Bills & Legislation

Hate crimes; crime victim's right to nondisclosure of certain information.

Crime victim's right to nondisclosure of certain information; hate crimes. Prohibits a law-enforcement agency from disclosing to the public information that directly or indirectly identifies the victim of a hate crime, defined in relevant law, except to the extent that disclosure is (i) of the site of the crime, (ii) required by law, (iii) necessary for law-enforcement purposes, or (iv) permitted by the court for good cause unless such victim, or his next of kin if he is a minor and his death results from any crime, provides written consent. The bill also prohibits, at the request of the victim, the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia from listing the first or last name of the victim of a hate crime in an appellate decision.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

DCJS; removes requirement to develop model addiction recovery program.

Department of Criminal Justice Services; powers and duties; local and regional jails; repeal of model addiction recovery program. Removes the requirement that the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, develop a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and identical to SB 690.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, & developmt. disability crisis services; written plan.

Comprehensive crisis system; Marcus alert system; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability crisis services; written plan. Allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to amend the written plan created pursuant to relevant law after the publication of such written plan, provided that (i) the stakeholders listed in relevant law are consulted during the development of any new language to be added to such written plan and (ii) a public comment period of no less than 30 days is held prior to the finalization of such written plan. The bill also provides that the written plan shall serve as the operational framework for relevant components of the comprehensive crisis system and the Marcus alert system and that state agencies and local implementing partners shall align their policies, procedures, and operations on an ongoing basis with the requirements and guidance set forth in the written plan, as amended. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 513.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Vital Records, Office of; fees for certified copies, annual report.

Office of Vital Records; fees for certified copies. Permits the Board of Health to prescribe a fee of up to $15 for a certified copy of vital records and directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect a fee of $15 for each certified copy of a vital record that it issues. Under current law, both fees are limited to $12.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Practice of radiologic technology; licensure exceptions, sunset.

Practice of radiologic technology; licensure exceptions. Permits a person employed or engaged by a hospital, health system, or urgent care center that is affiliated with a hospital or health care system to practice within the scope of his employment as a radiologic technologist, radiologic assistant, or radiologic technologist, limited without obtaining a license. Under current law, such exception only applies to radiologic technologists who are employees of a hospital. The bill exempts the initial promulgation of regulations pursuant to the bill by the Board of Medicine from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; expands authority to exercise power of eminent domain.

Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; eminent domain. Expands the authority of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to exercise the power of eminent domain.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Debtor's disposable earnings; exemptions form garnishment, exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings.

Exemptions from garnishment; exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings; disposable earnings. Provides that the exemption provided for a debtor's disposable earnings, defined by current law, that are subject to garnishment also applies to disposable earnings for the purposes of a bankruptcy proceeding.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act; established.

Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act established. Creates the Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act for the award of a default judgment in actions for the collection of certain consumer debts, defined in the bill as an obligation or alleged obligation of an individual to pay money that arises out of a transaction in which the money, property, insurance, or service that is the subject of the transaction is primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose. The bill provides that a default judgment in such actions shall only be entered if the warrant in debt or civil action to recover a consumer debt includes certain statements and the required notice to the consumer, as described in the bill. Finally, the bill directs the Office of the Executive Secretary to promulgate a form for the consumer notice provisions created by the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act; numerous revisions to Act, delayed effective date.

Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Provides for numerous revisions to the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act. Among other revisions, the bill (i) authorizes certain actions to derive from its bylaws in addition to its articles of incorporation, (ii) makes changes to the process of amending articles of incorporation and bylaws, (iii) authorizes inclusion of an exclusive forum provision in the bylaws, (iv) permits transfer of membership interests, (v) authorizes members to bring derivative proceedings, (vi) permits a court to remove a director in certain circumstances, (vii) provides for abandonment of an amendment or restatement of the articles of incorporation, (viii) extends the current provisions related to mergers to include interest exchanges and to provide for parent-subsidiary mergers, (ix) replaces existing provisions on conversion with provisions based on the Virginia Stock Act, and (x) adds provisions governing charitable corporations and charitable assets, including the authority of the Office of the Attorney General with respect to such. The bill includes technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 246.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Judicial district and circuit courts; maximum number of judges.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district and circuit; maximum number of judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia; hearing en banc; study to examine organization and boundaries of certain judicial circuits; report. Increases from 17 to 21 the maximum number of authorized judges on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The bill removes provisions that require the Court of Appeals to sit en banc in certain instances, making the decision of whether to sit en banc entirely discretionary. The bill requires the Court of Appeals to sit en banc with no fewer than 13 judges, three of whom shall be the three judges to whom the case was originally assigned and the remaining 10 of whom shall be assigned pursuant to a randomized rotational schedule in accordance with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Under the bill, such provisions relating to the Court of Appeals shall become effective on September 1, 2026.The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twelfth and Fifteenth Judicial Districts. The bill further increases by one the maximum number of authorized circuit court judges in the Twentieth and Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuits. Under the bill, the provisions relating to increasing the number of judges in the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits shall become effective on July 1, 2027.Finally, the bill directs the Judicial Council of Virginia to study the organization and boundaries of the Fifteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits and to submit an executive summary and a report of its findings and any recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2026.As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill incorporates HB 46 and HB 194.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Insurance; standards of conduct for public adjusters, unauthorized practice of public adjusting.

Insurance; standards of conduct for public adjusters; unauthorized practice of public adjusting. Prohibits any person who does not hold a valid public adjuster license from soliciting, investigating, negotiating, adjusting, or providing advice to a policyholder, in relation to a first party claim arising under an insurance contract that insures the real or personal property of a policyholder, for the purpose of effecting the settlement of a claim on behalf of the policyholder. The bill prohibits any public adjuster from assisting in a claim where the policyholder has improperly assigned the duties, rights, or benefits under the relevant policy to any contractor or vendor. The bill adds requirements for advertisements by public adjusters, and excludes certain materials from being considered advertisements. The bill also includes specific standards of conduct for public adjusters regarding vulnerable adults, as defined in the bill, and contains technical amendments.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Delinquency petition; referral to court service unit.

Delinquency petition; referral to court service unit. Provides that at any point prior to the commencement of an adjudication hearing on a petition alleging that a child is delinquent, the court, upon request of the child with consent of the attorney for the Commonwealth, if a party to the case, may refer the delinquency charge back to the court service unit in writing and the intake officer shall proceed informally pursuant to relevant law. Additionally, the bill provides that upon such referral, the court shall dismiss the petition and order that the court records pertaining to the petition be expunged pursuant to relevant law. Lastly, the bill allows an intake officer to proceed informally on a complaint alleging a child is in need of services, in need of supervision, or delinquent if the juvenile has previously been proceeded against informally.Current law does not permit proceeding informally when a juvenile (i) commits a violent juvenile felony or (ii) is alleged delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult if such juvenile had previously been (a) proceeded against informally by intake or (b) adjudicated delinquent for a prior offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult. This bill is identical to SB 70.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Electric utilities; electric grid utilization metrics; State Corporation Commission.

Phase I and Phase II Utilities; electric grid utilization metrics. Requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of grid utilization metrics by October 15, 2026, which petition may be consolidated with the integrated resource plan filing for Dominion Energy in 2026. Under the bill, the petition shall include certain assessments comparing current electric grid system performance with optimal utilization of existing electric grid assets. The bill also requires the Commission to include in an existing annual report its findings on each applicable utility's assessment of relevant grid utilization metrics, which shall include an analysis of the potential for each applicable utility to increase electric grid utilization through the deployment of non-wires alternatives. This bill is identical to SB 621.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

New College Institute; reconstitution of Institute as West Piedmont Higher Education Center, etc.

New College Institute; name; membership and composition of board of directors. Renames New College Institute as the West Piedmont Higher Education Center (the Center) and makes several revisions to the membership requirements for the board of directors of the Center, including (i) increasing from 15 to 20 members the total membership of the board of directors; (ii) modifying the composition of the board of directors by adding as required members the Executive Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or his designee, the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee, and the presidents of George Mason University, Longwood University, Radford University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Virginia State University or their designees; (iii) reducing from 10 to seven the total number of nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor and requiring five of such nonlegislative citizen members to be representatives of West Piedmont public education and area business and industry, including one division superintendent, one public school teacher, and three business and industry leaders; and (iv) adding the president of Patrick & Henry Community College or his designee to serve as an ex officio nonvoting member. The bill also requires the board of directors of the Center, in collaboration with representatives of GO Virginia Region 3, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Patrick & Henry Community College, local school boards, and major regional employers, to develop a sustainability plan, including a comprehensive strategic plan and customer recruitment and expansion strategy, to provide higher education degree and certification programs in accordance with its mission, to review options to achieve the goals stated in such plan, and to report on such options to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations no later than August 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 299.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Newborn screening; evaluation of disorders for inclusion, process for considering other disorders.

Newborn screening; process for evaluation of disorders for inclusion. Directs the Department of Health to establish a process for considering the addition of disorders to the Commonwealth's newborn screening program that are not included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, which process shall include criteria and a timeline for consideration of disorders and a timeline for initiation of rulemaking.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission; extends of sunset provision.

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission; extension of expiration date. Extends the expiration date of the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to SB 682.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Suicide; abolishes common-law crime, delayed effective date, report.

Common-law crime of suicide. Abolishes the common-law crime of suicide. Suicide is currently a common-law crime in Virginia, although there is no statutorily prescribed punishment. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and also requires the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission to review the effect and implication of abolishing the common-law crime of suicide on insurance throughout the Commonwealth and submit its findings and any recommendations by November 1, 2026, to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Electric utilities; definitions, integrated resource plans, report.

Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Makes various changes related to the content and process for an integrated resource plan (IRP) developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations. The bill (i) extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years; (ii) requires Appalachian Power to file an IRP by removing an exception from the definition of "electric utility"; (iii) changes the frequency with which a utility is required to file an IRP from biennially to triennially; (iv) requires utilities to consider the use of grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure, and when new transmission lines are envisioned, to provide the reasons grid-enhancing technologies are not sufficient to defer or eliminate the need for new transmission infrastructure; and (v) requires utilities to consider the use of surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, to add new electric generation projects and energy storage resources to the grid. The bill requires that the current stakeholder review process for integrated resource plans be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility. The bill requires, as part of the stakeholder review process, the utility to provide stakeholders with reasonable access to the same modeling software, modeling assumptions, modeling inputs, and data used by the utility to evaluate supply and demand resources in its integrated resource plan to enable stakeholders to create modeling scenarios for the utility's consideration during the development of its integrated resource plan. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to (a) establish guidelines that ensure that utilities develop comprehensive integrated resource plans and provide meaningful public engagement and maximum transparency during the planning process; (b) conduct a proceeding by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter, to identify and review each of its existing orders relevant to integrated resource plans to determine if such orders remain necessary and effective and are not overly burdensome; and (c) convene a work group to make recommendations on the required guidelines. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 249.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Uniform, comprehensive data information system; info on self-identified students who are parents.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; uniform, comprehensive data information system; information on self-identified students who are parents. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to include in its uniform, comprehensive data information system information on self-identified students who are parents, as that term is defined in relevant law.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Pregnant and postpartum patients; reimbursement for remote monitoring services.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote monitoring services through pregnancy and postpartum for high-risk pregnant patients; reimbursement. Expands provision for payment of medical assistance for remote patient monitoring services provided via telemedicine to include high-risk pregnant persons through 12 months postpartum. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to assess expanding similar provision of payment for patients with advanced maternal age and submit a report of its findings to the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Workers' compensation; employer's offset in event of recovery.

Workers' compensation; employer's offset in event of recovery. Amends provisions related to an employer's offset for recovery in certain actions brought under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The bill requires that lifetime medical award benefits and ongoing indemnity award benefits shall remain in full force and effect if the claimant is under such an award at the time that recovery is effected, subject to the employer offset provisions. Under the bill, an employer's credit shall be applied as a continuing, pro rata reduction to benefits otherwise payable under an existing award until the employer's required credit is exhausted. The bill also removes language limiting an employee's entitlement to compensation and expenses for medical, surgical, and hospital attention and funeral expenses.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees, reduces membership.

Roanoke Higher Education Authority; board of trustees; membership. Reduces from 19 to 18 the total membership of the board of trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority by removing the presidents of Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia or their designees and adding the president of Appalachian College of Pharmacy or his designee. The bill also permits the President of Total Action for Progress to designate an individual to serve in his place on such board of trustees. This bill is identical to SB 242.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Health insurance; definitions, prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals.

Health insurance; prohibited restrictions on in-network referrals. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from prohibiting an in-network provider, as defined in the bill, from referring any enrollee or specimen to any in-network clinical laboratory or in-network pathology service provider under the terms of such insurance unless such referral would constitute a violation of certain laws. This bill is identical to SB 745.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within 3-year period for water utilities.

Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within three-year period for water utilities. Prohibits a public utility authorized to furnish water or water and sewer service from filing an application for a rate increase more frequently than once in any three-year period. The bill provides exceptions to such prohibition for the utility to file an application (i) for a decrease in rates; (ii) limited to a rate adjustment clause, rider, or surcharge; (iii) for a temporary emergency increase in rates; or (iv) for an increase upon a finding by the State Corporation Commission that extraordinary circumstances exist. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

Nicole ColeDemocrat

School buses; use for public purposes by local governing bodies, insurance reimbursement.

Use of school buses for public purposes by local governing bodies; insurance reimbursement. Permits any local governing body that use school buses for certain public purposes pursuant to an agreement with a school board to reimburse the school board for the proportionate share of any insurance costs, both fixed and variable, of such buses incurred by such school board that are attributable to the use of such buses pursuant to such agreement in lieu of the existing statutory requirement for such a local governing body to supply sufficient insurance for such school buses.

Elizabeth R. GuzmanDemocrat

Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with U.S. Department of Transportation.

Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation; National Environmental Policy Act. Authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to enter into agreements for a term of five years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as provided for in federal law, regarding state assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions and the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume certain responsibilities of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation pursuant to such agreement. Under the bill, the Commonwealth waives its immunity from civil suit in a federal court under certain circumstances. The bill contains an expiration date of five years after the date on which the first agreement is entered into. This bill is identical to SB 716.

David A. ReidDemocrat

High School Certified Nurse Aide Training/Certification Program; established, requirements, report.

Board of Education; Board of Nursing; High School Certified Nurse Aide Training and Certification Program established; requirements; report. Establishes the High School Certified Nurse Aide Training and Certification Program for the purpose of creating a pathway for qualified high school students, as defined by the bill, to prepare for and obtain certification as a certified nurse aide (CNA) in the Commonwealth by approving and supporting the establishment of approved training programs, as that term is defined by the bill, whereby any qualified high school student may participate in a program of instruction that (i) is designed to prepare such students for certification as a CNA, in accordance with the requirements of the Board of Nursing; (ii) is taught by an individual who is qualified to provide such instruction, consistent with the requirements of the Board of Education and the Board of Nursing; and (iii) supports each participating student in meeting the requirements for and obtaining certification as a CNA. The bill directs the Board of Education, in collaboration with the Board of Nursing, to administer the Program and to establish policies and procedures for the administration of the Program. Finally, the bill requires the Board of Education to submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 1 of each year a report on the activities of the Program for the preceding year.

Elizabeth R. GuzmanDemocrat

Two-Year college Transfer Grant, etc.; eligibility.

Selective Service; Two-Year College Transfer Grant; Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program. Removes the requirement that individuals register for the Selective Service in order to be eligible for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant, the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program, or any other state direct tuition assistance.

Elizabeth R. GuzmanDemocrat

Passing a stopped school bus; divided highways, access roads, and certain driveways.

Passing a stopped school bus; divided highways, access roads, and certain driveways. Clarifies that the exemption from the requirement for a driver of a motor vehicle to stop for a stopped school bus if such bus is stopped on the other roadway of a divided highway, on an access road, or on a driveway when the other roadway, access road, or driveway is separated from the roadway on which he is driving by a physical barrier or an unpaved area applies regardless of whether the physical barrier or unpaved area is continuous or segmented when necessary to accommodate an intersection or turning vehicles.

David A. ReidDemocrat

School boards; participation in SAT School Day program required, student participation.

School boards; participation in SAT School Day program required; student participation. Requires each school board to (i) participate in the SAT School Day program (the program) or any similar program offered by the College Board whereby high school students are permitted to take the SAT during regular school hours at the high school at which they are enrolled and (ii) offer each high school student in the school division the opportunity to take the SAT pursuant to the program at least once during the student's junior or senior year, in either the fall testing window or the spring testing window at the public high school at which the student is enrolled, provided that (a) no such student shall be required to participate in the program and (b) if the school board offers such opportunity during the fall testing window, the school board shall, to the extent feasible, align the days on which it offers such opportunity with the PSAT testing window and offer high school students in the school division to take either the SAT or the PSAT, as applicable, during regular school hours at the high school on the same school day.

David A. ReidDemocrat

Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program; scholarships, administration.

Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program; parameters. Prohibits any such institution from passing the cost of any scholarship program established in accordance with the provisions of the Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program to other enrolled students by increasing the rate of tuition or mandatory fees. The bill also requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to (i) establish a work group that consists of a representative of each institution that participates in the Program that meets at least semiannually to discuss Program administration, including sharing best practices on administration and research, coordinating funding and fundraising strategies, developing outreach and marketing plans, collaborating on historical and genealogical research efforts, and aligning government and community engagement initiatives, and (ii) develop and maintain a single statewide online portal that describes each institution's program, criteria, and investments in scholarship students or the community, lists designated points of contact at each institution, shares application timelines and processes, and offers historical context and ongoing memorial updates.

David A. ReidDemocrat

Cottage food laws; sale of certain food over phone and internet, report.

Cottage food laws; sale of certain food over phone and internet; work group; report. Expands the exemption from state inspection requirements for private homes where the resident processes and prepares certain food products, including pickles and other acidified vegetables, to allow for such person to sell such products at any location, through the internet, or by telephone to an individual in the Commonwealth for his own consumption and deliver such products in person, by mail, or by delivery service subject to certain restrictions. Current law only allows for the sale to take place in person at the private home, a temporary event, or a farmer's market. The bill also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group to examine the structural, equipment, and facility standards for private homes in the Commonwealth producing products that do not meet the cottage food law exemptions. The bill requires the work group to complete its meetings by November 1, 2026, and report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board.

Public institutions of higher education; other educational and cultural institutions; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board. Amends the enumerated powers of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by replacing the authority to adopt regulations to establish classes of membership in the Museum with the authority to adopt regulations and set fees relating to the use and visitation of properties under the control of the board. The bill clarifies that the regulations on museum and grounds use and access set forth in the Virginia Administrative Code shall continue in effect and be deemed to constitute the regulations adopted pursuant to the bill.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Motion picture production; increases aggregate cap on tax credit, extends sunset.

Motion picture production tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the motion picture production tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2026 to taxable year 2030. This bill is identical to SB 612.

Charniele L. HerringDemocrat

Plastic firearms or receivers, etc., transfer, etc., prohibited; penalties.

Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 323.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Affordable housing; preservation, definitions, civil penalty.

Preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty. Creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal on publicly supported housing, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes localities to adopt an ordinance that requires an owner to accept a right of first refusal offer by the locality or qualified designee, defined in the bill, in order to preserve affordable housing for at least 15 years. The bill requires that any locality with a population greater than 3,500 adopting such an ordinance to preserve affordable housing submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to existing law.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Charitable gaming; regulations, predetermined percentage of receipts.

Charitable gaming; regulations; predetermined percentage of receipts. Amends charitable gaming law to allow, as a condition of receiving a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming, an organization established on or before December 31, 1977, that is qualified under § 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code and is incorporated, in part, to raise funds for donation to organizations whose missions include promoting early detection of and public education about and supporting research and treatment options for heart disease and various cancers, to use a predetermined percentage of its receipts for expenses related to the rental of real property where such real property is involved in the operation of the organization and used for lawful religious, charitable, community, or educational purposes.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act; created, prohibited practices, penalties.

Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act to regulate the practices of persons seeking to receive compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to SB 315.

Charniele L. HerringDemocrat

Charitable gaming; definitions, Texas Hold'em poker tournaments, minimum age to participate.

Charitable gaming; Texas Hold'em poker tournaments. Increases from 18 years of age to 21 years of age the minimum age an individual must be to participate in Texas Hold'em poker tournaments. The bill provides that no qualified organization may conduct Texas Hold'em poker tournaments (i) at a location outside of the county, city, or town in which its principal office, as registered with the State Corporation Commission, is located or in an adjoining county, city, or town or (ii) at an establishment that has been granted a retail alcoholic beverage control license unless such license is held by the qualified organization. The bill also allows unlimited rebuys during the first two hours of tournament play or until the first break, whichever occurs first, and permits one add-on at the end of the rebuy period before play resumes at the end of the first break.

Paul E. KrizekDemocrat

Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program.

Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Air Pollution Control Board to establish and maintain a market-based trading program consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program, as defined in existing law, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating units in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 802.

Charniele L. HerringDemocrat

Sickle cell disease education and screening program; cancer risk.

Sickle cell disease education and screening program; cancer risk. Requires the sickle cell screening and treatment program to include the offering of educational resources to health care providers on the increased risks for certain cancers among individuals with sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Habitat Policy Oversight Committee; established, membership, powers and duties, report.

Marine Resources Commission; Habitat Policy Oversight Committee established; powers and duties. Establishes the Habitat Policy Oversight Committee within the Marine Resources Commission to advise the Commission and the Habitat Management Division of the Commission on policies within their jurisdiction and to support the Commission's coastal resilience efforts. The bill establishes the powers and duties of the Committee, establishes how the members of the Committee are appointed, and provides that the Committee shall have 11 voting members and two ex-officio members. This bill incorporates HB 619.

Alex Q. AskewDemocrat

Powers of service districts; control of invasive plant species.

Powers of service districts; control of invasive plant species. Allows a service district created within a locality to control the spread of any plant that is identified on the list of invasive plant species established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. This bill is identical to SB 89.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants.

Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants. Requires a settlement agent to notify the purchaser of any residential real property of the purchaser's right to remove a prohibited restrictive covenant that is contained in an instrument affecting the title of the property and disclosed as the result of the title search performed pursuant to the real estate transaction.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

SCHEV; exemption of certain courses and programs of instruction from certification requirement.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; exemption of certain courses and programs of instruction from certification requirement. Exempts from the requirement to be certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia any course or program of instruction on Scrum, Kanban, or other Agile-based methods or frameworks, provided that no such exempted course or program of instruction exceeds the number of hours required by the certifying body.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Alcoholic beverage control; operation of government stores, tastings.

Alcoholic beverage control; operation of government stores; tastings. Allows an authorized employee of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to conduct an organized tasting event at a government store. The bill also clarifies that any products used in connection with distilled spirits as approved by the Board may be sold at government stores. The bill also removes the option to obtain a permit to purchase certain grain spirits or alcohol with a proof greater than 151 from government stores for commercial or culinary use.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Celiac disease; training materials for restaurant personnel.

State Health Commissioner; training materials for restaurant personnel; celiac disease. Directs the State Health Commissioner to add celiac disease awareness and safety to the topics included in written materials provided for the training of restaurant personnel.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Investigation or autopsy of dead bodies; notification of retention of whole organ.

Investigation or autopsy of dead bodies; Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; notification of retention of whole organ. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to inform through written communication a decedent's next of kin, other person authorized by law to make arrangements for the disposition of a decedent's remains, or funeral service establishment or funeral service licensee if an investigation or autopsy requires the retention of any whole organ of a dead body. If the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner provides written notification to the funeral service establishment or funeral service licensee, the bill requires such establishment or licensee to provide such written notification to the decedent's next of kin or other person authorized by law to make arrangements for the disposition of the decedent's remains.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction, requirements.

Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction; requirements. Requires each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the applicable school board, employed on a full-time basis to complete mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. Current law requires such teachers and personnel to complete mental health awareness training but does not contain any requirements relating to the specific topics such training must address. The bill prohibits any of its provisions or any policy adopted in accordance with its provisions from being construed to permit biased or discriminatory treatment of any youth population deemed to be at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; written rental agreement, lot rent increase prohibition, etc.

Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act. Requires landlords subject to the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act to include, on the first page of a written lot rental agreement, an itemization of all charges to the tenant, along with a statement that states: "No additional security deposits or rent shall be charged unless such security deposits or rent are listed below or incorporated into this rental agreement by way of a separate addendum after the execution of this rental agreement." The bill also prohibits, with certain exceptions, any owner or operator of a manufactured home community from increasing the annual lot rent of a tenant at the time of renewal if the manufactured housing community has received a notice of violation of zoning, building, or fire code or an inspection report listing violations of habitability from the locality where the community operates and the notice of violation remains unresolved. Lastly, the bill requires any manufactured home community operating in the Commonwealth to register with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Paul E. KrizekDemocrat