Bills & Legislation

Poquoson, City of; amending charter, powers of city council.

Charter; City of Poquoson. Amends the charter for the City of Poquoson to give the city council authority to expel, by a vote of four-sevenths of the whole city council, any person appointed to a city board or commission by the city council.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Benefits consortium; governing bodies of three or more cities, counties, or school boards to form.

Benefits consortium for localities. Authorizes the governing bodies of three or more cities, counties, or school boards to form a benefits consortium for the purpose of establishing a self-funded employee welfare benefit plan. Under current law, such governing bodies or school boards are authorized to form such a benefits consortium if they comprised the membership of a multiple employer welfare arrangement as of December 31, 2014. Such a benefits consortium is required to be a nonstock corporation established to operate a benefits plan. Each member of the benefits consortium is contractually liable for its allocated share of the consortium's liabilities, and the benefits consortium is exempt from taxation and from insurance regulations.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Retail Sales and Use Tax; imposes firearm and ammunition taxes.

Retail sales and use tax; firearm and ammunition taxes. Imposes (i) a firearm tax in the amount of $5 per firearm and (ii) a firearm ammunition tax of one cent ($0.01) per round of firearm ammunition that is sold by firearm seller, defined in the bill. The bill requires any revenue proceeds from such taxes to be used to prevent gun violence and enhance school safety.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Address Confidentiality Program; removal of Program participant, penalty.

Department of Law; Address Confidentiality Program; removal of Program participant; penalty. Permits the Office of the Attorney General to cancel a participant's certification in the Address Confidentiality Program if such Program participant (i) has reached the age of 18, is not incapacitated, and did not submit recertification for participation in the Program within 60 days of his eighteenth birthday or (ii) initiates any legal action against the Office of the Attorney General. The bill clarifies that participation in the Program shall not affect custody or visitation orders in effect prior to or during Program participation. Finally, the bill penalizes any individual who knowingly discloses or publishes a Program participant's confidential address or any other confidential information with intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass such Program participant or any other person.

Amanda E. BattenRepublican

Health & family life ed.; certain videos & animations relating to human development inside uterus.

Health education and family life education; certain videos and animations relating to human development inside the uterus. Requires health education instruction to include an oral, written, or digital lesson, lecture, or presentation about human biology relating to pregnancy and human development inside the uterus, including (i) a high-definition ultrasound video, at least three minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development and (ii) a high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for each significant marker of pregnancy until birth. The bill requires any family life education curriculum or similar curriculum offered by a local school division that includes any oral, written, or digital lesson, lecture, or presentation about sexual activity and pregnancy in the context of student health or healthy relationships to also include such a video and rendering or animation.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact; enters the Commonwealth into Compact.

Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Enters the Commonwealth into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, the purpose of which is to facilitate the mobility of teachers across the member states, with the goal of supporting teachers through a new pathway to licensure. The Compact is presently in effect, as it has reached the enactment threshold of 10 state members.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Certain applicants for employment in public schools; certain official documentation required.

Certain applicants for employment in public schools; certain official documentation required. Directs each school board to require on its application for employment for any individual whose position will involve the provision of direct instruction or support to elementary school students or students with disabilities, whether on a full-time or part-time or on a permanent or temporary basis, official documentation of the individual's criminal, educational, and employment history for at least the immediately preceding three years.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

Cardiovascular disease screening coverage; Health Insurance Reform Commission to study.

Study; cardiovascular disease screening coverage; Health Insurance Reform Commission; report. Directs the Health Insurance Reform Commission to study requiring insurance carriers to provide coverage for certain tests for the early detection of cardiovascular disease in at-risk populations. Such coverage would include coverage for computed tomography scans measuring coronary artery calcification or ultrasonography scans measuring carotid intima-media thickness and plaque for an enrollee who is a male between the ages of 45 and 75 years or a female between the ages of 55 and 75 and who is diabetic or has a risk of developing coronary heart disease based on an intermediate or higher score using the Framingham Heart Study coronary prediction algorithm.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican

Tractor-trailers; study of need for expansion of parking along the I-66 & I-95

Study; Department of Transportation; needs and capacity for expanded tractor-trailer parking near and along the I-66 and I-95 corridors; report. Requests the Department of Transportation to study the needs and capacity for expanded tractor-trailer parking near and along the I-66 and I-95 corridors.

Rozia A. Henson, Jr.Democrat

Automation of ports in the Commonwealth; JLARC to study economic and workforce impacts.

Study; JLARC; economic and workforce impacts of the automation of ports in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), in collaboration with the Modeling and Simulation Advisory Board, the College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University, and the Department of Political Science and School of Social Work at Norfolk State University, to study the economic and workforce impacts of the automation of ports in the Commonwealth. JLARC is directed to report its recommendations no later than the first day of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia.

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Land value; DHCD to study tax implications of allowing localities to implement a tax.

Study; Department of Housing and Community Development; tax implications of allowing localities to implement a land value tax; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to study the potential tax implications that may result from each of the governing bodies of the Cities of Fairfax, Poquoson, Richmond, and Roanoke levying a land value tax and the potential tax implications that may result from allowing all local governing bodies to implement a land value tax.

Irene ShinDemocrat

Virginia's campaign finance laws; Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study.

Study; JLARC; Virginia's campaign finance laws; independent agency; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study Virginia's campaign finance laws. In its study, JLARC is directed to (i) identify any legal, technical, and staffing shortcomings in the current election and campaign finance laws relating to (a) reporting and investigating violations, (b) enforcing legal and regulatory requirements, and (c) implementing directions from state government at the local level and (ii) determine whether current budgetary allocations are sufficient to effectively carry out such aspects of the campaign finance system. To that end, JLARC is directed to analyze how existing campaign finance and election laws can be modernized by creating a new independent agency to increase transparency and accountability using best practices from other jurisdictions across the United States and to produce a report of clear recommendations and best practices for creating such an independent agency for improving the current system.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Virginia School Safety Preparedness Fund and Program; created and established, report.

School safety procedures; emergency situations; annual training; safety grants.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Procurement; local budget.

Procurement; local budget. Provides that a locality may make an Invitation to Bid, a Request for Proposal, and any other solicitation prior to budgeting an anticipated expenditure for such proposal and may include a statement in an Invitation to Bid, a Request for Proposal, or any other solicitation of an intention to cancel any such invitation, request, or solicitation if all bids exceed the anticipated expenditure.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

Protective orders; violation of child protective order, penalties.

Violations of protective orders; child protective order; penalties. Changes the punishment and sentencing requirements for a violation of a preliminary child protective order and a protective order entered in a dispositional order related to abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care to the same penalties as violations of preliminary, emergency, and permanent family abuse protective orders, including enhanced penalties for certain violations. Under current law, (i) the maximum penalty for violations of child protective orders constitutes contempt of court; however, if the violation involves an act or acts of commission or omission that endanger the child's life or health, or results in bodily injury to the child, it is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor and (ii) the court is not required to enter a permanent family abuse protective order (i.e., a protective order with a maximum duration of two years) upon a conviction of a violation of a preliminary child protective order.

Chris ObenshainRepublican

Prostitution; increases penalties for a third or subsequent offense of solicitation from an adult.

Prostitution; solicitation; penalties. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for a third or subsequent offense of solicitation of prostitution from an adult. The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to solicit prostitution from any minor. Under current law, any person who solicits prostitution from a minor is guilty of a Class 6 felony if the minor is 16 years of age or older or a Class 5 felony if the minor is younger than 16 years of age. Finally, the bill increases the fines for certain offenses related to sex trafficking from $100 to $1,000 and from $500 to $2,500, respectively.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican

Education improvement scholarships tax credit; guidelines for scholarship foundations.

Education improvement scholarships tax credit; guidelines for scholarship foundations; scholarship amount. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2025, the aggregate amount of scholarships provided to each student, eligible student with a disability, or pre-kindergarten child by scholarship foundations may exceed the maximum amounts established in current law for such students.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican

Compulsory school attendance; attorneys, etc., for the Commonwealth to prosecute cases.

Attorneys and assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth to prosecute cases involving compulsory school attendance. Provides that the attorney for the Commonwealth and assistant attorney for the Commonwealth of the several counties and cities may, in their discretion, prosecute all cases involving compulsory school attendance pursuant to relevant law. Current law states that it shall be the duty of the attorneys for the Commonwealth of the several counties and cities to prosecute such cases.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Child custody orders; transfer of custody to person with legitimate interest.

Child custody orders; transfer of custody to person with legitimate interest. Provides that when a juvenile and domestic relations district court has entered an order transferring custody of a child to a person with a legitimate interest, the court shall provide notice to such person with a legitimate interest of any motion to terminate or amend such order. The bill also provides that such person with a legitimate interest shall have the opportunity to be heard on such motion to terminate or amend.

James A. "Jay" LeftwichRepublican

Reproductive freedom; Speaker of HOD to order study of legal effects & consequences, etc.

Directing the Speaker of the House of Delegates to order a study of the legal effects and consequences of a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to reproductive freedom. Directs the Speaker of the House of Delegates to order a study of the legal effects and consequences of a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to reproductive freedom, including whether the language of the proposed amendment would constitutionally protect abortion throughout all of pregnancy, create a constitutional right for the parents of a dead child to sell such child's body parts, and legally permit partial birth infanticide, born-alive murder, child pornography, sexual assault, and any other crime after complete extraction or expulsion from the mother so long as the umbilical cord is attached.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Virginia Aircraft S&UT; credit for tax paid on aircraft purchased from broker for noncommercial use.

Virginia Aircraft Sales and Use Tax Act; credit for tax paid on aircraft purchased from broker for noncommercial use. Provides that a credit shall be granted against the tax imposed by the Virginia Aircraft Sales and Use Tax Act with respect to a person's use in the Commonwealth of an aircraft purchased from any broker, defined in the bill, for noncommercial use in an amount equal to the tax paid by such person to such broker.

Kim A. TaylorRepublican

Library boards; removal of members, appeal.

Library boards; removal of members; appeal. Provides that the procedure for removal of a library board member shall include a right of appeal by the member to the circuit court within 30 days of a decision to remove such member.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Transportation network companies; minimum compensation.

Transportation network companies; minimum compensation. Establishes minimum compensation rates for TNC partners. The bill also prohibits gratuities from passengers from being included in TNC partner compensation calculations, authorizes TNC partners to collect gratuity in cash or electronically, and prohibits transportation network companies from limiting the amount that can be paid as gratuity through such companies' digital platforms.

Kelly K. Convirs-FowlerDemocrat

Minor's records; access to records contained in or made available through secure website.

Access to minor's records; records contained in or made available through secure website. Specifies that for the purposes of allowing a parent to access the academic or health records of such parent's minor child such access includes access to a secure website where such records are contained or made available.

N. Baxter EnnisRepublican

School bds; examinations made available to students who satisfy compulsory school attendance rqmts.

School boards; certain examinations to be made available to students who satisfy compulsory school attendance requirements. Requires school boards to make Advanced Placement (AP), Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and PreACT examinations available to any student whose parents satisfy the compulsory attendance requirements set forth in relevant law, including by having the student taught by a tutor or teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education and approved by the division superintendent.

Delores OatesRepublican

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.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Gift certificate theft; penalty.

Gift certificate theft; penalty. Includes gift certificates, defined in relevant law, to the crime of credit card theft, which is punishable as grand larceny in existing law.

James A. "Jay" LeftwichRepublican

Income tax, state; creates alternative schooling and public school tax credits.

Income tax; alternative schooling and public school tax credits. Creates an alternative schooling tax credit as a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029, for up to $5,000 in qualifying expenses, defined in the bill, incurred by the parent or legal guardian of an eligible student in home education or attending a private school. If the taxpayer's family Virginia adjusted gross income does not exceed 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines, the taxpayer may claim an additional $2,500 refundable tax credit. The bill also creates a public school tax credit as a refundable individual tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029, for up to $1,500 in qualifying expenses, defined in the bill, incurred by the parent or legal guardian of a student in public school. If the taxpayer's family Virginia adjusted gross income does not exceed 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines, the taxpayer may claim an additional $2,500 refundable tax credit. The bill allows the taxpayer one credit per eligible student per year and requires the taxpayer to submit purchase receipts to verify qualifying expenses for each credit. The aggregate amount of credits allowable for each credit is limited to $25 million per taxable year and will be allocated by the Department of Taxation on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event that the aggregate amount of credits claimed in a single taxable year is greater than 90 percent of such amount, then such aggregate credit cap amount shall be increased in the immediately succeeding taxable year by 10 percent.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican

Companion animals; notification by individuals who find animals, civil penalty.

Notification by individuals finding companion animals; civil penalty. Increases from $50 to $500 the civil penalty for violating provisions requiring an individual who finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or safekeeping or (ii) retains the companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities to notify the owner of such companion animal and a public animal shelter that serves the locality where such companion animal was found and provide adequate care of such companion animal.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Local officers; removal of officer appointed for a certain term, etc.

Local officers; removal of officer appointed for a term certain; officers compensated by the appointing authority. Allows any officer appointed to an office for a term established by law and who receives compensation for his services by the appointing authority to be removed from office if the officer fails to perform his duties as outlined in the description of his position or the rules of the public body to which he has been appointed. The bill specifies that, prior to removal, the officer must be issued a warning from the appointing authority that includes a description of the violation committed and that if an additional violation occurs after the warning, the officer may be removed by a majority vote of the appointing authority upon the motion of the supervisor or council member representing the district for which the officer serves.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Public schools; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system.

Department of Education; public school accountability; delayed implementation and review of revised public school accountability system; report; emergency. Directs the Department of Education to delay for a period of one year the implementation of the revised public school accountability system adopted pursuant to applicable Board of Education regulations in order to conduct a review of and establish a stakeholder advisory committee to solicit input on such revised public school accountability system for the purpose of ensuring that such accountability system is designed to achieve fair, transparent, and actionable results aimed at improving student growth and learning outcomes across the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department to, by April 1, 2026, (i) publish a report on the process and findings of the review conducted in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (ii) submit to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the House Committee on Education a plan for modifying and implementing the revised public school accountability system that incorporates the findings of the review conducted and the input from the stakeholder advisory committee established in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Building permit and certificate of occupancy processes; work group to identify certain changes.

Board of Housing and Community Development; work group to identify certain changes related to the building permit and certificate of occupancy processes. Requires the Board of Housing and Community Development to establish a work group to identify changes to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to streamline the processes for reviewing and issuing building permits and certificates of occupancy and to develop recommendations for maximum timelines for review of applications and revised applications.

Paul V. MildeRepublican

Road impact fees; lowers one of local government population requirements.

Road impact fees. Lowers one of the local government population requirements for eligibility to adopt a road impact fee ordinance from a population of at least 20,000 and a population growth rate of at least five percent to a population of at least 15,000 with no growth rate requirement.

Delores OatesRepublican

Retail Sales and Use Tax; commercial & industrial exemptions for data centers in Northern Virginia.

Retail sales and use tax; commercial and industrial exemptions; data centers. Provides that, between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2030, the retail sales and use tax exemption for computer equipment or enabling software purchased or leased for use in a data center shall not apply for such equipment if it is purchased or leased for use in a data center that is constructed after July 1, 2025, in Planning District 8.

Ian T. LovejoyRepublican

Legal notice; locality to publish on website.

Publication of legal notices; website. Allows a locality to publish legal notices on the locality's website instead of, or in addition to, publishing such notices in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality.

W. Chad GreenRepublican

Real property tax; amends definition of permanently and totally disabled.

Real property tax; permanent and total disability; definition. Amends the definition of "permanently and totally disabled" for the purposes of real property tax exemptions to include those individuals who are blind or have uncorrectable vision loss that interferes with daily activities.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants.

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers in critical situations. The bill permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location, or to provide real-time aerial observation to rapidly assess incident scenes, deliver essential supplies, and enhance the response to emergency calls. The bill also authorizes the use of unmanned aircraft systems by law enforcement during large public gatherings, demonstrations, disturbances, or other similar events.

Briana D. SewellDemocrat

Income tax, state; subtractions of military benefits.

Taxable income; subtractions; military benefits. Removes the current cap of $40,000 of military benefits that may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, such that the total amount of military benefits may be subtracted from such income.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Fees to hunt, fish, and trap; free or partially discounted, reimbursement.

Department of Wildlife Resources; free or partially discounted fees to hunt, fish, and trap; reimbursement. Requires the Department of Wildlife Resources to maintain an annual accounting of revenue that would have been received by the Department from license exemptions or free or partially discounted fees to hunt, fish, or trap that are established by the General Assembly on or after July 1, 2025, and to submit such accounting to the Department of Accounts by August 1 of each year. The bill requires the Department of Accounts to pay the actual amount of such revenue within 30 days into the Game Protection Fund and also allows the accounting required by the bill and any other records relating to such accounting to be subject to audit by the State Comptroller.

Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.Republican

Virginia Institute of Marine Science & Marine Resources Commission; oyster stock assessment, report.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Marine Resources Commission; oyster stock assessment; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Marine Resources Commission to conduct a stock assessment of the oyster population in the waters of the Commonwealth. The bill requires VIMS to provide a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources no later than April 1, 2026.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Income tax, state; deductions for in vitro fertilization.

Income tax deductions; in vitro fertilization. Allows an income tax deduction for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for an individual or married couple filing jointly for expenses incurred for in vitro fertilization, as defined in the bill.

Kim A. TaylorRepublican

Income tax, state; tax credit for eligible small business advertising in local newspapers and media.

Income tax credit; advertising in local newspapers and media. Creates, for taxable years 2025 through 2029, a nonrefundable income tax credit for eligible small businesses with fewer than 50 employees for certain expenses incurred for local media advertising in a local newspaper or in a broadcast of a local radio or television station. The credit is equal to (i) for the first taxable year in which the credit is claimed, the lesser of 80 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses or $4,000 and (ii) in subsequent taxable years, the lesser of 50 percent of the actual amounts paid or incurred for qualified local media advertising expenses during such taxable year or $2,000. The credit includes an aggregate cap of $10 million per taxable year.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Johnsongrass; DCR, et al., to convene work group to examine use.

Department of Conservation and Recreation; Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; work group to examine use of Johnsongrass in the Commonwealth. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation (the Department), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to convene a work group to examine measures to reduce, mitigate, and eliminate the continued sale and use of Johnsongrass in the Commonwealth. The bill requires such work group to (i) conduct a risk assessment on the use of such plant to evaluate its effect on crops, livestock, public health, and the environment; (ii) identify measures to support education and outreach to reduce the use of such plant and promote the use of noninvasive or native species as a substitute; and (iii) make recommendations regarding potential statutory and regulatory changes relating to the use of such plant, including the creation of guidance documents from relevant agencies. The bill requires the Department to report its findings and any recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 1, 2026.

Kim A. TaylorRepublican

Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program; established.

Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program established; incorporation into National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund. Establishes the Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program and incorporates such program into the existing National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program. The bill also renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program Fund as the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Nationally Certified School Psychologist Program Fund (the Fund) and expands the purpose for which disbursements may be made from the Fund to include the award of incentive grants to school psychologists obtaining national certification from the National Association of School Psychologists consisting of an initial state-funded award of $5,000 and a subsequent award of $2,500 each year for the life of the certificate.

Kim A. TaylorRepublican

Income tax, state; energy-efficient homes tax credits.

Income tax; energy-efficient homes tax credits. Authorizes an eligible contractor, defined in the bill, or an eligible purchaser, also defined in the bill, to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit, during taxable years 2025 through 2029, in an amount equal to $2,000 per construction or purchase of a qualified new energy-efficient home and $4,000 per construction or purchase of a zero energy ready home, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that either an eligible contractor or an eligible purchaser, but not both, shall be able to claim the credit for any single qualified new energy-efficient or zero energy ready home, as applicable, and establishes a maximum credit amount that an eligible contractor may claim per taxable year of $500,000.

Chris S. RunionRepublican

School bathroom safety checks; Bd. of Education to develop, etc., to each school board model policy.

Celeste's Law; Board of Education; model policy; school bathroom safety checks. Requires the Board of Education to develop, adopt, and distribute to each local school board a model policy regarding bathroom safety checks in public elementary and secondary schools during normal school hours that includes consideration of appropriate staffing, the frequency of such checks, and any other topics that the Board of Education deems relevant.

A.C. CordozaRepublican

Land preservation tax credit; maximum amount increase.

Land preservation tax credit; maximum amount increase. Increases from $75 million to $100 million, beginning in 2025, the maximum amount of land preservation tax credits that may be issued in a calendar year and adjusts such amount each year for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The bill also requires the Governor to submit a recommended appropriation each year in the Budget Bill, or as amendments to the general appropriations act, from the General Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the inflation adjusted annual credit cap and $100 million, but not more than $25 million, for purposes described in the bill.

Geary HigginsRepublican

National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility.

National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. Renames the National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund as the National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund, expands eligibility for incentive grant awards from such Fund pursuant to such Program from solely teachers who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to (i) all public school staff who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification to cover certain costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification and (ii) all public school staff who have successfully obtained or maintained such certification. The bill also declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award in the amount of $7,500 all public school staff who have obtained or maintained such certification and an additional $2,500 in any year during the life of certificate in which the public school staff member is employed in a Title 1 school. Current law declares as eligible for an annual incentive grant award of $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each subsequent year all teachers who have obtained or maintained such certification.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat