Bills & Legislation

Financial institutions; check cashers, expiration of registration, delayed effective date.

Financial institutions; check cashers; expiration of registration. Provides that for check cashers registered with the State Corporation Commission, such registration shall automatically expire if a registrant fails to pay the annual registration fee by July 1 of each year. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Stacey Annie CarrollDemocrat

Government. Data Collection & Dissemin. Practices Act; dissemin. of personal info. to federal gov't.

Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act; dissemination of personal information to federal government; civil penalties. Provides that any agency or political subdivision of the Commonwealth shall only disseminate personal information (i) to the extent necessary to comply with state or federal law, including the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; (ii) to the extent necessary to carry out the administration of a state or federal program pursuant to state or federal law; (iii) to comply with a subpoena, court order, or administrative proceeding; (iv) to the extent necessary to ensure fulfillment of the obligations of a purchase or contract made in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act or a memorandum of understanding or management agreement made in accordance with the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act; (v) when the data subject has given consent; or (vi) to the extent necessary to accomplish a proper purpose of the agency. The bill also prohibits an agency or political subdivision from selling personal information. The bill authorizes a court, in the case of a willful and knowing violation, to subject a specific public officer, appointee, or employee of any agency to civil penalties.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

School board employee grievance procedure; timing of dispute resolution.

School board employee grievance procedure; timing of dispute resolution. Requires the grievance procedure for certain school board employees to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees before dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions. Current law requires such procedure to afford a timely and fair method of the resolution of disputes arising between the school board and such employees regarding dismissal or other disciplinary actions, excluding suspensions, but is silent on the timing of such dispute resolution. This bill is identical to SB 824.

Jeion A. WardDemocrat

Community Builders Pilot Program; name change, statewide demonstration model site, repeals sunset.

Community Builders Pilot Program; name change; sunset repeal; statewide demonstration model site. Makes permanent and renames the Community Builders Pilot Program established within Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools as the Community Builders Program (the Program). The Community Builders Pilot Program is currently set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill also requires, with such funds as may be appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, Roanoke City Public Schools to serve as the statewide demonstration model site for the Program for the purpose of hosting interested representatives of other school divisions to observe the Program and receive training and materials from Roanoke City Public Schools in order to facilitate the replication of the Program in such other school divisions. This bill is identical to SB 820.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Charitable gaming; denial, suspension, or revocation of permit.

Charitable gaming; denial, suspension, or revocation of permit. Removes duplicative provisions of charitable gaming law regarding the denial, suspension, or revocation of a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming.

Paul E. KrizekDemocrat

Electric utilities; duty to furnish adequate service, high-demand customers.

Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 423.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Medicine and Nursing, Boards of; continuing education, bias reduction training.

Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing; continuing education; bias reduction training. Directs the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing to require certain licensees to complete continuing learning activities on bias reduction in health care as part of their continuing education and continuing competency requirements for licensure and authorizes the Board of Nursing to require certain continuing learning activities or courses in a specific subject area. Under current law, the Board of Medicine has such authority. This bill is identical to SB 22.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Water distribution systems; lead status inspections for water service lines.

Inspection of water distribution systems; lead status inspections for water service lines. Permits any locality that operates a water distribution system or any water authority that operates a water distribution system, or their respective duly authorized agents, to, at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter upon the exterior areas of any property, public or private, for the purpose of accessing and inspecting a water service line necessary to make the required system-side and customer-side service line material classifications for lead status to comply with federal law. The bill requires any such inspector to maintain a record of such inspections, including the date, time, and result of the inspection, and, further, requires the inspector to inform the customer of the result of the inspection. The bill also requires the locality or water authority to deliver notice to the customer at least 14 days prior to the inspection. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Motor vehicle safety inspections; certified safety inspectors.

Motor vehicle safety inspections; safety inspectors. Requires motor vehicle safety inspections to be conducted by persons certified as a safety inspector by the Superintendent of State Police. Existing law requires the person conducting a vehicle safety inspection, or under whose immediate supervision such inspection is made, to have at least one year's practical experience as an automotive mechanic or have satisfactorily completed a training program in automotive mechanics approved by the Superintendent of State Police.

Terry L. AustinRepublican

Water and sewer connection fees; first-time homebuyers, affordable housing.

Water and sewer connection fees; first-time homebuyers; affordable housing. Provides that any locality may provide for the full or partial reimbursement to a first-time homebuyer of water and sewer connection fees, capital recovery charges, and availability fees paid in connection with any new residential development conveyed to such homebuyer. The bill also permits any locality that has adopted an affordable dwelling unit ordinance pursuant to general law to provide for a waiver of such fees and charges for any development subject to the requirements of such ordinance.

Marty MartinezDemocrat

Drug-related investigations; use of confidential informants.

Use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a model policy for the use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations and to include in such model policy that (i) no individual currently on probation or pretrial may serve as a confidential informant without notice to his probation, pretrial services, or parole officer; (ii) no individual who has, within the last six months, been found to have violated the terms of his probation or parole shall serve as a confidential informant whose testimony may be necessary in the prosecution of a criminal matter in the courts of the Commonwealth; (iii) law-enforcement personnel shall obtain approval from the appropriate local attorney for the Commonwealth prior to working with a confidential informant; and (iv) such confidential informant shall not unlawfully use or possess any controlled substances.

Mike A. CherryRepublican

Toll rate; increases State Corporation Commission duration and timeline for review.

State Corporation Commission; duration and timeline for review of toll rate increases. Increases from one year to two years the maximum length of time the State Corporation Commission is authorized to approve toll rate increases under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988. The bill also requires the Commission to issue a final order regarding any application for approval of one year or two years of such toll rate increases to be entered within nine months or 12 months, respectively, after the date of the filing of such application.

David A. ReidDemocrat

Workforce housing for employees; county bd. of supervisor or school bd., lease of surplus property.

Workforce housing for employees of a county or county school board; lease of surplus property. Allows any county board of supervisors or county school board to lease as lessor surplus or underutilized property. The bill provides that such leases shall be conditioned on the development of workforce housing serving employees of the county or school division with up to 80 percent of area median household income. The bill also prohibits establishment of a minimum lot size exceeding 5,000 square feet for such workforce housing and provides that the placement of manufactured houses that are on a permanent foundation and on individual lots shall be permitted subject to development standards that are equivalent to those applicable to site-built single-family dwellings.

David A. ReidDemocrat

Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of; universal license recognition.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; universal license recognition. Reduces from three years to one year the number of years an individual is required to have held a professional or occupational license or government certification in another state in order to apply to the regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and be issued an occupational license or government certification under the universal license recognition program.

May NivarDemocrat

Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order.

Guardianship; copy of appointment, termination, or modification order; Department of Medical Assistance Services. Removes the requirement of a clerk of court in a guardianship proceeding to forward a copy of an order appointing a guardian and a copy of the certificate of qualification to the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill further removes such a forwarding requirement when a guardianship is terminated or otherwise modified. This bill is identical to SB 216.

May NivarDemocrat

Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure.

Nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure. Requires a nonemergency medical transportation provider or the medical care facility prearranging transport through such a provider, prior to providing such transportation services to a patient, to provide the patient or the patient's representative with a standardized disclosure form of all associated fees or other charges for which the patient will be responsible for such transportation services. The bill also requires that nonemergency medical transportation providers provide the medical care facility with the required form. Such provisions have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. Finally, effective July 1, 2026, the bill directs the Department of Health to develop and publish a standardized disclosure form on its website by October 1, 2026.

May NivarDemocrat

Culturally responsive & language-appropriate mental health support & services; guidance & policies.

Department of Education; culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services; guidance and policies. Requires, no later than October 1, 2027, the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and provide to each local school board guidance on the adoption of policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students in the local school division and permits any school board to develop and adopt policies in the local school division that are consistent with the guidelines adopted and provided by the Department of Education.

May NivarDemocrat

Renewable energy portfolio standard program; energy from geothermal heating/cooling systems, report.

Renewable energy portfolio standard program; geothermal heating and cooling systems; report. Requires, for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to annually procure and retire certain percentages of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems, as defined in the bill. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to prepare and deliver a report evaluating the procurement and retirement of renewable energy certificates from geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth on or before November 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Real Estate Appraiser Board to promulgate regulations requiring the development of a continuing education curriculum and required training for all licensees that includes how to properly determine the increase in value of real estate created by reductions in building energy costs associated with solar, geothermal, and solar water heating investments. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation and is identical to SB 252.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Arts, Virginia Commission for the; revisions to duties of Commission.

Public institutions of higher education; museums and other cultural institutions; Virginia Commission for the Arts; revisions. Revises the requirements relating to the composition, administration, and duties of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, including by (i) modifying and consolidating the duties of the Commission; (ii) requiring the Governor to appoint an executive director of the Commission, as opposed to permitting the Governor to appoint a director as provided under current law; and (iii) providing that moneys in the Virginia Commission for the Arts Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of supporting initiatives relating to the duties of the Commission, as set forth in applicable law, and that expenditures and disbursements from the Fund are to be made upon written request signed by persons authorized by the executive director of the Commission. Current law requires expenditures and disbursements from the Fund to be made upon request signed by persons authorized by the Commission.

Terry G. KilgoreRepublican

Medetomidine; manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing, penalties.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing medetomidine; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture medetomidine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell medetomidine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense medetomidine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer medetomidine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

High school students; completion of certain applications for student financial aid required.

School boards; high school students; establishment of certain goals for completion of certain applications for student financial aid required; provision of data and guidance relating to student financial aid applications. Requires each school board to (i) annually provide to each high school student and the parent of each high school student guidance and other informational materials on student financial aid applications, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of promoting awareness of federal and state financial aid programs, resources, eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and other processes and requirements; (ii) utilize federally available data to establish a five-year goal for encouraging and increasing the completion of student financial aid applications by high school students during the students' final school year before graduation; and (iii) annually post in a publicly accessible location on its website federally available data relating to student financial aid applications and submit to the Department of Education a report on the progress toward achieving the five-year goal established pursuant to clause (ii). The bill clarifies that nothing in the bill shall be construed to require any school board to establish a goal of universal completion of a student financial aid application prior to graduation by each high school student in the school division. The bill also prohibits any school board or employee thereof from disclosing any personally identifiable information relating to the requirements set forth in the bill to any individual or entity outside of the school division. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to provide to each school board (a) by the beginning of each school year, the website containing federally available data on the rates of completion of student financial aid applications; (b) guidance or other informational materials on student financial aid applications; and (c) guidance and other informational resources designed to support school boards in making progress toward the five-year goals established pursuant to the bill. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2031.

JJ SinghDemocrat

Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention, report.

Protection of employees; standards for heat illness prevention; Safety and Health Codes Board. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board (the Board) to adopt regulations designed to protect workers from heat illness, as defined in the bill, during indoor and outdoor work. The bill provides that such regulations shall be enforced by the Board's existing authority. The bill directs the Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop and adopt regulations that require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans and to convene an advisory panel to assist in developing such regulations. This bill is identical to SB 288.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Noxious weeds; amends definition, commercial viability, phase-out period, report.

Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; noxious weeds; commercial viability; report. Amends the definition of noxious weed to remove the exclusion for living plants or parts thereof that are commercially viable or commercially propagated in Virginia and removes the requirement that the Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee include in its recommendations to the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services an analysis of the current and potential in-state commercial viability of a plant species. The bill requires a plant that is designated by the Board as a noxious weed and commercially propagated in Virginia to be subject to a phase-out period of two years for grasses, forbs, and vines; four years for shrubs; and seven years for trees. The bill directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to conduct a review of the legislative and regulatory authority of the Board pertaining to the control of noxious weeds and report his findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by November 1, 2026.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia goods, school nutrition programs, sunset.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia goods; school nutrition programs; sunset extension. Provides that, in the case of procurement of goods by manufacturers, if the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is not a resident of Virginia and the bid is for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia and intended for school nutrition programs, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, and is within 20 percent of such bid, such bidder for agricultural products that are produced or processed in Virginia shall be granted the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The bill amends provisions of law providing preference for Virginia goods in procurement that are set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill extends the sunset date of these provisions to July 1, 2028.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Working Lands Preservation, Office of; powers and duties, small renewable energy projects fees.

Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; small renewable energy projects fees. Requires the Office of Working Lands Preservation to serve as a trustee to administer the in-lieu fees in trust for small renewable energy projects. The bill requires such fees to be used to acquire conservation easements and cover any expenses associated with acquiring such easements.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Honor Guard Grant Program; Department of Veterans Services to establish.

Department of Veterans Services; Honor Guard Grant Program established. Requires the Department of Veterans Services to establish the Honor Guard Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to veteran service organizations, defined in the bill, to offset expenses incurred by the organizations and members of the organizations' honor guards in providing honor guard burial details at the funerals of veterans in the Commonwealth, including expenses for training, transportation, food, equipment, and supplies.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund; created.

Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Pharmaceutical Substance Manufacturing Grant Fund to provide grant installment awards between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2045, in an amount not to exceed $34 million per fiscal year and in an aggregate amount not to exceed $191,255,000, to a qualified company that (i) engages in the manufacture of pharmaceutical substances, (ii) executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth, and (iii) is expected to make a capital investment of at least $4 billion and create and maintain at least 500 new full-time jobs. This bill is identical to SB 527.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Sewage sludge; local authority to test and monitor land application within its political boundaries.

Local authority to test and monitor the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries. Allows a locality to provide for testing and monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as defined in relevant law, of the land application of sewage sludge within its political boundaries using an applicable test method established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill prohibits any expenses from such testing and monitoring from being eligible for reimbursement from the Sludge Management Fund.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Advanced leak detection technologies; SCC shall establish standards for use by certain facilities.

State Corporation Commission; pipeline leak detection and repair standards. Directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the use of pipeline leak detection technologies for intrastate natural gas distribution facilities operated by certain utilities, as informed by a federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety. The provisions of the bill and any such regulations shall expire upon the effective date of any final rule under the federal rulemaking on gas pipeline safety.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Public elementary and secondary schools & higher educational institutions; threat assessment teams.

Public elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; threat assessment teams; training on emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders. Requires threat assessment teams for public elementary and secondary schools and for public institutions of higher education to receive specific education and training, within existing annual training, on the use of emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders, as set forth in relevant law.

Amy J. LauferDemocrat

Underinsured motorist benefits; actions against released defendant.

Underinsured motorist benefits; actions against released defendant. Provides that any action brought by an injured person to recover underinsured motorist benefits after payment of the liability insurer's available limits is required to be brought against the released defendant by name and that the complaint is required to be served on any insurer providing underinsured motorist benefits but is not required to be served on the released defendant. Additionally, the bill provides that an underinsured motorist is presumed to have failed to reasonably cooperate in the defense of any lawsuit brought against him if he fails or refuses to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice after the underinsured motorist benefits insurer is served with any lawsuit and again prior to his deposition and trial. Under current law, such presumption is based on such underinsured motorist's failure or refusal to meet with defense counsel for a reasonable period of time after reasonable notice within 21 days of being served with any lawsuit and again prior to deposition or trial.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers.

Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers. Authorizes localities to create a regional authority to operate and manage emergency communication services including public safety answering points. The bill authorizes such authorities to employ or contract for personnel, acquire and manage property, enter into agreements, and receive and expend funds, and requires compliance with the standards of the 9-1-1 Services Board.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation.

Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, generation, and storage. Requires American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to each petition the State Corporation Commission by December 31, 2026, to conduct a pilot program for electric energy conservation, solar energy generation, and energy storage resources for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals. The bill directs the Commission to convene a technical conference to evaluate the creation of an energy efficiency program meeting certain requirements by November 1, 2026. Under the bill, if the Commission determines that such a program is feasible for implementation by American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia, the Commission shall require such utilities to petition for approval by May 1, 2027, to implement such programs. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 327.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Opioid antagonist; distribution program, reports.

Department of Health; opioid antagonist distribution program; reports. Directs the Department of Health to maintain a list of agencies and organizations that submit requests for and receive opioid antagonists through its distribution program and requires the Department to submit a quarterly report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the chair of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on its distribution of opioid antagonists. The bill requires the Department to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1 of each year estimating the costs of the opioid antagonist distribution program for the following fiscal year using a methodology developed by the Department pursuant to parameters set out in the bill. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

M. Keith HodgesRepublican

Chatham, Town of; amending charter, updating or removing outdated provisions.

Charter; Town of Chatham. Amends the charter for the Town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County by updating or removing outdated provisions. This bill is identical to SB 127.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Va. Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license.

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license. Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to issue an annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license to persons operating food concessions at any performing arts facility located in the City of Richmond, provided that the performing arts facility (i) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement, the original term of which was more than five years; (ii) has a capacity in excess of 400 patrons; (iii) has either been rehabilitated in accordance with historic preservation standards or has been in continuous operation for a period of at least 10 years at the same location and is located in the TOD-1 transit-oriented nodal district; and (iv) has monthly gross receipts from the sale of food cooked, or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises that meet or exceed the monthly minimum established by Board regulations for mixed beverage restaurants. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2027.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

DOC; powers and duties of Director, Virginia Prison Education Task Force established, report.

Department of Corrections; functional literacy program for incarcerated individuals; Virginia Prison Education Task Force established; report. Requires the Superintendent employed by the Director of Corrections to (i) by January 1, 2027, develop a functional literacy program for inmates testing below at least an eighth grade level, instead of a twelfth grade level as required by current law, and include in such program evidence-based literacy instruction, as defined in accordance with applicable law; (iii) share data with (a) the state entity that oversees the management, direction, and governance of the Commonwealth's education and workforce data for the purpose of developing educational, health, social service, and employment outcome data and improving the efficacy of state services and (b) the Virginia Community College System necessary for comprehensive community colleges to apply for and maintain eligibility as Federal Pell Grant-eligible prison education programs; and (iv) track and publicly report at least annually the number of incarcerated individuals eligible for, enrolled in, and waitlisted for the literacy and education programs. The bill also establishes the Virginia Prison Education Task Force for the purpose of implementing a consistent education program across all state correctional facilities operated by the Department. The bill requires the Task Force to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on its activities, findings, and recommendations by November 1, 2026. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education to, by November 1, 2026, (a) review and update the salary schedules for teachers licensed by the Board of Education and employed by the Department of Corrections to provide instruction in the schools of the correctional centers to be competitive with those in effect for the school division in which the correctional facility is located and (b) make recommendations for the inclusion of such teacher salary increases in the appropriation act.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

College and Career Ready Virginia Program; advisory committee and work group composition.

Department of Education; College and Career Ready Virginia Program; administration; advisory committee and work group composition. Removes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from the membership of the advisory committee and the work group that the Department of Education and the Community College System are required to establish for administration of the College and Career Ready Program pursuant to applicable law. This bill is identical to SB 439.

Betsy B. CarrDemocrat

Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction.

Dental hygienist licensure; dentists eligible to practice in a foreign country or jurisdiction. Permits the Board of Dentistry to grant a license to practice dental hygiene to persons who are eligible to practice dentistry in a country or jurisdiction outside of the United States and who are graduates of a dental school or college, or the dental department of an institution of higher education, located outside of the United States that the Board determines is acceptable. This bill is identical to SB 282.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Foreign-trained chiropractors; licensure by endorsement.

Foreign-trained chiropractors; licensure by endorsement. Permits the Board of Medicine to issue a license to practice chiropractic to a foreign-trained chiropractor who meets certain requirements.

Wendell S. WalkerRepublican

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers, disclosure and cancellation.

Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to SB 493.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual.

Sexual abuse during infancy or incapacity; accrual. Adds to the accrual provisions for personal injury actions resulting from sexual abuse during the infancy or incapacity of a person that accrual occurs when corroborative evidence, as defined in the bill, is discovered or by the exercise of due diligence reasonably should have been discovered.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Health Coordination Network Program; patient data collection.

Health Coordination Network Program; patient data collection. Renames the Smartchart Network Program as the Health Coordination Network Program and relocates it within the Code. The bill expands patient level data elements and requires the Commissioner of Health to enter into contract with an authorized nonprofit organization to create, operate, maintain, and administer the Health Coordination Network Program.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Schedule VI controlled substances; TPA-certified optometrists permitted to sell and dispense.

TPA-certified optometrists; sale and dispensation of Schedule VI controlled substances; requirements. Permits TPA-certified optometrists to sell and dispense Schedule VI controlled substances to their own patients provided that they obtain a license to do so from the Board of Pharmacy and comply with requirements related to dispensation, storage, packaging, labeling, recordkeeping, and reporting of the controlled substances sold and dispensed. The bill permits the Board of Optometry and the Board of Pharmacy to adopt regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and establish a limited-use license for TPA-certified optometrists pursuant to the bill. The bill exempts such initial regulations from the APA requirements. This bill is identical to SB 212.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods, prohibited fees.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods; prohibited fees. Requires a landlord subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to accept payment of periodic rent and any security deposit by check and money order. The bill additionally prohibits such a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee to submit periodic rent payments or other amounts due in excess of the actual out-of-pocket expenses charged to the landlord by a third party to process a payment. Finally, the bill prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay any fee for the maintenance or repair of any dwelling unit unless the repair is necessitated by the tenant's violation of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This bill is identical to SB 313.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that is effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. This bill is identical to SB 1.

Jeion A. WardDemocrat

Utilities, certain; notice procedures for nonpayment.

Electric, natural gas, and water or wastewater utilities; disconnection procedures for nonpayment. Requires certain utilities, for the purposes of required notices related to disconnections for nonpayment, to provide such notices in an additional language for customers residing in a locality that is required to provide voting or election materials in such additional language. The bill prohibits certain utilities from disconnecting a residential customer without making reasonable efforts to offer bill payment assistance, arrange a payment plan, or provide information to the customer for other bill payment assistance or energy savings programs. The bill directs the Department of Elections to post on its website a list of the localities designated as a covered locality for the purposes of providing voting or election materials in an additional minority language by September 1, 2026, and to update such list as necessary.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit; Office of the Executive Secretary to prepare form.

Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit; Office of the Executive Secretary to prepare form. Provides that an affidavit presented by any person having possession of a small asset to the designated successor of a decedent shall be on a form prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Jason S. BallardRepublican