Bills & Legislation

Local approval of data centers; temporary moratorium.

Local approval of data centers; temporary moratorium. Prohibits final approval of any application for a rezoning, special exception, special use permit, site plan, or plan of development for the siting of a new data center by a locality until the earlier of (i) the fulfillment of all pending requests for interconnection to distribution service by an electric utility customer that is a data center or (ii) July 1, 2028.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Uniform Statewide Building Code; regulations superseded, exceptions, interpretations, report.

Uniform Statewide Building Code; regulations superseded; exceptions; interpretations; report. Removes existing exceptions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code and establishes a process by which counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions may petition the State Building Code Technical Review Board (the Review Board) to grant single project exceptions. The bill requires the Review Board, in granting approval for an exception, to identify other counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions of the Commonwealth in which the conditions are substantially similar and to which such exception shall therefore apply. The bill additionally requires the Review Board to report to the General Assembly annually no later than November 1 regarding the number of petitions received, the disposition of such petitions, technical findings supporting approvals and denials, and the cost and safety impacts of any approved exception. The bill requires any interpretation issued by the Review Board to apply statewide. Finally, the bill directs the Board of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, to establish a training program for local plan reviewers and inspectors to ensure enforcement of the Uniform Statewide Building Code is uniform across the Commonwealth.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

VSP; responsible for investigating alleged serious violent incident resulting in death of an inmate.

Department of Corrections; investigations of violent incidents. Designates the Department of State Police as the law-enforcement agency responsible for investigating (i) alleged serious violent incidents that result in the death of either an inmate or officer and (ii) alleged or suspected incidents of inmate suicide.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act; Auditor of Public Accounts.

Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act; Auditor of Public Accounts. Adds the Auditor of Public Accounts to the definition of "appropriate authority" for purposes of whistle blower reporting pursuant to the Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act. The bill also requires additional notice and posting requirements related to the Act for local governments. Finally, the bill grants authority to the Auditor of Public Accounts to perform any type of audit, review, or investigation of the accounts and records of a locality that may be required pursuant to the Act.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Notaries; altered documents name across instruments.

Notaries; altered documents; name across instruments. Provides that a notary shall not affix an official signature or seal on a notarial certificate that is altered. The bill further provides that the name associated with the commissioned notary shall be the same on and across such notary's signature, certificate, seal, and any other document or instrument requiring such notary's name and information.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Standby generators; DEQ shall conduct a study of generators used by by commercial facilities, etc.

Department of Environmental Quality; standby generators study; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a one-year study of all standby generators used by a commercial facility with an air permit in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the study to (i) identify commercial facilities with an air permit that use standby generators, (ii) identify the type of pollutants emitted from such standby generators, and (iii) analyze and describe the amount of pollutants from such standby generators. The Department is required to report its 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 July 1, 2027.

Elizabeth R. GuzmanDemocrat

Felonies; limitation on prosecution due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause.

Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; misdemeanors; exceptions; retaining counsel. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for the accused to retain private counsel or have counsel appointed to him pursuant to relevant law. The bill requires the court to conduct, not more than 30 days apart, reviews of the accused's attorney status and provides that such tolling shall end when the accused has either retained counsel or had counsel appointed to him and such counsel has entered an appearance in the case or the accused executes a valid waiver of counsel. Lastly, the bill provides that such provisions shall not be construed as ending the tolling of speedy trial for any other reason pursuant to relevant law.

Martin E. WilliamsRepublican

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

Educational and cultural institutions; Recognition and restoration of status of Hampton University as a land-grant university; Hampton University Land-Grant Restoration Fund established; requirements.

Jeion A. WardDemocrat

Court of Appeals of Virginia; maximum number of judges, summary disposition of certain civil cases.

Maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearings en banc; summary disposition of certain civil cases. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill provides that the Supreme Court of Virginia shall prescribe by rule the number of judges needed for the Court of Appeals to sit en banc, and that such number shall not be fewer than 13 judges. Additionally, the bill permits the Court of Appeals to summarily affirm the decision below in certain civil cases.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Higher educational institutions, public; restrictions on student speech, limitations.

Public institutions of higher education; students and campus; restrictions on student speech; limitations. Clarifies the requirements for and limitations on the ability of a public institution of higher education to impose restrictions on the time, place, or manner of student speech that occurs in outdoor areas of the institution's campus and is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by (i) clarifying the criteria for demonstrating that the restriction is permissible; (ii) prohibiting any public institution of higher education from imposing certain restrictions, punishments, policies, or restraints designed to restrict student speech in ways that violate the First Amendment rights of students, faculty, and staff; and (iii) requiring any public institution of higher education that deems any student speech or assembly unlawful and imposes a restriction on the time, place, or manner of such speech to submit to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education within 45 days of imposing such restriction a report detailing the justification for such restriction, demonstrating how the restriction satisfies the criteria required pursuant to applicable law and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Virginia Fungi Task Force; established, report.

Virginia Fungi Task Force established; report. Requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish the Virginia Fungi Task Force to assess, categorize, and protect the Commonwealth's natural fungi species and explore the economic potential of fungi. The bill directs the Task Force to develop recommendations to (i) conduct a gap analysis and needs assessment on the Commonwealth's natural fungi species; (ii) identify economic development opportunities for fungi; (iii) build a Virginia database of native and invasive fungi species; (iv) conduct statewide fungal monitoring and research; (v) support forest health, agriculture, and water quality in the Commonwealth; (vi) provide guidance on toxic mushrooms and public safety; and (vii) build public education and identification resources on fungi in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to report its initial findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources and the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1, 2027, and update such report at least every five years.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Blue catfish; marketing & production, Marine Prod. Board to establish full-time equivalent position.

Powers and duties of the Marine Products Board; full-time equivalent position established; marketing and production of blue catfish. Directs the Marine Products Board to establish a full-time equivalent position to identify grants and other funding opportunities for the marketing and production of blue catfish in the Commonwealth and disburse moneys from such grants and funds.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Gov't efficiency; agency reporting requirement, etc., jt. subcom. on Gov't. Efficiency established.

Government efficiency; agency reporting requirements; healthcare financing reform; Interagency Health Financing Task Force; managed care organization performance review; housing regulatory review; procurement reform; technology consolidation; real property management; personnel efficiency; federal funding contingency; establishment of the Joint Subcommittee on Government Efficiency; data integration and transparency.

Martin E. WilliamsRepublican

Health care facilities; SHHR to study impact of private equity on health care.

Secretary of Health and Human Resources; private equity ownership of health care facilities; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources (the Secretary) to convene a work group to study the impact of private equity on health care. The bill requires the Secretary to submit a report on the work group's 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, 2026.

Mark C. DowneyDemocrat

Warehouse employers; required disclosures and recordkeeping, civil penalties.

Labor and employment; warehouse employers; required disclosures and recordkeeping; civil penalties. Requires each employer of 500 or more warehouse employees in the Commonwealth to provide a written description of each quota to which an employee is subject, any incentive or bonus associated with meeting the quota, and any potential adverse employment action that may result from failure to meet the quota. Such employers are also required to disclose the use of an automated or algorithmic management system to monitor or evaluate employee performance. Under the bill, the time periods in quotas must account for relevant standards for meal periods, rest periods, bathroom access, or workplace safety. The bill also requires such employers to keep records of each employee's work-speed data, aggregate work-speed data, and written quota disclosures provided to employees. The bill prohibits retaliatory action against an employee for requesting information, making a good faith complaint, or participating in an investigation and includes a rebuttable presumption that any adverse employment action taken within 90 days of such conduct is retaliatory. Provisions of the bill are enforceable by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry under existing provisions to enforce and remedy safety and health violations.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Marijuana or marijuana products; underage possession, consequences, procedures.

Underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products; consequences; procedures. Reduces the penalties for underage consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages or marijuana or marijuana products to a written warning for a first violation, a written warning and the provision of informational materials about how to access community services for a second violation, and a write-up and an optional referral for accessing community services for a third or subsequent violation. Under current law, underage consumption, purchase, or possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor with a period of license suspension and an option for a deferred dismissal in certain circumstances. The current penalties for underage consumption or possession of marijuana or marijuana products is a civil penalty of $25 and an order to enter a substance abuse treatment or education program. The bill also provides that such underage persons are not capable of giving lawful consent to a search and that the unconcealed possession of an alcoholic beverage or marijuana or marijuana products shall not constitute probable cause to initiate a search of a person or that person's personal property to determine any further violations of law. The bill specifies that such underage persons shall not be subject to arrest or otherwise detained or taken into custody by a law-enforcement officer and that a law-enforcement officer's body-worn camera system shall be activated during any encounter involving an underage person suspected to be in violation of such provisions. The bill also puts limits on the dissemination and retention of any law-enforcement records related to violations of such provisions.

Leslie Chambers MehtaDemocrat

Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry, performance bond.

Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry; performance bond. Removes the requirement for a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (VESMP) authority to have a performance bond with surety, cash escrow, letter of credit, any combination thereof, or such other legal arrangement in order to enter any establishment or upon any property, public or private, for the purpose of initiating or maintaining appropriate actions that are required by conditions imposed by the VESMP authority on a land-disturbing activity when an owner, after proper notice, has failed to take acceptable action within the time specified.

Nicole ColeDemocrat

Residential development; authorizes any locality to impose impact fees.

Impact fees; residential development. Authorizes any locality to impose impact fees on certain residential developments in order to defray the costs of constructing public facilities necessitated by those developments. Under current law, such impact fees have limited applicability and may be imposed only by those counties that have established urban transportation service districts. The bill also deletes provisions of current law that narrow the scope of included public facilities for localities in the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Rae CousinsDemocrat

Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing.

Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing. Requires the Department of General Services to determine whether, following an offer of surplus property to the chief administrative officer of the locality within which the surplus property is located, as well as to any economic development entity for such locality, such surplus property is suitable for the development of affordable housing, as defined by the bill. If the Department so determines, the bill provides that such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to eligible organizations, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of developing affordable housing, provided that the terms of the disposition include a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years. The bill also requires the chief administrative officer of each locality to prepare and maintain an inventory of all real property within its jurisdiction to which the locality holds fee simple title and that the locality has determined to be feasible for the development of affordable and middle-income housing. If the governing body of a locality chooses to dispose of such a property, such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to public or private entities, for the purpose of developing affordable and middle-income housing, through purchase, lease, exchange, or donation in return for a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Alcoholic beverage control; definitions, designer and vintage spirit bottles.

Alcoholic beverage control; definitions; designer and vintage spirit bottles. Defines, for the purposes of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, "designer spirit bottle" and "vintage spirit bottle."

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Onsite sewage system designs; Board of Health to establish a pre-certified library of designs, etc.

Department of Health; Board of Health; powers and duties; onsite sewage system designs. Directs the Board of Health to establish and maintain a pre-certified library of engineered onsite sewage system designs that may be used by right when site conditions materially match the design envelope for such systems. The bill also directs the Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality, to implement a fast-track permitting timeline for subdivision plat review when a subdivision will have identical, decentralized onsite sewage system designs. Within 30 days from the date of written submission of a request for approval of a site evaluation and design for subdivision plat review, the Department of Health shall (i) issue the requested letter, permit, or approval or (ii) set forth in writing the specific reasons for denial.

Madison WhittleRepublican

Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations.

Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations. Provides that the court shall consider all technical violations that are alleged to have occurred after a prior sentencing or revocation hearing as single technical violation and adjudicate the case as such, with punishment imposed pursuant to relevant law. The bill also prohibits the court from treating multiple technical violations during a single probationary period between such prior sentencing or revocation hearing as separate cases or adjudicate such violations at separate hearings. The bill requires that when a defendant has been taken into custody for an alleged violation for which the court may impose not more than 14 days of active incarceration, the court shall docket such case as soon as practicable, and any such case shall be given precedence on the docket. The bill states that if such violation is not adjudicated within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody, the defendant shall be admitted to bail, unless (i) such defendant consents to being further detained while awaiting adjudication or sentencing or (ii) the Commonwealth has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant presents a significant risk of harm to himself or the community based on substance use disorder or serious mental illness and has been referred for residential treatment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the bill provides that no such defendant shall be held in custody awaiting adjudication of or sentencing on such alleged technical violation for longer than 30 days. The bill also expands the list of technical violations and provides that it shall be a defense to an alleged violation if the defendant can show that he has substantially complied with his probation obligations.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements; landlord's maintenance responsibilities. Prohibits a rental agreement from containing any provision stating that the tenant agrees to pay (i) any fee for the maintenance of the premises, including the maintenance or provision of heating and cooling systems, pest control, trash disposal, common area utilities, and mail or package delivery; (ii) a fee for internet, cable, or any other utilities or services that amount to more than the cost paid by the landlord; or (iii) for the maintenance or security of the common areas. The bill also repeals the provision allowing the landlord and tenant to agree in writing that the tenant may perform certain duties typically assigned to the landlord and also specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, and remodeling, but only if the transaction is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord and if the agreement does not diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Certain student assessment requirements; exception for certain students with disabilities.

Certain student assessment requirements; exception for certain students with disabilities. Excludes any students in grades seven through 12 who are children with disabilities and who participate in an alternative method of Standards of Learning assessment administration or who participate in an alternate assessment through the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program from the requirement that such students take Standards of Learning assessments or permissive local alternative assessments no earlier than two weeks prior to the last day of the school year and that each such student's score on any such assessment accounts for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in the relevant course.

Tony O. WiltRepublican

Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team; established, definitions, penalty, report.

Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team established; penalty; report. Establishes the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Team to develop and implement procedures to ensure that fetal and infant deaths occurring in the Commonwealth are analyzed in a systematic way. The bill requires the Team to compile triennial statistical data regarding fetal and infant deaths and to make such data available to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Department of Health. The bill provides that information and records obtained or created by the Team and portions of meetings of the Team at which individual fetal and infant deaths are discussed shall be confidential.

Margaret A. FranklinDemocrat

Loitering; unhoused persons.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Health insurance; pharmacies, freedom of choice, delivery of prescription drugs, penalties.

Health insurance; pharmacies; freedom of choice; delivery of prescription drugs; penalties. Prohibits an insurer, health maintenance organization, corporation providing preferred provider subscription contracts, or pharmacy benefits manager from imposing upon any person receiving pharmaceutical benefits any policy or practice requiring or incentivizing certain provisions relating to the delivery of prescription drugs. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes an unfair trade practice under existing law and is subject to injunctive, penalty, and enforcement provisions in existing law.

Jeion A. WardDemocrat

Police chiefs; creates independent protections and procedures.

Mike A. CherryRepublican

Technical prof. license; curriculum & instruction coursework, comprehensive community colleges.

Teacher licensure; technical professional license; curriculum and instruction coursework; comprehensive community colleges. Permits any individual seeking a technical professional license to complete any required coursework in curriculum and instruction at any comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth that offers such coursework, regardless of whether such coursework is offered on a for-credit basis or as part of a noncredit workforce credential.

Delores OatesRepublican

Electric utilities; interconnection service standards, high-demand customers.

Electric utilities; interconnection service standards; high-demand customers. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish standards for interconnection service by an electric utility to high-demand customers, as defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth that are designed to support economic growth in the Commonwealth while maintaining the reliability of the electric grid and minimizing the potential for stranded infrastructure costs.

Karen R. "Kacey" CarnegieDemocrat

Community Colleges, State Board for; acquisition and improvement of certain property.

State Board for Community Colleges; powers; Laurel Ridge Community College; acquisition and improvement of certain property; authorization. Authorizes the State Board of Community Colleges to acquire, by purchase, certain real property and improvements located adjacent to the Laurel Ridge Community College Campus and to execute and deliver such deeds, agreements, plats, and other instruments as necessary to carry out such acquisition in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

Bill WileyRepublican

Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund; funding requirements, report.

Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund; funding requirements; report. Revises the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund by expanding the qualifying private entities available for partnership with a local government for the redevelopment of local sites, removing the existing $500,000 grant cap for such local government, and eliminating the requirement that each grant be conditioned upon a 100 percent match of funds by the local government. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (the Department), on or before December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Governor, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, including the number of projects funded and the costs of the Fund. In addition, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to develop appropriate criteria and guidelines for the administration of the grant program established by the Fund, including for (i) how to prioritize awards for (a) localities experiencing an above average and high level of fiscal stress as designated by the Commission on Local Government and (b) localities experiencing a significant decrease in commercial real estate assessments and (ii) the amount and type of local match, including both requirements that consider monetary contributions and non-monetary contributions. The bill requires the work group to include representatives of the Department, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia First Cities Coalition, the Virginia Municipal League, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association and to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026. Under current law, the Board of Housing and Community Development is directed to develop guidelines for administration of the Fund. Finally, the bill repeals the Housing Revitalization Zone Act.

Gretchen M. BulovaDemocrat

Pesticides; manufacture, distribution, use, or sale of paraquat prohibited.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Regional special ed.; DOE to assess enhancements & strategies to maximize use of funds for students.

Department of Education; assessment; utilization of funds for regional special education students; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department), in collaboration with the Office of Children's Services, staff from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and such other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate, to assess potential enhancements and strategies to maximize utilization of funds designated for regional special education students, commonly referred to as the Students with Intensive Support Needs Application program, in order to decrease the number of referrals of students with disabilities into private day school placements. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Education and the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations no later than December 15, 2026.

Stacey Annie CarrollDemocrat

License plates, special; issuance to supporters of Quail Forever bearing legend QUAIL FOREVER.

Special license plates; QUAIL FOREVER. Authorizes the issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supporters of Quail Forever bearing the legend QUAIL FOREVER. The bill exempts such special license plates from requirements related to the minimum number of prepaid applications and the minimum number of active license plates after five years of issuance for special license plates.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Solar energy facilities; prevailing wage & apprenticeship requirements, state & local tax exemption.

Solar energy facilities; prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements; state and local tax exemption; report; civil penalties. Requires each solar developer, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. The bill requires each solar developer to (i) ensure that a percentage of the total labor hours of such work is performed by qualified apprentices and (ii) employ at least one qualified apprentice if four or more individuals are employed to perform such work. Under the bill, a solar developer that fails to meet the requirements of its provisions is required to make penalty payments to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Additionally, the bill provides that any certified solar generation facility, as defined in the bill, is declared a separate class of property and shall be classified for local taxation separately from other classifications of real or personal property. Such facilities shall be wholly exempt from state and local taxation under the Constitution of Virginia.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

English language learner students; expenditures, annual data collection, report.

Department of Education; English language learner students; expenditures; data collection; report. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with each school board, to annually collect, maintain, post publicly and conspicuously on its website, and report no later than November 1 to the Board of Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly data on expenditures for the education of English language learner students in each local school division. The bill requires such data to be disaggregated by school level, grade level, and student English proficiency level.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Employment discrimination against members of the General Assembly; prohibition, penalty.

Employment discrimination against members of the General Assembly; prohibition; penalty. Prohibits discrimination in employment against a member of the General Assembly on the basis of his absence from employment due to his attendance at any regular or special session of the General Assembly or any meeting of a legislative committee, subcommittee, commission, council, or other entity on which he serves by reason of his status as a member of the General Assembly. A violation of the bill's provisions is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Precipitation design standards; non-stationary precipitation, climate-adjusted rainfall.

Precipitation design standards; non-stationary precipitation; climate-adjusted rainfall. Requires the State Water Control Board to serve as the lead agency responsible for establishing and maintaining precipitation design standards to be used by all state agencies, localities, and other political subdivisions and in transportation projects. The bill requires such precipitation design standards to include the most recent precipitation frequency estimates published in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration national precipitation frequency atlas to account for observed and projected increases in precipitation intensity, frequency, and duration. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Transportation, and any other state agency to update any relevant manuals and design standards consistent with the provisions of the bill by July 1, 2027. The bill also allows the State Water Control Board and the Department of Transportation to adopt interim guidance or regulations implementing the provisions of the bill consistent with the Administrative Process Act, ensuring that updated precipitation design standards take effect no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.

Kelly K. Convirs-FowlerDemocrat

Noncustodial Parent Employment and Child Support Pilot Program; created, report, sunset.

Noncustodial Parent Employment and Child Support Pilot Program established; report; work group; sunset. Establishes the Noncustodial Parent Employment and Child Support Pilot Program within the Department of Social Services to assist noncustodial parents who are in arrears on child support payments or unemployed or underemployed with referrals to various resources, including employment referrals, employment skills training, education classes, parenting classes, and other forms of case management in lieu of or in addition to any available remedy available to enforce or collect child support payments. The bill directs the Department to report annually by December 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly data and information about the Program, including the number of parents participating in the Program, any reduction in the use of enforcement remedies to collect child support payments, and the amount of child support payments paid on time by parent participants. The bill also directs the Department to convene a work group to advise the Department on the design of and criteria for participation in the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Public schools; industry-recognized uniform inspection and evaluation of indoor air quality.

Public schools; indoor air quality; industry-recognized uniform inspection and evaluation. Adds several items that are required to be included in the industry-recognized uniform inspection and evaluation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system that is required at least every four years for each public elementary and secondary school building, including measurement of radon levels in the air and testing for moisture incursion. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

May NivarDemocrat

Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Fund and Program; amends fund and program.

Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Fund and Program; public, private, or nonprofit entity under contract with public school division. Amends the Virginia Electric Vehicle Grant Fund and Program to allow moneys from the Fund to be awarded to any public, private, or nonprofit entity currently under contract with, or expected to be under contract with, a public school division to cover certain costs associated with transitioning from diesel school buses and other commercial motor vehicles, heavy equipment, or other machinery to electric school buses or other equipment that reduces air emissions. The bill also removes a provision that prohibits the allocation of funds to the Fund or the Program unless federal funds or nonstate funds are available to cover the entire cost of such allocation.

Gretchen M. BulovaDemocrat

Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definition of federally recognized tribe.

Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definitions; federally recognized tribes. Provides that a federally recognized tribe, as defined in the bill, can be a conservation easement holder and that such a tribe is not bound by the same restrictions on the location of a principal office or the duration of existence that are placed on other types of easement holders. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, etc.; violation enforcement.

Speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems; placement and operation; violation enforcement; civil penalties. Authorizes state and local law-enforcement agencies to place and operate pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones, and high-risk speed corridors for purposes of recording pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill changes the terms "photo speed monitoring device" to "speed safety camera" and "high-risk intersection segment" to "high-risk speed corridor" in provisions related to vehicle speed violations. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of speed safety cameras and extends most of those requirements to the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems. The bill requires local law-enforcement agencies implementing or expanding the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems, prior to the implementation or expansion of such systems, to conduct a public awareness program for such implementation or expansion.The bill also limits the use of speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and 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 speed safety camera, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, as applicable, placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the speed safety camera, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, respectively, provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the violation.The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for violations captured by speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems and requires summonses issued for such violations to be such summons. The bill also establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of speed safety cameras, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, or stop sign violation monitoring systems, as applicable, render such summons invalid.The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program; established, report.

Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program established; workforce development; certified nurse aides; licensed practical nurses; report. Directs the Department of Health to establish the Regional Care Compacts Pilot Program to permit health care entities to enter into compacts, as defined by the bill, to incentivize health care workforce development. The bill permits such compacts to engage in workforce development activities, pool resources, enter into agreements with other entities to expand training and placement capacity, establish shared goals, and share workforce data in accordance with applicable privacy laws. The bill directs the Department to provide technical assistance and permits the Department to administer the Program in coordination with the Department of Health Professions, the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, and other relevant entities. The bill requires compacts to report to the Department on their activities and requires the Department to submit a consolidated report to the Governor and General Assembly each year by December 1.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

School division accessibility challenges and barriers; summary and plan, report.

School division accessibility challenges and barriers; reports, summary, and plan. Requires each school board or division superintendent to review and report to the Department of Education no later than August 1, 2026, certain challenges and barriers relating to the accessibility of public elementary and secondary school buildings and grounds in the local school division. The bill requires the Department to consolidate all such reports into a summary document and submit (i) such document, (ii) a plan for achieving full compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 across all school divisions in the Commonwealth, and (iii) any legislative and budgetary recommendations for fully executing such plan to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on Education no later than November 1, 2026.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Farm Equipment Right to Repair Act; penalties, civil action.

Farm Equipment Right to Repair Act; Virginia Consumer Protection Act; penalties; civil action. Requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of agricultural equipment, or parts for such equipment, to make available to owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation, parts, and tools for purposes of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of such equipment. The bill requires, for agricultural equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, OEMs to make available to the owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, any special documentation, parts, and tools needed to disable such lock or function and to reset it when disabled. A violation of the bill's provisions is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Any person who suffers a loss as the result of a violation of the bill's provisions shall be entitled to initiate an action for an injunction to enforce such provisions. The bill applies with respect to agricultural equipment sold or in use in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2027.

Lily V. FranklinDemocrat

Unemployment benefits; maximum duration.

Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.

Marty MartinezDemocrat

Line of Duty Act; payments to beneficiaries.

Line of Duty Act; payments to beneficiaries. Provides that if a deceased person, as that term is defined in the Line of Duty Act, died as a result of certain cancers within 10 years from his date of retirement, his beneficiary shall be entitled to the payment of certain benefits. Under current law, such beneficiary shall be entitled to such payment if the deceased person's death (i) arose out of and in the course of his employment or (ii) was within five years from his date of retirement.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Civil action for deprivation of rights; liability of persons acting under color of law.

Civil action for deprivation of rights; liability of persons acting under color of law. Creates a state civil cause of action for violations of rights guaranteed by the constitutions or laws of the United States and the Commonwealth. The bill provides that a person acting under color of law who deprives an individual of such rights and any supervisor of such person who is responsible for directing or overseeing such person's conduct shall be liable to such individual for compensatory damages, punitive damages, equitable relief, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat