Bills & Legislation

Absentee voting in person; available beginning 14 days prior to election.

Absentee voting in person; available beginning 14 days prior to election. Limits the availability of absentee voting in person to beginning 14 days prior to any election. Under current law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to any election.

Timmy FrenchRepublican

State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards.

State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. Repeals the State Air Pollution Control Board's authority to implement low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards that apply to vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Tire stewardship program; established, report.

Tire stewardship program established; report. Requires producers of tires sold in the Commonwealth to join a tire stewardship organization, which must submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Quality for the establishment of an approved tire stewardship program, on or before January 1, 2027. Such tire stewardship program shall establish a statewide collection system for discarded tires to facilitate higher rates of recycling and resale for such tires. The bill establishes reporting requirements for tire stewardship organizations and provides that the Office of the Attorney General may, at the request of the Department, enforce the provisions of the bill.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Newborn and stillborn tax credit; establishes a refundable income tax credit.

Newborn and stillborn tax credit. Establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for married individuals in an amount equal to $2,000 per eligible birth, defined in the bill. The bill also allows individuals and married individuals filing jointly to claim a refundable credit in an amount equal to $2,000 per stillborn birth so long as such stillborn birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill specifies that only one tax credit may be claimed for each eligible birth or stillborn birth.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Museum of the Virginia National Guard; established, report.

Museum of the Virginia National Guard established. Establishes the Museum of the Virginia National Guard as a state agency and educational institution for the dissemination of education concerning the history of the Virginia National Guard. The bill provides that the Museum is governed by a 15-member board of trustees and establishes the duties of such Board.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Elections; voter identification; identification containing a photograph required.

Elections; voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing, percentage retained for distribution.

Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that, with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.025 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Fair Association and the Great Meadow Foundation.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or depressive disorders, dispatchers.

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder; dispatchers. Allows dispatchers, as defined in the bill, to claim workers' compensation benefits relating to post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act if such disorders are incurred as a result of a qualifying event or in the line of duty, as such terms are defined in relevant law. Currently, only law-enforcement officers and firefighters may claim such benefits.

H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.Republican

Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; Real Estate Board; residential property disclosure statement form.

Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; Real Estate Board; residential property disclosure statement form. Requires the residential property disclosure statement form developed by the Real Estate Board and maintained on its website to include a statement to be signed by the parties to a real estate transaction acknowledging that the purchaser has been advised of the disclosures listed in such form. Under current law, such statement is not required to be included in the residential property disclosure statement form.

Kelly K. Convirs-FowlerDemocrat

Office of Data Governance and Analytics; oversight; Chief Data Officer; duties.

Office of Data Governance and Analytics; oversight; Chief Data Officer; duties. Changes oversight of the Office of Data Governance and Analytics (ODGA) from the Office of the Secretary of Administration to the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA). The bill directs the Chief Data Officer to obtain from VITA the office space and human resources, procurement, fiscal, and other administrative support and resources that are necessary to support the operations of ODGA.

C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.Democrat

Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer.

Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Redefines an "eligible transaction" for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines "eligible transaction" as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025. This bill was incorporated into HB 2595.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Sexual assault of a child; mandatory minimum sentence, penalty.

Sexual assault of a child; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Increases the penalty for the sexual assault of a child younger than 18 years of age to a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Claims to unclaimed property; authority of administrator.

Claims to unclaimed property; authority of administrator. Authorizes the State Treasurer or his designee to make payments relating to unclaimed property without receiving a claim if the property is cash property, the apparent owner is a natural person and such apparent owner has been identified by the State Treasurer or his designee, and the amount to be paid does not exceed $5,000. This bill was incorporated into SB 996.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Assault and battery; adds officers of Va. Marine Police to definition of law-enforcement officer.

Assault and battery of law-enforcement officer; definition of law-enforcement officer; penalty. Adds officers of the Virginia Marine Police to the definition of law-enforcement officer, which means that the punishment for committing an assault and battery on such an officer who is engaged in the performance of his public duties is elevated from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony, with a six-month mandatory minimum term of confinement.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Veterans' Services Protection Act; created, prohibited practices, penalty.

Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Larceny or any offense deemed larceny; charging several acts.

Charging several acts of larceny or any offense deemed larceny. Permits the Commonwealth to charge and proceed against a person accused of larceny or any offense deemed larceny for any number of distinct acts of such larcenies that may have been committed by him within six months from the first to the last of the acts charged in the indictment.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Certification of law-enforcement officers; out-of-state certifications recognized, requirements.

Certification of law-enforcement officers; out-of-state certifications recognized; requirements. Provides that the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall recognize the out-of-state law-enforcement certification of an individual seeking employment as a law-enforcement officer in the Commonwealth subject to certain conditions.

David R. SuetterleinRepublican

Retail Sales and Use Tax; removes sunset for aircraft components.

Retail sales and use tax; aircraft components. Removes the July 1, 2025, sunset for the retail sales and use tax exemption for parts, engines, and supplies used for maintaining, repairing, or reconditioning aircraft or any aircraft's avionics system, engine, or component parts. The bill also redefines a manned systems aircraft for purposes of the exemption to include aircraft with any maximum takeoff weight. Under current law, a manned systems aircraft is defined to include only aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of at least 2,400 pounds. This bill was incorporated into HB 1729.

Chris S. RunionRepublican

Virginia Lottery; Internet gaming authorized, penalties.

Virginia Lottery; casinos; Internet gaming authorized; penalties. Authorizes Internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill permits the Board to issue an Internet gaming operator license to a casino gaming operator that submits an application on forms approved by the Board, meets certain qualifications, and pays an application fee of $1 million. The tax rate is set at 15 percent of an Internet gaming operator's adjusted gross Internet gaming revenue with 2.5 percent allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and the remaining 97.5 percent allocated to the general fund.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Contractors; clarifies definition of designated employees, definition of affiliate.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; contractors; designated employees; affiliates.

Timmy FrenchRepublican

Casino gaming; set-off of debts to the Commonwealth from prizes.

Casino gaming; set-off of debts to the Commonwealth from prizes. Directs the Virginia Lottery Board to adopt regulations to establish and implement a set-off debt collection program in accordance with the provisions of the Setoff Debt Collection Act, wherein certain casino gaming prizes shall be subjected to delinquent debts of agencies and institutions of the Commonwealth.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Income tax, state; creation of currently not collectible status.

Individual income taxes; creation of currently not collectible status. Directs the Department of Taxation to create a form through which taxpayers may file for currently not collectible status. The Department may place an applicant into such status upon a finding that the collection of income taxes from such applicant would create or exacerbate an undue hardship for such applicant. Such applicant shall reapply for such status annually and shall not be eligible for such status for any single tax assessment for a total of more than five years from the date that the original application for such status was approved. This bill was incorporated into HB 2549.

Kim A. TaylorRepublican

Fantasy Contests Act; minimum age requirement.

Fantasy Contests Act; minimum age requirement. Increases from 18 years of age to 21 years of age the minimum age required to participate in fantasy contests.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Evaluation and determination of competency; raising question of competency to stand trial or plead.

Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency; second evaluation. Provides that if the attorney for an adult or juvenile charged with a criminal offense asks for a hearing to prove that such adult or juvenile is incompetent to stand trial, the attorney for the Commonwealth may seek his own competency evaluation for such adult or juvenile to present at such hearing.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act; administrator to exercise due diligence to locate owner.

Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act; administrator to exercise due diligence to locate owner. Requires the State Treasurer or his designee to exercise due diligence to locate the owner of unclaimed funds or abandoned property previously paid or delivered to the State Treasurer or his designee. Such exercise of due diligence shall include, if necessary, that the State Treasurer or his designee coordinate with the Tax Commissioner to provide the Department of the Treasury with relevant tax information for the purposes of locating such owner. This bill was incorporated into SB 996.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Real estate brokers, etc.; criminal history information check.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate brokers, sales persons and rental location agents; criminal history information; self-certification. Provides that the Real Estate Board must require each applicant for licensure to submit fingerprints and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain criminal history record information regarding such applicant. The bill requires the Board to require an applicant for licensure to self-certify on his application whether he has any prior criminal convictions. The bill provides that if the Board has not yet received an applicant's criminal history record but his application is otherwise complete and Board approved and such applicant has certified that he has no prior criminal history, the Board will issue a real estate license to such applicant. If the Board later receives such applicant's criminal history record and it indicates a previously undisclosed criminal history, the Board shall immediately terminate such applicant's license and refer the application for further review. The bill states that if an applicant certifies on the application that he has a prior criminal history, the Board shall refer the application for further review to determine whether a license shall be issued.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Dangerous dogs; criteria for adjudication.

Dangerous dogs; criteria for adjudication. Allows a court to find an animal is a dangerous dog if the threat, injury, or damage was sustained by a person who was willfully trespassing or if at the time of the acts complained of the animal was protecting its kennel, its offspring, or its owner's property. The bill retains the restriction on a court from finding an animal is dangerous if such animal was responding to pain or injury to itself, its owner, or another person but requires the other person to be in the animal's presence.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Professional & Occupational Reg., Dept. of; deregulation of residential building energy analysts.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; deregulation of residential building energy analysts. Repeals certain provisions of the Code related to the regulation and licensure of residential building energy analysts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to perform for compensation without insurance coverage valued at no less than $100,000 or in a manner otherwise inconsistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines any inspection or evaluation of any of the readily accessible components of a residential building, such as appliances, water heaters, insulation materials, HVAC units, or electrical components, and provide recommendations to reduce the energy consumption or improve the efficiency of such components.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Crim. sex. assault & commercial sex trafficking committed against children; authority of Attor. Gen.

Authority of Attorney General; criminal cases; criminal sexual assault and commercial sex trafficking committed against children. Authorizes the Attorney General to institute or conduct criminal prosecutions in cases involving a violation of criminal sexual assault or commercial sex trafficking when such crimes are committed against children.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Juvenile and domestic relations district court; preliminary hearing, violent juvenile felony.

Juvenile and domestic relations district court; preliminary hearing; violent juvenile felony. Requires a juvenile and domestic relations district court to conduct a preliminary hearing whenever a juvenile 16 years of age or older is charged with entering an occupied dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit murder, rape, or robbery or to commit arson, whether or not the dwelling house, etc., is occupied.

David W. MarsdenDemocrat

Va. Military Survivors & Dependents Ed. Program; annual report on eligibility & usage required.

Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; annual report on eligibility and usage required. Requires the Department of Veterans Services and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to coordinate to report no later than December 1 of each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations (i) the number of qualified survivors and dependents who have been determined to be eligible for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at a public institution of higher education pursuant to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program but have not yet enrolled at such an institution and (ii) the best available estimate of the number of qualified survivors and dependents who are enrolled at each public institution of higher education with a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees pursuant to the Program as of November 1 of the current fall semester. This bill was incorporated into HB 1694.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Commonwealth of Virginia State Parks Bond Act of 2025; created.

Commonwealth of Virginia State Parks Bond Act of 2025. Authorizes the issuance of Commonwealth of Virginia state parks and recreational facilities bonds pursuant to Article X, Section 9 (b) of the Constitution of Virginia in an amount not exceeding $80,960,000, subject to approval by a majority of the qualified voters of the Commonwealth voting thereon at the November 4, 2025, general election. The purpose of the bonds is to provide funds for deferred maintenance projects at state parks and recreational facilities. The full faith and credit of the Commonwealth is pledged for the payment of the principal and interest on the bonds and any bond anticipation notes or refunding bonds. The bill authorizes the Treasury Board, by and with the consent of the Governor, to fix the details of such bonds, to borrow money in anticipation of the issuance of the bonds, and to issue refunding bonds. The bill shall not become effective, and no bonds shall be issued, unless and until voter approval is obtained.

Robert D. Orrock, Sr.Republican

Elementary and secondary schools; athletics, participation in female sports, civil cause of action.

Elementary and secondary schools; athletics; participation in female sports; civil cause of action. Requires each public elementary or secondary school and each private elementary or secondary school that competes in sponsored athletic events against such public schools to designate all athletic teams and intramural athletic teams sponsored by such school based on biological sex as follows: (i) as "males," "men," or "boys"; (ii) as "females," "women," or "girls"; or (iii) as "coed" or "mixed" if such team is open to participation by (a) males, men, or boys and (b) females, women, or girls. The bill prohibits any student whose biological sex is male and who has not physically transitioned to female prior to puberty from participating on any school athletic team or squad designated for "females," "women," or "girls." Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for students and schools that suffer harm as a result of a violation of the provisions of the bill, provided that such action is initiated within two years of the harm occurring.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Family life education; inclusion of certain materials relating to human gestation required.

Programs of instruction; family life education; instruction on human reproduction; inclusion of certain materials relating to human gestation required. Requires the curriculum guidelines developed by the Board of Education for a comprehensive, sequential family life education curriculum in accordance with applicable law to include, as a part of the guidelines for instruction on human reproduction, the viewing of a video recording of an ultrasound of a live human fetus in the uterus at (i) six to eight weeks' gestation, (ii) 15 to 17 weeks' gestation, and (iii) 27 weeks' gestation.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Virginia Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program; established.

Public schools; Virginia Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program established. Establishes the Virginia Opportunity Scholarship Grant Program, to be administered and managed by the Department of the Treasury pursuant to guidelines developed by the Board of Education in collaboration with the Department of the Treasury, for the purpose of ensuring that all children in the Commonwealth have access to quality educational opportunities by annually awarding a grant in the amount of $5,000 per eligible student, as that term is outlined in the bill, for up to 10,000 eligible students each year. The bill requires the grant funds awarded pursuant to the Program to be used to support qualified educational expenses of attending an accredited private school in the Commonwealth, as enumerated by the bill. The bill also (i) directs the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of the Treasury, to develop guidelines for the implementation and administration of the Program; (ii) requires the Board of Education to develop and make available to each school board and each school board to make available to parents at the start of each school year informational materials relating to the Program; and (iii) requires the Department of Education to annually collect data on and include as a part of the Board of Education's Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia the total student participation in the Program.

Emily M. JordanRepublican

Real property tax; high exemption locality reimbursements.

Real property tax; high exemption locality reimbursements. Provides that in tax year 2025 and all tax years thereafter, a high exemption locality, defined in the bill, shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth for 50 percent of the exemption value, also defined in the bill, multiplied by the 2022 effective real property tax rate in such locality.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

HOT lanes; high-occupancy requirement; law-enforcement vehicles.

HOT lanes; high-occupancy requirement; law-enforcement vehicles. Expands the currently permitted uses of high occupancy lanes by law-enforcement vehicles regardless of the number of occupants in the vehicle to include responding to a call for law-enforcement services and patrolling HOT lanes within the law-enforcement officer's jurisdiction while such law-enforcement officer is on duty. Current law limits such use to when (i) responding to an emergency incident and (ii) patrolling HOT lanes pursuant to an agreement by a state agency with the HOT lanes operator. The bill does not change certain other authorized uses in current law.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Youth Health Protection Act; established, civil penalty.

Youth Health Protection Act established; civil penalty. Creates the Youth Health Protection Act, which makes it unlawful for any individual to provide gender transition procedures, defined in the bill, for minors and prohibits the use of public funds for gender transition procedures. The bill allows parents, guardians, or custodians to withhold consent for any treatment, activity, or mental health care services that are designed or intended to form their child's conceptions of sex and gender or to treat gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity. The bill prohibits government agents, other than law-enforcement personnel, from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold information from the minor's parent. The bill establishes a duty for a government agent with knowledge that a minor has exhibited symptoms of gender dysphoria or gender nonconformity or otherwise demonstrates a desire to be treated in a manner incongruent with the minor's sex to immediately notify each of the minor's parents, guardians, or custodians in writing, with descriptions of relevant circumstances. The bill prohibits discrimination against persons (i) providing information regarding violations of the Act to their employer or specified public entities or (ii) who make disclosures under the Act of information that evinces any violation of law, rule, or regulation; any violation of any standard of care or other ethical guidelines for the provision of health care service; or gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. The bill establishes a civil action for any violation of the Act by a clinic, health care system, medical professional, or other responsible person with a two-year statute of limitations. The bill prohibits political subdivisions of the Commonwealth from enacting, adopting, maintaining, or enforcing any measure that interferes with the professional conduct and judgment of a mental health care professional or counselor undertaken within the course of treatment and communication with clients, patients, other persons, or the public. The bill provides for enforcement by the Attorney General or a mental health care professional or counselor through an action for injunctive relief and allows a mental health care professional to recover reasonable attorney fees and reasonable costs incurred in obtaining an injunction. The bill waives sovereign immunity to suit and immunity from liability under this statute.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Energy Innovation Pilot Program; established, report.

Energy Innovation Pilot Program established. Establishes the Energy Innovation Pilot Program to foster the development of innovative energy projects by allowing Program participants to provide grid services or other beneficial energy measures. Under the Program, a participant, after obtaining State Corporation Commission approval, is not required to comply with specific state statutes and regulations pertaining to the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy for sale, except for those laws and regulations that are required for worker safety, public safety, or environmental protection, for a period of five years. The bill includes provisions for application requirements, an approval process, Program exit procedures, a test period extension process, suspension or revocation of Commission approval, consumer protections, Commission investigations, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

Joseph P. McNamaraRepublican

Practical nursing programs; common curriculum, transferability to registered nursing programs.

Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs. Requires the Virginia Community College System (the System), in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from both associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education that offer nursing programs, to develop a common curriculum for practical nursing programs that shall be implemented at each comprehensive community college in the System that offers a practical nursing program. The bill requires such common curriculum, to the extent possible, to (i) align with the degree requirements for registered nursing programs offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education and (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education or a baccalaureate public institution of higher education. The bill (a) requires each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to participate in a practical nursing program to registered nursing program transfer agreement with the System that aligns with the practical nursing program common curriculum established pursuant to the bill and (b) permits any private institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to be consulted regarding and participate on a voluntary basis in such a transfer agreement. This bill was incorporated into SB 953.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Virginia National Guard; financial assistance for tuition grants.

Institutions of higher education; financial assistance; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard. Increases from $50,000 to $250,000 the amount of grant funding that the Department of Military Affairs may use each year to recruit qualified applicants for service in the Virginia National Guard.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization.

Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization. Permits persons acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone or other opioid antagonists to dispense other opioid antagonists. The bill also allows persons to whom other opioid antagonists are dispensed to possess and administer such opioid antagonists. Under current law, persons acting on behalf of such organizations may only dispense naloxone.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report.

Electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report. Requires each incumbent electric utility that is a member of or has established a regional transmission entity for purposes of management and control of its transmission system as required under current law to submit an annual report by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include all recorded votes cast by the utility during the immediately preceding calendar year, all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility, and a brief description explaining how each vote cast by the utility or its affiliate is in the public interest.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Provider contracts; pharmacies allowed to refuse to fill certain prescriptions.

Provider contracts; pharmacies; refusal to fill certain prescriptions. Requires a provider contract between a health carrier or its pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy or its contracting agent to contain a specific provision allowing the pharmacy to refuse to fill a prescription for a drug that is reimbursed below the actual cost of the medication.

H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.Republican

SCHEV; publishing of certain institution-level data on website required.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; publishing of certain institution-level data on website required. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to annually publish in an easily accessible format and location on its website data for each public institution of higher education and each nonprofit private institution of higher education eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program on the (i) cost of tuition and fees; (ii) student retention rate; (iii) student graduation rate; (iv) wages of former students three years after graduation; (v) 20 baccalaureate degree programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation; and (vi) 20 associate degree or certificate programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation. The bill requires such data to be presented in a user-friendly format so that the user can compare the data clearly and visually.

Christopher T. HeadRepublican

Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; powers.

Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; powers. Provides for the board of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority to adopt policies for the procurement of goods and services and requires such policies to incorporate certain provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. In addition, the bill authorizes the Director of the Department of General Services to lease vehicles and construction and forestry equipment to the Authority.

James W. MorefieldRepublican

RS & UT; food for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products, delayed effective date.

Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is currently applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.

David R. SuetterleinRepublican

School safety; employment of school security officers, criteria.

School safety; employment of school security officers; criteria. Modifies the criteria that an individual employed as a school security officer, as defined by applicable law, must satisfy in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by eliminating the requirement that within 10 years immediately prior to being hired, he was either an active law-enforcement officer, as defined by applicable law, in the Commonwealth or was employed by a law-enforcement agency of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof. The bill instead requires any such individual to be age 75 or younger at the time he is hired to be a school security officer, in addition to the other requirements set forth in applicable law, in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican