness, as defined in the bill, during indoor and outdoor work. The bill provides that such regulations shall be enforced by the Board's existing authority. The bill directs the Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop and adopt regulations that require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans and to convene an advisory panel to assist in developing such regulations. This bill is identical to HB 1092.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

State Police, Department of, Executive Protection Division; security and transportation duties.

Department of State Police; Executive Protection Division; security and transportation duties. Provides that the Executive Protection Division of the Virginia Department of State Police shall have a duty to provide security and transportation to those persons designated by the Constitution of Virginia to succeed to the office of the Governor should a vacancy exist.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

State Government Internship Coordinator; Department of Human Resource Management to appoint.

Department of Human Resource Management; State Government Internship Coordinator. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish and employ a State Government Internship Coordinator to attract high quality interns to the service of the Commonwealth with the goal of developing such interns in a manner that supports their ability to compete for positions in agencies of the Commonwealth upon conclusion of their internships and completion of their educational programs. The bill also requires the Department to establish and administer a system to provide professional development opportunities for state agency interns, intern supervisors, and human resources staff. This bill is identical to HB 54.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Teachers; timeline and process for increasing salaries to at least national average.

Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2027 or 2028 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029 and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction.

Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction. Permits the Board of Dentistry to grant a license to practice dental hygiene to persons who are eligible to practice dentistry in a country or jurisdiction outside of the United States and who are graduates of a dental school or college, or the dental department of an institution of higher education, located outside of the United States that the Board determines is acceptable. This bill is identical to HB 1036.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Waverly, Town of; amending charter, transitioning town government.

Charter; Town of Waverly; emergency. Amends the charter for the Town of Waverly in Sussex County by transitioning the town from a strong mayor form of government to a council-manager form of government. Additional changes to the charter in the bill include (i) shifting town council elections from May to November, (ii) appointing a town manager, (iii) shifting certain duties from an elected mayor to a town manager, and (iv) repealing numerous outdated provisions. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Penalties for failure to appear; definition, contempt.

Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to HB 933.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report.

State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 173.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Federal 340-B Drug Pricing Program; impacts within the Commonwealth.

Drug manufacturers; 340B Drug Pricing Program; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program within the Commonwealth, with emphasis on governance, transparency, and the availability of pharmacy services in rural and underserved areas. The bill requires the work group to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health and the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services by November 1, 2026.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Hampton University; recognition and restoration of status as a land-grant university.

Educational and cultural institutions; Recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; requirements; task force. Recognizes and restores the status of Hampton University as an 1862 and 1890 land-grant university of the Commonwealth, in accordance with the provisions of applicable federal law, and (i) enumerates the funding and programs Hampton University shall be eligible for as a land-grant university and (ii) provides for the establishment of an evaluation task force by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on appropriations upon federal recognition of Hampton University as an institution eligible to receive federal funding and participate in federal and state programs established under applicable law relating to land-grant universities for the purpose of evaluating the status of Hampton University and the feasibility of recognizing the institution as a land-grant university of the Commonwealth in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Medicaid managed care organizations; community health worker expansion, etc., report.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; community health worker expansion. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services, in coordination with the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, to (i) evaluate opportunities for Medicaid managed care organizations to embed certified community health workers into care coordination models, (ii) evaluate the implementation of 2024 Medicare Community Health Integration services codes, (iii) develop and implement statewide workforce pathways for community health worker training, and (iv) identify opportunities to expand the use of community health workers in programs supporting high-cost Medicaid populations. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2026.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program, eligibility.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program; eligibility. Requires any general district court that implements the Eviction Diversion Program to attach information about the Program, including eligibility criteria, to any summons for unlawful detainer. The bill also alters eligibility requirements for a tenant to participate in the Program. This bill is identical to HB 837.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Firearm or explosive material; exemptions, carrying in public institutions of higher education.

Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Limits the exemption from the prohibition on the carrying of any firearm or explosive material within any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or agency thereof or any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties that currently applies to any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher education to instead apply to any individual within a building owned or operated by a public institution of higher education who possesses a weapon as part of such public institution of higher education's curriculum or activities or as part of any organization authorized by such public institution of higher education to conduct its programs or activities within such building, as such uses are approved through the law-enforcement or public safety unit of such institution. This bill is identical to HB 626.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Income tax, state; creates child tax credit.

Individual income tax; child tax credit. Creates a refundable individual income tax credit in taxable years 2027 through 2031 in an amount equal to that allowed for the corresponding federal child tax credit. Only one credit may be claimed for each qualifying child, as defined in the bill.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Firearm industry members; creates standards of responsible conduct, civil liability.

Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; (iv) prevent the installation and use of an auto sear on firearm-related products; and (v) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county, city, or town attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages. The bill also allows the Attorney General to issue a civil investigative demand if he has reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any violation of such standards of responsible conduct.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Mental health service providers; definitions, use of artificial intelligence system, civil penalty.

Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers to assist in providing therapy or counseling services if such mental health service provider maintains full responsibility for all interactions, outputs, and data use associated with the system. The bill prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund; established and created, report.

Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish the Companion Animal Surgical Sterilization Program and Fund to reimburse participating veterinarians for the surgical sterilizations they perform on eligible cats or dogs beginning July 1, 2027. The bill provides that a surcharge of $50 per ton of pet food distributed in the Commonwealth be deposited in the Fund and that such pet food be exempted from the existing litter tax. An animal will be eligible for sterilization under the Program beginning July 1, 2027, if it is a feral or free-roaming cat, is owned by a low-income individual, or is in the possession of a releasing agency such as an animal shelter.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Electric utility infrastructure; Dept. of Energy & SCC to conduct comprehensive analysis, report.

State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report. Directs the Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), Appalachian Power, and Dominion Energy Virginia, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. Provided that the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions to engage independent consulting services, the Department and the Commission shall complete the analysis and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Elementary and secondary schools or higher educational institutions; bullying and cyberbullying.

Autumn's Law; elementary and secondary schools; institutions of higher education; aggravated bullying and cyberbullying unlawful; policies and procedures; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to commit an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying, as defined in the bill, against any student enrolled in any elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education. The bill requires the administrator of each elementary or secondary school and each institution of higher education, or his designee, to, upon receiving satisfactory proof of an incident of aggravated bullying by a student enrolled in such school or institution, address such incidents, discipline the student guilty thereof, and report such incidents to local law-enforcement. The bill also requires (i) reports to be made to the division superintendent and the principal or his designee on all incidents involving an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying occurring on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity; (ii) each principal to immediately report to the local law-enforcement agency any incident involving an an act of aggravated bullying or aggravated cyberbullying occurring on a school bus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity; and (iii) the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct developed pursuant to applicable law standards for school board policies on aggravated bullying. Finally, the bill requires each school board to include in its code of student conduct policies and procedures prohibiting aggravated bullying and aggravated cyberbullying, including (a) a citation to the provision of the bill that makes committing an act of aggravated bullying a Class 1 misdemeanor; (b) detailed procedures for reporting any incident of aggravated bullying or aggravated bullying in accordance with the bill; (c) clear, escalating, and appropriate disciplinary procedures for addressing incidents of aggravated bullying; and (d) information and resources relating to any civil rights of action or remedies available to victims of an act of aggravated bullying or cyberbullying.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date.

Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1234.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Aging, Commonwealth Council on; advising strategies for reducing social isolation among seniors.

Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; senior isolation prevention. Requires the Commonwealth Council on Aging to advise the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services on strategies for reducing social isolation and loneliness among seniors and promoting volunteer engagement.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Virginia Public Procurement Act; certification for service disabled veteran-owned businesses, etc.

Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; certification for service disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses; participation requirements; penalty. Provides that the Director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity may adopt regulations to implement certification programs for service disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth and adds such businesses to the definition of "SWaM" and relevant provisions. The bill requires each public body to annually award at least one percent of its contract dollars to service disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned businesses under the Virginia Public Procurement Act and requires each public body that has annual procurement expenditures exceeding $10 million to designate a Veteran Business Procurement Liaison. The bill requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Services, to develop a plan to implement the provisions of the bill and make such plan available to the public on the electronic procurement system known as eVA by December 1, 2026. The bill requires the Department of General Services to update eVA to reflect the procurement opportunities available to service disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned businesses. The bill directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists.

Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber and ensure that cost-sharing for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal is included on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 795.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program; established, development of modules, report.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program established; pilot programs; development of modules; report. Establishes the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program, to be administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) in coordination with the Department of Education and the Department of Health, for the purpose of providing and expanding the accessibility of early childhood mental health consultation services, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill requires, pursuant to the Program, early childhood mental health consultation services shall be provided to families of children three through five years of age who exhibit developmental delays and behavioral health concerns and to early childhood care and education programs as enumerated in the bill. The bill requires the Department, in administering the Program, to (i) develop, or contract with community services boards to develop, and make available to early childhood care and education programs and providers developmental readiness modules, in accordance with the requirements of the bill; (ii) designate three pilot regions for initial implementation of the Program, with implementation beginning no later than January 1, 2027; and (iii) submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on the implementation and outcomes of the Program for each pilot region selected for initial implementation. The provisions of the bill relating to initial implementation of the Program in the pilot regions shall expire on July 1, 2029.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Electric utilities; shared solar programs, Phase II Utility.

Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Dominion Energy Virginia. Under the bill, Dominion Energy Virginia is authorized to release an additional 525 megawatts of capacity as part two of such program upon the earlier of (i) a determination that at least 90 percent of the aggregate program capacity has been subscribed and project construction is substantially complete or (ii) July 1, 2026. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine the capacity for part three of such program on or before part two of such program is substantially complete for 268 megawatts of capacity. The bill directs the Commission to evaluate the costs and benefits of the shared solar program under such proceeding and to consider the results of such proceeding in determining any future allocations of shared solar capacity and changes in program design. The bill directs the Commission to update its regulations on shared solar programs to comply with the provisions of the bill by December 31, 2026, and to require each participating utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementation of such programs by March 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 807.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Electric utilities; shared solar programs, Phase I Utility.

Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase I Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Appalachian Power Company. The bill permits excess bill credits to be distributed to shared solar subscribers more than once annually. The bill also requires the utility in administering its shared solar program to require net crediting functionality for customer utility bills, as described in the bill. The bill also directs Appalachian Power to (i) release an additional 50 megawatts as part two of the shared solar program on July 1, 2026; (ii) release a further additional 50 megawatts as part three of the shared solar program by January 1, 2028; and (iii) petition the Commission to initiate a shared solar expansion proceeding to determine the capacity for part four of the shared solar program by May 1, 2029. See final enactments for bill effective date. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 809.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Renewable energy portfolio standard program; energy from geothermal heating/cooling systems, report.

Renewable energy portfolio standard program; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Requires, for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to annually procure and retire certain percentages of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to prepare and deliver a report evaluating the procurement and retirement of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth on or before November 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Real Estate Appraiser Board to promulgate regulations requiring the development of a continuing education curriculum and required training for all licensees that includes how to properly determine the increase in value of real estate created by reductions in building energy costs associated with solar, geothermal, and solar water heating investments. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation and is identical to HB 1102.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Electric utilities; performance-based regulatory framework.

Electric utilities; performance-based regulation; work group; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to independently consider whether elements of an effective performance-based regulatory framework to evaluate and potentially improve electric utility performance and cost control incentives in the Commonwealth are in the public interest and to develop related legislative recommendations. The bill requires the Commission to include its findings and recommendations in a report required by existing law by July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 903.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Electric utilities; definitions, integrated resource plans, report.

Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Makes various changes related to the content and process for an integrated resource plan (IRP) developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations. The bill (i) extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years; (ii) requires Appalachian Power to file an IRP by removing an exception from the definition of "electric utility"; (iii) changes the frequency with which a utility is required to file an IRP from biennially to triennially; (iv) requires utilities to consider the use of grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure, and when new transmission lines are envisioned, to provide the reasons grid-enhancing technologies are not sufficient to defer or eliminate the need for new transmission infrastructure; and (v) requires utilities to consider the use of surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, to add new electric generation projects and energy storage resources to the grid.The bill requires that the current stakeholder review process for integrated resource plans be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility. The bill requires, as part of the stakeholder review process, the utility to provide stakeholders with reasonable access to the same modeling software, modeling assumptions, modeling inputs, and data used by the utility to evaluate supply and demand resources in its integrated resource plan to enable stakeholders to create modeling scenarios for the utility's consideration during the development of its integrated resource plan.The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to (a) establish guidelines that ensure that utilities develop comprehensive integrated resource plans and provide meaningful public engagement and maximum transparency during the planning process; (b) conduct a proceeding by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter, to identify and review each of its existing orders relevant to integrated resource plans to determine if such orders remain necessary and effective and are not overly burdensome; and (c) convene a work group to make recommendations on the required guidelines.As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 429.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Offshore wind industry; workforce development.

Department of Energy; workforce development in offshore wind industry. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 67.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Nursing homes; application to Commissioner of Health for change of operator license, civil penalty.

Nursing homes; change of operator; application to Commissioner of Health for change of operator license; civil penalty. Requires a person taking over the daily operations and management of a nursing home when change of ownership or control occurs to apply to the Commissioner of Health for a change of operator license. The bill establishes the requirements for the application for and for the granting of such license and establishes a civil penalty for failing to provide the Commissioner with information or documentation, effectuating a change of operator without applying for a change of operator license, or providing fraudulent information on an application for a change of operator license. This bill is identical to HB 717.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required.

Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice on the Department of Health's website containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, "If you have a food allergy, please notify us," and its translation, if applicable, on their menus or on a sign posted conspicuously in the restaurant. This bill is identical to HB 373.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act; numerous revisions to Act, delayed effective date.

Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Provides for numerous revisions to the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Among other revisions, the bill (i) authorizes certain actions to derive from its bylaws in addition to its articles of incorporation, (ii) makes changes to the process of amending articles of incorporation and bylaws, (iii) authorizes inclusion of an exclusive forum provision in the bylaws, (iv) permits transfer of membership interests, (v) authorizes members to bring derivative proceedings, (vi) permits a court to remove a director in certain circumstances, (vii) provides for abandonment of an amendment or restatement of the articles of incorporation, (viii) extends the current provisions related to mergers to include interest exchanges and to provide for parent-subsidiary mergers, (ix) replaces existing provisions on conversion with provisions based on the Virginia Stock Act, and (x) adds provisions governing charitable corporations and charitable assets, including the authority of the Office of the Attorney General with respect to such. The bill includes technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 439.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

School boards; use of social media by schools, etc.

School boards; use of social media platforms as sole means of certain communications prohibited. Provides that each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. The bill clarifies that the foregoing prohibition shall not be construed to prohibit the use of school division-approved communication or messaging applications. The bill provides an exception to such prohibition when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Adult protective services; creates adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation central registry.

Adult protective services; adult abuse, neglect and exploitation central registry. Creates a central registry of substantiated complaints of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation to be maintained by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The bill establishes (i) investigation requirements for local departments of social services related to reports of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (ii) record retention and disclosure requirements for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and local departments of social services; (iii) notice requirements related to findings by local departments and central registry entries; and (iv) an appeals process to contest the findings of a local department related to substantiated reports of adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill directs the Commissioner for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and exempts the Commissioner's initial adoption of such regulations from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees, reduces membership.

Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees; membership. Reduces from 19 to 18 the total membership of the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority by removing the presidents of Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia or their designees and adding the president of Appalachian College of Pharmacy or his designee. The bill also permits the President of Total Action for Progress to designate an individual to serve in his place on such board of trustees. This bill is identical to HB 423.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Home care organizations; licensure.

Home care organizations; licensure. Provides that no license to establish or operate a home care organization shall be issued or renewed until such time as all existing home care organizations have been inspected. The bill also prohibits a home care organization from maintaining its office in a private residence or virtual office.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Retail franchise agreements; governing law, competition restrictions.

Retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions. Provides that retail franchise agreements shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth and prohibits any person from offering or entering into a franchise agreement that includes competition restrictions that extend beyond termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, except as a term of sale in the event that a franchisee sells a franchise to a third party or back to the franchisor. This bill is identical to HB 69.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

App Store Accountability Act; civil penalties, civil action.

App Store Accountability Act; civil penalties; civil action. Requires an app store provider, defined in the bill, to verify the age category of an account holder, obtain verifiable parental consent for a minor account holder, and share such age category and consent information with the developer of an app, defined in the bill. The bill requires a developer to verify the age category of an account holder with a developer's app and notify app store providers of any significant change to a developer's app. The bill also requires a developer to provide a parental consent disclosure for each of its apps to each app store provider that makes the developer's app available on its app store, and such provider shall provide such disclosure on its app store. The bill allows the Attorney General and any minor or parent of a minor who suffers harm by reason of a violation of this bill to initiate an action. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

State Health Services Plan Task Force; designated areas of state in need of additional project.

Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force. Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to HB 1337.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Income tax, state; newborn and stillborn tax credit.

Newborn and stillborn tax credit. Establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for married individuals in an amount equal to $2,000 per eligible birth so long as such eligible birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill also allows individuals and married individuals filing jointly to claim a refundable income tax credit in an amount equal to $2,000 per stillborn birth so long as such stillborn birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill specifies that only one tax credit may be claimed for each eligible birth or stillborn birth.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Fire Programs Fund; distribution of fund.

Fire Programs Fund; work group; report. Directs the Department of Fire Programs to establish a work group to evaluate the funding formula for the distribution of aid to localities through the Fire Programs Fund.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Consumer Data Protection Act; prohibitions and duties relating to minors.

Consumer Data Protection Act; prohibitions and duties relating to minors. Prohibits a controller of an online service, product, or feature from entering into certain agreements with a known minor, unless such controller obtains verified consent from the minor's parent as specified in the bill. The bill imposes certain duties on a controller of an online service, product, or feature related to advertising, algorithm use, and reasonable care toward known minors. The bill expands the consumer rights of a parent to minors and adds a provision allowing a parent to obtain a copy of the minor's data. Current law offers certain consumer rights to the parents of children younger than age 13. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Community Colleges and Virginia Community College System, State Board for; funding model, report.

State Board for Community Colleges and Virginia Community College System; funding model; report. Directs the State Board for Community Colleges (the State Board) and the Virginia Community College System to develop a community college funding model for the Commonwealth, and an implementation plan for such model, that balances base adequacy support and performance with outcomes-based funding. The bill requires the State Board to provide an interim report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1, 2026, and a final report to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 1, 2027.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican