Bills & Legislation

Virginia Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; civil action for unlawful detainer, termination notice.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; civil action for unlawful detainer; termination notice; energy submetering equipment. Provides that no landlord shall file or maintain an action for unlawful detainer against a residential tenant for any alleged lease violation until the landlord has provided the tenant with a proper and effective termination notice and that no notice of termination of tenancy for nonpayment of rent pursuant to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act shall be effective unless such notice contains a written statement of charges and payments over the course of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter, and any late charges, attorney fees, costs, and other charges or damages as contracted for in the rental agreement that are due and owing. The bill requires such notice to also include debits and credits incurred by the tenant for energy and utility bills and any additional charges permitted as applicable. The bill also requires the owner of any residential building to maintain adequate records indicating how monthly energy and utility billing fees are calculated and including a history of billing fee payments for each tenant over the duration of the tenancy or the past 12 months, whichever is shorter. Such records shall be made available to the tenant upon request. Finally, the bill removes a provision allowing for the collection of fees when a tenant requests such records. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 294.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat

Family abuse protective orders; conditions imposed upon issuance.

Family abuse protective orders; other relief. Provides that in cases of family abuse where the court orders a permanent protective order, the court may require a respondent to pay or to contribute to the payment of rent or mortgage on a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession pursuant to such protective order and may further require that a respondent maintain suitable alternative housing and utility services to a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession.

Lindsey DoughertyDemocrat

Nursing facilities; comprehensive study of quality of care, etc., and operational practices.

Joint Commission on Health Care; comprehensive assessment of the quality of care, resident safety, and operational practices of nursing facilities in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the quality of care, resident safety, and operational practices of nursing facilities in the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and Health and Human Services and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Education and Health by December 1, 2027.

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Investor-owned electric utilities; requirements in fuel factor proceedings conducted with SCC.

Investor-owned electric utilities; fuel factor proceedings; requirements. Requires that in any fuel factor proceeding conducted with the State Corporation Commission under current law, each investor-owned electric utility shall provide specific information regarding coal-fueled or oil-fueled electric generating units and requires the Commission to make determinations about reasonableness and prudence for the purposes of cost recovery based on such specific information.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Real property tax; special assessment on basis of use, notice requirements.

Real property tax; special assessment for land use; notice requirements; civil penalty. Establishes notice requirements for the sale of real estate that is valued, assessed, and taxed by a locality under a special assessment on the basis of use. The bill directs the Department of Taxation to create a written notice that may be provided to the purchaser of real estate in a land use program. The notice must include disclosures regarding the special classification of the real estate and liability for roll-back taxes if a change in use occurs. The bill also requires settlement agents to provide this written notice to purchasers of real estate in a land use program and to obtain the purchaser's written acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The willful failure of a settlement agent to provide the notice and obtain the written acknowledgement will subject the settlement agent to a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding $250. The bill directs the Real Estate Board to include in the residential property disclosure statement on its website a statement that the owner makes no representations or warranties with respect to whether the property is located in a locality that has adopted a land-use plan that may provide use value assessment and taxation for certain real estate and that advises purchasers to exercise due diligence to determine whether the property may be subject to roll-back taxes and interest for taxation on the basis of a use assessment and the liability for additional taxes and penalties that may attach if a change in use occurs. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 649.

Chris S. RunionRepublican

Driver education; dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds.

Driver education; dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds. Requires the driver education program established by the Board of Education to emphasize the dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds, among other topics. The bill requires the Department of Education, no later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year, to review and update the Curriculum and Administrative Guide for Driver Education in Virginia and any other instructional resources for the Driver Education Standards of Learning to place greater emphasis on the dangers of reckless driving, including driving at excessive speeds, in the behind-the-wheel training component, the classroom training component, and the parent/student component by including updated interviews with individuals who have lost family members due to speeding by teen drivers and encouraging partnerships with local police departments or sheriff's offices to provide students with real world examples of the dangers of driving at excessive speeds.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report.

Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, described in the bill, to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative. The bill directs the Commissioner to submit an interim report of the work group by November 1, 2026, and a final report with the work group's recommendations no later than July 1, 2027, to the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Commission on Women's Health.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

Virginia Code Commission; extends subdivision plats work group, report.

Virginia Code Commission; subdivision plats work group; report. Extends by one year the work of the work group established by the Virginia Code Commission to review existing provisions of the Code of Virginia related to the submission, review, and approval of subdivision plats and site plans. The work group shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Code Commission.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program; assessment for violations, etc., civil penalties.

Department of Environmental Quality; special orders; Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program; civil penalties. Increases the maximum civil penalty amount that the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality may assess for any special order to a person to comply with certain related laws, regulations, permits, and certifications from $10,000 to $32,500. The bill increases from $1,000 to $32,500 the maximum civil penalty that a locality authorized to administer a Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program is able to collect for any one violation of certain regulations, orders, ordinances, program provisions, conditions of land-disturbance approvals, and provisions of state law. The bill also provides, however, that for a land-disturbing activity that (i) disturbs an area measuring at least 10,000 square feet but less than one acre in an area not designated as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area and (ii) is not part of a larger common plan of development or sale that disturbs one or more acres of land, the civil penalty shall not exceed $5,000 for each violation, and a series of violations arising from the same set of facts shall not exceed $50,000.

Hillary Pugh KentRepublican

Psilocybin; Board of Pharmacy to reschedule upon federal scheduling changes.

Board of Pharmacy; regulation of psilocybin. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to reschedule psilocybin consistent with federal scheduling upon approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of a formulation of psilocybin designed to be administered by a health care professional in a health care setting. This bill is identical to SB 379.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

License plates, special; repeals issuance for Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee.

Special license plates; Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee. Repeals authorization for the issuance of Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee special license plates and provides that such special license plates already in circulation will remain valid until their expiration and shall not be renewed.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license, municipality or nonprofit organization.

Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license; municipality or nonprofit organization. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, broker, importer, or wholesaler to sponsor or provide support, including equipment, staff, financial, and other support, for a special event for which a municipality or nonprofit organization has been issued a banquet license when such special event is to be held on the grounds of a museum or a government-registered national, state, or local historic site at which the municipality or nonprofit organization is licensed to operate a gift shop, provided that any retail license issued to the premises has been deactivated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the duration of such special event. The bill limits such municipalities or nonprofit organizations to no more than eight banquet licenses for such special events per year. This bill is identical to SB 532.

Gretchen M. BulovaDemocrat

Fairfax, City of; amending charter, elections, compensation for members of boards or commissions.

Charter; City of Fairfax; financial powers; elections; compensation for members of boards or commissions. Amends the charter for the City of Fairfax by replacing a cap on the transient occupancy tax with a reference to general law. The bill also amends the charter to align it with current law requiring municipal elections to be held at the November general election. Finally, the bill removes the limit of $50 per meeting for compensation of members of boards and commissions and provides that such compensation is in such amounts as established by the City Council. This bill is identical to SB 581.

Gretchen M. BulovaDemocrat

License plates, special; issuance for members of Virginia REALTORS.

Special license plates; Virginia REALTORS. Converts the existing non-revenue sharing special license plate for members of the Virginia Realtors to a revenue sharing special license plate with the revenue benefiting the Virginia REALTORS Disaster Relief Fund. The bill provides that such existing plates will remain valid until their expiration. This bill is identical to SB 204.

Gretchen M. BulovaDemocrat

State Health Services Plan Task Force; designated areas of state in need of additional project.

Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force. Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to SB 239.

Nadarius E. ClarkDemocrat

Three-unit service dog team; definition.

Definition of three-unit service dog team. Clarifies, in the definition of a three-unit service dog team, that a person who is an adult and who has been trained to handle the service dog can include the parent of the person with a disability who is part of such team.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Militia state active duty; cyber-related support.

Militia state active duty; cyber-related support. Adds cyber-related support to the list of instances in which the Governor may call forth the militia or any part thereof to state active duty.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Paid firefighters; hours of work.

Hours of work for paid firefighters. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall encourage employers to implement work schedules that do not require any paid firefighter's normally scheduled shifts to exceed 42 hours per workweek.

Michael B. FeggansDemocrat

Fictive kin; definition.

Child dependency cases; court procedures; fictive kin; definition. Updates the definition of fictive kin to specify that such person is required to have an established relationship with a child or his family prior to the child's initial entry into foster care to meet the definition of fictive kin.

Anne Ferrell TataRepublican

Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations.

Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations. Requires a landlord to provide a copy of any written rental agreement and the statement of tenant rights and responsibilities within 10 business days of the effective date of the written rental agreement; current law requires a landlord to provide such copies within one month of such effective date. The bill outlines required notice language regarding flood insurance to be included by the landlord in the rental agreement and provides that failures of the landlord to provide notice shall not affect the validity of the rental agreement. The bill applies to rental agreements that are entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat

Sheriff Javier J. Smith Memorial Bridge; designates bridge on St. Route 106 in Charles City County.

Sheriff Javier J. Smith Memorial Bridge. Designates the bridge on Roxbury Road/State Route 106 at the border of Charles City County and New Kent County in Charles City County the "Sheriff Javier J. Smith Memorial Bridge."

Delores L. McQuinnDemocrat

Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount.

Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount. Provides that, for unemployment compensation claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly benefit amount shall be $48 higher than the current weekly benefit amount, as denoted in the table in the printed bill. This bill is identical to SB 759.

Marty MartinezDemocrat

Primaries; abstract of votes, law-enforcement officer to obtain returns not forwarded.

Elections; conduct of primaries; abstract of votes; law-enforcement officer to obtain returns not forwarded. Removes the requirement that if the abstract of votes is not received by the State Board of Elections from any county or city within six days after any state primary election, the State Board shall dispatch a law-enforcement officer to obtain it. The bill removes a conflict with an existing provision that requires the State Board to dispatch law-enforcement when the abstract of votes is not received within 10 days after any election.

Bonita G. AnthonyDemocrat

Hospitals; emergency department physicians.

Hospitals; psychiatric emergency departments. Allows hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments located in the City of Hampton to operate without a physician on duty when certain conditions are met, including having written agreements in place with emergency medical service providers and being immediately adjacent to a non-psychiatric emergency department. The bill requires such psychiatric emergency departments to submit treatment data to the General Assembly on an annual basis by November 1. This bill is identical to SB 738.

Rodney T. WillettDemocrat

Removal of clutter; cutting of grass; agricultural use exemption; Planning District 19.

Removal of clutter; cutting of grass; agricultural use exemption; Planning District 19. Exempts localities located in Planning District 19 from provisions that exclude agricultural land from requirements relating to the removal of clutter and cutting of grass when such land is one acre or less and located in an area that is used for a residential purpose. This bill is identical to SB 742.

Kimberly Pope AdamsDemocrat

Workers' compensation; law-enforcement officers and firefighters, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Workers' compensation. Provides that, for the purposes of workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter, an incident or exposure without any accompanying physical injury occurring in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2027, is a qualifying event, as defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited.

Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited; certain exception for certain employees of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. Excludes from the prohibition against any officer or employee of any governmental agency of state government having a personal interest in a contract with the governmental agency of which he is an officer or employee, other than his own contract of employment, the personal interest of an employee of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in a contract between the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and a publisher or wholesaler of textbooks or other educational materials for students that accrues to him solely because he has authored or otherwise created such textbooks or materials. This bill is identical to SB 816.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Consumer finance companies; additional charges.

Consumer finance companies; additional charges. Provides that, for the purposes of the prohibition on additional charges by consumer finance companies, exceptions to such prohibition include (i) charges for guaranteed asset protection waivers for the protection and benefit of the borrower in connection with any loan and (ii) charges for guaranteed asset protection insurance for the protection and benefit of the borrower in connection with any loan.

Jason S. BallardRepublican

Higher educational institutions, public; reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs, etc.

Public institutions of higher education; reasonable accommodations for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students. Requires each public institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations, as defined in the bill, for the religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments and to provide and describe in the institution's student handbook or an equivalent document and in the institution's faculty handbook or an equivalent document a grievance procedure for any student to seek redress when the student believes that he has been unreasonably denied such reasonable accommodations for his religious beliefs and practices.

Marcus B. SimonDemocrat

Regulatory boards; powers and duties, disciplinary action, dismissal.

Professions and occupations; powers and duties of regulatory boards; disciplinary action; dismissal. Permits regulatory boards to take a disciplinary case against a licensee under advisement, defer a finding in such case, and dismiss such action upon terms and conditions set by the Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation. The bill additionally clarifies that regulatory boards may take such actions as well as other disciplinary actions and monetary penalties by including a reference to such disciplinary actions and monetary penalties among the listed powers of certain regulatory boards.

May NivarDemocrat

Mortgage lenders and brokers; criminal history records check.

Mortgage lenders and brokers; criminal history records check. Replaces the option for an applicant submitting the required criminal history records check for licensure as a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, or an applicant to acquire control of a licensee, to submit fingerprints and other information to the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to forward such information to the Central Criminal Records Exchange with the option to submit such information to an FBI-approved channeler to forward such information to the FBI for the purposes of obtaining national criminal history record information. Under current law, there is also an option for such an applicant to submit such information to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry.

Dan I. HelmerDemocrat

Virginia Public Procurement Act; adds to definition of professional services.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; definitions; "professional services." Adds to the definition of "professional services," for use throughout the Virginia Public Procurement Act, services of a licensed investment advisor, financial advisor, or insurance broker procured by the Department of the Treasury.

Kimberly Pope AdamsDemocrat

School boards; student diabetes care & management in schools, division wide plan required.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student diabetes medical care and management. Establishes several provisions relating to student diabetes medical care and management in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including requiring divisionwide plans for the care of students who are diagnosed with diabetes in each school division, effective beginning with the 2028–2029 school year. This bill incorporates HB 624 and is identical to SB 122.

Joshua E. ThomasDemocrat

State Police, Department of; purchase of handguns or other weapons of certain officers.

Purchase of handguns or other weapons of certain officers; Department of State Police. Provides that the Department of State Police may allow the immediate survivor of any law-enforcement officer formerly employed by the Department who had at least 10 years of service with the Department and who died while receiving long-term disability payments to purchase his service handgun, with the approval of the Superintendent of State Police, at a price of $1. This bill is identical to SB 86.

Mitchell CornettRepublican

Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to SB 580.

R. Lee WareRepublican

Human trafficking; issuance of vacatur for victims, definitions.

Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Expands the current process for the issuance of writs of vacatur for victims of human trafficking to include ancillary matters, defined in the bill, and any charge or arrest related to a qualifying offense as defined in current law. The bill also expands the list of qualifying offenses eligible for such writ. This bill is identical to SB 748.

Karrie K. DelaneyDemocrat

Temporary detention; certified evaluators, sunset extended.

Temporary detention; certified evaluators; sunset extended. Extends from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027, the sunset date on the current provisions of law authorizing hospitals with a psychiatric emergency department located in the City of Hampton to employ certain trained individuals to perform evaluations to determine whether a person meets the criteria for temporary detention for behavioral health treatment. The current law also requires participating hospitals with psychiatric emergency departments in the City of Hampton to submit monthly and annual reports on temporary detentions and crisis evaluations. This bill is identical to SB 735.

Marcia S. "Cia" PriceDemocrat

Geologists; regulations, exemptions.

Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists; exemptions. Exempts the practice of geology by any officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the United States of America when practicing solely as such from the licensing requirements for professional geologists.

Bill WileyRepublican

Commercial motor vehicle; expands definition.

Commercial motor vehicle; definition. Expands the definition of a commercial motor vehicle to include vehicles inclusive of a towed vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds. Currently, the definition includes, in relevant part, a towed vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds. The new definition is consistent with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations.

Bill WileyRepublican

Geology; added to definition of "professional services," continuing education.

Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists. Adds geology to the definition of "professional services" as used in the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The bill also eliminates the option for the Board for Professional Soil Scientists, Wetland Professionals, and Geologists to waive the examination requirement for licensure as a professional geologist for an applicant who has at least 12 years of geological work. The bill also requires the Board to promulgate regulations governing continuing education requirements for geologists licensed by the Board that require the completion of eight hours annually in continuing education for any license renewal or reinstatement. This bill is identical to SB 492.

Bill WileyRepublican

Deer; permit may be issued to kill if damaging residential plants and certain property.

Killing of deer damaging residential plants and certain property. Allows the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer when such deer cause damage to residential plants and the Director or his designee determines, upon inspection, that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. Upon a landowner or lessee's request, the bill also requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill antlerless deer on commercial agricultural production lands when such deer cause damage to fruit trees, Christmas trees, crops, horticultural plants, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production within the Commonwealth. When such damage is caused by antlered deer, the bill requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer if the Director or his designee determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. The bill also changes the extent to which a person can assist in hunting when his hunting license has been revoked or suspended in the Commonwealth by prohibiting such person from assisting in hunting until the hunting restriction has been lifted. Current law allows such a person to assist in hunting after a certain period of time.

Mitchell CornettRepublican

State plan for medical assistance; provider-to-provider consultation.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance; provider-to-provider consultation; telemedicine. Specifies that the Medicaid provision for provider-to-provider consultation includes payment for consultations provided through telemedicine services. This bill incorporates HB 87.

Mark C. DowneyDemocrat

St Emergency Med. Services Advisory Bd.; membership, regional emergency medical services councils.

State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board; membership; regional emergency medical services councils. Reduces the composition of the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board from 28 members to 24 members to account for four fewer representatives from regional emergency medical services councils.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Veterinarians; amending applications of licensure, etc.

Board of Veterinary Medicine; applications for licensure or renewal; indication of interest to serve as a veterinarian for a public or private animal shelter. Directs the Board of Veterinary Medicine to amend its applications for licensure and renewal of licensure to allow applicants to indicate interest in serving as a veterinarian for public or private animal shelters and to provide disclosure that, if the applicant indicates such interest, the Board shall provide the applicant's name and contact information to the State Veterinarian for inclusion on a list distributed to animal shelters quarterly.

Laura Jane CohenDemocrat

High school graduation requirements and diploma pathways; implementation.

High school graduation requirements; application. Provides that, in the event that the Board of Education establishes or modifies any graduation requirements or diploma pathways, the Board shall only apply such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways to students who enter ninth grade at the beginning of or after the first school year of implementation of such new or modified graduation requirements or diploma pathways. The bill is applicable beginning with students who enter the ninth grade on or after the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. This bill is identical to SB 724.

Jen Kiggans - to resign 12/31Republican

Licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners; licensure by endorsement, etc.

Licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners; licensure by endorsement; licensure without examination. Directs the Board of Counseling to establish a pathway to licensure by endorsement as a licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner for applicants who have held certification as a certified substance abuse counselor for at least 10 years without a history of disciplinary action, have completed at least five years of documented supervised experience, hold at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of counseling, and hold a Master Addiction Counselor credential issued by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals. The bill provides that such pathway to licensure by endorsement does not require examination.

Joshua G. ColeDemocrat

School bd. policies; communication & language accessibility for limited English proficient parents.

School boards; language access plan for limited English proficient parents. Requires each school board to develop, implement, and post in a publicly accessible location on its website a language access plan consisting of policies and procedures designed to ensure meaningful communication with and informational accessibility for limited English proficient (LEP) parents, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 685.

Atoosa R. ReaserDemocrat

Ancillary traffic infractions; certification.

Certification of ancillary traffic infractions. Allows the court to certify any ancillary traffic infraction to the clerk of the circuit court upon certification of any felony offense, provided that the attorney for the Commonwealth and the accused consent to such certification. Current law only allows ancillary misdemeanor offenses to be certified. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat

Environmental Justice in Permitting Process Guidance Memo; DEQ to publish an updated version.

Department of Environmental Quality; Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo; cumulative impacts. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo for public comment. The bill requires the updated memo to consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of the types of permits covered in the guidance memo and outreach strategies to engage communities impacted by any such permit. The bill requires the public comment period process to include two public town halls held no later than July 31, 2026, and requires the Department to respond to the public comments by October 31, 2026. The Department is required to issue the final guidance memo by December 31, 2026.

Kathy K.L. TranDemocrat

Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates.

Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to establish additional standards no later than January 1, 2027, to ensure access to legal counsel for inmates held in any local, regional, or community correctional facility and enumerates the standards that the Board shall include in such additional standards.

Katrina CallsenDemocrat