Bills & Legislation

Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; filing of claims.

Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; board of directors; plan of operation; filing of claims; awards and coverage for expenses or services. Makes various changes to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund. The bill provides that a civil action arising out of or related to a birth-related neurological injury against a participating hospital or physician shall be referred to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. Under the bill, the costs of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission maintaining an electronic filing system for the submission of petitions shall be reimbursed from the Fund. Under the bill, the Auditor of Public Accounts shall receive and review any audit conducted on the accounts of the Fund. The bill includes compensation for services provided by an education advocate. The bill requires the Program's board of directors to include a relative of a current or former beneficiary, allows for the electronic submission of claims, and expands discovery of parties to a claim. The bill further requires the Program's board of directors to establish a blanket surety bonding program for all employees with access to the Fund and requires the board to meet at least once monthly. Finally, the bill increases from $100,000 to $500,000 the amount that may be awarded to families whose infant has sustained a birth-related neurological injury. This bill incorporates SB 434 and is identical to HB 1007.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements; report. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any construction contract, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs and maintain records of compliance with applicable laws. The bill requires written authorization from a state public body before any party to a construction contract provides remuneration to more than one independent contractor when such contract is valued at greater than $5 million. If a construction contract with a local public body is valued at greater than $5 million the prime contractor shall provide written notification to the local public body justifying remuneration to any independent contractor. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. Effective in due course, the bill requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct an 18-month evaluation regarding the feasibility of requiring public bodies to hire apprentices on public works contracts. The bill also directs the Department of General Services and the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines to assist state public bodies in making the determinations required to issue an authorization allowing a contractor, subcontractor, or other party to a public works contract to provide remuneration to an independent contractor in connection with such contract. The Department of General Services shall publish such guidelines on its website no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1046.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Virginia National Guard; reports to General Assembly, state militias, etc.

Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting. The bill additionally prohibits armed militia from another state, territory, or district from entering the Commonwealth for the purpose of active military duty over the objection of the Governor without meeting certain conditions. The bill allows certain members of the General Assembly to request that the Attorney General assess the legality of the deployment of the (i) National Guard of another state within the Commonwealth or (ii) Virginia National Guard. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to deployments of the Virginia National Guard. This bill is identical to HB 286.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Mammalian wildlife; separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions.

Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. Makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity from the mother prior to the offspring turning four months of age, except that wildlife offspring may be prematurely separated if a medical necessity exists pursuant to a written order from a veterinarian with appropriate species-specific experience and expertise licensed to practice in the Commonwealth. The bill excludes the following from its provisions: (i) agricultural animals; (ii) noncommercial transfers or trades between accredited zoological facilities; (iii) an accredited zoological facility, as defined in the bill, that retains the mammalian wildlife offspring separated by such zoological facility; (iv) the Department of Wildlife Resources, a person operating under a wildlife rehabilitator, scientific collection, or endangered and threatened species permit approved by the Department, or a person operating under a species recovery plan approved by the Department; (v) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; or (vi) any person rendering emergency neonatal aide, including the temporary separation of up to 72 hours until a licensed veterinarian can be engaged for assessment and treatment. The bill also makes it unlawful to intentionally and for commercial purposes propagate mammalian wildlife of different species, also known as hybridization. This bill is identical to HB 112.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Solar facilities; local regulation, permits, special exceptions.

Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 711.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Firearms; storage in residence where minor or person prohibited from possessing is present, penalty.

Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Provides that any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present shall store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person. Under the bill, any person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. The bill also requires any dealer, as that term is defined in current law, to post a written notice informing the public of the penalty imposed for failure to comply with the bill's provisions.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs & devices, including over-the-counter.

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving prescription contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. Additionally, the bill requires any health benefit plan that provides coverage for hormonal contraceptives to provide point-of-sale coverage without cost-sharing at in-network pharmacies for hormonal contraceptives available over-the-counter. This bill is identical to HB 1182.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center; work group to develop policy, etc., to establish.

Secretary of Public Safety; firearm violence. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety to convene a work group to develop policy and legislative recommendations to establish the Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center. The bill allows the work group to (i) meet both in-person and virtually, (ii) have small group breakouts for the purpose of advancing work in a timely and efficient manner, and (iii) collaborate with experts and other representatives as needed. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and any legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 969.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices, local regulation.

Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices; local regulation; installation by tenants; consumer protection. Prevents a locality from prohibiting the use of a small portable solar generation device, as defined in the bill, on a residential structure, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill includes provisions related to the installation of small portable solar generation devices by tenants and prevents landlords from prohibiting such installation in certain circumstances. Under the bill, small portable solar generation devices are excluded from the provisions of net metering programs applicable to eligible agricultural customer-generators, eligible customer-generators, or small agricultural generating facilities. The bill also permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, provided that certain requirements are met. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility, municipal utility, electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to develop and publish a notification form for a customer of an electric utility or cooperative to install a small portable solar generation device and directs the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to convene a work group to evaluate and develop recommendations regarding the safety standards and requirements applicable to small portable solar generation devices. Certain provisions of the bill become effective on January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 395.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers.

Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty. Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits any such new products from being sold, offered for sale, leased, or rented in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards. The bill excludes any energy or water conservation standards set aside by a court or any product if federal law preempts the application of the minimum energy and water conservation standards to such a product, including any product or product categories where there is a requirement to develop a standard under the EPCA.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Recovery residences; regulations.

Recovery residences; regulations. Establishes certain requirements for recovery residences and directs the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Board) to promulgate regulations to establish minimum certification standards for recovery residences. The bill also requires that the regulations promulgated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) related to the certification of recovery residences include provisions that no recovery residence, or operator, employee, or agent of a recovery residence, may require a resident to participate in medical or psychological services, including clinical substance use treatment, that such recovery residence receives financial benefit from, either directly or indirectly, as a condition of entering or continuing residence at such recovery residence. The bill requires the Department to monitor credentialing agencies providing credentials to recovery residences to ensure criteria related to certification comply with regulations and specifies that no such credentialing agency shall provide credentials to a recovery residence that is owned or operated by an individual who is employed by or in a position of authority at such credentialing agency, or an immediate family member of any such individual. The bill also requires that referrals to recovery residences made by the Department, any agency of the Commonwealth, or by a court may only be made to recovery residences that are certified. This bill is identical to HB 931.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program; Board of HCD to review, etc.

Department of Housing and Community Development; administration of Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to review and develop criteria and guidelines for the administration of the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment grant program in consultation with the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia First Cities Coalition, the Virginia Municipal League, and the Virginia Economic Developers Association. The bill requires such criteria to include (i) award prioritization for (a) localities experiencing an above average and high level of fiscal stress as designated by the Commission on Local Government in its most recent Report on Comparative Revenue Capacity, Revenue Effort, and Fiscal Stress of Virginia's Cities and Counties and (b) localities experiencing a significant decrease in commercial real estate assessments and (ii) the amount and type of local matches with consideration of both monetary and non-monetary contribution requirements. The bill requires the Director of the Department to report the Department's findings to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on General Laws no later than November 1, 2026.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Real property tax; partial exemption for repurposing underutilized structures for residential use.

Real property tax; partial exemption for repurposing underutilized structures for residential use; local incentives. Permits localities to provide partial real estate taxation exemptions for converted real property where such conversion establishes a residential structure that has set aside at least 30 percent of the structure for households with a per capita income at or below 80 percent of the locality's median income or where the building owner is subject to an agreement with the Commonwealth or the locality regarding the provision of affordable housing. Localities have discretion to determine (i) whether a converted building qualifies for the partial exemption, (ii) any additional restrictions and conditions, (iii) whether the exemption is the amount equal to the increase in assessed value or a percentage of such increase resulting from the repurposing of the structure, and (iv) the length of time the exemption will run with the land, not to exceed 15 years. The bill provides that, at any time a building for which its owner claims a partial exemption no longer meets the requirements to receive such exemption, the locality may recapture all or a portion of the exemption granted in the immediately preceding year. Further, if a building owner that claims an exemption as described by the bill sells the building for which he is claiming the exemption and, after the sale, the property no longer meets the requirements described by the bill, the purchaser shall be subject to a penalty. The building owner shall provide written notification of the partial exemption to the purchaser. The bill also permits localities to grant tax incentives or provide regulatory flexibility to qualifying converted real property.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; loan and grant program, deferment of interest accrual.

Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; loan and grant program; deferment of interest accrual and repayment obligations. Provides that for funds disbursed to localities, federally recognized tribes, and Virginia recognized tribes primarily for the purpose of implementing flood prevention and protection projects and studies in areas that are subject to recurrent flooding, interest on loans shall not accrue and repayment obligations shall not come into effect for loans or grants until completion of the project or study for which such funds are disbursed. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Prospective employer; prohibited from seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees.

Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote or otherwise retaliating against a prospective or current employee for not providing wage or salary history or requesting a wage or salary range; (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill is identical to HB 636.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Distributed Energy Resources Task Force; created, membership, reports, sunset.

Distributed Energy Resources Task Force established; reports; sunset. Establishes the Distributed Energy Resources Task Force as an advisory commission within the executive branch with the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy to advance the Commonwealth's transition toward integrated distributed energy resource markets and to support the Commonwealth's compliance with certain regulations. The bill describes the membership, powers, and duties of the Task Force and requires the Task Force to submit various reports to the Governor, the State Corporation Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 285.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Children's Ombudsman, Office of the; powers and duties, report.

Office of the Children's Ombudsman; powers and duties; report; recommendations. Makes a number of changes to the Office of the Children's Ombudsman (the Office). The bill expands the Office's access to certain records and reports and allows the Office to report certain complaints to the Office of the Inspector General. Under the bill, the Office is required to report findings and recommendations related to failures by state agencies to protect children to the Governor or General Assembly upon request. Under current law, such reports are made to the General Assembly. The bill makes certain changes to the Office's reporting and recommendation requirements. Finally, the bill adds and amends several definitions related to the Office.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

Primary election; when filings to be made, extension for incumbents failure to file.

Elections; primary election; when filings to be made; extension for incumbents failure to file. Provides that if an incumbent office holder fails to file the necessary paperwork to qualify to be on the ballot for a primary election for the office he holds by the deadline for filing such paperwork, then the deadline for such paperwork is extended by five days for any filer other than the incumbent. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Obstructing health care facility; penalties.

Obstructing reproductive health care facility; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who (i) by force or threat of force, or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, another person because such other person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services, defined in the bill, or (ii) intentionally damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, a reproductive health care facility, defined in the bill, because such facility provides reproductive health services. The bill also provides that the provisions of the bill shall not be construed to place any restriction on the content of any message that anyone may wish to communicate to anyone else, either inside or outside the regulated areas.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration.

Voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications. Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a result of a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon his release from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote. The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Elections certain information for incarcerated persons with a pending date of release and requires the Department of Elections to process the information and make the necessary changes to the voter registration system to permit such persons to register to vote by the date of the person's scheduled date of release. On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the bill to provide a voter registration application, information on returning the form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an official release document to serve as a safety net for voter registration. The bill also amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetency for purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote until that capacity has been reestablished. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, contingent upon the approval of the constitutional amendments at the November 3, 2026, general election. This bill is identical to HB 964.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Elections; ranked choice voting, locally elected offices, report.

Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Expands the option to use ranked choice voting from only elections for county board of supervisors and city councils to any local governing body. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill provides for copying damaged or defective ballots that cannot be properly counted by electronic voting systems. The bill allows localities to request risk-limiting audits of elections conducted using ranked choice voting and provides that no such election may be included in any random drawing required to satisfy the general requirements for risk-limiting audits. The bill specifies that the State Board is required to produce generalized voter education materials on ranked choice voting and is also permitted to create and modify recount procedures to the extent necessary to accommodate a recount of an election. The bill directs the Department of Elections to review the testing and approval framework for voting equipment in the Commonwealth and submit a report of such review no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Finally, the bill repeals the 2031 expiration of the option to use ranked choice voting in elections, making such option permanent. This bill is identical to HB 630.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

Tianeptine product; selling, giving, or distributing, civil penalty.

Selling, giving, or distributing a tianeptine product; civil penalty. Provides that a retail establishment that sells, gives, or distributes a tianeptine product, without a prescription, is subject to a civil penalty in the amount of $2,500 for a first violation and a civil penalty in the amount of $5,000 for a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period. The bill also provides that such provisions shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Jury service; exemptions upon request, certain caretakers of persons with serious health conditions.

Exemptions from jury service upon request; certain caretakers of persons with serious health conditions. Adds as persons who may be exempt from jury service upon request (i) a person with legal custody of and responsible for the care of a child under 18 years of age who has a serious health condition and (ii) the familial caretaker, defined in the bill, of a person with a serious health condition.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties, juvenile offenders, parole procedures and considerations.

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) from up to five to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days of a new House being sworn in during a Senate election year, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days of a new Senate being sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime. These provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028. The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall give substantial weight to when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. The bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal. The bill also requires that if parole is denied for any such juvenile offender, each Board member shall identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast, including any youth-related factor and evidence of maturity and rehabilitation that was considered. The bill requires that the Board provide to such prisoner for whom parole is denied recommendations to demonstrate commitment to rehabilitation and at the next hearing, the Board is required to consider whether the prisoner has followed such recommendations. The bill also requires the Board to annually review the cases of such juvenile offenders eligible for parole. This bill is identical to HB 318.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Electric utilities; energy efficiency upgrades, report.

Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to HB 2.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Law-enforcement officers, state and local; enforcement of federal traffic infractions.

Enforcement of federal traffic infractions by state and local law-enforcement officers; Planning District 8. Provides that state and local law-enforcement officers may enforce federal traffic infractions on any highway within Planning District 8. This bill is identical to HB 77.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report.

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning April 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning April 1, 2028. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly net earnings, not to exceed 100 percent of the statewide average weekly net earnings, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. This bill is identical to HB 1207.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Discovery materials or evidence; accused may request to copy or photograph any materials.

Discovery; methods of delivery; report. Requires the Commonwealth, upon request by the accused or his counsel, to copy or photograph any discovery materials or evidence the accused is permitted to inspect and review, including relevant police reports, criminal records, dashboard camera footage, and body-worn camera footage, and requires the Commonwealth to provide copies to the accused or his counsel, subject to the redaction, restricted dissemination, and protective order provisions of the relevant Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia and unless such material is prohibited from being distributed by law. The bill also directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to evaluate and report, no later than November 1, 2026, the feasibility, costs, and other impacts with requiring the attorney for the Commonwealth to provide counsel of record for the accused a copy of any relevant police report at least 10 days prior to trial or preliminary hearing.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Overtime for certain employees; pay for domestic workers, delayed effective date.

Overtime for certain employees; domestic workers. Adds domestic workers, as defined in the bill, to provisions related to overtime pay. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 27.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Assault firearms; carrying in public areas prohibited, exceptions, penalty.

Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns or any firearm modified to be operable as an assault firearm on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. Under current law, the prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, only in certain localities, and only when such firearms are loaded. A violation of this prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Garrett McGuireDemocrat

Firearms, certain; definitions, possession, transportation, or purchase by certain persons, penalty.

Possession, transportation, or purchase of certain firearms by certain persons; penalty. Provides additional exceptions, outlined in the bill, for persons younger than 18 years of age to possess or transport handguns or assault firearms anywhere in the Commonwealth. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for persons younger than 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or assault firearm anywhere in the Commonwealth.

Garrett McGuireDemocrat

Law-enforcement agencies; agreements with federal authority for immigration enforcement.

Law-enforcement agencies; agreements with federal authority for immigration enforcement; requirements. Prohibits any state or local law-enforcement agency, defined in the bill, from maintaining, renewing, or entering into any federal immigration agreement unless such agreement contains certain provisions. The bill also prohibits any person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer to assist, cooperate with, or use any law-enforcement resources to facilitate any operation that seeks to identify, arrest, or otherwise impose a penalty upon an individual for any violation of federal civil immigration law. The bill provides that such prohibition shall not apply (i) if the authority to enforce such laws is otherwise permitted or required by law; (ii) if the person acting in his capacity as a law-enforcement officer is presented with a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena that authorizes such enforcement; or (iii) to the transfer of custody of an adult convicted of certain violent felonies from a state, local, or regional correctional facility upon such correctional facility's receipt of a federal immigration detainer. This bill incorporates HB 1438 and is identical to SB 783.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Health insurance; claims experience information, effective clause.

Health insurance; claims experience information. Provides that provisions requiring insurers to provide policyholders with certain claims experience information apply to all employee welfare benefit plans and include pharmacy benefits claims.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Vehicle weight limits; violations, owner or lessee of commercial motor vehicle hauling coal.

Vehicle weight limits; violations; owner of commercial motor vehicle hauling coal. Assigns liability for violations of certain vehicle weight limits for commercial motor vehicles hauling coal to the owner of the vehicle in violation of such weight limits. Existing law authorizes such liability to be assigned to the owner, operator, or both.

James W. MorefieldRepublican

VMI; Bd. of Visitors to examine higher education at the Institute.

Virginia Military Institute; task force. Establishes a task force to examine higher education at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The bill directs the task force to determine VMI's responsiveness to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's 2021 report on the institution and to explore and recommend other changes to be made to distance VMI from the Lost Cause narrative, foster an inclusive environment, and address any other concerns raised by the task force. The task force is required to complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and to report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements, delayed effective date.

Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements. Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to (i) issue a confidential annual report to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles containing the aggregate data regarding the average fare collected from passengers, the total time driven by TNC partners while transporting a passenger, and the total amount earned by TNC partners in connection with prearranged rides; (ii) disclose to TNC partners information about the deactivation process; (iii) provide a weekly summary that includes the total fare collected from passengers, the total amount earned, and the percentage earned by such TNC partner that week; and (iv) provide an itemized receipt within 24 hours of the completion of each ride. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 550.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Transportation network companies; requirements, civil penalties.

Transportation network companies; requirements; civil penalties. Adds various additional requirements for (i) transportation network companies, including ensuring options for audio and video recording of rides for TNC partners and riders and requiring a TNC partner to verify his identity through the digital platform prior to the activation of a TNC partner's account and periodically thereafter, and (ii) TNC partners, including changes to requirements for background checks and circumstances that disqualify them from acting as TNC partners, verification of identity, and prohibitions on sharing digital platform accounts or credentials. The bill imposes civil penalties for transportation network companies or TNC partners who violate certain requirements to which they are subject and provides that the funds for such civil penalties be paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the administration of certain requirements of the bill. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties.

Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. Allows for the administrative approval of development and construction of housing on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations or certain property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and provides that zoning ordinances shall allow the by-right development and construction of housing on real property owned by such organizations, subject to various conditions and limitations. The bill provides that the review of such developments be completed pursuant to general law and states that localities shall not require a special exception, special use permit, conditional use permit, rezoning, or any discretionary review or approval process. The bill requires that at least 60 percent of the housing development's total units be for affordable housing and that the housing development remain affordable for at least 30 years. The bill also provides that all such housing is subject to local real property taxation following completion, unless explicitly exempted by the locality. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and expires on January 1, 2031. This bill is identical to SB 388.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Division superintendents; Board of Education to amend regulations, qualifications.

Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision and (b) been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students. The bill also provides that the requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of the bill shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.

Nicole ColeDemocrat

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs & devices, including over-the-counter.

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving prescription contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. Additionally, the bill requires any health benefit plan that provides coverage for hormonal contraceptives to provide point-of-sale coverage without cost-sharing at in-network pharmacies for hormonal contraceptives available over-the-counter. This bill is identical to SB 361.

Joshua E. ThomasDemocrat

Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report.

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning April 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning April 1, 2028. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly net earnings, not to exceed 100 percent of the statewide average weekly net earnings, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. This bill is identical to SB 2.

Briana D. SewellDemocrat

Electric utilities; comprehensive assessments, surplus interconnection service.

Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals. The bill requires such utilities to submit the results of such requests for proposals as part of their 2027 plans and petitions for approval for the development of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity, which plans are required under existing law. This bill is identical to SB 508.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges.

Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges. Limits a treasurer's lien issued with respect to wages or salary to 25 percent of the delinquent taxpayer's disposable earnings in a single pay period. The 25 percent limitation shall not apply (i) if the lien issuer determines that the adjusted gross income of the delinquent taxpayer exceeds 250 percent of the poverty guideline amount adjusted for household size; (ii) if the treasurer determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the delinquent taxpayer or the property assessed with such taxes is no longer in the jurisdiction, or the taxpayer is attempting to flee the jurisdiction or is improperly disposing of assets with the intent to hinder or delay the collection of the delinquent taxes; or (iii) to any portion of the delinquent obligation collected by the delinquent taxpayer and held in trust to remit to the local governing authority. This bill is identical to SB 597.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; filing of claims.

Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund; board of directors; plan of operation; filing of claims; awards and coverage for expenses or services. Makes various changes to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program and Fund. The bill provides that a civil action arising out of or related to a birth-related neurological injury against a participating hospital or physician shall be referred to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. Under the bill, the costs of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission maintaining an electronic filing system for the submission of petitions shall be reimbursed from the Fund. Under the bill, the Auditor of Public Accounts shall receive and review any audit conducted on the accounts of the Fund. The bill includes compensation for services provided by an education advocate. The bill requires the Program's board of directors to include a relative of a current or former beneficiary, allows for the electronic submission of claims, and expands discovery of parties to a claim. The bill further requires the Program's board of directors to establish a blanket surety bonding program for all employees with access to the Fund and requires the board to meet at least once monthly. Finally, the bill increases from $100,000 to $500,000 the amount that may be awarded to families whose infant has sustained a birth-related neurological injury. This bill is identical to SB 398.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Firearms, etc.; carrying concealed weapon by persons convicted of misdemeanor hate crime prohibited.

Possession or transportation of firearms, firearms ammunition, stun weapons, or explosives or carrying of concealed weapons by persons convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person who, on or after July 1, 2026, commits assault or assault and battery against a person he intentionally selected because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or ethnic or national origin and is subsequently adjudicated delinquent or convicted of such offense from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting any firearm or ammunition for a firearm, any stun weapon, or any explosive material or carrying a concealed weapon, a violation of which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Parole; discretionary criteria guidelines, delayed effective date.

Discretionary parole eligibility guidelines. Requires the Virginia Parole Board to complete discretionary parole criteria guidelines, described in the bill, for each prisoner eligible for parole.

Tony O. WiltRepublican

Science SOL & Curriculum Framework; instructional material to include climate change, etc.

Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection. Requires the Board of Education to make available to each local school board instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, adopt, and make available to each local school board model policies and procedures, based on peer-reviewed scientific sources, pertaining to the selection of instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy, including a requirement for any such selected material to accurately portray changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the impacts of human activity on changes in weather and climate patterns, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Affordable and Special Needs Housing program, etc.; applicant notification of awards and denials.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Affordable and Special Needs Housing program; Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program; applicant notification. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to review all applications for the Affordable and Special Needs Housing program and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant program and formally notify each applicant of an award or a denial no later than 90 days after the application submission deadline. Such provisions sunset on July 1, 2027.The bill additionally designates the Department to be responsible for providing applicants initial notice of award or denial under such programs prior to any public announcement and requires the Department, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to develop guidelines that include timely notification of award or denial under such programs.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements; report. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any construction contract, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs and maintain records of compliance with applicable laws. The bill requires written authorization from a state public body before any party to a construction contract provides remuneration to more than one independent contractor when such contract is valued at greater than $5 million. If a construction contract with a local public body is valued at greater than $5 million the prime contractor shall provide written notification to the local public body justifying remuneration to any independent contractor. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.Effective in due course, the bill requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct an 18-month evaluation regarding the feasibility of requiring public bodies to hire apprentices on public works contracts. The bill also directs the Department of General Services and the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines to assist state public bodies in making the determinations required to issue an authorization allowing a contractor, subcontractor, or other party to a public works contract to provide remuneration to an independent contractor in connection with such contract. The Department of General Services shall publish such guidelines on its website no later than July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 324.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center; work group to develop policy, etc., to establish.

Secretary of Public Safety; firearm violence. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety to convene a work group to develop policy and legislative recommendations to establish the Virginia Gun Violence Prevention Center. The bill allows the work group to (i) meet both in-person and virtually, (ii) have small group breakouts for the purpose of advancing work in a timely and efficient manner, and (iii) collaborate with experts and other representatives as needed. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and any legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 364.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat