Bills & Legislation

Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required.

Elections; voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.

Timothy P. GriffinRepublican

Electric utilities; retail customer return to service.

Electric utilities; retail customer return to service. Changes from five years' advance written notice to one year's advance written notice the requirement for a retail customer of electric energy to return to service by an incumbent electric utility. The bill requires that electric energy sold by a licensed supplier be generated by renewable portfolio standard eligible sources.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Health benefit programs; discrimination, cause of action.

Health benefit programs; discrimination; cause of action. Adds licensed outpatient facilities to the types of preferred providers that an insurer is required to establish terms and conditions for and is prohibited from discriminating against with regard to the insurer's health benefit program. The bill removes provisions stating that certain price differences are not considered discrimination. The bill provides for a cause of action for any health care provider that suffers loss as a result of an insurer's violation of provisions related to the health benefit program or an insurer's breach of any provider contract provision. Under the bill, if the court finds that the violation or breach resulted from an insurer's gross negligence or willful conduct, the court may increase damages to an amount not exceeding three times the actual damages sustained, and in addition to any damages awarded, the health care provider may be awarded equitable and injunctive relief and reasonable attorney fees and court costs.

N. Baxter EnnisRepublican

Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility.

Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility. Provides that for the purpose of the Utility Facilities Act, "public utility" does not include a company that provides electric service from a generation facility located on the same tract of land as a customer with an actual or anticipated load greater than one megawatt that has been notified by its incumbent electric utility that such utility is unable to provide adequate electric service within six months of the customer's request, provided that (i) the company utilizes an electricity generation process that has an emissions rate at least 30 percent lower than the average annual marginal grid emissions rate in the PJM transmission region at the time of installation and (ii) all costs associated with such generator are borne by the customer and not by other ratepayers.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Elections; prohibited area within 10 feet of the curbside voting area.

Elections; general provisions; prohibited area; within 10 feet of the curbside voting area. Adds the 10 feet beyond any area designated for voting outside the polling place to the prohibited area where campaigning and certain other activities are unlawful during elections.

H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.Republican

Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; definitions.

Electric Utility Regulation.

Israel D. O'QuinnRepublican

Electric utilities; municipal and state power aggregation.

Electric utilities; municipal and state power aggregation; State Corporation Commission. Permits municipalities to aggregate the electric energy load of residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers within its boundaries on an opt-in or opt-out basis if the retail electric customers are not already being served by a licensed supplier. The bill also requires the State Corporation Commission to promulgate rules as necessary to ensure that the provisions of the bill do not create an unreasonable shifting of costs to nonparticipating customers and to ensure that in all integrated resource plans and cost recovery proceedings no incumbent electric utility is improperly incorporating the loads of retail electric customers into its forecasts or load projections.

Joseph P. McNamaraRepublican

Financial institutions; discrimination prohibited, penalty.

Financial institutions; discrimination prohibited; penalty. Prohibits a financial institution from denying or cancelling its services to or otherwise discriminating against a person in making available services on the basis of factors including the person's political opinions, speech, or affiliations and other factors enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.Republican

Public utilities; certificate of convenience and necessity.

Public utilities; certificate of convenience and necessity. Provides that, if a public utility has already received a certificate of convenience and necessity to furnish service within its territory, such utility may construct, enlarge, contract with, or acquire and operate facilities for the generation and distribution of electric energy solely to a specific customer or customers located on the same tract of land as existing facilities without obtaining another certificate of convenience and necessity, provided that all costs associated with the new facilities shall be borne by the specific customer or customers.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Portable benefit accounts; Va. resident who has worked as an independent contractor to establish.

Portable benefit accounts. Authorizes a Virginia resident who has worked as an independent contractor to establish a portable benefit account. Under the bill, a portable benefit account may be offered through and administered by a bank, investment management firm, technology provider, or program manager that offers services through a bank or investment management firm. Distributions from the account may be used for the payment of various health-related costs and other benefits including income replacement insurance, life insurance, or retirement benefits. Under the bill, contributions may be made using the funds of a hiring party or a percentage of funds withheld from the compensation owed to a sole proprietor or independent contractor. The bill provides that contributions using withheld funds can only be made if (i) withheld compensation is expressly agreed to in writing; (ii) such agreement is clear, unambiguous, and prominently displayed in the work contract or a separate notice; (iii) such withholdings are voluntary and require a sole proprietor or independent contractor to opt in; and (iv) a sole proprietor or independent contractor may elect to opt out of such withholdings at any time.

Phillip A. ScottRepublican

Veterans' Services Protection Act; created, prohibited practices, penalty.

Veterans' Services Protection Act; prohibited practices; penalty. Creates the Veterans' Services Protection Act to prohibit any person from receiving compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting, or assisting any individual regarding any veterans' benefits matter, as defined in the bill, except as permitted under federal law. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Briana D. SewellDemocrat

Renewal of concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence.

Renewal of concealed handgun permit; demonstrated competence. Provides that a person who was previously issued a concealed handgun permit is not required to provide any proof of training or demonstration of competence to be issued a renewal permit.

Wren M. WilliamsRepublican

Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund; established.

Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund; established. Establishes the Virginia Public-Private Safety Communications Infrastructure Fund (the Fund), to be managed by the Virginia Resources Authority, for the purpose of making loans and awarding grants to local governments for the purpose of assisting with improvement projects relating to public safety radio and communications infrastructure.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

Virginia Lottery; Internet gaming authorized, penalties.

Virginia Lottery; casinos; Internet gaming authorized; penalties. Authorizes Internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill permits the Board to issue an Internet gaming operator license to a casino gaming operator that submits an application on forms approved by the Board, meets certain qualifications, and pays an application fee of $1 million. The tax rate is set at 15 percent of an Internet gaming operator's adjusted gross Internet gaming revenue with 2.5 percent allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and the remaining 97.5 percent allocated to the general fund.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Independent Pharmacy Support Program; established, report, sunset.

Independent Pharmacy Support Program established; report; sunset. Directs the Department of Health to establish the Independent Pharmacy Support Program to fund independent pharmacies, as defined by the bill, that operate in rural and medically underserved areas. The bill specifies the requirements for pharmacies to receive funds through the Program and the purposes for which funds can be used. The bill requires the Department to administer the Program and compile and submit an annual report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1 of each year. The provisions of the bill will expire in 2035 unless renewed by an act of the General Assembly.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Pharmacogenomics pilot program; established, report.

Department of Human Resource Management; Department of Health; pharmacogenomics pilot program established; report. Directs the Department of Human Resource Management, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to develop a two-year pharmacogenomics pilot program for state employees, beginning no later than January 1, 2026, and expiring on January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Department of Human Resource Management to report annually on the pilot program to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Va. Public Procurement Act; local public bodies to issue an invitation to bid for small purchases.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; local public bodies; bids for small purchases. Requires local public bodies to issue an invitation to bid for all goods and services over $500,000. The bill provides that a civil action may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce any violation of such requirement and permits such court to impose a penalty of up to two times the amount of the total cost of the bid at issue.

Daniel W. Marshall, IIIRepublican

Central Criminal Records Exchange; removes requirement for annual reports.

Department of State Police; Central Criminal Records Exchange; reports. Removes the requirement that the Central Criminal Records Exchange submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly on the status of unapplied criminal history record information and updates to fingerprinting policies and procedures. The bill also repeals a provision requiring the State Police to report annually on the list of governmental entities with access to the Department of Motor Vehicles' privileged information through certain databases.

Tony O. WiltRepublican

Electronic gaming devices; regulating definitions, licensees, taxation, placement and compliance.

Regulating electronic gaming devices, licensees, taxation, placement and compliance; penalties.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Electrical generating facilities; capacity factor, report.

Electrical generating facilities; capacity factor; report. Requires the owner of any electrical generating facility in the Commonwealth with a nameplate capacity of at least one megawatt to provide an annual report to the State Corporation Commission, including for each month of the immediately preceding year (i) the amount of electricity produced by such facility and (ii) the capacity factor, as defined in the bill, for such facility. The bill requires the Commission to compile all information reported pursuant to the bill's provisions and to publish an annual report of such compiled information.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Electric utilities; rate increases during certain months, biennial rate reviews.

Electric utilities; rate increases during certain months; biennial rate reviews. Provides that Appalachian Power Company shall not be required to file a case for fuel recovery in 2025 and that commencing in 2026, it shall make annual filings by January 15 with interim rates effective March 1 of each year. The bill prohibits certain rate adjustments from being applied during the months of November through February. The bill also changes from March 31 to April 30 the date on which biennial rate review proceedings shall commence each biennial review year, from November 20 to December 31 the date for final orders to be granted, and from no later than January 1 of the subsequent year to no later than March 1 of the subsequent year the date by which any rate revisions shall take effect.

Irene ShinDemocrat

Electric utilities; construction of certain transmission lines, notice required.

Electric utilities; construction of certain transmission lines; notice required. Requires any electric utility that is responsible for the construction, operation, or maintenance of an electric transmission line of 138 kilovolts or more within a locality to provide at least 180 days' written notice to the governing body of such locality prior to the construction of such transmission line.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Common interest communities; amateur radio antennas permitted.

Common interest communities; amateur radio antennas permitted. Prohibits certain common interest community associations from prohibiting the installation of an amateur radio antenna on the roof of the unit owned by the unit owner or on a roof appurtenant to the unit owned by the unit owner or, in the case of a property owners' association, a lot owner's property, and sets forth provisions governing the installation and removal of such amateur radio antennas.

Holly M. SeiboldDemocrat

GO Virginia grants; matching funds; sunset repeal.

GO Virginia grants; matching funds; sunset repeal. Removes the July 1, 2025, sunset date of the program allowing a locality to use grant funds awarded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission as matching funds for GO Virginia grants.

Eric PhillipsRepublican

Public utilities; certificate of convenience and necessity for certain new transmission lines.

Public utilities; certificate of convenience and necessity for certain new transmission lines. Provides that for construction of any overhead transmission line of 230 kilovolts and associated facilities, a public utility shall demonstrate that either the construction of such line remains within an existing right-of-way or that no alternatives are feasible within the existing right-of-way.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Retail electric energy; renewable energy certificates.

Retail electric energy; renewable energy certificates. Requires competitive service providers, as defined in the bill, to serve 100 percent of their customers' energy and capacity needs from electric generating units located within the PJM transmission region. Under the bill, a competitive service provider must ensure that 100 percent of its customers' energy is either zero-carbon electricity or matched with zero-carbon electricity or renewable energy certificates. A certain percentage of a retail customer's annual load must be matched with renewable energy certificates from within the PJM transmission region. The bill allows certain retail customers to be exempt from non-bypassable charges associated with the renewable energy portfolio standard. The bill also requires the State Corporation Commission to promulgate rules as necessary to ensure that the provisions of the bill do not create an unreasonable shifting of costs to nonparticipating customers and to ensure that in all integrated resource plans and cost recovery proceedings no incumbent electric utility is improperly incorporating the loads of retail electric customers into its forecasts or load projections.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Voter registration; list of unqualified persons transmitted to general registrars.

Voter registration; jury commissioners; list of unqualified persons transmitted to general registrars; list maintenance. Requires jury commissioners to collect information obtained from those persons not qualified to serve as a result of a condition that would also make them unqualified to register to vote. The sheriff, clerk of court, or other official responsible for maintaining such information provided by the commissioners is required to regularly transmit such information to the general registrar for the locality or localities served by such official. The bill requires general registrars to utilize such information to identify voters who are no longer qualified to vote and to initiate list maintenance procedures. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Health insurance; cost-sharing for epinephrine injectors.

Health insurance; cost-sharing for epinephrine injectors. Prohibits health insurance companies and other carriers from setting an amount exceeding $60 for a two-pack of covered epinephrine injectors that a covered person is required to pay at the point of sale. The bill also prohibits a provider contract between a carrier or its pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy from containing a provision (i) authorizing the carrier's pharmacy benefits manager or the pharmacy to charge, (ii) requiring the pharmacy to collect, or (iii) requiring a covered person to make a cost-sharing payment for a covered two-pack of epinephrine injectors in an amount that exceeds such limitation.

Michael J. JonesDemocrat

Sanctuary policies; prohibited.

Sanctuary policies prohibited. Provides that no locality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure, or policy intended to restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The bill also requires an official in charge of a correctional facility to transfer custody of certain persons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon receipt of a detainer. Under current law, the official may make such transfer.

Geary HigginsRepublican

Elections; absentee voting in person, availability & affirmation stmt. in lieu of identification.

Elections; absentee voting in person; availability and affirmation statement in lieu of identification. Limits the availability of absentee voting in person to beginning 14 days prior to any election. Under current law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to any election. The bill also removes the ability of a voter voting by absentee ballot in person to sign a statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be in lieu of showing one of the permitted forms of identification.

Eric R. ZehrRepublican

Certified registered nurse anesthetists; elimination of supervision requirement.

Certified registered nurse anesthetists; elimination of supervision requirement. Eliminates the requirement that certified registered nurse anesthetists must practice under the supervision of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry and instead requires them to practice in consultation with a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry and in accordance with regulations jointly promulgated by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing.

Mark D. SicklesDemocrat

Virginia Gaming Commerce Regulation Act; established, penalties, report.

Virginia Gaming Commerce Regulation Act established; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Gaming Commerce Regulation Act for the purpose of providing a regulatory and registration scheme for electronic gaming devices in the Commonwealth. The bill authorizes and specifies the registration requirements for the distribution, operation, hosting, and play of electronic gaming devices, as defined in the bill. The bill imposes a $1,200 monthly tax on each electronic gaming device from each distributor, as defined in the bill, and provides for the use of such tax proceeds after deposit in the Virginia Gaming Commerce Regulation Fund, established in the bill, with most being distributed to the Elementary and Secondary Education Fund, also established in the bill. The bill directs the Virginia Lottery Board to promulgate regulations no later than June 30, 2026, to implement the provisions of the bill and authorizes the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to grant a provisional registration, until the Virginia Lottery Board regulations are promulgated, to any entity that meets the respective criteria.

Christie New CraigRepublican

Voter registration; exchange of registered voter lists with other states.

Voter registration; exchange of registered voter lists with other states; list of states posted to the Internet. Requires the Department of Elections to post to its official Internet website a list of states with which it has an agreement to exchange data for voter registration list maintenance purposes.

Delores OatesRepublican

State employee leave; attending health care with certain veterans.

State employee leave; attending health care with certain veterans. Allows a state employee to take up to 24 hours of paid leave per month in any calendar year to attend medical appointments or procedures at a Veterans Affairs hospital, center, or other facility or installation with an eligible parent who is a veteran and has a serious health condition, as those terms are defined in the bill. Prior to taking such leave, a state employee must demonstrate that he is eligible to take leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act for such purpose and must provide sufficient documentation of the medical appointment. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management to develop personnel policies providing for the use of such leave.

Mark L. Earley, Jr.Republican

Elections; affirmation statement in lieu of identification, additional information required.

Elections; conduct of election; affirmation statement in lieu of identification; additional information required. Requires a person voting absentee in person or at the polls on election day who signs a statement in lieu of providing a valid form of identification to also provide his full name, year of birth, and the last four digits of his social security number, if any. The form containing the statement and voter information is required to be retained as election materials.

Delores OatesRepublican

Elections; voter identification containing photograph required; who may register up to and including the day of the election; absentee ballot application requirements; absentee voting in person availability; return of absentee ballots.

Elections; voter identification containing photograph required; who may register up to and including the day of the election; absentee ballot application requirements; absentee voting in person availability; return of absentee ballots. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote and provides that a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The bill repeals a provision that would permit any person who is qualified to register to vote to do so in person up to and including the day of the election and limits the persons who are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records to members of a uniformed service on active duty, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and their spouses and dependents. The bill limits the period during which absentee voting in person is available from 45 days preceding the date of the election to the 14 days preceding the date of the election. The bill requires that absentee ballots returned by mail be returned to the office of the general registrar by the close of polls on election day and be postmarked on or before the Saturday preceding the date of the election. The bill eliminates the use of drop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots. The bill requires absentee ballot applications to contain the last four digits of the applicant's social security number.

Scott A. WyattRepublican

Social Services, Department of; applications for public assistance, immigration status inquiry.

Department of Social Services; applications for public assistance; immigration status inquiry. Requires the director of a local department of social services or the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, whichever is applicable, to inquire as to the immigration status of all persons applying for public assistance benefits administered by the Department of Social Services.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Protection of employees; restricting use of accrued leave for other employment prohibited.

Labor and employment; protection of employees; restricting use of accrued leave for other employment prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from prohibiting any employee from using accrued annual or vacation leave to work on behalf of another employer unless such other employment would create a conflict of interest. The bill permits an employer to prohibit or restrict an employee's use of such employer's property, office space, equipment, materials, trade secrets, confidential information, or other assets for any purpose relating to such employee's employment by another employer. The bill imposes a civil penalty of up to $100 on any employer that knowingly violates the bill's provisions.

Michael J. WebertRepublican

Postrelease supervision; a revocation hearing for violation, etc.

Revocation of postrelease supervision. Provides that a revocation hearing for a violation of postrelease supervision shall be conducted by the circuit court of the original sentencing jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions regarding revocation hearings for a suspended sentence or probation violation. Under current law, revocation hearings for violations of postrelease supervision are conducted by the Virginia Parole Board following the same procedures as a parole violation.

Chris ObenshainRepublican

Va. Emergency Management Preparedness and Capabilities Grant Program and Fund; established, report.

Virginia Emergency Management Preparedness and Capabilities Grant Program and Fund established; work group; report. Establishes the Virginia Emergency Management Preparedness and Capabilities Grant Program and Fund for the purpose of awarding grants to political subdivisions to assist with the cost of emergency management and preparedness. The bill states that the Program will be administered by the Department of Emergency Management, which shall establish guidelines for (i) the administration of the Program and (ii) awarding grants to political subdivisions from the Fund. A political subdivision awarded a grant must use such funds for certain purposes to advance the emergency preparedness of such subdivision, and must provide a 50 percent match of local or federal funds for the award. The bill requires the Department, beginning on or before December 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, to submit a report to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Governor, and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Public Safety and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations summarizing the activities of the Program. The bill directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to study existing emergency management needs and analyze sustainability of current funding, among other things, and to report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology on or before October 1, 2025.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Board of Medicine; licensure of anesthesiologist assistants.

Board of Medicine; licensure of anesthesiologist assistants. Establishes criteria for the licensure of anesthesiologist assistants and directs the Board of Medicine to adopt regulations governing the practice of anesthesiologist assistants. The bill provides that no person shall use or assume the title "anesthesiologist assistant" or hold himself out as an anesthesiologist assistant unless such person holds a license as an anesthesiologist assistant issued by the Board.

C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.Democrat

Health insurance; prohibits pharmacy override for enrollee with sickle cell disease.

Health insurance; pharmacy override for enrollee with sickle cell disease; prohibited. Prohibits a health insurance carrier from requiring a pharmacy to override a denial code or to request an override in order to dispense a prescription drug for the treatment or management of pain to an enrollee who has been diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.Republican

Regional emergency medical services councils; funds distributed to VDH from motor vehicle reg. fees.

Regional emergency medical services councils. Provides that 55 percent of certain funds distributed to the Department of Health from motor vehicle registration fees shall be distributed to the designated regional emergency medical services councils for their operational support. The bill also specifies that there shall be 11 designated regional emergency medical services councils. Under current law, there is no specified number.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Health insurance; pharmacies, freedom of choice, delivery of prescription drugs, penalties.

Health insurance; pharmacies; freedom of choice; delivery of prescription drugs; penalties. Prohibits an insurer, health maintenance organization, corporation providing preferred provider subscription contracts, or pharmacy benefits manager from imposing upon any person receiving pharmaceutical benefits any policy or practice requiring or incentivizing certain provisions relating to the delivery of prescription drugs. A violation of the bill's provisions constitutes an unfair trade practice under existing law and is subject to injunctive, penalty, and enforcement provisions in existing law.

H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.Republican

Postpartum Depression Education Act; Department of Health to establish a public awareness campaign.

Postpartum Depression Education Act; report.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

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.

Charniele L. HerringDemocrat

Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; enforcement of civil penalty.

Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; enforcement of civil penalty. Provides that violations of the prohibition on campaign fundraising during legislative sessions are to be reported to the Attorney General, who shall initiate civil proceedings to enforce the civil penalty currently assessed for such violations. The bill provides that in the case of an alleged violation by the Attorney General, the State Board of Elections shall request the Supreme Court of Virginia to appoint outside counsel to receive such violation report and such outside counsel shall be responsible for initiating civil proceedings to enforce the civil penalty.

Mike A. CherryRepublican

Weight loss and muscle building products, certain; selling or distributing to minors prohibited.

Sale of certain weight loss and muscle building products to minors prohibited. Prohibits any person from selling or distributing an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building to a person who is younger than 18 years of age and requires that the purchaser demonstrate, by producing a driver's license or similar photo identification issued by a government agency, that he is at least 18 years of age. For mail or Internet sales, the bill requires that the person offering an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building (i) prior to the sale verifies that the purchaser is at least 18 years of age through a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification and (ii) uses a method of mailing, shipping, or delivery that requires the signature of a person at least 18 years of age before the products will be released to the purchaser. The bill also requires that over-the-counter diet pills or dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building will only be displayed for sale behind a store counter that is not accessible to consumers or in a locked case that requires assistance from a store employee for customer access. A violation of the bill's provisions is punishable by a civil penalty in the amount of $500 for a first violation and $2,500 for a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period.

N. Baxter EnnisRepublican

Va. Energy Facility Review Board & Virginia Clean Energy Technical Assistance Center; established.

Virginia Energy Facility Review Board established; localities; comprehensive plan and local ordinances related to siting of critical interconnection projects; planning district commissions; regional energy plans; Virginia Clean Energy Technical Assistance Center established. Establishes the Virginia Energy Facility Review Board as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the purposes of conducting critical interconnection reviews; conducting analysis and study policy options; reviewing regional energy plans, local comprehensive plans, and local solar and storage ordinances; and facilitating the responsible siting of critical interconnection projects in the Commonwealth.The bill also establishes the Virginia Clean Energy Technical Assistance Center, consisting of public institutions of higher education, to serve as an interdisciplinary study, research, and information resource and to provide technical assistance to state agencies, planning district commissions, localities, the Review Board, other public bodies, and private entities in matters related to critical interconnection projects. The bill requires the Center to collaborate with the Review Board to issue the regional energy report and to establish the model local ordinance.The bill requires the Review Board to issue a regional energy report that models each planning district's meaningful annual contribution to clean energy generation, energy efficiency measures, and energy storage. Each planning district commission is required to adopt a regional energy plan to address energy generation, storage, and use that demonstrates a meaningful contribution to Commonwealth's energy goals as determined by the regional energy report issued by the Review Board and to submit the plan to the Review Board. The Review Board is required to determine if a regional energy plan is in compliance with certain provisions within 60 days of receipt of such plan. If the Review Board determines that the regional energy plan is not in compliance, the relevant planning district commission has 60 days to adopt a compliant regional energy plan. If the relevant planning district commission fails to adopt a compliant energy plan within the 60 days, the Review Board, within 90 days of such failure, is required to issue an alternative regional energy plan that is in effect for such region.The bill requires the Review Board to establish a model local ordinance for siting, permitting, and zoning of critical interconnection projects and all other ground-mounted front-of-meter solar energy and energy storage projects. The bill requires each locality to adopt an ordinance for the permitting of solar energy facilities and energy storage facilities, that is consistent with the Commonwealth Clean Energy Policy and the model ordinance and submit it to the Review Board. Under the bill, the Review Board is required to determine if the local ordinance is compliant with certain requirements. If the Review Board determines that the local ordinance is not in compliance, the locality has 60 days to adopt a compliant local ordinance. If the locality fails to adopt a compliant local ordinance within the 60 days, the bill provides that the model local ordinance established is in effect for such locality. The bill provides a procedure for a planning district commission or a locality to appeal a Review Board determination regarding a regional energy plan or a local ordinance.Under the bill, any developer planning to construct a critical interconnection project is required to submit an application to the Review Board. The Review Board is required to determine if the critical interconnection project (i) qualifies as a project of statewide significance, defined in the bill, and (ii) complies with the ordinance in each locality in which the proposed critical interconnection project would be located. In making its determination, the Review Board is required to consider the Commonwealth Clean Energy Policy, certain regulations adopted by the State Air Pollution Control Board, the certain renewable portfolio requirements, and any other information it deems relevant. The bill provides that the Review Board has the discretion to disregard any unreasonable restriction, defined in the bill, in the local ordinance on the installation of the critical interconnection projects or the building of structures that facilitate the installation of critical interconnection projects. In addition, the Review Board may consider any regional energy plan developed by the relevant planning district commission. The Review Board is required to issue its opinion on the critical interconnection project within 90 days of receiving an application.The bill requires a locality to issue its final decision regarding any zoning change, variance, or the issuance of a special exemption, special use permit, or conditional use permit related to a critical interconnection project no later than 180 days after receiving a critical interconnection opinion issued by the Review Board. If the locality's final decision diverges from the Review Board's opinion, the locality is required to include a written determination setting forth all facts and conclusions reached by the locality that support its final decision. Under the bill, a locality's failure to make a final decision within the 180-day period, constitutes a granting of the zoning change, variance, special exemption, special use permit, or conditional use permit related to a critical interconnection project.The bill requires that any appeal of a locality's decision related to a critical interconnection project will be filed in the circuit court of such locality. The bill provides that such appeal can be brought only by the aggrieved applicant or the owner of the property subject to a special and no other person has standing to file such appeal or seek judicial review. Under the bill, in any such appeal, there is a rebuttable presumption that the opinion of the Review Board is correct. Such presumption may be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence that the locality's decision to grant or deny a project or to include the challenged conditions was consistent with provisions in the locality's ordinance that are not unreasonable restrictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.

Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.Democrat