Bills & Legislation

Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units, delayed effective date.

Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units. Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as defined in the bill, as a permitted accessory use. The bill requires a person to seek a permit for an ADU from the locality, requires the locality to issue such permit if the person meets certain requirements enumerated in the bill, and restricts the fee for such permit to $500 or less. The bill prohibits the locality from requiring (i) setbacks for the ADU that are greater than the setback required for the primary dwelling or the setback required for accessory structures on the residential lot, whichever is less; (ii) conditions for ADUs that are more restrictive than those for single-family dwellings within the same zoning area with regard to height, rear, or side setbacks, lot size or coverage, or building frontage; or (iii) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license, municipality or nonprofit organization.

Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license; municipality or nonprofit organization. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, broker, importer, or wholesaler to sponsor or provide support, including equipment, staff, financial, and other support, for a special event for which a municipality or nonprofit organization has been issued a banquet license when such special event is to be held on the grounds of a museum or a government-registered national, state, or local historic site at which the municipality or nonprofit organization is licensed to operate a gift shop, provided that any retail license issued to the premises has been deactivated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the duration of such special event. The bill limits such municipalities or nonprofit organizations to no more than eight banquet licenses for such special events per year. This bill is identical to HB 1343.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund; created.

Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $34 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $191,255,000, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $4 billion and create and maintain at least 500 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to HB 1076.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Public schools; school security and discipline, employment of school security officers, training.

Public schools; school security and discipline; employment of school security officers; training requirements. Amends the requirements for the training course of which an individual employed as a school security officer is required to submit proof of completion to the Department of Criminal Justice Services in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by (i) eliminating the requirement that such training course include training in active shooter emergency response and, instead, requiring it to include training in critical incident preparedness and response and (ii) clarifying that such training course include training in behavioral threat assessment.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Mental health & substance abuse disorders; network adequacy standards, comparative analyses, report.

Mental health and substance abuse disorders; network adequacy standards; comparative analyses; report; emergency regulations. Directs the Department of Health to issue regulations that include quantitative network adequacy standards for timely access to care, travel time, and geographical distance that are at least as stringent as those imposed for qualified health plans and qualified dental plans. The bill amends the definitions of "mental health services" and "substance abuse services" for the purposes of health insurance coverage.The bill requires health carriers to submit all comparative analyses prepared pursuant to federal law to the Bureau of Insurance on the date and frequency as specified by the Bureau and includes additional information to include in such submission. Under the bill, the Bureau may impose a penalty not to exceed $100,000 for a noncompliant or insufficient comparative analysis or require a carrier to remove, revise, or remedy noncompliant treatment limitations. The bill also amends the contents of the annual report submitted by the Bureau to the General Assembly to cover enforcement efforts with respect to the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.The bill authorizes the Bureau to promulgate regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and directs the Department of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to evaluate the impact of the proposed changes to the provisions of the bill related to health insurance. The provisions of the bill related to health insurance have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 656.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Forest Sustainability Fund; Office of Working Lands Preservation to manage.

Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; Forest Sustainability Fund. Adds management of the Forest Sustainability Fund to the powers and duties of the Office of Working Lands Preservation within the Department of Forestry. This bill is identical to HB 543.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Uninsured Employer's Fund; administrative expenses.

Uninsured Employer's Fund; administrative expenses. Provides that the costs of administering the Uninsured Employer's Fund, which is administered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, are paid out of such fund. This bill is identical to HB 572.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Electric utilities; disconnection reports, State Corporation Commission database, annual summary.

Electric utilities; disconnection reports; State Corporation Commission database; annual summary. Requires each investor-owned utility and electric cooperative operating in the Commonwealth to provide a monthly report on residential account disconnections to the State Corporation Commission. The monthly report is required to include specific information outlined in the bill, including the number of residential accounts involuntarily disconnected due to nonpayment, the amount of time in which such accounts were reconnected to service, the amounts of arrearages attributable to such disconnected accounts and other residential accounts, and information related to how many of the disconnected accounts participate in a payment assistance program or have a serious medical condition certification form on file with the electric utility. The bill requires the Commission to publish the information from such monthly reports in a comprehensive and easily accessible online database. The bill also requires the Commission to submit an annual executive summary to the Governor and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation on trends in electric utility disconnections based on the reports submitted by electric utilities, the first of which is due by September 1, 2027. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 828.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Electric Utility Regulation, Commission on; scope and name changes to Energy Commission of Virginia.

Commission on Electric Utility Regulation; name change. Renames the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation as the Energy Commission of Virginia. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, & developmt. disability crisis services; written plan.

Comprehensive crisis system; Marcus alert system; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability crisis services; written plan. Allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to amend the written plan created pursuant to relevant law after the publication of such written plan, provided that (i) the stakeholders listed in relevant law are consulted during the development of any new language to be added to such written plan and (ii) a public comment period of no less than 30 days is held prior to the finalization of such written plan. The bill also provides that the written plan shall serve as the operational framework for relevant components of the comprehensive crisis system and the Marcus alert system and that state agencies and local implementing partners shall align their policies, procedures, and operations on an ongoing basis with the requirements and guidance set forth in the written plan, as amended. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 453.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force; created.

Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 225.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Electric utilities, certain; purchased power cost risk mitigation practices.

State Corporation Commission; electric utilities; fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices. Directs the State Corporation Commission, in certain cost recovery proceedings and other annual filings as determined by the Commission, to examine the efficacy and sufficiency of fuel and purchased power cost risk mitigation practices by Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power. Under the bill, the Commission is required to include legislative recommendations related to effectively regulating fuel and purchased power cost risk in an existing report. This bill is identical to HB 1256.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Vehicle equipment; clear film on windshields.

Vehicle equipment; films on windshields. Authorizes the application of clear film to the windshield of a vehicle, so long as it is maintained in a condition consistent with federal requirements.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Vested rights; rulings or orders of the local circuit court, residential project.

Vested rights; rulings or orders of the local circuit court. Provides that a landowner's vested rights in a specific residential project shall not be affected by a subsequent ruling or order of the local circuit court applicable to a zoning ordinance amendment when such ruling or order affects at least 25 individual parcels within a locality unless the significant affirmative governmental act approving such residential project is the direct subject of the ruling or order.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force; established, report.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force established; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, and with assistance from the Department of Social Services, the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and to evaluate and develop a plan to address any necessary improvements regarding coordination among state and federal government agencies for utility services and resources to more effectively deliver energy-efficient housing, weatherization resources, and energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least six times between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 2027. The bill specifies that such report shall include policy recommendations and a plan to ensure that weatherization-ready repairs and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits are provided to all eligible income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth residing in multifamily buildings, single-family dwellings, and manufactured homes by December 31, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 3.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

School Construction and Modernization, Commission on; revisions, elimination of sunset.

Commission on School Construction and Modernization; revisions; elimination of sunset. Eliminates the expiration date of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which, pursuant to current law, is set to expire on July 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Commission to (i) meet at least four times each year and post notice of the date, time, and location of each meeting on the central, publicly available electronic calendar maintained by the Commonwealth in accordance with applicable law; (ii) update annually the statewide needs estimate for construction and modernization of school facilities; (iii) develop and deliver by November 1, 2026, a 10-year capital roadmap; and (iv) collaborate with early childhood care and education Ready Regions and comprehensive community colleges in the Commonwealth to collect and evaluate data relating to Ready Region and comprehensive community college facility usage, availability, and needs. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in order to assist the Commission with its work, to update and make available to the Commission an inventory of all public school facilities in the Commonwealth by September 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 544.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Transmission lines, certain; Department of Transportation to identify opportunities for siting.

Policy of the Commonwealth; siting of certain new electric transmission facilities; Department of Transportation work group; report. Provides that in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, it is the policy of the Commonwealth that existing linear infrastructure corridors shall be prioritized over new corridors. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to convene a work group to identify opportunities and develop recommendations to amend regulations and permitting processes to facilitate the expedient and efficient siting of new electrical transmission infrastructure in existing state highway rights-of-way. This bill is identical to HB 889.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers, disclosure and cancellation.

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 1022.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners, court jurisdiction, constr. possession of firearms.

Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners; substantial risk factors and considerations; court jurisdiction; constructive possession of firearms; penalty. Expands the list of persons eligible to file a petition for an emergency substantial risk order. The bill provides various factors that a judge or magistrate shall consider for the purpose of determining whether to issue an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order. The bill expands court jurisdiction over substantial risk orders from circuit courts to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and general district courts and requires petitions against minors to be filed in juvenile and domestic relations district courts. The bill requires a copy of the order to be served on the parent or guardian of the minor at any address where the minor resides or the local board of social services in the case where the minor is the subject of a dependency or court-approved out-of-home placement. The bill also provides the process for which firearms not owned by the subject of a petition are returned to the lawful owner of such firearms. The bill provides that any emergency substantial risk order or substantial risk order issued remains in full force and effect pending any appeal. Lastly, the bill provides that any person that makes a materially false statement or representation to a court during the petitioning process is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 901.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Geology; added to definition of "professional services," continuing education.

Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists. Adds geology to the definition of "professional services" as used in the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The bill also eliminates the option for the Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists to waive the examination requirement for licensure as a professional geologist for an applicant who has at least 12 years of geological work. The bill also requires the Board to promulgate regulations governing continuing education requirements for geologists licensed by the Board that require the completion of eight hours annually in continuing education for any license renewal or reinstatement. This bill is identical to HB 1289.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education, discrimination, etc.

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to HB 836.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Financial institutions and services; virtual currency kiosk operators, license required, penalties.

Financial institutions and services; virtual currency kiosk operators; license required; penalties. Establishes requirements for the operation of virtual currency kiosks, as defined in the bill, including a requirement that a virtual currency kiosk operator obtain licensure with the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires operators to file annual and quarterly reports, provide certain disclosures, and take reasonable steps to detect and prevent fraud and money laundering. The bill prohibits operators from accepting transactions above specified daily and monthly limits and establishes a maximum transaction charge of 18 percent of the value of such transaction. A person who violates the bill's provisions is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation as well as the existing enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 665.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Electric cooperatives; authorized to establish and implement a virtual power plant program.

Electric utilities; virtual power plant program; electric cooperatives. Authorizes electric cooperatives to establish and implement a virtual power plant program. The bill defines a virtual power plant as an aggregation of distributed energy resources, enrolled either directly with an electric cooperative or indirectly through an aggregator, that are operated in coordination to provide one or more grid services. Under the bill, an electric cooperative may offer incentives to residential customers to purchase battery storage devices and is required to evaluate various methods to optimize demand. This bill is identical to HB 562.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Virginia Stock Corporation Act; changes to Act.

Virginia Stock Corporation Act. Makes various changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, many of which conform the Act to recent changes to the Model Business Corporation Act produced by the Corporate Laws Committee of the American Bar Association's Business Law Section. Among other things, the bill (i) addresses the authority of a board of directors to delegate authority with respect to the issuance of shares to a committee of the board and one or more of the corporation's officers, (ii) removes the requirement for the cessation of shareholder agreements when a corporation becomes a public corporation, (iii) requires a corporation to maintain in its records certain shareholder agreements, (iv) removes the requirement for a corporation to maintain its financial statements for the three most recent fiscal years, and (v) authorizes a corporation to submit a matter to a vote of its shareholders even if, after approving the matter, the board of directors determines it no longer recommends such matter. This bill is identical to HB 316.

David W. MarsdenDemocrat

Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement; mandatory waiting period. Increases the mandatory waiting period for a landlord to pursue remedies for termination of the rental agreement from five days to 14 days. The waiting period begins after a landlord serves written notice on a tenant notifying the tenant of his nonpayment of rent and of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if rent is not paid. This bill is identical to HB 15.

Aaron R. RouseDemocrat

Louisa, Town of; new charter, previous charter repealed.

Charter; Town of Louisa. Establishes a new charter for the Town of Louisa in Louisa County and repeals the current charter, which was created in 1972. The new charter sets out the organization of the town's government and contains powers typically granted to towns. This bill is identical to HB 657.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Liquefied petroleum gas fitters; service disconnection requirements, civil penalties.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; liquefied petroleum gas fitters; service disconnection requirements; civil penalties. Requires a liquefied petroleum gas fitter, within 14 days after receiving a customer's request to discontinue liquefied petroleum gas delivery service, to offer in writing to remove any remaining liquefied petroleum gas from such customer's storage tank and reimburse the customer for the cost of the removed liquefied petroleum gas at the prevailing rate, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, if a customer accepts such offer, the liquefied petroleum gas fitter shall carry out such removal and reimbursement within 30 days after such acceptance. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Tow truck drivers; prohibited acts, employing unregistered tow truck drivers.

Tow truck drivers; registration. Prohibits towing and recovery operators from employing tow truck drivers who are not registered with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, as required under current law. The bill also limits the requirement that a registered tow truck driver have his registration in his possession when driving a tow truck to when such driving is for hire.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Public school teacher licensure requirement; comprehensive review of alt. licensure pathway, report.

Department of Education; public school teacher licensure requirements; comprehensive review of alternative licensure pathways; stakeholder work group; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department) to convene a stakeholder work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the alternative licensure pathways, as that term is defined in the bill, available to public school teachers in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on improving the quality, efficacy, and outcomes of such alternative licensure pathways. The bill directs the Department to submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health (i) by October 1, 2026, an interim report on the preliminary findings and initial recommendations of the work group and (ii) by October 1, 2027, a final report on the findings and recommendations of the work group.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Intentional discharge of untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth; penalty.

Intentional discharge of untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth; civil penalty. Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $50,000 per violation for any person found to have intentionally discharged untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Electric utilities; energy storage requirements, Department of Energy to develop model ordinance.

Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission. The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to HB 895.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom(submitting to qualified voters).

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to HB 781.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Motor Vehicles, Department of; release of data to certain institutions of higher education, fee.

Department of Motor Vehicles data; certain institutions of higher education; fees. Authorizes the release of certain privileged Department of Motor Vehicles data to those institutions of higher education that have entered into an agreement with the Department to offer special license plates bearing the seal, symbol, emblem, or logotype of that institution of higher education. The bill authorizes the Department to charge a one-time fee of $10,000 from each participating institution to cover the cost of implementing the provisions of this bill. The bill limits the use of such data to surveys, marketing, and solicitations related to such institution of higher education and such purposes as are otherwise authorized in writing by the subject of the information and requires the consent of the subject of the information prior to disclosure of the information. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1226.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties.

Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to HB 662.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

License plates; use, special permit, validity period.

Use of license plates; special permit; validity period. Extends from five to 30 days the validity period of a special permit authorizing the use of license plates on a vehicle other than the vehicle for which the license plates were issued, when the vehicle for which the license plates were issued is undergoing repairs in a licensed motor vehicle dealer's repair shop and when the license plates are being used on a vehicle owned by the dealer in whose repair shop the vehicle is being repaired. The bill removes the provisions authorizing the renewal of such permit and limiting such renewals to once per permit.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

College and Career Ready Virginia Program; advisory committee and work group composition.

Department of Education; College and Career Ready Virginia Program; administration; advisory committee and work group composition. Removes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from the membership of the advisory committee and the work group that the Department of Education and the Community College System are required to establish for administration of the College and Career Ready Program pursuant to applicable law. This bill is identical to HB 1039.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Cemeteries on private property; registration by localities.

Registration by localities of cemeteries on private property. Clarifies that the requirement for the governing body of a locality to publish on its website notice of the public sale of any publicly owned property that contains a known cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial does not meet the requirement in current law for a newspaper publication of such notice. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Unemployment insurance; benefit eligibility conditions, etc.

Unemployment insurance; benefit eligibility conditions; lockout exception to labor dispute disqualification. Amends the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act's labor dispute disqualification provision to provide that a lockout by an employer shall not constitute a labor dispute and that locked-out employees who are otherwise eligible for benefits shall receive such benefits unless (i) the recognized or certified collective bargaining representative of the locked-out employees refuses to meet under reasonable conditions with the employer to discuss the issues giving rise to the lockout, (ii) there is a final adjudication under the federal National Labor Relations Act that such representative has refused to bargain in good faith with the employer, or (iii) the lockout is the direct result of such representative's violation of an existing collective bargaining agreement.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Photo speed monitoring devices; highway work zones, workers present.

Photo speed monitoring devices; highway work zones; workers present. Limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the violation.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Service employees; authority of local governments, definition.

Authority of local governments; service employees. Permits a locality to provide for certain requirements concerning successor service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor service employers retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, service employees are those who perform work in connection with the care or maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparation services at schools. The bill provides that an employer that violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetary damages. This bill is identical to HB 338.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits.

High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits; certain substitutions permitted. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute the African American History course or the Advanced Placement African American Studies course for the World History I course or the World Geography course for the purpose of satisfying the history and social studies credit requirements, provided that (i) such a course is available to the student and (ii) the student is required to complete and receive a passing score on an applicable local alternative assessment or an equivalent Board-approved assessment, in order to satisfy history and social studies credit requirements for graduation. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill and to ensure that no student who makes such a substitution is required to earn a verified credit for the World History I or World Geography course in order to graduate. This bill is identical to HB 182.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Health, Department of, and State Health Commissioner; nursing home oversight and accountability.

Department of Health; State Health Commissioner; nursing homes; periodic medical visits and resident assessments; oversight and accountability. Requires all nursing homes to notify the resident of a nursing home, the resident's family, and the Department of Health if a federally required physician visit does not take place. The bill also requires each nursing home to conduct a comprehensive assessment on an annual basis to determine each resident's needs and describe each resident's capability to perform daily life functions. Such assessments must be reviewed at least once every 92 days, and more frequently in the event of a significant change in the resident's physical or mental condition. The bill directs the Department of Health and State Health Commissioner to take steps to improve care quality, protect residents, and strengthen oversight and accountability of nursing homes in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department to enhance recruitment efforts and expand workforce capacity in the Office of Licensure and Certification, accelerate training and onboarding initiatives, and explore measures to reduce administrative burdens. The bill requires the Commissioner to submit an annual report with recommendations for continuing improvement of nursing home quality and oversight. This bill incorporates SB 555.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Alteration of suspension system and bumper heights; proof of compliance.

Alteration of suspension system and bumper heights; proof of compliance. Authorizes a court to dismiss a summons for offenses related to altering the suspension system or bumper heights of vehicles when proof of compliance is provided to the court on or before the court date.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

Electric utilities; duty to furnish adequate service, high-demand customers.

Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1151.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Alcoholic beverage control; distiller's licensees as agents of Board, sale of alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic beverage control; government stores; distiller's licensees as agents of the Board; sale of alcoholic beverages. Allows certain holders of a distiller's license appointed as agents of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to sell spirits, beer, wine, or cider for on-premises or off-premises consumption, provided that the spirits, beer, wine, or cider are manufactured within the same licensed premises or on contiguous premises of such agent licensed as a distillery, brewery, or winery. Under current law, such agents of the Board are permitted to give samples of such alcoholic beverages.The bill also increases the amount of spirits such distiller's licensees may give or sell to any person per day from three ounces to six ounces and requires such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available at all times when spirits are served. The bill provides that such food may be provided by food trucks, patrons providing their own food, or the agent of the Board and specifies that failure of such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available may result in the Board's reconsideration of the agency agreement appointing such holder of a distiller's license or its officers and employees as agents of the Board.The bill requires the Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of distiller's licensees with the provisions of this bill and report such data to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026, and again by November 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Authority to convene a stakeholders group to review the manufacturer event licenses and off-site sales privileges granted to manufacturing licensees and report its findings and any recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services no later than December 1, 2026. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2028.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Pharmacist; remote verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs.

Remote pharmacist verification and counseling in opioid treatment programs. Authorizes a pharmacist licensed in the Commonwealth to exercise verification, counseling, and supervision duties remotely when a pharmacy technician or other authorized personnel dispenses medication prescribed for the management of opioid use disorder at a federally certified opioid treatment program.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Therapeutic interchange; authorizes pharmacists to perform, adaptation of prescriptions.

Therapeutic interchange and adaptation. Authorizes pharmacists to perform therapeutic interchanges by substituting a drug with another drug in the same therapeutic class when such substitution lowers the cost or is cost-neutral to the patient or the prescribed drug is in a drug shortage and the substitution conforms to Board of Pharmacy regulations. The bill directs the Board of Pharmacy to determine which therapeutic classes of drugs shall be eligible for therapeutic interchange and which classes shall be prohibited. The bill also authorizes pharmacists to adapt prescriptions by changing the dosage form or quantity of a medication or by completing missing information on a prescription when there is evidence to support such change.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Motor Vehicles, Department of; voluntary contributions during electronic transactions.

Voluntary contributions during electronic Department of Motor Vehicles transactions. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a method by which an individual conducting certain electronic Department transactions may make a voluntary contribution to the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program. Under current law, the Department is only required to provide a method by which voluntary contributions may be made to the Virginia Donor Registry and Public Awareness Fund.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat