Bills & Legislation

Commending Theresa V. Jackson.

Commending Theresa V. Jackson.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Commending the Bowling Park Chapter of Moms in Touch International.

Commending the Bowling Park Chapter of Moms in Touch International.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Celebrating the life of Carylon Crouch Buck.

Celebrating the life of Carylon Crouch Buck.

Don ScottDemocrat

Commending Horace S. Savage, Jr.

Commending Horace S. Savage, Jr.

C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.Democrat

Commending Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

Commending Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Commending Bonnie B. Sutton.

Commending Bonnie B. Sutton.

Don ScottDemocrat

Celebrating the life of Henry P. Henson.

Celebrating the life of Henry P. Henson.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Commending Eggleston Services.

Commending Eggleston Services.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Commending the Ideaventions Academy Daedalus robotics team.

Commending the Ideaventions Academy Daedalus robotics team.

Karen Keys-GamarraDemocrat

Commending the Prince William County Community Foundation.

Commending the Prince William County Community Foundation.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Commending Henderson Motorsports.

Commending Henderson Motorsports.

Israel D. O'QuinnRepublican

Commending Amanda Castellucci.

Commending Amanda Castellucci.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Commending Keyshawn Davis.

Commending Keyshawn Davis.

Phil M. HernandezDemocrat

Commending the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Commending the Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Commending the Forest Park High School robotics program.

Commending the Forest Park High School robotics program.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Commending John Garrett, M.D., FACS.

Commending John Garrett, M.D., FACS.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Commending James R. Tucker II.

Commending James R. Tucker II.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Commending Greg Duncan.

Commending Greg Duncan.

Karen Keys-GamarraDemocrat

Celebrating the life of Derek Dyson.

Celebrating the life of Derek Dyson.

Don ScottDemocrat

Commending Tucker Wright.

Commending Tucker Wright.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Commending TreVeyon Henderson

Commending TreVeyon Henderson

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Commending the Woodside High School theatre program.

Commending the Woodside High School theatre program.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Commending David S. Widzer.

Commending David S. Widzer.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Commemorating the life and legacy of Carter G. Woodson.

Commemorating the life and legacy of Carter G. Woodson.

Candi Mundon KingDemocrat

Commending the Southside Youth Football League, the Huntersville Wolverines Football and Cheer Organization, and the Park Place Kings Football and Cheer Organization.

Commending the Southside Youth Football League, the Huntersville Wolverines Football and Cheer Organization, and the Park Place Kings Football and Cheer Organization.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Commending Stephanie Roble.

Commending Stephanie Roble.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Judges; nominations for election to juvenile and domestic relations district court.

Nominating persons to be elected to juvenile and domestic relations district court judgeships.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat

Public safety officer; definition.

Public safety officer; definition. Adds dispatchers and animal control officers to the definition of a public safety officer for purposes of possible selection by the Governor for the Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor, presented for performance above and beyond the call of duty involving extraordinary valor in the face of grave danger, at great personal risk. However, the bill specifies that dispatchers and animal control officers are not included in the definition of public safety officer for the purpose of an injury where weather constitutes a particular risk of a public safety officer's employment to be compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act.

N. Baxter EnnisRepublican

Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.

Robbery; air or gas operated weapon, etc.; penalty. Expands the crime of Class 3 felony robbery to include robbery committed by any person by using or displaying any air or gas operated weapon or any object similar in appearance to a firearm, whether capable of being fired or not.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Commending JR's Auto Care.

Commending JR's Auto Care.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom (first reference).

Constitutional amendment (first reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that the right to make and effectuate one's own decisions about all matters related to one's pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individual for exercising the individual's right to reproductive freedom or for aiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unless justified by a compelling state interest.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Constitutional amendment; term limits for Lieutenant Governor & Attorney General (first reference).

Constitutional amendments (first reference);executive branch of government; Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General; term limits. Prohibits any person from being eligible to be elected to more than two terms as Lieutenant Governor or Attorney General. The amendments provide that service for a partial term does not preclude serving the allowed number of full terms and applies the limits to terms of service to persons elected to serve as Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General in 2029 and thereafter.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Constitutional amendment; marriage between two individuals.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Artificial intelligence; Joint Commission on Technology and Science to study advancements.

Joint Commission on Technology and Science; study; advancements in artificial intelligence; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to study advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), including assessing (i) the impacts of deep fakes, data privacy implications, and misinformation; (ii) measures to ensure these technologies do not indirectly or directly lead to discrimination; (iii) strategies to promote equity in AI algorithms; and (iv) ways in which AI can be utilized to improve government operations and services, and to make recommendations on any appropriate legislation for consideration by the General Assembly.

Suhas SubramanyamDemocrat

Dillon Rule; joint subcommittee to study.

Study; joint subcommittee; Dillon Rule; report. Creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a one-year study of the Dillon Rule and its impact on Virginia's localities.

Ghazala F. HashmiDemocrat

Roadway & pedestrian improvements in Gainesville; VDOT to study implementation in Prince Wm. County.

Study; Department of Transportation; roadway and pedestrian improvements in Gainesville; report. Requests the Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of implementing certain roadway and pedestrian improvements in Gainesville in Prince William County, particularly along Somerset Crossing Drive.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Comprehensive community colleges; funding model for noncredit workforce credential programs.

Study; Board of Workforce Development; adequacy of the funding model for noncredit workforce credential programs; work group; report. Requests the Virginia Board of Workforce Development to study the current funding model for noncredit workforce credential programs offered at comprehensive community colleges in order to identify areas of inadequacy and make recommendations on options for reforming the funding model to address those inadequacies and improve the sustainability of offering and providing noncredit workforce credential programs to ensure that the Virginia Community College System as a whole is capable of continuing to meet the increasing demand for highly skilled credentialed workers in the Commonwealth.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Secretariat of Rural Affairs; JLARC to study need for and feasibility of creating position.

Study; JLARC; creation of Secretariat of Rural Affairs; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the need for and feasibility of creating a Secretariat of Rural Affairs in the Commonwealth.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat

Virginia State Police, retired; TAX to study reducing economic stress.

Study; Department of Taxation; reducing economic stress on retired Virginia State Police; report. Directs the Department of Taxation to study tax policy solutions for reducing economic stress on retired Virginia State Police.

Jennifer D. Carroll FoyDemocrat

Drugs; JLARC to study scope and cost of penalizing possession as a felony.

Study; JLARC; scope and cost of penalizing possession of drugs as a felony. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the scope and cost of the current laws in the Commonwealth penalizing possession of drugs as a felony.

Stella G. PekarskyDemocrat

Regional career and technical education program; establishing in Planning District 2.

Department of Education; Virginia Community College System; regional career and technical education program. Directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, the Board of Education, the school board and division superintendent of Tazewell County Public Schools, and representatives of the governing boards of comprehensive community colleges located in Tazewell County and contiguous counties to study the feasibility of and make recommendations on developing a plan for establishing a regional career and technical education program for all students in grade levels six through 12 who reside in Planning District 2.

T. Travis HackworthRepublican

Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission.

Siting of energy facilities; approval by the State Corporation Commission. Establishes a procedure under which an electric utility or independent power provider (applicant) is able to obtain approval for a certificate from the State Corporation Commission for the siting of an energy facility rather than from the governing body of a locality. Under the bill, applicants are authorized to submit an application to the Commission if (i) the locality fails to timely approve or deny an application; (ii) the application complies with certain requirements for Commission approval, but a host locality denies the application; or (iii) the locality amends its zoning ordinance after it has notified the applicant that its requirements are compatible with the requirements for Commission approval, and the amendment imposes additional requirements that are more restrictive. The bill provides that an applicant who is issued a certificate by the Commission for an energy facility is exempt from obtaining approvals or permits, including any land use approvals or permits under the regulations and ordinances of the locality. The bill applies to any solar energy facility with a capacity of 50 megawatts or more, any wind energy facility with a capacity of 100 megawatts or more, and any energy storage facility with a nameplate capacity of 50 megawatts or more and an energy discharge capability of 200 megawatt hours or more.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Synthetic media; expands applicability of provisions related to defamation, etc., penalty.

Synthetic media; penalty. Expands the applicability of provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to include synthetic media, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to generate, create, or use or cause to be generated, created, or used any deceptive audio or visual media, defined in the bill, for the purpose of committing a criminal offense involving fraud. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that such deceptive audio or visual media was generated or created for the purpose of committing such criminal offense if such deceptive audio or visual media is subsequently used as part of a plan or course of conduct to commit such criminal offense. The bill also authorizes the individual depicted in the deceptive audio or visual media to bring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such other relief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directs the Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the use of deceptive audio or visual media, including deepfakes, and any further action needed to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts.

Adam P. EbbinDemocrat

Discharge plans; copies to public elementary and secondary schools.

Discharge plans; copies to public elementary and secondary schools. Provides that, prior to the discharge of any minor admitted to inpatient treatment (i) who is a student at a public elementary or secondary school and (ii) for whom the facility deems (a) such discharge poses a threat of violence or physical harm to self and others or (b) additional educational services are needed, such facility is required to provide to the school's mental health professional or school counselor the portions of such discharge plan relevant to the threat of violence or harm or the necessary additional educational services. The bill requires such facility to, prior to providing any such portions of any minor's discharge plan, provide to the parent of such minor student reasonable notice of the types of information that would be included in any portions of the discharge plan being provided and of the parent's right to, upon written request, refuse the provision of any such information.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities, competitive procurement process.

Electric utilities; offshore wind generation facilities; competitive procurement process; Department of Energy. Provides that the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from offshore wind generation facilities owned by persons other than a public utility and located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth is in the public interest. The bill states that, except for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, the purchase or development of offshore wind facilities or the purchase by a public utility of energy, capacity, and environmental attributes from such facilities shall include a competitive procurement process held by the Department of Energy. The bill specifies that Dominion Energy Virginia may submit a bid but shall not participate in evaluating bids or making selections in such process.

R. Creigh DeedsDemocrat

Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; professional liability insurance.

Nursing homes and certified nursing facilities; professional liability insurance. Specifies that the required minimum amount of professional liability coverage for nursing homes and certified nursing facilities is the amount per occurrence. The bill also requires such coverage to be noneroding, i.e., the coverage limits are not reduced by legal costs.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican