Bills & Legislation

Autonomous vehicles; work group to conduct an assessment of workforce impacts, etc.

Autonomous driving systems; work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation; certain assessments and stakeholders. Directs the existing work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation regarding autonomous driving systems to (i) conduct an assessment of the workforce impacts created by autonomous vehicles, including an overview of job losses and gains; (ii) identify and include stakeholders and representatives from the auto manufacturing industry and labor representatives from the passenger and product carrier business; and (iii) conduct an assessment of labor impacts created by autonomous vehicles no later than November 1, 2026.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Electric power-assisted bicycles, etc.; improving safety for operators and general public, report.

Department of Motor Vehicles; improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public; report. Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to examine and make recommendations for options and measures for improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public and submit a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation no later than November 1, 2026.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of; universal license recognition.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; universal license recognition. Reduces from three years to one year the number of years an individual is required to have held a professional or occupational license or government certification in another state in order to apply to the regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and be issued an occupational license or government certification under the universal license recognition program.

May NivarDemocrat

Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order.

Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order; Department of Medical Assistance Services. Removes the requirement of a clerk of court in a guardianship proceeding to forward a copy of an order appointing a guardian and a copy of the certificate of qualification to the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill further removes such a forwarding requirement when a guardianship is terminated or otherwise modified. This bill is identical to SB 216.

May NivarDemocrat

Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure.

Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure. Requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider or the medical care facility prearranging transport through such a provider, prior to providing such transportation services to a patient, to provide the patient or the patient's representative with a standardized disclosure form of all associated fees or other charges for which the patient will be responsible for such transportation services. The bill also requires that nonemergency medical transportation providers provide the medical care facility with the required form. Such provisions have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. Finally, effective July 1, 2026, the bill directs the Department of Health to develop and publish a standardized disclosure form on its website by October 1, 2026.

May NivarDemocrat

Zoning; high-energy users, local authority.

Zoning; high-energy users; local authority. Permits the governing body of any locality to give consideration to the adverse impacts on the electric grid caused by high-energy users, as defined in the bill, and impacts resulting from new electric infrastructure in the design of zoning ordinances and the drawing of districts. The bill also permits the governing body of any locality in Planning District 8 to consider the current availability of electric energy against the expected annual electric energy consumption of high-energy users when evaluating land use applications and zoning amendments. Finally, the bill provides that any governing body considering such an application or amendment shall require a high-energy user seeking such application or amendment to provide information regarding the projected annual electric energy usage for the project prior to consideration.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Law-enforcement officers; paid military leaves of absence.

Military leaves of absence for employees of the Commonwealth or political subdivisions; law-enforcement officers. Provides that any person who is employed by the Commonwealth or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth as a law-enforcement officer shall receive paid leaves of absence for up to 388 hours for which a leave of absence is required, during which such person is engaged in federally funded military duty, to include training duty, or is called forth by the Governor for military duty.

May NivarDemocrat

Culturally responsive & language-appropriate mental health support & services; guidance & policies.

Department of Education; culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services; guidance and policies. Requires, no later than October 1, 2027, the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and provide to each local school board guidance on the adoption of policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students in the local school division and permits any school board to develop and adopt policies in the local school division that are consistent with the guidelines adopted and provided by the Department of Education.

May NivarDemocrat

Civil litigation; suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit upon appeal.

Civil litigation; suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit upon appeal. Increases the cap currently in place for suspension bonds and irrevocable letters of credit for appellants during the pendency of an appeal of a civil action from $25 million to $50 million. The bill also requires, beginning April 1, 2031, and at each five-year interval ending on April 1 thereafter, this monetary cap to be adjusted to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Blue catfish; Marine Products Board shall establish Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification.

Marine Products Board; blue catfish; Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification. Directs the Marine Products Board to establish and maintain a voluntary Chesapeake Wild Harvest certification and labeling program for any blue catfish that is taken or caught in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries and is processed in the Commonwealth. The bill prohibits any person from labeling any product as Chesapeake Wild Harvest unless such product conforms to the provisions of the bill.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

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 SB 252.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Arts, Virginia Commission for the; revisions to duties of Commission.

Public institutions of higher education; museums and other cultural institutions; Virginia Commission for the Arts; revisions. Revises the requirements relating to the composition, administration, and duties of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, including by (i) modifying and consolidating the duties of the Commission; (ii) requiring the Governor to appoint an executive director of the Commission, as opposed to permitting the Governor to appoint a director as provided under current law; and (iii) providing that moneys in the Virginia Commission for the Arts Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of supporting initiatives relating to the duties of the Commission, as set forth in applicable law, and that expenditures and disbursements from the Fund are to be made upon written request signed by persons authorized by the executive director of the Commission. Current law requires expenditures and disbursements from the Fund to be made upon request signed by persons authorized by the Commission.

Terry G. KilgoreRepublican

Medetomidine; manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing, penalties.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing medetomidine; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture medetomidine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell medetomidine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense medetomidine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer medetomidine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Handguns in unattended motor vehicle; definitions, penalty.

Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; penalty. Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who, when leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle, fails to securely store such handgun in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle's interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding. The bill provides that such locked container includes a locked glove compartment or a locked center console. The bill contains certain exemptions, including an exemption for a person who reports the theft or loss of such firearm to a law-enforcement agency as provided in relevant law. This bill is identical to SB 496.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment center, etc.

Emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment center or to residence of the person subject to emergency custody order. Provides that transportation provided pursuant to an emergency custody order shall include, upon completion of emergency medical evaluation or treatment, transportation to an approved treatment center or to the residence of the person subject to the emergency custody order.

Joseph P. McNamaraRepublican

Substantial Risk Order Reporting System; established.

Substantial Risk Order Reporting System established. Requires the Department of State Police to establish a Substantial Risk Order Reporting System for the purpose of tracking and reporting substantial risk orders by locality and to publish such reports on a monthly basis and make such reports available to the public online. The bill provides that the Department shall remove the names and other personal identifying information from the data before the reports are published.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Driver communication improvement program; drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, etc.

Driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; education for law-enforcement officers and emergency medical services providers; educational materials for driver training schools. Requires law-enforcement officers and emergency medical service providers, as a condition of such providers' certification and recertification, to undergo education on the driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to display information about the driver communication improvement program on its website and distribute educational materials to all driver training schools licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Student-athlete name, image, and likeness deal transparency; best practices, report.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; work group; best practices for student-athlete name, image, and likeness deal transparency; report. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to convene a work group to evaluate best practices for increasing transparency in name, image, and likeness deals for student-athletes at baccalaureate public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.

JJ SinghDemocrat

High school students; completion of certain applications for student financial aid required.

School boards; high school students; establishment of certain goals for completion of certain applications for student financial aid required; provision of data and guidance relating to student financial aid applications. Requires each school board to (i) annually provide to each high school student and the parent of each high school student guidance and other informational materials on student financial aid applications, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of promoting awareness of federal and state financial aid programs, resources, eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and other processes and requirements; (ii) utilize federally available data to establish a five-year goal for encouraging and increasing the completion of student financial aid applications by high school students during the students' final school year before graduation; and (iii) annually post in a publicly accessible location on its website federally available data relating to student financial aid applications and submit to the Department of Education a report on the progress toward achieving the five-year goal established pursuant to clause (ii). The bill clarifies that nothing in the bill shall be construed to require any school board to establish a goal of universal completion of a student financial aid application prior to graduation by each high school student in the school division. The bill also prohibits any school board or employee thereof from disclosing any personally identifiable information relating to the requirements set forth in the bill to any individual or entity outside of the school division. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to provide to each school board (a) by the beginning of each school year, the website containing federally available data on the rates of completion of student financial aid applications; (b) guidance or other informational materials on student financial aid applications; and (c) guidance and other informational resources designed to support school boards in making progress toward the five-year goals established pursuant to the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Right to farm; solar panels.

Right to farm; solar panels. Adds any operation for the production of electricity from solar panels concurrent with the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl to the definition of "agricultural operation" in the Right to Farm law, which limits the circumstances under which agricultural operations may be deemed a nuisance by preventing certain actions by localities.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

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 SB 288.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Noxious weeds; amends definition, commercial viability, phase-out period, report.

Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; noxious weeds; commercial viability; report. Amends the definition of noxious weed to remove the exclusion for living plants or parts thereof that are commercially viable or commercially propagated in Virginia and removes the requirement that the Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee include in its recommendations to the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services an analysis of the current and potential in-state commercial viability of a plant species. The bill requires a plant that is designated by the Board as a noxious weed and commercially propagated in Virginia to be subject to a phase-out period of two years for grasses, forbs, and vines; four years for shrubs; and seven years for trees. The bill directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct a review of the legislative and regulatory authority of the Board pertaining to the control of noxious weeds and report his findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by November 1, 2026.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia goods, school nutrition programs, sunset.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia goods; school nutrition programs; sunset extension. Provides that, in the case of procurement of goods by manufacturers, if the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a resident of Virginia and the bid is for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia and intended for school nutrition programs, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, and is within 20 percent of such bid, such bidder for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia shall be granted the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The bill amends provisions of law providing preference for Virginia goods in procurement that are set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill extends the sunset date of these provisions to July 1, 2028.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by incarceration; Va. Longitudinal Data System.

Collection and reporting of data related to adults charged with a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or a term of imprisonment; Virginia Longitudinal Data System. Allows the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to contribute the statewide and locality-level data it collects on adults charged with criminal offenses punishable by incarceration to the Virginia Longitudinal Data System administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The bill states that any data provided that contains any personal or case identifying information shall be kept confidential and shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This bill is identical to SB 480.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Working Lands Preservation, Office of; powers and duties, small renewable energy projects fees.

Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; small renewable energy projects fees. Requires the Office of Working Lands Preservation to serve as a trustee to administer the in-lieu fees in trust for small renewable energy projects. The bill requires such fees to be used to acquire conservation easements and cover any expenses associated with acquiring such easements.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Honor Guard Grant Program; Department of Veterans Services to establish.

Department of Veterans Services; Honor Guard Grant Program established. Requires the Department of Veterans Services to establish the Honor Guard Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to veteran service organizations, defined in the bill, to offset expenses incurred by the organizations and members of the organizations' honor guards in providing honor guard burial details at the funerals of veterans in the Commonwealth, including expenses for training, transportation, food, equipment, and supplies.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

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 SB 527.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

State taxation; numerous changes to the Commonwealth's tax structure.

State taxation in the Commonwealth. Makes numerous changes to the Commonwealth's tax structure. The bill creates a new income tax bracket for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, for income in excess of $1,000,000, which is to be taxed at 7.75 percent. The bill increases the standard deduction to $10,000 for single individuals and $20,000 for married individuals beginning in taxable year 2026. The bill also increases the income tax subtraction available for military benefits from $40,000 to $60,000 for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, but before January 1, 2027. For taxable years on and after January 1, 2027, such $60,000 amount shall be adjusted annually for inflation. Under the bill, eligible low-income taxpayers may claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 25 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed by the taxpayer for the same taxable year. Current law allows such a taxpayer to claim a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the federal credit claimed by the taxpayer in the same year. The bill establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for taxpayers (i) with a Virginia adjusted gross income equal to or less than 250 percent of the poverty guidelines and (ii) eligible for a tax credit pursuant to § 36B of the Internal Revenue Code in an amount equal to 100 percent of such taxpayer's enhanced premium credit, defined in the bill. The total amount of credits allowed does not exceed $50 million per taxable year, but no credit is allowed during any taxable year in which § 36B of the Internal Revenue Code is in effect. The bill also creates a one-time tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 for taxpayers whose households include dependents younger than 6 years of age and whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, defined in the bill, does not exceed $100,000. Such credit is in an amount equal to $400 for each such dependent and only one credit may be claimed for each such dependent. The bill provides that, if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, the credit is refundable and requires the Department of Taxation to develop a process allowing taxpayers to elect to receive any such refund in multiple payments. Otherwise, the credit is nonrefundable.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility biennial rate review, reports.

State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility; 2026 biennial rate review; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to consider certain requirements in the 2026 review of the rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services by Appalachian Power. The bill directs the Commission to review the decision by Appalachian Power to satisfy its capacity obligations with the regional transmission entity through a fixed resource requirement alternative. The bill also directs the Commission to conduct a review of Appalachian Power's efforts to improve system efficiency, resilience, and reliability to address rising costs of responding to severe weather events. The bill requires the Commission to submit a report summarizing its review and providing recommendations by September 1, 2027, or to include such report as part of an existing annual report.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Sewage sludge; local authority to test and monitor land application within its political boundaries.

Local authority to test and monitor the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries. Allows a locality to provide for testing and monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as defined in relevant law, of the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries using an applicable test method established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill prohibits any expenses from such testing and monitoring from being eligible for reimbursement from the Sludge Management Fund.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Advanced leak detection technologies; SCC shall establish standards for use by certain facilities.

State Corporation Commission; pipeline leak detection and repair standards. Directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the use of pipeline leak detection technologies for intrastate natural gas distribution facilities operated by certain utilities, as informed by a federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety. The provisions of the bill and any such regulations shall expire upon the effective date of any final rule under the federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Public elementary and secondary schools & higher educational institutions; threat assessment teams.

Public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; threat assessment teams; training on emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders. Requires threat assessment teams for public elementary and secondary schools and for public institutions of higher education to receive specific education and training, within existing annual training, on the use of emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders, as set forth in relevant law.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Prior conviction; procedure for use as element of offense charged.

Procedure for use of prior conviction as element of offense charged. Establishes a procedure for using a defendant's prior conviction to prove an element of an offense charged or to enhance the punishment for the offense charged.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Underinsured motorist benefits; actions against released defendant.

Underinsured motorist benefits; actions against released defendant. Provides that any action brought by an injured person to recover underinsured motorist benefits after payment of the liability insurer's available limits is required to be brought against the released defendant by name and that the complaint is required to be served on any insurer providing underinsured motorist benefits but is not required to be served on the released defendant. Additionally, the bill provides that an underinsured motorist is presumed to have failed to reasonably cooperate in the defense of any lawsuit brought against him if he fails or refuses to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice after the underinsured motorist benefits insurer is served with any lawsuit and again prior to his deposition and trial. Under current law, such presumption is based on such underinsured motorist's failure or refusal to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice within 21 days of being served with any lawsuit and again prior to deposition or trial.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers.

Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers. Authorizes localities to create a regional authority to operate and manage emergency communication services including public safety answering points. The bill authorizes such authorities to employ or contract for personnel, acquire and manage property, enter into agreements, and receive and expend funds, and requires compliance with the standards of the 9-1-1 Services Board.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation.

Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, generation, and storage. Requires American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to each petition the State Corporation Commission by December 31, 2026, to conduct a pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation, and energy storage resources for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals. The bill directs the Commission to convene a technical conference to evaluate the creation of an energy efficiency program meeting certain requirements by November 1, 2026. Under the bill, if the Commission determines that such a program is feasible for implementation by American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia, the Commission shall require such utilities to petition for approval by May 1, 2027, to implement such programs. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 327.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Opioid antagonist; distribution program, reports.

Department of Health; opioid antagonist distribution program; reports. Directs the Department of Health to maintain a list of agencies and organizations that submit requests for and receive opioid antagonists through its distribution program and requires the Department to submit a quarterly report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the chair of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on its distribution of opioid antagonists. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1 of each year estimating the costs of the opioid antagonist distribution program for the following fiscal year using a methodology developed by the Department pursuant to parameters set out in the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Industrial development authorities; housing allowed in certain localities.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

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

Charter; Town of Chatham. Amends the charter for the Town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County by updating or removing outdated provisions. This bill is identical to SB 127.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Foster and adoptive homes; barrier crimes, exceptions.

Foster and adoptive homes; barrier crimes; exceptions. Consolidates existing barrier crime exceptions for foster or adoptive homes, including kinship foster homes, and establishes new barrier crime exceptions for certain drug offenses.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Va. Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license.

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license. Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue an annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license to persons operating food concessions at any performing arts facility located in the City of Richmond, provided that the performing arts facility (i) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement, the original term of which was more than five years; (ii) has a capacity in excess of 400 patrons; (iii) has either been rehabilitated in accordance with historic preservation standards or has been in continuous operation for a period of at least 10 years at the same location and is located in the TOD-1 transit-oriented nodal district; and (iv) has monthly gross receipts from the sale of food cooked, or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises that meet or exceed the monthly minimum established by Board regulations for mixed beverage restaurants. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2027.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

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

Department of Veterans Services; Virginia War Memorial division. Clarifies that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall provide supervision of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation and any other nonprofit corporation established as an instrumentality to provide fundraising for the Memorial and assist in the details of administering the affairs of the Memorial as delineated by memoranda of understanding. This bill is identical to SB 112.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

DOC; powers and duties of Director, Virginia Prison Education Task Force established, report.

Department of Corrections; functional literacy program for incarcerated individuals; Virginia Prison Education Task Force established; report. Requires the Superintendent employed by the Director of Corrections to (i) by January 1, 2027, develop a functional literacy program for inmates testing below at least an eighth grade level, instead of a twelfth grade level as required by current law, and include in such program evidence-based literacy instruction, as defined in accordance with applicable law; (iii) share data with (a) the state entity that oversees the management, direction, and governance of the Commonwealth's education and workforce data for the purpose of developing educational, health, social service, and employment outcome data and improving the efficacy of state services and (b) the Virginia Community College System necessary for comprehensive community colleges to apply for and maintain eligibility as Federal Pell Grant-eligible prison education programs; and (iv) track and publicly report at least annually the number of incarcerated individuals eligible for, enrolled in, and waitlisted for the literacy and education programs. The bill also establishes the Virginia Prison Education Task Force for the purpose of implementing a consistent education program across all state correctional facilities operated by the Department. The bill requires the Task Force to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on its activities, findings, and recommendations by November 1, 2026. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to, by November 1, 2026, (a) review and update the salary schedules for teachers licensed by the Board of Education and employed by the Department of Corrections to provide instruction in the schools of the correctional centers to be competitive with those in effect for the school division in which the correctional facility is located and (b) make recommendations for the inclusion of such teacher salary increases in the appropriation act.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement, re-roofing.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement; re-roofing. Excludes re-roofing that does not involve modification to the structure from the prohibition on using cooperative procurement to purchase construction.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

VCU Health System Authority; changes relating to board of directors and chief executive officer.

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the boards of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (v) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (vi) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to SB 431.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

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 SB 439.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

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 SB 282.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

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.

Tony O. WiltRepublican

Part-time or adjunct instructor in public schools; locally awarded subject matter expert credential.

Part-time or adjunct instructors in public schools; locally awarded subject matter expert credentials; career and technical education subjects or courses. Establishes, enumerates criteria for, and permits a division superintendent or a comprehensive community college to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, valid for a period of one year, to any individual who demonstrates expertise in content or subject matter area relating to career and technical education in order for such individual to provide instruction or coursework in one career and technical education course per semester in grades six through 12 at any public school in the Commonwealth or comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses. The bill delineates the criteria for issuance of such locally awarded subject matter expert credential. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the employment of individuals under a locally awarded subject matter expert credential, including (i) permitting any school division or institution of higher education to hire any such individual as a part-time or adjunct instructor to teach a career and technical education subject or course; (ii) requiring any such individual to be subject to a background clearance check and the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements required as a condition of employment of any applicant who is offered or accepts employment at a school division pursuant to applicable law; (iii) requiring each employing school board to assign an individual employed by such school board as a mentor to supervise any individual issued a locally awarded subject matter expert credential; and (iv) permitting any division superintendent to renew an individual's locally awarded subject matter expert credential for a period not to exceed one additional year, provided that such individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations. Finally, the bill requires each school board to annually report to the Department of Education the number of locally awarded subject matter expert credentials issued pursuant to the provisions of the bill.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican

Foreign-trained chiropractors; licensure by endorsement.

Foreign-trained chiropractors; licensure by endorsement. Permits the Board of Medicine to issue a license to practice chiropractic to a foreign-trained chiropractor who meets certain requirements.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican