Bills & Legislation

Autism spectrum disorder; school board employees, professional development and continuing education.

School board employees; professional development and continuing education; optional programs; children with autism spectrum disorder. Directs the Board of Education to provide guidance on and each school board to provide each year an optional program of high-quality professional development for instructional personnel and school board employees whose duties include regular contact with students on communicating with and supporting students with autism spectrum disorder. The bill provides that any instructional personnel or school board employee who completes such professional development shall be eligible for professional development points toward renewal of his license.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Preparticipation physical evaluation; children's cardiac safety.

Public middle and high school students; interscholastic athletics; preparticipation physical evaluations; form; timeline. Prohibits middle or high school students from participating in or trying out for any interscholastic athletic team unless such student has submitted a signed Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form from certain licensed providers attesting the student received a physical examination and was found fit for athletic competition no more than 14 calendar months prior to the date on which such form was signed.

Lamont BagbyDemocrat

Judges; maximum number in each judicial district.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases by one the maximum number of general district court judges in the Ninth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Second Judicial District. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts. This bill is identical to HB 2729.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

School boards; school-based telehealth and mental health teletherapy services, accessibility.

School boards; student access to telehealth services; policies. Directs each school board to consider, for the purpose of increasing access to health care services for students, developing and implementing policies for permitting any public school student in the school division to schedule and participate in telehealth services, including mental health teletherapy services pursuant to a memorandum of understanding with a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider developed in accordance with applicable law, on school property during regular school hours with parental consent. The bill requires any such policies developed and implemented by a school board to (i) require each public elementary and secondary school to designate a location in the school for student use for such telehealth appointments and implement measures to ensure the safety and privacy of any student participating in a telehealth appointment, (ii) prohibit any student from being subject to any disciplinary measure or consequence for participating in a telehealth appointment during regular school hours if such student would not be subject to any disciplinary measure or consequence for an absence for the purpose of receiving any health care services in person during regular school hours, and (iii) include such other requirements as the school board deems necessary and appropriate. Finally, the bill requires any school board that develops and implements any policies for permitting students to schedule and participate in telehealth services pursuant to the bill to provide and post in a publicly accessible location on its website at the beginning of each school year guidance relating to the implementation of such policies for administrative and instructional personnel. This bill is identical to SB 1037.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Certified nurse midwives/licensed certified midwives; independent practice, organized medical staff.

Certified nurse midwives; licensed certified midwives; independent practice; organized medical staff. Permits licensed certified midwives who have completed 1,000 hours of practice under a practice agreement to practice without a practice agreement upon receipt of an attestation from the licensed physician or midwife with whom they entered into a practice agreement. The bill also permits certified nurse midwives and licensed certified midwives to enter into practice agreements with certified nurse midwives or licensed certified midwives who are authorized to practice independently. The bill directs the Department of Health to amend its regulations to clarify that an organized medical staff may include other practitioners, including independent practice midwives, in addition to physicians and dentists. This bill is identical to HB 1635.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Workers' compensation; presumption as to death or disability from throat cancer.

Workers' compensation; throat cancer. Provides that for the purposes of the workers' compensation presumption as to death or disability from certain types of cancer, throat cancer includes cancer that forms in the tissues of the pharynx, larynx, adenoid, tonsil, esophagus, trachea, nasopharynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx. This bill applies only to diseases diagnosed on or after July 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 920.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Virtual or online learning; development of guidelines and information, public health emergencies.

Department of Education; development of guidelines and information relating to virtual or online learning; public health emergencies. Provides for the Department of Education to develop and post on its official website guidelines and information relating to virtual or online learning. Such guidelines and information shall include (i) statewide policies relating to virtual learning, (ii) the availability of online or virtual learning options and pertinent information on such options, and (iii) guidelines for educators and schools relating to online or virtual learning policies and best practices. In addition, the bill requires each K-12 school in the Commonwealth to include as a component of its annual safety audit a review of the school's plan for school closures during public health emergencies. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth and is identical to HB 2640.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Childbirth; postpartum process, definitions.

Childbirth; postpartum process. Requires health care facilities providing services related to labor and childbirth to develop policies to (i) allow every birthing person to have a companion or doula with the person during birth in addition to a partner or spouse; (ii) at the discretion of the treating physician, allow every birthing person to have a companion or doula with the person during birth when a partner or spouse is not permitted to be present; (iii) prioritize newborns bonding with their families in order to facilitate the postpartum process; (iv) prohibit excluding from care any person giving birth or prohibit interrupting the process of birth without the informed consent of the birthing person; (v) detail the facility's process related to receiving a pregnant person's patient information from any provider who has provided care for the pregnant person; (vi) establish processes to transfer and receive pregnant persons across levels of care of licensed facilities within the facility's capacity and capability; and (vii) establish a process to receive individuals who are pregnant, giving birth, or in the postpartum process from locations other than licensed facilities.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Transient occupancy tax; administration.

Transient occupancy tax; administration. Provides that an accommodations provider shall not be required to transmit a transient occupancy tax return to a locality if (i) all retail sales of accommodations owned by the accommodations provider are facilitated by an accommodations intermediary and (ii) the accommodations provider attests to the locality that all such sales were facilitated by an accommodations intermediary. Such attestation shall be effective for 12 months beginning with the month in which the attestation is made, and annual attestations shall be due thereafter on a date set by the locality. However, such accommodations provider shall be required to transmit returns for the retail sale of any accommodations not facilitated by an accommodations intermediary.The bill also requires that information provided by an accommodations intermediary to a local commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, or any other local tax or revenue officer or employee of a county, city, or town for transient occupancy tax purposes shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any other department or official of the locality or any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Such information shall be used by such officials only for the purpose of levying and collecting retail sales and use tax, transient occupancy tax, and any other taxes imposed on the sale of accommodations. This bill is identical to HB 2383.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase of testing kits during a disaster, etc.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase of testing kits during a disaster caused by a communicable disease of public health threat; exemption. Clarifies that the current exemption from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act for the purchase of personal protective equipment by the Governor for private, nongovernmental entities during a disaster caused by a communicable disease of public health threat for which a state of emergency has been declared includes communicable disease testing kits and associated safety equipment and supplies. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Pedestrians; drivers to stop when crossing highway, etc., penalty.

Drivers to stop for pedestrians; vulnerable road users; penalties. Makes it a traffic infraction if a driver operating a motor vehicle fails to stop for pedestrians and makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor if such traffic infraction results in the serious bodily injury or death of a vulnerable road user lawfully crossing a highway.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Vacant and blighted or derelict property; locality allowed to sell.

Sale of certain vacant and blighted or derelict property. Allows a locality where certain vacant and blighted or derelict property is located to petition the circuit court to appoint a special commissioner to execute the necessary deed or deeds to convey the real estate, in lieu of a sale at public auction, to the locality, to the locality's land bank entity, or to an existing nonprofit entity designated by the locality to carry out the functions of a land bank. The bill provides that the locality shall require any purchaser by covenants in the deed or other security instrument to (i) begin repair or renovation of the property within six months of purchase and (ii) complete all repairs or renovations necessary to bring the property into compliance with the local building code within a period not to exceed two years of the purchase.

Todd E. PillionRepublican

Certified public accountant; educational requirements to qualify for CPA licensure.

Certified public accountant; educational requirements. Clarifies education and experience requirements for candidates to qualify for CPA licensure. The bill also provides that, to qualify for practice privileges within the Commonwealth, an individual must have a license in good standing in another jurisdiction and have passed the CPA examination. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to SB 1042.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Court of Appeals; procedure on appeal; criminal cases.

Court of Appeals; procedure on appeal; criminal cases. Removes the requirement that a copy of a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals in a criminal case be mailed or delivered to the Attorney General. This bill is identical to SB 896.

Wren M. WilliamsRepublican

Vehicle operation; authorizing operation of motor vehicle by unlicensed minor, penalty.

Vehicle operation; unlicensed minor; penalty. Prohibits any person from knowingly authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle by a minor who he knows has no operator's license or learner's permit or who has a learner's permit but who he knows would operate such motor vehicle in violation of certain limitations on operating a motor vehicle with a learner's permit. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who violates such provisions if such violation results in a motor vehicle accident that causes death or injury to any person if such violation does not otherwise constitute a felony. Existing law prohibits any person from knowingly authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle by any person who the authorizing person knows (i) has had his operator's license or permit suspended or revoked or (ii) has no operator's license or permit and has been previously convicted of driving without a license.

W. Chad GreenRepublican

Claims; Michael Haas; compensation for wrongful inclusion on sex offender registry.

Claims; Michael Haas; compensation for wrongful inclusion on sex offender registry. Provides that any person receiving an award for wrongful incarceration for a felony conviction on and after January 1, 2023, shall receive, in addition to the compensation for the wrongful incarceration, not less than $30,000 for each year or fraction thereof (i) of imprisonment after being sentenced to death or (ii) that such person was required to register with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry after release from incarceration. Current law allows such additional compensation only for persons receiving an award for wrongful incarceration for a felony conviction on and after January 1, 2024.The bill also grants relief in an amount to be appropriated to Michael Haas, who was wrongly convicted of forcible sodomy and, as a result of such wrongful conviction, required to wrongfully register on the sex offender registry.

R. Lee WareRepublican

Zoning; civil penalties for certain repeat violations in Planning District 23 (Hampton Roads).

Civil penalties for certain repeat zoning violations in Planning District 23; appeals. Provides an enhanced level of civil penalties in Planning District 23 (Hampton Roads) for repeat violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses, defined in the bill. The bill also clarifies (i) that when a board of zoning appeals hears appeals from the decision of an administrative officer and alters the statutorily required order of evidence, it is a reversible error if the appellant lodges an objection and the board subsequently refuses to reorder the hearing and (ii) that the required statement of a right to appeal an administrative officer's decision must be sent to the aggrieved person by certified mail with proof of delivery.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents; exemptions.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents; exemptions. Clarifies that the provisions related to real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents shall not apply to any person employed by a licensed real estate broker for and on behalf of the owner of any real estate or the improvements thereon that the licensed broker has contracted to manage for the owner if the actions of such employee are limited to (i) accepting and signing broker-approved rental agreements, state or federal required disclosures, and any documents required for compliance with Virginia Fair Housing Law related to such rental transaction and (ii) accepting security deposits, periodic rent, and other payments contracted for in the rental agreement for such real estate. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to HB 2557.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Virginia Retirement System; increased retirement allowance for certain judges.

Virginia Retirement System; service retirement allowance for certain judges. Provides that judges appointed or elected to an original term commencing on or after July 1, 2026, shall have their service retirement allowance determined under Plan 2. The bill also provides that the service retirement allowance for service rendered on or after July 1, 2026, by judges appointed or elected to an original term commencing on or after January 1, 2014, shall be determined under Plan 2.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Practical nursing programs, certain; transferability to registered nursing programs, etc.

Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs; pathway of stackable credentials. Requires the Virginia Community College System, in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from associate-degree-granting 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 (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education. The bill requires each associate-degree-granting 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 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. The bill also (a) requires the System to establish a pathway of stackable nursing credentials that consists of a practical nursing to associate registered nursing to bachelor of science in nursing program pathway; (b) directs the System to develop and implement the common curriculum for practical nursing programs by July 1, 2026; and (c) directs the System to submit a progress report to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by December 1, 2025. The provisions of the bill relating to the development of the common curriculum for practical nursing programs have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill incorporates SB 791 and is identical to HB 2548.

Barbara A. FavolaDemocrat

VSP Central Criminal Records Exchange; removal and repeal of certain reporting requirements.

Department of State Police; Central Criminal Records Exchange; removal of certain reporting requirements. Removes the requirement that the Central Criminal Records Exchange report to the Governor and General Assembly on or before November 1 of each year on the status of unapplied criminal history record information and any updates to fingerprinting policies and procedures.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Trailer franchise requirements; applicability to certain trailers.

Trailer franchise requirements; applicability to certain trailers. Changes the applicability of trailer franchise requirements to only apply to new trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 30,000 pounds. This bill is identical to HB 2261.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Va. Military Survivors & Dependents Ed. Prog.; number of qualified survivors and dependents, etc.

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 15 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 December 1 of the current fall semester.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Sexual assault patients; services, provision of information.

Services for sexual assault patients; provision of information for sexual assault patients; Task Force on Services for Survivors of Sexual Assault; work group; report. Changes instances of "sexual assault survivor" and its variations to "sexual assault patient." The bill requires health care facilities to provide information on local or statewide sexual and domestic violence advocacy services to adult and pediatric patients. The bill removes language requiring hospitals to enter into a memorandum of understanding with rape crisis centers, removes language allowing sexual assault patients to be transferred to clinics, and repeals the statute establishing the Task Force on Services for Survivors of Sexual Assault. The bill directs the Director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services to convene a work group to address sustainable funding for sexual assault medical forensic examinations and services. The bill requires the work group to submit a report with recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 1731.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

District courts; recording of proceedings.

Recording of proceedings in district courts. Allows an audio recording of proceedings in a district court, which includes both general district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court, to be made by a party or his counsel. Under current law, such recordings are only allowed in a general district court.Additionally, the bill (i) allows the judge of a juvenile and domestic relations district court to impose any restriction as necessary to comply with the confidentiality requirements applicable to such district court and (ii) prohibits the judge of a district court from (a) ordering or requiring a party or his counsel to submit a copy of such audio recording or transcript of such recording to the clerk of a district court to be maintained in such party's individual case file or (b) prohibiting a party or his counsel from providing such copy or transcript to the opposing party or his counsel.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

School boards; support services personnel, annual collection of certain staffing data required.

Board of Education; support services personnel; annual collection of certain staffing data required; report. Requires (i) each school board to, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, annually collect and submit to the Department of Education a report on data on the average salaries of support services personnel, as that term is defined in the bill, employed by the school board and (ii) the Department to, beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, annually compile such data, include it in the Annual School Report, and publicly post it on the Department's website. The bill requires each school board and the Department to disaggregate the data by career categories of support services personnel and specialized student support personnel as set forth in applicable law. This bill is identical to HB 1983.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Mineral Mine Safety Act; definition of "surface mineral mine," use of cyanide or cyanide compound.

Mineral Mine Safety Act; definition of "surface mineral mine"; mine inspectors; certificate renewal; use of cyanide or cyanide compound. Amends the definition of "surface mineral mine" in the Mineral Mine Safety Act to exclude excavation or grading when conducted solely in aid of onsite farming or construction and under certain conditions enumerated in the bill. The bill amends the definition of "mining" in existing law, relating to the exemption from permits for a mining operation, to extend the required completion time from six months to one year for excavation or grading conducted to construct or expand a farm pond for agricultural irrigation or provision of water for livestock. The bill also amends the qualification requirements for mineral mine inspectors, removes references to the defunct Board of Mineral Mining Examiners, and prohibits the issuance of any permit for a mineral mining or processing operation that includes the use of cyanide or a cyanide compound. This bill is identical to HB 1887.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, etc.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's dependent care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. This bill is identical to HB 2165.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent, definition of "designated agent."

Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent. Removes planning commission and governing body approval authority for the administrative review process for plats and plans and assigns such authority solely to a designated agent, defined in the bill. However, the bill provides that the local planning commission may serve as the designated agent of any locality with a population of 5,000 or less. The bill also expedites the review process by shortening the timeframe for forwarding plats and plans to state agencies for review.

Schuyler T. VanValkenburgDemocrat

State Bd. of Health; regulations related to emergency medical vehicle restrictions & specifications.

State Board of Health to adopt regulations related to emergency medical vehicle restrictions and specifications. Directs the State Board of Health to adopt a regulation allowing certain Emergency Medical Services (EMS) vehicles belonging to a combination fire and EMS agency to have the fire department logo and lettering appear larger than the lettering identifying the EMS agency.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Health insurance; pharmacy benefits managers, definition of "covered entity."

Health insurance; pharmacy benefits managers; definition of covered entity. Removes hospitals, as defined in existing law, from the exemption to the definition of covered entity for the purposes of existing law relating to pharmacy benefits managers. This bill is identical to SB 1311.

Mark D. SicklesDemocrat

Transient occupancy tax; administration.

Transient occupancy tax; administration. Provides that an accommodations provider shall not be required to transmit a transient occupancy tax return to a locality if (i) all retail sales of accommodations owned by the accommodations provider are facilitated by an accommodations intermediary and (ii) the accommodations provider attests to the locality that all such sales were facilitated by an accommodations intermediary. Such attestation shall be effective for 12 months beginning with the month in which the attestation is made, and annual attestations shall be due thereafter on a date set by the locality. However, such accommodations provider shall be required to transmit returns for the retail sale of any accommodations not facilitated by an accommodations intermediary.The bill also requires that information provided by an accommodations intermediary to a local commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, or any other local tax or revenue officer or employee of a county, city, or town for transient occupancy tax purposes shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any other department or official of the locality or any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Such information shall be used by such officials only for the purpose of levying and collecting retail sales and use tax, transient occupancy tax, and any other taxes imposed on the sale of accommodations. This bill is identical to SB 1402.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Public middle and high schools; student athletes, pre-participation physical examination required.

Public middle and high schools; student-athletes; pre-participation physical examination required. Provides that no public middle or high school student is permitted to be a participant on or try out for any school athletic team or squad with a predetermined roster, regular practices, and scheduled competitions with other middle or high schools unless such student has submitted to the school principal a signed report from a licensed physician, licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant acting under the supervision of a licensed physician attesting that such student has received a physical examination and was found to be physically fit for athletic competition no more than 14 calendar months prior to the date on which such report was signed. Current law requires that the signed report attest that any such student has received a physical examination within the preceding 12 months. The bill prohibits any public middle or high school from becoming a member of any organization or entity that regulates or governs interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation any student who has satisfied the requirements for eligibility in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; discrimination prohibited, military family owned businesses.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; discrimination prohibited; military family-owned businesses. Prohibits any public body from discriminating against a bidder or offeror in the solicitation or awarding of contracts on the basis of status as a military family, defined in the bill. The bill provides that all public bodies shall establish programs to facilitate the participation of military family-owned businesses, as defined in the bill, in procurement transactions.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

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. This bill incorporates SB 790 and is identical to HB 1637.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

School boards; school-based telehealth and mental health teletherapy services, accessibility.

School boards; student access to telehealth services; policies. Directs each school board to consider, for the purpose of increasing access to health care services for students, developing and implementing policies for permitting any public school student in the school division to schedule and participate in telehealth services, including mental health teletherapy services pursuant to a memorandum of understanding with a nationally recognized school-based telehealth provider developed in accordance with applicable law, on school property during regular school hours with parental consent. The bill requires any such policies developed and implemented by a school board to (i) require each public elementary and secondary school to designate a location in the school for student use for such telehealth appointments and implement measures to ensure the safety and privacy of any student participating in a telehealth appointment, (ii) prohibit any student from being subject to any disciplinary measure or consequence for participating in a telehealth appointment during regular school hours if such student would not be subject to any disciplinary measure or consequence for an absence for the purpose of receiving any health care services in person during regular school hours, and (iii) include such other requirements as the school board deems necessary and appropriate. Finally, the bill requires any school board that develops and implements any policies for permitting students to schedule and participate in telehealth services pursuant to the bill to provide and post in a publicly accessible location on its website at the beginning of each school year guidance relating to the implementation of such policies for administrative and instructional personnel. This bill incorporates SB 1130 and is identical to HB 1945.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

DOC and State Board of Local and Regional Jails; policies on inmate participation in telehealth.

Department of Corrections; State Board of Local and Regional Jails; policies on inmate participation in telehealth. Requires the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop and implement policies for the accommodation in local, regional, state, and community correctional facilities of inmate participation in telehealth appointments, which shall include designating a private space for such telehealth appointments to occur. The bill requires the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to provide an update to the Joint Commission on Health Care by October 1, 2025, on (i) the status of the policies for the accommodation of inmate participation in telehealth appointments required to be developed and implemented pursuant to the provisions of this act; (ii) opportunities to expand telehealth programs in local, regional, state, and community correctional facilities; and (iii) recommended strategies to reduce gaps in or barriers to telehealth service delivery in such correctional facilities. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Va. Forensic Nursing Advisory Council; established.

Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council established; sexual assault forensic examiners; physical evidence recovery kits; report. Establishes the Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council (the Council), which consists of five members appointed by the Governor, each of whom shall have expertise in forensic examination of sexual assault victims and shall currently reside and practice in the Commonwealth. The Council shall review and make recommendations as necessary to the Board of Health with support from the Coordinator of the Virginia Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Coordination Program concerning (i) criteria to become a sexual assault forensic examiner, (ii) the process for certification as a sexual assault forensic examiner, (iii) the curriculum and training program of an entity seeking approval to train sexual assault forensic examiners, (iv) qualifications of prospective sexual assault forensic examiners, and (v) strategies for expanding access to sexual assault forensic examiners. The bill requires the Council to report, at least annually, to the General Assembly regarding the status of sexual assault forensics in the Commonwealth, including any recommendations to improve the quality of such services. The bill also amends provisions of law related to physical evidence recovery kits. This bill is identical to HB 2088.

Russet PerryDemocrat

Certified public accountant; educational requirements to qualify for CPA licensure.

Certified public accountant; educational requirements. Clarifies education and experience requirements for candidates to qualify for CPA licensure. The bill also provides that, to qualify for practice privileges within the Commonwealth, an individual must have a license in good standing in another jurisdiction and have passed the CPA examination. The bill directs the Board of Accountancy to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to HB 2042.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; terms and conditions of rental agreement, renewal notice.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; terms and conditions of rental agreement; renewal notice. Provides that a landlord who owns more than four rental dwelling units or more than a 10 percent interest in more than four rental dwelling units, whether individually or through a business entity, in the Commonwealth shall be required to provide written notice of nonrenewal to any tenant. This bill is identical to HB 1867.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Elections; general registrar of each locality to report number of provisional ballots cast.

Elections; election results; reporting; provisional ballots. Requires the general registrar of each locality to report to the Department of Elections for each precinct in his locality the total number of provisional ballots cast, the number of those provisional ballots determined to be valid by the electoral board, and the results of such valid provisional ballots by voters assigned to such precinct. The bill specifies that results from provisional voting and voting at the precinct on election day must be reported separately. The bill directs the Department to establish standards for ascertaining and reporting such information and provides that such standards must direct that all results be posted promptly and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the tenth day after the election day.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

School boards; threat assessment teams and procedures, etc.

School boards; threat assessment teams and procedures; parental notification of student determined to pose a threat of violence or physical harm to self or others; provision of certain recognition and response materials required. Requires each division superintendent or his designee to provide materials on recognition of and strategies for responding to behavior indicating that a student poses a threat of violence or physical harm to himself or others to the parent or legal guardian of any student who, according to a preliminary determination from a threat assessment team, poses such a threat. The bill specifies that the provision of such materials shall occur either in the initial attempt to immediately notify such student's parent or legal guardian pursuant to applicable law or through a separate communication to such student's parent or legal guardian made as soon as practicable thereafter. The bill (i) requires such materials to be selected in accordance with the criteria and guidelines developed by the Board of Education pursuant to the provisions of the bill; (ii) requires such materials to include information on the requirements set forth in applicable law relating to the safe storage of firearms in the presence of minors; and (iii) permits such materials to include guidance on best practices and strategies for limiting a student's access to lethal means, including firearms and medications.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Certified community health workers; Department of Health shall evaluate status of workers, report.

Certified community health workers; annual report. Directs the Department of Health to submit a report on certified community health workers to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriations and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget by November 1, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Title of purchase; judicial sale, application to divorce proceedings.

Title of purchase; judicial sale; application to divorce proceedings. Provides that when the title of a purchaser at a confirmed sale of property is made under a divorce decree, such sale shall not be disturbed unless within 12 months from such confirmation the sale is appealed within the time allowed pursuant to relevant law and the court orders such sale to be set aside.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Public schools; guidelines and policies on student-athlete extreme heat safety and protection.

Public schools; interscholastic sports and athletics; guidelines and policies on student-athlete extreme heat safety and protection; development and implementation. Requires the Board of Education to develop, biennially review and update as necessary, and distribute to each local school division guidelines on policies relating to extreme heat safety and protection for student-athletes. The bill requires each school board to develop and update, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Board of Education, policies on student-athlete extreme heat safety and protection that (i) are consistent with any heat guidelines based on Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) levels developed by an organization or entity whose purpose it is to regulate or govern interscholastic athletics programs in the Commonwealth; (ii) establish tiered heat-acclimatization and modification procedures for outdoor athletics practices or games based on the WBGT levels to reduce the risks associated with extreme heat faced by student-athletes; (iii) require student-athletes to be given unhindered access to hydration at all times; (iv) include procedures relating to preventing, recognizing, and addressing heat-related illnesses; and (v) establish a process for reporting and investigating any instance in which a student-athlete experiences a heat-related illness requiring emergency medical treatment or resulting in death. This bill is identical to HB 1663.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Criminal history record information; dissemination of record information.

Dissemination of criminal history record information. Requires an attorney for the Commonwealth to provide a physical or electronic copy of a person's criminal history record information, including criminal history record information maintained in the National Crime Information Center and the Interstate Identification Index System that is in his possession, pursuant to the rules of court for obtaining discovery or for review by the court. The bill also provides that no criminal history record information provided shall be disseminated further.Current law provides that nothing shall preclude the dissemination of a person's criminal history record information pursuant to such rules of court but does not require the attorney for the Commonwealth to provide the copy nor identify specific types of information. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill is identical to HB 1627.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Judges; maximum number in each judicial district.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases by one the maximum number of general district court judges in the Ninth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Second Judicial District. This bill incorporates HB 2249 and HB 2361 and is identical to SB 1327.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Charter; City of Norfolk.

Charter; City of Norfolk. Amends the charter for the City of Norfolk to exempt the position of deputy fire chief from the classified service. This bill is identical to HB 1696.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat