Bills & Legislation

Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.

Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement. Removes the authority to make commitments related to accelerated permitting, property tax classifications, and other such issues in an agreement between a qualified company and a locality for purposes of the Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Coastal storm risk management; Off. of Commonwealth Resilience to study cost of feasibility study.

Coastal storm risk management; Office of Commonwealth Resilience to study costs of feasibility studies; report. Directs the Office of Commonwealth Resilience to conduct a study to (i) examine the methodologies and criteria, if any, that other states in the United States use to apportion responsibility between the state and the participating localities for that portion of the cost of coastal storm risk management (CSRM) feasibility studies and plan implementation for which the nonfederal sponsor is responsible and (ii) develop a recommended methodology and associated criteria for apportioning responsibility of the same for CSRM feasibility studies and plan implementation in Virginia. The bill directs the Office of Commonwealth Resilience to complete its work no later than November 30, 2026, and the Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth to submit a report of the findings and recommendations of the study to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2026.

Phil M. HernandezDemocrat

Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training.

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

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials.

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. Makes several changes relating to the textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials that are utilized as the curriculum basis for public elementary and secondary school student instruction, including (i) defining such term for the purpose of various laws and regulations relating to approval, procurement, and no-cost provision of such materials; (ii) requiring each local school board to adopt and implement textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials in English language arts for grades six through 12 and mathematics, science, and history and social studies for grades kindergarten through 12 and requiring the Department of Education to support such local adoption and implementation in several ways, including by consolidating and simplifying the applications for all state and federal programs that provide funding to local school boards into a single application; and (iii) requiring each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education with an endorsement in early/primary education preschool through grade three, elementary education preschool through grade six, middle education grades six through eight, and secondary education grades six through 12 to include a program of coursework and clinical experience and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in identifying and implementing textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials.

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Guidelines and policies on school-connected overdose; response and parental notification.

Guidelines and policies on school-connected overdose; response and parental notification. Adjusts the contents of the guidelines that the Board of Education is required to establish for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies by requiring such guidelines to include guidance and model language for the development and implementation of a policy requiring each school board to provide within 24 hours of any school-connected overdose notification to the parent of each student within the local school division and criteria for ensuring sensitivity to the privacy interests of affected individuals in issuing such notification. The bill also requires each school board to notify the parent of each student in the local school division of any school-connected overdose within 24 hours of the overdose occurring in accordance with the guidance and criteria provided by the Board of Education.

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials.

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials.

Kelly K. Convirs-FowlerDemocrat

Judges; increases maximum number in general district court in Ninth Judicial District.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases from three to four the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Ninth Judicial District. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts.

W. Chad GreenRepublican

HHR, Secretary of; Pharmacy Benefits Manager & Third-Party Administrator Oversight Work Group.

Secretary of Health and Human Resources; Pharmacy Benefits Manager and Third-Party Administrator Oversight Work Group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, in consultation with the Attorney General, to convene the Pharmacy Benefits Manager and Third-Party Administrator Oversight Work Group to examine the impact of Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, 141 S. Ct. 474 (2020), and to formulate legislative recommendations for reducing prescription drug costs, minimizing health care expenses, reducing bureaucratic impediments to affordable health care, enhancing transparency, and improving overall health outcomes for residents of the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Work Group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Admission to bail; creates rebuttable presumptions against bail.

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

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation.

Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to convene a stakeholder advisory group to evaluate changes to the Uniform Statewide Building Code addressing temperature regulation. The stakeholder group shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than November 1, 2025.

Karen Keys-GamarraDemocrat

Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; algorithmic device services or products prohibited.

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.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Unauthorized use of voice or likeness; punitive damages, statute of limitations.

Unauthorized use of voice or likeness; punitive damages; statute of limitations. Expands the existing ability for any person to maintain a suit in equity, including the accompanying remedies available and statute of limitations, for the unauthorized use of his name, portrait, or picture for advertising purposes or for the purposes of trade to include the unauthorized use of his voice or likeness.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

State Government Internship Coordinator; DHRM to establish and employ.

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 to serve the Commonwealth as employees upon the conclusion of the internship and the intern's education. 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.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation; review process.

Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation; review process. Prohibits a police officer from being discharged, disciplined, or threatened with discharge or discipline solely due to the designation of such police officer as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation. The bill defines "Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation" as a determination that is made by or a designation that is created by the attorney for the Commonwealth relating to a law-enforcement officer who is believed to have given inconsistent statements or otherwise engaged in conduct that meets the requirements for disclosure in a criminal prosecution according to the Constitution of the United States. The bill also provides for a review of the attorney for the Commonwealth's decision by the circuit court when a law-enforcement officer is designated as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation within certain time frames specified in the bill. Finally, the bill contains a retroactivity provision that applies the notice and appeal process created in the bill to any law-enforcement officer designated as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation prior to July 1, 2025.

Russet PerryDemocrat

School-connected overdoses; policies relating to parental notification and response, requirements.

School-connected overdoses; policies relating to parental notification and response; requirements. Expands current law relating to school-connected overdose parental notification and response policies by, in addition to requiring the Board of Education to establish guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies, requiring (i) each division superintendent or his designee to notify the parent of each student in the local school division of any suspected school-connected overdose, with school-connected overdose defined as any verified overdose that occurs on school premises during or after regular school hours or during school-sanctioned activities whether on or off school premises, within 24 hours of learning of the suspected overdose and requiring such notification to include as much information as is known about the circumstances surrounding the suspected overdose, to the extent that the disclosure of any such information is not prohibited by any applicable laws, rules, or regulations relating to the disclosure and protection of a minor's personal, confidential, or otherwise sensitive information, and (ii) each local school board to adopt, implement, and maintain policies consistent with the provisions of the bill and the guidelines developed by the Board of Education.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Subsidized Work Experience Program; established.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; Subsidized Work Experience Program established. Establishes the Subsidized Work Experience Program (SWEP) for persons who are otherwise eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The bill directs the Department of Social Services to conduct SWEP and assign SWEP participants as volunteers to agencies, community organizations, and educational institutions. The bill also directs the Department to promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of SWEP.

Emily M. JordanRepublican

Supplemental payment to Medicaid member for transportation DMAS to seek fed. authority to provide.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; supplemental payment for transportation. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek federal authority to provide supplemental payments to Medicaid members to be used for transportation to medical appointments when other transportation options are not available.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Conveyance or assumption; certain restrictions prohibited.

Certain restrictions on conveyance or assumption; prohibited. Prohibits the holder of the obligation secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on certain residential real estate from imposing, agreeing to, or enforcing a legal restriction on conveyance or restriction on the assumption of a residential mortgage or deed of trust. The bill requires a holder, if a mortgage or deed of trust requires approval of the holder for a conveyance or assumption, to approve the sale or transfer of all or part of the encumbered property, or the sale or transfer of a beneficial interest in a trust all or part of the property, if (i) at least one of the people acquiring ownership is determined to be creditworthy under generally accepted mortgage underwriting standards; (ii) the seller retains an ownership interest in the property; or (iii) the transfer is by devise or descent. The bill provides that legal restrictions on conveyance are acceptable if the restriction is part of an eligible governmental or nonprofit program if the program is designed to assist the purchase of low-income or moderate-income housing.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty.

Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least two months' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent, and states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year. The bill requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality to establish an anti-rent gouging board to establish rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance or delegate such duties and functions to an existing local board, department, or agency. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Food packaging, certain; uniform labeling requirements.

Uniform labeling requirements for certain food packaging. Prohibits the use of a sell-by date on a label affixed to a food product that is manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. The bill instead requires a person selling or offering for sale such food product to use on the outside packaging or container of such food product the phrase "Best if Used by," "Best if Used or Frozen by," "Use by," or "Use by or Freeze by" or its associated abbreviations, as provided in the bill. The bill exempts from its provisions infant formula, eggs, including pasteurized in-shell eggs, beer or other malt beverages, certain shellfish, and any food that is required by law or regulation to bear a label indicating a date or time such food must be consumed, sold, or discarded. The bill maintains a person's discretion to use a quality date or safety date that is not otherwise required by law; however, the bill requires use of the specified label if a person chooses to include such a label on the food product. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Online marketplace; establishes requirements for high-volume third-party sellers.

Online marketplace; high-volume third-party sellers. Establishes requirements for high-volume third-party sellers, defined in the bill as participants in an online marketplace that have entered into at least 200 discrete sales or transactions for 12 continuous months during the past 24 months resulting in accumulation of an aggregate total of $5,000 or more in gross revenues. The bill requires an online marketplace to (i) require high-volume third-party sellers to provide identifying and contact information to the online marketplace; (ii) verify the information provided by a high-volume third-party seller within 10 days of receipt; and (iii) require that high-volume third-party sellers make certain conspicuous disclosures to consumers on their product listing pages, with certain limited exceptions. The bill provides that the Attorney General has the exclusive authority to enforce its provisions and authorizes the Attorney General to seek an injunction to restrain any violations of the bill and seek civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation. The bill also makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act for any supplier in connection with a consumer transaction to sell, offer for sale, or facilitate the sale, including through an online marketplace platform or other online website or through the supplier's warehouse or distribution center, of stolen goods.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products.

Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product.

Tony O. WiltRepublican

Emergency services and disaster law; prohibition on media paywalls during states of emergency.

Emergency services and disaster law; prohibition on media paywalls during states of emergency. Provides that in any case in which the Governor declares a state of emergency, no digital media outlet operating in the Commonwealth shall operate behind a paywall or collect personal information from users who seek access to digital media regarding the subject matter of any declared state of emergency while such state of emergency is in effect.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Local school boards; powers and duties, binding arbitration agreements.

Local school boards; powers and duties; binding arbitration agreements. Permits any school board to enter into a written agreement to submit any existing controversy to binding arbitration and to execute a contract, including a collective bargaining agreement, that contains a provision to submit to binding arbitration any controversy arising thereunder. This bill is incorporated into SB 917.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Registration of lobbyists & conflict of interest; disclosure by those making political contribution.

Registration of lobbyists and conflict of interest; disclosure by those making political contributions. Requires any person who makes or anticipates making contributions in the aggregate during a calendar year of $1 million or more to candidates for office or political committees to register as a lobbyist and make disclosures of his personal financial interests.

David W. MarsdenDemocrat

Judges; increases maximum number in general district court in the Thirty-first Judicial District.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases from five to six the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Thirty-first Judicial District. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts.

Luke E. TorianDemocrat

Military and emergency laws; acquisition of land adjacent to a military base.

Military and emergency laws; acquisition of land adjacent to a military base. Provides that no person shall purchase, acquire, lease, or hold any interest in land adjacent to a military base in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2026, unless such purchase, acquisition, lease, or holding of interest complies with the provisions of 50 U.S.C. § 4565.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Consumer-directed services employees; removal of limitation on hours worked per day.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; consumer-directed services employees; removal of limitation on hours worked per day. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend regulations related to community waiver services for individuals with developmental disabilities to remove the limitation that consumer-directed services employees shall work no more than 16 hours per day. The bill directs the Department to seek all necessary federal approval to effectuate such change.

David R. SuetterleinRepublican

Disaster Assistance Fund; established.

Disaster Assistance Fund; established. Establishes the Disaster Assistance Fund for the purpose of addressing life, safety, and housing costs related to a disaster that are not covered by any form of federal assistance, private donations, or insurance. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund require authorization by the General Assembly. In addition to all other appropriations to the Fund, the bill also directs proceeds generated from the Commonwealth's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction that occurred in December 2023 and deposited into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Fund with the Department of Environmental Quality and all interest accrued to such fund.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

School of Dentistry of Virginia Commonwealth University; efficacy of expanding facilities, report.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; School of Dentistry of Virginia Commonwealth University; efficacy of expanding facilities; study; report. Directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to, in consultation with the entities set forth in the bill, study and submit to the Governor, the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations, and the House Committees on Education and Appropriations by November 1, 2025, a report on the efficacy of expanding the School of Dentistry of Virginia Commonwealth University's facilities into a building owned by the Commonwealth located in Southern Virginia.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Department of Labor and Industry; work group to evaluate workplace violence.

Department of Labor and Industry; work group to evaluate workplace violence. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a work group for the purpose of evaluating the prevalence of workplace violence in the Commonwealth, including its effects on the workplace and measures to address workplace violence. The bill requires the work group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor no later than December 1, 2026.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Virginia Workforce Housing Assistance Program; established, report.

Virginia Workforce Housing Assistance Program; report. Establishes the Virginia Workforce Housing Assistance Program to provide grants to eligible employers, defined in the bill, that set up housing down payment assistance programs for employees in amounts equal to the lesser of 15 percent of housing down payment assistance expenses incurred by an eligible employer during the fiscal year or $50,000. The bill specifies that an eligible employer may only receive grants in the aggregate of up to $150,000 across all fiscal years or $250,000 for housing down payment assistance expenses incurred for employees in certain fiscally stressed localities. The bill provides that the Program be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development in coordination with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Virginia Housing Trust Fund; creation and management.

Virginia Housing Trust Fund; creation and management. Provides that the Department of Housing and Community Development (the Department) shall use at least 65 percent of the moneys from the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (the Fund) to provide flexible financing for low-interest loans through eligible organizations and up to 35 percent of the moneys from the Fund to provide grants through eligible organizations for targeted efforts to reduce homelessness. Under current law, the Department is required to use at least 80 percent of the moneys from the Fund to provide flexible financing for low-interest loans and up to 20 percent of the moneys from the Fund to provide grants for targeted efforts to reduce homelessness.

Emily M. JordanRepublican

Elementary/secondary schools; Va. Com. on youth to study policies to support student mental health.

Study; Virginia Commission on Youth; policies to support student mental health in Virginia's elementary and secondary schools; report. Directs the Virginia Commission on Youth to undertake a study on policies to support student mental health in Virginia's elementary and secondary schools, with a focus on improving funding and other resources, training and professional development, partnerships with health services, curriculum development, research and evaluation, and public awareness campaigns. The Behavioral Health Commission, along with the staffs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, are directed to provide assistance to the Commission during the course of the two-year study.

Marty MartinezDemocrat

Consumer Data Protection Act; protections for children.

Consumer Data Protection Act; protections for children. Requires a controller or processor to obtain verifiable parental consent, defined in the bill, prior to registering any child with the controller's or processor's product or service or before collecting, using, or disclosing such child's personal data. The bill also amends the definition of child for purposes of the Consumer Data Protection Act to include any natural person younger than 18 years of age.

David R. SuetterleinRepublican

Single family homes; prohibited acquisition, civil penalty.

Prohibited acquisition of single family homes; affidavit; civil penalty. Restricts any partnership, corporation, or real estate investment trust that manages funds pooled from investors; is a fiduciary to such investors; has net value or assets under management on any day during a taxable year; and holds an interest in more than fifty single-family homes from acquiring any interest in any other single-family home, as defined in the bill to include manufactured home parks and single family-residential duplexes, on or after July 1, 2025. The bill also requires an offering purchaser of a manufactured home park to provide a notarized affidavit certifying that the purchaser is not prohibited from acquiring such an interest. Any false statements on such affidavit shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per occurrence for deposit into the Revolving Loan Fund for the Purchase of Manufactured Home Parks pursuant to the appropriation act.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; disclosure of digital assets.

Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; disclosure of digital assets. Directs the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council to require the disclosure of digital assets on the Statement of Economic Interests form. The bill defines "digital assets" to mean any digital representation of value recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger or similar technology.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program; established, report.

Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall provide grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. The bill requires the Department to report annually, beginning November 1, 2026, to the Governor and the General Assembly information regarding a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

Migration of individuals age 60 & older; JLARC to study causation and resulting impact.

Study; JLARC; causation and resulting impact of the migration of individuals age 60 and older out of the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to identify causes of the migration of individuals age 60 and older out of the Commonwealth of Virginia, determine the impact of the migration of such individuals to the Commonwealth, and provide recommendations to address such causes. The resolution directs JLARC to report its findings by the first day of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Rozia A. Henson, Jr.Democrat

Assisted living facility administrators; Joint Commission on Health Care to study licensure.

Joint Commission on Health Care; licensure of assisted living facility administrators; study; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to conduct a study on licensure of assisted living facility administrators. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

Local & Regional jails, St. Bd.; standards/regulations for pregnant/postpartum incarcerated person

State Board of Local and Regional Jails; work group to review standards and regulations for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated persons in local and regional correctional facilities; report. Directs the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to convene a work group to conduct a review of existing standards for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated persons in local and regional correctional facilities and to develop recommendations for new standards and recommendations for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated persons by considering certain best practices. The bill requires the work group to report such findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees for Courts of Justice, the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and the House Committee on Public Safety by July 1, 2026, and to adopt regulations consistent with such findings and recommendations by December 1, 2027.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Conflict of Interests Act, State and Local Government, etc.; annual filing of disclosure statements.

State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act and the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act; deadline for annual filing of disclosure statements; deadline for public disclosure. Changes the filing deadline for statements of economic interests and financial disclosure statements from February 1 to December 15. The bill requires the forms to be made public within 30 days of the filing deadline; currently, this is required within six weeks of the filing deadline.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Transportation network companies; establishes minimum compensation.

Transportation network companies; minimum compensation. Establishes minimum compensation rates for TNC partners. The bill also prohibits gratuities from passengers from being included in TNC partner compensation calculations, authorizes TNC partners to collect gratuity in cash or electronically, and prohibits transportation network companies from limiting the amount that can be paid as gratuity through such companies' digital platforms.

Saddam Azlan SalimDemocrat

Gas pipeline safety; regulations.

Gas pipeline safety; regulations. Requires that for pipeline facilities used in the interstate transport of gas, as defined in federal regulations, any gas transported in transmission lines in the Commonwealth shall be adequately odorized, with an exception for certain pipelines in operation before May 5, 1975. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations related to the provisions of the bill.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Waterworks; mandatory reporting of anomalies, negligence.

Department of Health; waterworks; mandatory reporting of anomalies; negligence. Requires owners of waterworks to report any operational anomaly that could affect water quality, public health, or service continuity to the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water (the Office) within 24 hours of discovery. The bill requires any critical equipment failure, including a pump failure or any other malfunction that poses an immediate risk to public health or disrupts water service to be reported to the Office within six hours of discovery. Under the bill, failure to comply with the reporting requirements constitutes negligence and failure to comply with the critical equipment failure reporting requirements constitutes gross negligence.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

Students with individualized education programs or Section 504 Plans; emergency protocol and guide.

Students with individualized education programs or Section 504 Plans; emergency protocol and guide. Requires each individualized education program implemented for a public school student with a disability in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and each Section 504 Plan implemented for a public school student in accordance with § 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to contain an addendum that has been reviewed and signed by the student's parent and that includes a protocol for individualized accommodations and supports for the student during emergency situations at school and a step-by-step guide on how to execute such protocol. The bill requires such addendum to be provided to all of such student's teachers for implementation.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Higher educational institutions, public; certain transfer credit policy prohibited.

Public institutions of higher education; certain transfer credit policy prohibited. Prohibits any public institution of higher education from adopting or implementing any policy that denies credit to transfer students based solely on the sending institution's accreditor, as long as such accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Direct experience recruitment policy; DHRM to develop a statewide policy.

Department of Human Resource Management; direct experience recruitment policy. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to develop a statewide direct experience recruitment policy designed to provide guidance to state agencies on how to remove postsecondary degree requirements from hiring considerations, defined in the bill. The bill prohibits state agencies from rejecting applicants for job positions solely on the basis of the applicant lacking a postsecondary degree unless the agency substantiates in the job posting and to the Department the necessity of including a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement, defined in the bill. Finally, the bill requires each state agency to provide a detailed quarterly report to the Department regarding the baseline requirements of its job postings.

James A. "Jay" LeftwichRepublican