Bills & Legislation

Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties.

Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 769 and is identical to SB 743.

Kimberly Pope AdamsDemocrat

Virginia Stock Corporation Act; changes to Act.

Virginia Stock Corporation Act. Makes various changes to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, many of which conform the Act to recent changes to the Model Business Corporation Act produced by the Corporate Laws Committee of the American Bar Association's Business Law Section. Among other things, the bill (i) addresses the authority of a board of directors to delegate authority with respect to the issuance of shares to a committee of the board and one or more of the corporation's officers, (ii) removes the requirement for the cessation of shareholder agreements when a corporation becomes a public corporation, (iii) requires a corporation to maintain in its records certain shareholder agreements, (iv) removes the requirement for a corporation to maintain its financial statements for the three most recent fiscal years, and (v) authorizes a corporation to submit a matter to a vote of its shareholders even if, after approving the matter, the board of directors determines it no longer recommends such matter. This bill is identical to SB 479.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Temporary detention in hospital; issuance of order for testing, observation, or treatment.

Temporary detention in hospital for testing, observation, or treatment. Provides that while seeking the issuance of an order for temporary detention in a hospital for testing, observation, or treatment, or an extension of such order, the person who would be subject to such order and is currently subject to an order issued pursuant to current law shall remain in the custody of the facility where he is located for up to two hours, and any security personnel shall ensure that such person does not leave the facility while such person is unable to provide informed consent. The bill states that the person shall be permitted to leave the facility if (i) such order is not issued; (ii) the physician determines the person does not meet the requirements for temporary detention; or (iii) the person's guardian or person legally authorized to make an informed decision on his behalf refuses to consent to continued detention, testing, observation, or treatment. The bill also provides that any licensed health professional, licensed hospital, including a hospital licensed by the Department of Health pursuant to relevant law, or security personnel assisting a licensed health professional shall have no liability arising out of a claim to the extent the claim is based on a lack of consent to the detention of a person when such professional or hospital is seeking the court's or magistrate's authorization for such detention.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Administration of estates; claims against decedent or estate.

Administration of estates; claims against decedent or estate. Creates a procedure by which the personal representative of an estate may provide notice to all persons having a claim against a decedent or decedent's estate.

Karen R. "Kacey" CarnegieDemocrat

Wills and estates; claims to exempt property and allowances.

Wills and estates; claims to exempt property and allowances; title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser. Directs that any election to take a family allowance, exempt property, or homestead allowance be made one year after the (i) time of admission of a decedent's will to probate or (ii) qualification of an administrator of the decedent's intestate estate, whichever is later. Current law requires such election of exempt property or allowances to be made within one year of the decedent's death. The bill also provides that the title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser acquired without notice of such election shall not be affected by such election unless such election is recorded in the appropriate circuit court clerk's office within one year after the decedent's death.

Karen R. "Kacey" CarnegieDemocrat

Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority; quorum.

Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority; quorum. Changes from 10 to eight the number of members required for a quorum of the board of directors for the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority.

James W. MorefieldRepublican

Conventional home mortgage loans; assumption provisions.

Conventional home mortgage loans; assumption provisions. Requires any lender for any conventional home mortgage loan secured on or after July 1, 2026, by a mortgage or deed of trust on owner-occupied residential real estate located in the Commonwealth to include provisions in such loan to allow for any of the existing borrowers to purchase the property interest of another borrower on the loan by assuming the seller's portion of the mortgage in connection with a decree of annulment or divorce if the assuming borrower qualifies for the underlying loan, as determined by the lender.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Divorce; adultery, filing, parties living separate and apart, report.

Divorce; adultery; filing; parties living separate and apart; work group; report. Specifies that a divorce may be decreed on the grounds of adultery, provided that such adultery occurred prior to the final separation of the parties. The bill further allows for a divorce from bed and board to be decreed on the application of either party upon the parties living separate and apart; under current law, a divorce from bed and board may only be decreed for cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt, willful desertion, or abandonment. The bill specifies that no waiting period is required for the filing for such a divorce, but the decree of such a divorce may only be decreed pursuant to certain requirements otherwise specified in the law. The bill further directs the Virginia Family Law Coalition, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section, to convene a work group to consider whether to eliminate fault-based grounds for divorce in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice no later than December 1, 2026.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Adult adoptees; access to vital records.

Adult adoptees; access to vital records. Requires the State Registrar to provide adult adoptees access to their birth certificate upon request, provided that the requester submits an application, proof of identification, and payment and that the original birth certificate is not the certificate of birth in use, subject to amendment, or used by an individual for legal purposes. The bill directs the State Registrar to make a contact preference form available to birth parents that allows them to indicate their preference for contact by the adopted person, to be stored with the adopted person's birth certificate and provided upon the adopted person's request for the birth certificate. This bill incorporates HB 664.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force; established, report.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force established; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, and with assistance from the Department of Social Services, the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and to evaluate and develop a plan to address any necessary improvements regarding coordination among state and federal government agencies for utility services and resources to more effectively deliver energy-efficient housing, weatherization resources, and energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least six times between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 2027. The bill specifies that such report shall include policy recommendations and a plan to ensure that weatherization-ready repairs and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits are provided to all eligible income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth residing in multifamily buildings, single-family dwellings, and manufactured homes by December 31, 2034. This bill is identical to SB 5.

Destiny LeVere BollingDemocrat

SOL assessments and related assessment methods; development, administration, scoring, and release.

Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods; development, administration, scoring, and release. Makes several clarifying revisions to applicable law relating to the development, administration, and scoring of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessment methods for determining the level of achievement of Standards of Learning objectives by all students, including (i) clarifying that students who are children with disabilities, as that term is defined by applicable law, who participate in alternative methods of Standards of Learning assessment administration or in alternate assessments through the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program are exempt from several requirements set forth in applicable law relating to the administration and grading of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessments and (ii) repealing the provisions requiring the Board of Education to establish a through-year growth assessment system in lieu of a one-time end-of-year assessment. The provisions of the bill limiting the number of end-of-course assessments that may be administered to students in grades seven through 12 and requiring the score received by each student in grades seven through 12 on an end-of-course assessment to account for at least 10 percent of the student's final grade in such course are subject to a contingent and delayed effective date. This bill is identical to SB 200.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Public elementary or secondary school students; evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices.

Public elementary and secondary school students; consideration of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices required; exceptions; report. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, as defined in the bill, except in the case of certain enumerated serious offenses or aggravating circumstances, as defined in the bill. The bill requires each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record, as a part of the school's existing disciplinary documentation practices and consistent with the guidelines adopted by the Department of Education (the Department) pursuant to the bill, the rationale for the decision to impose exclusionary discipline, including any factors supporting the decision not to utilize an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice. The bill directs the Department to (i) add the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices to the Student Behavior and Administrative Response survey in order to annually collect and analyze data on the use of such practices and publicly post an annual report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices based on the data collected and (ii) adopt and make available guidelines and support materials for considering, monitoring, and evaluating the use of evidence-based restorative disciplinary practices. The provisions of the bill prohibiting any public school student from being suspended, expelled, or excluded from attendance at school unless the school first considers at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice and requiring each school, any time it imposes exclusionary discipline instead of an evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, to document in the student's disciplinary record the rationale for such decision, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

State correctional facilities; visitation policies, reports.

State correctional facilities; visitation policies; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to establish and publicly post on its website and in the lobby of each state correctional facility an objective dress code for individuals visiting a state correctional facility and specifies certain requirements for and limitations on what such dress code may include. The bill prohibits any state correctional facility from enforcing a dress code that is more restrictive than the dress code posted by the Department.The bill also prohibits any individual from being denied in-person visitation unless such individual is in clear violation of visitation rules or policies. Prior to denying entry to a visitor, the bill requires the reasoning to be (i) reviewed in person by the facility administrative duty officer and (ii) approved by a regional administrator or superior. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually on or before November 1 to the General Assembly and the Governor with information on visitors denied entry to state correctional facilities, including the following information disaggregated by facility and by month: (a) the number of visitors denied entry and (b) the reasoning for such denials, including the specific rules or policies such visitors were alleged to have violated.The bill requires the Department to convene a work group consisting of relevant stakeholders to consider goals and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations related to facilitating visitation within state correctional facilities and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee; membership.

Agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee; membership. Allows the commissioner of revenue or the local government's chief property assessment officer to have a representative from his office serve on his behalf on the agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee.

Jessica L. AndersonDemocrat

Fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage.

Department of Wildlife Resources; fishing tackle recycling and disposal; educational webpage. Directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to (i) develop, publish, and maintain a dedicated webpage on its website to educate the recreational fishing community and the general public about the importance of responsible recycling and disposal of fishing tackle, as defined in the bill, and (ii) periodically update such webpage to ensure that educational materials are current, relevant, and effective in promoting responsible fishing practices. The bill directs the Department to update the webpage at least every three years in consultation with relevant state agencies and stakeholders.

Jessica L. AndersonDemocrat

Education, Department of; website posting of certain instructional resources.

Department of Education; certain instructional resources; website posting. Requires the Department of Education to post in a conspicuous and publicly accessible manner on the instructional resources section of its website links to instructional resources on the Indigenous people of the Commonwealth that are developed and maintained by the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium.

Jessica L. AndersonDemocrat

Real property tax; classification of land and improvement in Cities of Charlottesville/Falls Church.

Real property tax; classification of land and improvements; Charlottesville and Falls Church. Authorizes the Cities of Charlottesville, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, and Newport News to levy a tax on the improvements to real property at a different rate than the tax imposed upon the land on which it is located. The rate levied on the improvements to real property shall not be zero and shall not exceed the rate of tax on the land on which it is located. This bill incorporates HB 72 and HB 261.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Electric utilities; electric demand flexibility programs, high energy demand customers, report.

Electric utilities; high energy demand customers; demand flexibility programs; reports. Directs Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to file a petition with the State Corporation Commission by January 15, 2027, for approval of voluntary demand flexibility programs that apply to high energy demand customers, as defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to consider all forms of demand flexibility and other specific factors in approving each such program. The bill directs each cooperative that serves one or more high energy demand customers to establish a voluntary demand flexibility program for such customers by January 1, 2029. Under the bill, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power are required to file status reports on their demand flexibility programs with the Commission three years after initial program approval and every three years thereafter. Additionally, in 2028 and annually thereafter, the Commission is required to submit information summarizing the status and performance of such programs as part of an existing report. This bill is identical to SB 371.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Child abuse or neglect; prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed.

Child abuse or neglect; prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed. Clarifies that a pregnant woman's prenatal use of a controlled substance or drug as prescribed by such woman's health care provider for opioid addiction recovery shall not solely be a reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Zoning; wireless facility modifications, application process.

Zoning; wireless facility modifications; application process. Prohibits a locality from denying an application for the modification of an existing wireless facility if (i) the modification would not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility; (ii) the modification involves the co-location of new transmission equipment, the removal of transmission equipment, or the replacement of transmission equipment; and (iii) the request meets the requirements of the bill. The bill provides that a modification does not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility if it entails the excavation or deployment of transmission equipment within 30 feet, in any direction, of the existing wireless support structure or base station. The bill also provides various requirements for local approval within a specified timeframe, permits any applicant or locality to bring claims related to the bill to any court of competent jurisdiction, and prohibits any party, other than the applicant or locality, from having an actionable appeal for the issuance of permits or authorizations made pursuant to the bill.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

Virginia State Bar; rules and regulations relating to schedule of fees for members.

Members of the Virginia State Bar; rules and regulations relating to schedule of fees. Increases from $250 to $350 the annual fee cap that an attorney member of the Virginia State Bar may be required to pay pursuant to any rules and regulations promulgated related to fixing a schedule of fees.

Terry G. KilgoreRepublican

Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeship program for children 16 years of age or older.

Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeships; children 16 years of age or older. Permits a child 16 years of age or older to serve in an apprenticeship program or other work-based learning experience related to culinary arts or information technology, provided that (i) the child is continuously enrolled in an accredited secondary school, (ii) the child is a registered apprentice, (iii) the child is employed in a work-training program administered under the Board of Education, and (iv) the work being performed is not in violation of federal or state laws. This bill is identical to SB 10.

Sam RasoulDemocrat

Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb, civil immunity.

Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity. Provides that a law-enforcement officer, while engaged in the performance of his duties, has a duty to render aid to any person that he observes suffering from a serious bodily injury or life-threatening condition, as circumstances objectively permit and provided that such aid may be rendered without endangering the law-enforcement officer, the person, or others. The bill also immunizes a law-enforcement officer from civil liability for any personal injury or wrongful death resulting from such rendering or withholding of such aid absent gross negligence or willful misconduct. The bill directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to adopt regulations to provide law-enforcement officers with basic medical training, including emergency first aid training.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Early childhood care and education; updates terminology.

Early childhood care and education; terminology. Updates throughout the Code of Virginia the term "family day home" to "home-based child care" and the term "family day system" to "home-based child care system." The bill permits the Department of Education to phase in such terminology changes over a period time to ensure that any necessary changes to its information technology systems can be integrated into future systems upgrades in order to minimize costs.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health.

Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health. Encourages localities to utilize relevant and available data and research related to social determinants of health to consider how the locality's adopted comprehensive plan will impact the locality's overall public health and access to health care services.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.

Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to SB 425.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

School Psychologists, Interstate Compact for; enters the Commonwealth into Compact.

Interstate Compact for School Psychologists; membership of the Commonwealth. Enters the Commonwealth into the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, the stated purpose of which is to facilitate the interstate practice of school psychology in educational or school settings, and in so doing to improve the availability of school psychological services to the public, and the stated intent of which is to establish a pathway to allow school psychologists to obtain equivalent licenses to provide school psychological services in any member state. The Compact is presently in effect, as it has reached the enactment threshold of seven state members.

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact; enters the Commonwealth into Compact.

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

Jackie H. GlassDemocrat

Servient estate; establishes relocation or modification of easement by owner.

Relocation or modification of easement by owner of servient estate. Establishes that any easement may be relocated or modified either (i) by filing with each clerk of the circuit court of the city or county in which the easement or any part of the easement is located a written agreement evidencing the consent of the easement holder, as defined in the bill, and the consent of any other affected persons or (ii) in the absence of such agreement, upon petition to the circuit court and notice to all interested parties. The bill also provides that certain easements enumerated in the bill shall not be subject to a relocation or modification upon petition to the circuit court. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; Park Authorities Act, penalty.

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; Park Authorities Act; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2026, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by an authority created pursuant to the Park Authorities Act that he knows or should know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.The bill also provides that any person convicted of an offense under the laws of any foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or the United States or any political subdivision thereof, similar to any offense set forth in current law shall be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any place owned or operated by an authority created pursuant to the Park Authorities Act that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium.A violation of the bill's provisions is punishable as a Class 6 felony.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; development of behavioral health co-response teams.

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 317.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Marcus alert system; external database information removal.

Marcus alert system; external database information removal. Clarifies that an individual's information may continue to appear on a voluntary Marcus alert system external database that cannot be modified by a locality after such individual reaches 18 years of age. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Railroad safety; minimum train crew used in movement of freight.

Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight except in use for hostler or utility service. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to include in an existing report the number of probable violations of federal regulations related to railroad safety investigated by the Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety and reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for enforcement. This bill is identical to SB 191.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Jurisdiction of district courts in felony cases; specialty dockets, Behavioral Health Docket Act.

Jurisdiction of district courts in felony cases; specialty dockets; Behavioral Health Docket Act. Authorizes a general district court and a juvenile and domestic relations district court to retain jurisdiction over a felony offense for the purpose of allowing the accused to complete a specialty docket or behavioral health docket established pursuant to relevant law. Current law only explicitly provides such courts with the ability to certify felony charges to the circuit court or dismiss such charges after a preliminary hearing to determine if probable cause exists for such charges.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Deferred dispos. in criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

Deferred disposition in a criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities; expungement. Adds developmental disabilities to the autism and intellectual disability deferred disposition statute. The bill also provides that when a court defers and dismisses a charge pursuant to the autism, intellectual disability, or developmental disability deferred disposition statute, such charge may be considered as otherwise dismissed for purposes of expungement of police and court records. The bill also (i) clarifies that the defendant may request a hearing to determine the appropriateness of a deferred disposition at any time before or after any plea and (ii) provides that no statement made by the defendant at such a hearing is admissible in any criminal proceeding, except that any such statement made under oath may be admissible in a criminal proceeding for perjury or for purposes of impeachment in a criminal matter. This bill is identical to SB 416.

Vivian E. WattsDemocrat

Public utilities; budget plan payment increases.

Public utilities; budget plan payment increases. Prohibits a public utility from, for any residential customer who is enrolled in a budget plan, increasing the amount of such customer's monthly payment more than once within any 12-month period or without notifying the customer in writing at least 60 days before such increase takes effect. The bill defines "budget plan" as a fixed billing option offered by a public utility to a customer whereby the total service for the succeeding 12-month period is estimated in advance and bills are rendered monthly on the basis of one-twelfth of the 12-month estimate. The provisions of the bill do not apply to any public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

Va. Coastal Resilience Master Plan; identifying areas where marshes may migrate in face of sea rise.

Department of Conservation and Recreation; Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation, when updating the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, to identify areas where marshes may migrate in the face of sea level rise.

Alfonso H. LopezDemocrat

Collaborative agreements; removes registered nurses from list of practitioners, etc.

Collaborative agreements; practitioners; diagnosis. Removes registered nurses from the list of practitioners whose diagnoses may form the basis of drug therapy conducted pursuant to a collaborative agreement between a practitioner and a pharmacist.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

County manager plan of government; independent policing auditor.

County manager plan of government; independent policing auditor. Allows the governing body of any county with the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) to appoint an independent policing auditor. The independent policing auditor shall support any law-enforcement civilian oversight body created by the governing body and shall have all the powers of the law-enforcement civilian oversight body, to the extent such powers are delegated to the independent policing auditor by the oversight body. The independent policing auditor shall serve at the pleasure of the governing body.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Motor vehicles; use of safety belt systems, certain emergency medical services personnel exempted.

Motor vehicles; use of safety belt systems; certain persons exempt. Exempts from the requirements for the use of safety belt systems emergency medical services personnel while in the patient compartment of an emergency medical services vehicle providing necessary care, as defined in the bill, to a patient. The bill provides that, for seats that are subject to such requirements for the use of safety belt systems, such personnel shall use safety belt systems while the vehicle is in motion and such personnel is not providing necessary care to a patient. The bill also changes the existing exemption for law-enforcement agency personnel driving motor vehicles to enforce laws governing motor vehicle parking to an exemption for law-enforcement officers driving motor vehicles to enforce laws governing motor vehicle parking. This bill incorporates HB 233.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Public defender; local funding for positions.

Public defender; local funding for positions. Allows the governing body of any county or city to fund positions in the office of the public defender.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force; created.

Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force creation. Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene and adjust and update the membership of a Marcus Alert Evaluation Task Force to assist in determining the effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 514.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Paternity; proceedings to establish.

Proceedings to establish paternity. Adds the methods by which the Department of Social Services administratively establishes paternity for the purposes of child support enforcement to the lists of ways that a parent and child relationship may be established in domestic relations proceedings under Title 20 and that a parent and child relationship may be established for determining rights related to a deed, will, trust, or other instrument. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Health insurance; tobacco surcharge.

Health insurance; tobacco surcharge. Eliminates the authority of a health carrier to vary its premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a nonuser. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 630.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Public pools; regulations.

Public pools; regulations. Directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations governing swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use, including swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated in conjunction with a tourist facility or health spa.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Appeals bond; indigent parties, appeal of unlawful detainer.

Requirement for appeals bond; indigent parties; appeal of unlawful detainer. Removes the requirement for an indigent defendant, as defined in the bill, to post an appeal bond in an unlawful detainer action appealed from the general district court.

Patrick A. HopeDemocrat

Casino gaming; consideration of service permit application.

Casino gaming; consideration of service permit application. Provides that the Virginia Lottery (the Department) may only consider the criminal record information of an applicant for a service permit for the eight years immediately preceding the date of the application. The bill also directs the Department to issue or deny any service permit within 30 business days of receipt; requires service permits to be renewed by the Virginia Lottery Board every 10 years; requires service permit application forms to include additional space for an applicant to include a written narrative detailing important facts regarding his application; and makes the service permit application fee refundable.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

VMI; removes certain authority, disciplinary immunity for certain individuals who make reports.

Public institutions of higher education; disciplinary immunity for certain individuals who make reports; Virginia Military Institute. Removes the authority granted to Virginia Military Institute to include in its sexual violence policy, code, rules, or set of standards a provision stipulating that in the event that a cadet discloses personal consumption of drugs or alcohol in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of sexual violence and the superintendent of Virginia Military Institute determines that such cadet's personal consumption of drugs or alcohol constitutes a threat to the cadet's well-being or the well-being of others, the superintendent may require such cadet to attend drug or substance use disorder counseling.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Head start, etc.; Head Start State Collaboration Office to develop for endorsement a report, etc.

Head Start State Collaboration Office; state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth; report. Requires the Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Department of Education, no later than December 1, 2026, to develop and recommend to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education for endorsement a report summarizing the state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth that is required to address several topics enumerated in the bill.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

School meal debt; each school board to annually report.

School meal debt; annual report. Requires each school board to annually report to the Department of Education the amount of school meal debt in the local school division and directs the Department to annually aggregate and submit such reports to the General Assembly, provided that no such report contains any personally identifiable student information. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat