Bills & Legislation

Contracts assigning rights to earned wages; legal rate of interest.

Contracts assigning rights to earned wages; legal rate of interest. Provides that any contract entered into on or after July 1, 2025, pursuant to which a person receives a cash advance for assigning to a company or other entity a portion of such person's rights to receive earned wages, salary, commissions, or other compensation for services shall be considered a loan and that any additional funds such person is obligated to pay under the terms of the contract shall be considered interest. The bill provides that such contract shall be subject to the legal rate of interest.

Mamie E. LockeDemocrat

Preliminary protective orders; dispositional hearings.

Preliminary protective orders; hearings. Requires a court to schedule the dispositional hearings for preliminary protective orders on the same hearing or trial date as a related criminal offense until such related proceeding is resolved. The bill contains technical amendments.

Mark D. ObenshainRepublican

Data centers; noise abatement.

Data centers; noise abatement. Provides that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center shall be approved only in accordance with certain notice and noise abatement requirements. The bill provides that residents within a half-mile radius of the parcel shall receive notice of the proposed data center and that the data center operator shall hold two neighborhood meetings. The bill requires a data center operator to design and build the data center to incorporate sound mitigation methods sufficient to prevent the sound levels emanating from the data center from exceeding the ambient noise levels that were observed in a baseline study, as determined by a third-party acoustic engineer. The bill also provides that upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy, and for five years thereafter, the data center operator shall conduct a noise study performed by a third-party acoustical engineer to document noise levels emanating from the data center measured at the property line of the nearest property to the data center property that is planned or zoned for residential land uses, or other noise-sensitive use as reasonably determined by the locality, during peak operation of the data center mechanical equipment. The bill also provides that if the data center operator intends to use backup power generators on the parcel, the operator shall maintain a public website announcing the times when the generators will be in operation. Finally, the bill provides that any noise ordinance adopted by a locality shall set maximum allowable sound levels for data centers, including by (i) using alternative low frequency noise metrics and (ii) setting noise rules and enforcement mechanisms in its zoning ordinance, separate from existing noise ordinances.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities.

Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities. Requires an electric utility seeking approval to construct or purchase a generating facility that emits carbon dioxide to demonstrate that it has conducted a request for proposals designed to fairly evaluate all available supply-side and demand-side options prior to seeking approval for such generating facility. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to review the request for proposals before the utility's issuance to ensure all available resources will be fairly evaluated.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Firearms, stun weapons, etc.; possession or transportation by persons adjudicated delinquent.

Possession or transportation of firearms, firearms ammunition, stun weapons, explosives or concealed weapons by persons adjudicated delinquent; penalty. Provides that the prohibition on the possession and transportation of firearms and ammunition by convicted felons applies to persons previously adjudicated delinquent. The bill requires that persons who were previously adjudicated delinquent of a violent felony are subject to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and two years for any other felony within the prior 10 years.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Electric utilities; retail competition.

Electric utilities; retail competition. Authorizes a customer who is a customer of a Phase I Utility that had a typical residential customer bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month that exceeded 125 percent of the statewide average during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth. The bill also decreases the period that such a customer who switches from an investor-owned electric utility to a competing supplier is barred from returning as a customer of its utility from five years to 90 days.

T. Travis HackworthRepublican

Electric utilities; approval required for construction of certain electrical transmission lines.

Electric utilities; approval required for construction of certain electrical transmission lines. Prohibits the construction of a new transmission line overhead unless the State Corporation Commission first determines that the construction of such transmission line in whole or in part underground is not in the public interest.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Fentanyl; possession in presence of minor prohibited, enhanced penalty.

Possession of fentanyl in presence of minor prohibited; enhanced penalty. Makes it a Class 3 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to knowingly possess any substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, including its derivatives, isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, in the presence of a minor younger than 15 years of age, unless such substance was obtained directly from, or pursuant to, a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by the Drug Control Act.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan may include use of accessory dwelling units.

Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan; accessory dwelling units. Clarifies that the comprehensive plan prepared by a local planning commission and adopted by a local governing body may include the use of accessory dwelling units, defined in the bill, as part of any residential development and use designated within such plan. The bill contains technical amendments.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Assault and battery; adds campus police officers to definition of law-enforcement officer.

Assault and battery; campus police officers; penalty. Adds campus police officers to the definition of law-enforcement officer for the crime of assault or assault and battery on a law-enforcement officer.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Discovery; electronic means, report.

Discovery; electronic means; report. Requires all attorneys for the Commonwealth to provide discovery materials for all courts to counsel of record for the accused by electronic means unless such materials are prohibited from being distributed by law or impossible to provide by electronic means. The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to promulgate rules to implement this provision by July 1, 2027. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028.The bill also requires the Executive Secretary of the Compensation Board, or a designee, to convene a work group to determine the costs associated with any changes in operations and technology infrastructure necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the Executive Secretary of the Compensation Board to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by November 30, 2025, and a final report to the General Assembly by August 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into SB 963.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Health carriers and pharmacy benefits managers; prohibited conduct, civil penalty.

Prohibited conduct by health carriers and pharmacy benefits managers; civil penalty; enforcement. Prohibits any carrier, pharmacy benefits manager, or representative of a pharmacy benefits manager from (i) requiring that a covered individual purchase pharmacy services exclusively through a mail-order pharmacy or retail pharmacy affiliated with a pharmacy benefits manager or (ii) prohibiting or limiting a covered individual from selecting a pharmacy or pharmacist of his choice that has agreed to participate in the health benefit plan according to the terms of the plan. The bill adds a civil penalty of $5,000 for a violation of prohibited conduct by health carriers and pharmacy benefits managers and adds that the State Corporation Commission has authority to investigate any such violations.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Use of profane, threatening, etc., language over the telephone; repeated telephone contact, penalty.

Use of profane, threatening, etc., language over the telephone; repeated telephone contact; penalty. Creates a Class 6 felony for any person who uses obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or makes any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threatens any illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone to (i) the same person 50 or more times within a 48-hour period or (ii) two or more family or household members of a person 50 or more times within a 48-hour period.

Tammy Brankley MulchiRepublican

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.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Public schools; certain calculations in Standards of Quality, support services.

Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; support services. Requires the Department of Education, (i) in calculating the deduction of federal funds in the Standards of Quality funding formula, to examine actual school division spending on support costs as a percentage of actual school division spending on all public education costs, with certain exceptions such as food service, and (ii) in calculating the costs in the Standards of Quality funding formula beginning with fiscal year 2029, to include all employee benefit costs incurred by a majority of school divisions, including costs related to retirement, health care, life insurance, and payout of earned but unused leave. The bill also requires support services positions to be funded based on a calculation of prevailing costs and prohibits such positions from being subject to any method of funding calculation that caps the number of funded support services positions based on a ratio of such positions to students enrolled in the school division, with the exception of certain support services positions enumerated in the bill. This bill was incorporated into HB 1954.

Shelly A. SimondsDemocrat

Electric utilities; customer energy choice, customer return to service, subscription cap and queue.

Electric utilities; customer energy choice; customer return to service; subscription cap and queue. Removes certain restrictions on the ability of individual retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth, regardless of customer class, to purchase electric energy matched 100 percent by renewable energy certificates from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth. The bill requires a licensed supplier to match a percentage of each retail electric customer's annual load with renewable energy certificates from within the PJM transmission region. The bill decreases from five years to six months the required written notice period for certain electric energy customers to return to service by an incumbent electric utility after purchasing electric energy from other suppliers. The bill also directs the Commission, by October 1, 2026, to establish a subscription cap allowance for certain utility customers seeking to participate in purchasing electric energy from a licensed supplier. The Commission is required to review the subscription cap allowance every two years starting on January 1, 2028, and electric utilities are required to file their subscription queues with the Commission by January 15, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill contains an exception to the subscription cap allowance for customers seeking to expand usage at an existing or new facility. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026, unless the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated pursuant to the bill specify a commencement date.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

Richmond, City of; amending charter, qualifications for Director of Public Utilities.

Charter; City of Richmond. Amends the charter for the City of Richmond by setting out the minimum qualifications for the director of public utilities.

Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.Republican

Electric utilities; renewable energy standard eligible sources.

Electric utilities; renewable energy standard eligible sources; zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities. Provides that, for the purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard, eligible sources include zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities located in the Commonwealth.

T. Travis HackworthRepublican

Earned sentence credits; inchoate offenses, concurrent and consecutive sentences.

Enhanced Earned sentence credits; inchoate offenses; concurrent and consecutive sentences. Provides that a person who is convicted of an inchoate offense will earn sentence credits at the same rate as someone who is convicted of the completed offense for certain enumerated offenses. The bill also specifies that the provision in current law providing that a person who has been convicted of certain enumerated offenses may earn a maximum of 4.5 sentence credits for each 30 days served on any sentence for such offenses also applies to any other sentence that is to be served concurrent with or consecutive to any such sentence. The bill specifies that such provisions shall apply to the sentence of any person convicted of a felony offense committed on or after July 1, 2025, and who is sentenced to serve a term of incarceration in a state or local correctional facility.

Mark J. PeakeRepublican

Motor vehicle collisions; collection of certain mobile telephone data, collision reports.

Motor vehicle collisions; collection of certain mobile telephone data; collision reports. Requires that a law-enforcement officer include on any collision report the mobile telephone number, mobile telephone provider, and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number for any driver involved in a motor vehicle collision. The bill allows an attorney who has certified that he represents a person injured in a motor vehicle collision to request in writing that the mobile telephone provider of the alleged tortfeasor preserve for a period of four years from the date of such collision certain information related to the mobile telephone of such alleged tortfeasor. The bill also allows such attorney to request in writing that the alleged tortfeasor preserve certain mobile telephone information for a period of three years from the date of such collision for the purpose of anticipated litigation. The bill also creates a rebuttable presumption of spoliation of evidence where an alleged tortfeasor fails to preserve mobile telephone records or provide the required information for a collision report. Finally, the bill requires, upon request from such attorney, the alleged tortfeasor's auto insurance company utilizing a telematics application to advise such attorney of the existence of such telematics application data and to preserve and provide such data upon such attorney's request.

Scott A. SurovellDemocrat

Underground transmission lines; qualifying projects.

Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects. Requires the State Corporation Commission to approve applications for a newly proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line filed between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026, as a qualifying project to be constructed in whole or in part underground, as a part of a pilot program. The bill requires such a qualifying project to traverse along highways in developed areas and where the route of the proposed transmission lines and towers traverse areas are protected by a scenic easement, a view shed easement, areas of registered historic designation, or areas with conservation easements, where such easements run to the benefit of the public and are held by the governing body of the federal, state, or local jurisdiction in which the transmission line is to be placed and where the project is required to meet reliability requirements and at least a portion of the project is needed to support and promote economic development of the Commonwealth and its localities. The bill also requires that the governing body of each locality in which a portion of the proposed line will be placed has entered into an agreement with the public utility to pay its proportional share of 20 percent of any portion of the cost of the project not recoverable under applicable rates, terms, and conditions approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Under the bill, the remainder of the cost will be assigned to the utility's data center customers.

Kannan SrinivasanDemocrat

State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain transmission lines proceedings.

State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain transmission lines proceedings. Requires the State Corporation Commission to complete proceedings regarding the approval of certain transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more within nine months.

T. Travis HackworthRepublican

Fentanyl, heroin, etc.; manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., penalties.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide. The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances.

Bill DeStephRepublican

Human smuggling; penalties.

Human smuggling; penalties. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person who, with the intent to obtain a pecuniary benefit, knowingly and with the intent to evade the immigration laws of the United States uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other means of conveyance to transport another person in or through the Commonwealth and knows or should have known that such person being transported is likely to be exploited for the financial gain of another. The bill provides that any person who commits human smuggling (i) in a manner that creates a substantial likelihood that the individual being smuggled will suffer serious bodily injury or death, (ii) by smuggling a child younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense, or (iii) while knowingly possessing a firearm during the commission of the offense is guilty of a Class 3 felony. The bill also provides that any person who commits human smuggling and as a direct result of the commission of the offense the individual being smuggled (a) became a victim of human trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, sexual assault, or aggravated sexual assault or (b) suffered serious bodily injury or death is guilty of a Class 2 felony.

Luther Cifers, IIIRepublican

Siting of data centers; property classified for industrial use.

Siting of data centers; property classified for industrial use. Requires that any local government land use application for the siting of a data center shall only be approved if such application is for a data center located on property classified by local ordinance for industrial use. The bill applies only to such applications submitted on or after July 1, 2025.

Danica A. RoemDemocrat

Elections; prohibited area within 100 feet.

Elections; general provisions; prohibited area; 100 feet. Increases from 40 feet to 100 feet the areas around polling places, certain electoral board meetings, and recount locations within which certain activities or conduct are prohibited.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Income tax, state; removes certain sunsets for standard deduction, etc.

Income tax; certain sunset repeals. Removes the sunset for the standard deduction in the amount of $8,500 for individuals and $17,000 for married individuals that is currently set to expire beginning in taxable year 2026, and revert back to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for married individuals. The bill also removes the taxable year 2026 sunset for the partially refundable earned income tax credit that an individual or married individuals may claim in an amount equal to 15 percent of the federal earned income tax credit claimed for federal earned income tax purposes and removes the taxable year 2026 sunset for the elective income tax on pass-through entities. This bill was incorporated into SB 782.

Ryan T. McDougleRepublican

Va. Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers, delayed effective date.

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher on or after July 1, 2026, but allows an employer, as that term is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher before July 1, 2026, in addition to service earned on or after that date. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Emily M. JordanRepublican

Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution.

Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.025 percent shall be provided to the Shenandoah County Fair Association.

Timmy FrenchRepublican

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering; amends definition of breakage.

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering; breakage. Amends the definition of "breakage" for the purposes of horse racing other than historical horse racing to mean the odd cents by which the amount payable on each dollar wagered exceeds one cent ($0.01). The bill also provides that 100 percent of the legitimate breakage from each pari-mutuel pool for historical horse racing shall be distributed to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund.

Bryce E. ReevesRepublican

Housing and Community Development, Board of; increases membership.

Board of Housing and Community Development; members. Expands from 14 to 15 the number of members serving on the Board of Housing and Community Development by adding another Director of Regulatory Compliance of the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association. The two Directors of Regulatory Compliance of the Association shall serve as ex officio voting members and shall be members of the Board's Codes and Standards Committee. The bill also removes the prohibition on such Directors from serving as either the chairman of such committee or of the Board.

Adele Y. McClureDemocrat

Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset.

Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset. Removes the sunset on elevated standard deduction amounts for single individuals and married persons that is scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into SB 782.

Richard H. StuartRepublican

Registration decals; discontinued.

Registration decals; discontinued. Discontinues the requirement for and issuance of decals displaying the expiration month and year of motor vehicle registration to be displayed on license plates. The bill also removes the requirement for the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue appropriately designated license plates for motor vehicles held for rental. The bill does not eliminate existing requirements that vehicles are to be registered.

J.D. "Danny" DiggsRepublican

Higher educational institutions, public; grants with foreign countries of concern prohibited, etc.

Public institutions of higher education; certain grants from and partnerships and agreements with foreign countries of concern prohibited; report; civil penalty. Prohibits, except with the approval of the governing board of the institution of higher education or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia under certain circumstances, any public institution of higher education from accepting any grant from or participating in any partnership or agreement with any foreign country of concern, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill requires the Council to establish and enforce mechanisms for compliance and penalties for noncompliance with such prohibition, which shall include civil penalties not to exceed $25,000 per offense and may include periodic institutional reporting until any such noncompliance is remedied by the institution. The bill requires each public institution of higher education, by December 1 of each year, to report to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Council any grant that it accepted from or agreement or partnership in which it participated with a foreign country of concern during the previous fiscal year and the date on which such grant, agreement, or partnership is expected to terminate.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

School boards; private higher educational institutions, industry and trade dual-enrollment.

School boards; private institutions of higher education; industry and trade dual-enrollment, education, and training opportunities; partnerships permitted. Permits any school board, upon approval of a plan submitted to the Board of Education (the Board) in accordance with the provisions of the bill, to enter into a partnership with a private institution of higher education, as that term is defined by the bill, for the purpose of expanding industry and trade training and education opportunities for high school students by (i) establishing or expanding dual enrollment programs through which high school students may earn credit toward completion of undergraduate course credit or a degree relating to industry or trade, an industry-recognized credential, a career certificate, or a state licensure examination; (ii) expanding available course offerings relating to industry or trade; (iii) providing internship, externship, or job-shadowing opportunities for high school students in industry and trade; and (iv) establishing any other plan for such a partnership as may be approved by the Board. The bill directs the Board to develop and make available to each school board guidelines and policies for the (a) submission and approval of such plans to enter into partnerships with a private institution of higher education pursuant to the bill and (b) implementation and administration of any such partnerships.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Medical malpractice; limitations on recovery, certain actions.

Medical malpractice; limitation on recovery; certain actions. Eliminates the cap on the recovery in actions against health care providers for medical malpractice where the act or acts of malpractice occurred on or after July 1, 2025, and occurred against a patient age 10 or younger.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

International licensure and certification; regulations.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; international licensure and certification; regulations. Directs the regulatory boards within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to promulgate regulations allowing the issuance of a license or certification to any applicant who holds a comparable international license or certification issued by another country. This bill was incorporated into HB 1940.

Michelle Lopes MaldonadoDemocrat

Extreme Weather Relief Act; established.

Extreme Weather Relief Act established. Establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Program, administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, for the purpose of holding parties responsible for covered greenhouse gas emissions between the covered period of January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2024, for the parties' share of the Commonwealth's costs due to climate change. The bill defines responsible parties as fossil fuel extractors or crude oil refiners causing emissions of one billion metric tons or more of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. Under the bill, responsible parties are strictly liable for cost recovery payments to the Commonwealth. The bill requires the State Treasurer to conduct an assessment of the costs to the Commonwealth and its residents of the emissions of covered greenhouse gases during the covered period. The bill establishes the Extreme Weather Relief Fund into which the cost recovery payments from responsible entities are deposited and used to pay for extreme weather relief projects, as defined in the bill.

Jennifer B. BoyskoDemocrat

Elections; prohibited area, within 40 feet of the curbside voting area.

Elections; general provisions; prohibited area; within 40 feet of the curbside voting area. Adds the 40 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.

Angelia Williams GravesDemocrat

Behavioral health services; correctional facilities, exchange of medical/mental health information.

Behavioral health services; exchange of medical and mental health information and records; correctional facilities.

Wren M. WilliamsRepublican

Children's Services Act; changes to state pool of funds.

Children's Services Act; state pool of funds. Makes a number of changes to the Children's Services Act state pool of funds for the provision of public or private nonresidential or residential services for troubled youth and families, including (i) removing the requirement that the Office of Children's Services consult with private special education services providers in developing the standard reporting template for tuition rates; (ii) removing from the purpose of the state pool of funds the consolidation of categorical agency funding and the institution of community responsibility for the provision of services; (iii) removing language specifying that references to funding sources and current placement authority for the target population served by the state pool of funds are for the purpose of accounting for the funds and should not be intended to categorize children and youth into funding streams in order to access services; (iv) modifying the target population served by the state pool of funds by (a) removing references to the Department of Education's private tuition assistance and the Interagency Assistance Fund for Noneducational Placement for Handicapped Children and (b) adding children and youth who are determined to be a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law; (v) removing the requirement that the financial and legal responsibility for certain special education services remains with the placing jurisdiction, unless the placing jurisdiction has transitioned all appropriate services; (vi) requiring that the uniform assessment instrument used to determine eligibility for funding through the state pool of funds be approved by the State Executive Council for Children's Services; and (vii) modifying the eligibility criteria for funding through the state pool of funds by adding language that (a) specifies that the child or youth's emotional or behavioral problems have resulted in the child or youth, or place the child or youth at imminent risk of, entering purchased residential care and (b) includes the determination by a court that the child or youth is a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law. The bill also includes technical changes. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures, electioneering communications.

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independent expenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allows such reports to be filed either electronically or in writing. The bill increases the reporting and disclosure thresholds for independent expenditures from $1,000 or more for a statewide election or $200 or more for any other election to $5,000 or more for a statewide election or $1,000 or more for any other election and exempts the sponsor of an independent expenditure from disclosing its top three contributors if its independent expenditures aggregate to less than $20,000 in an election cycle. Finally, the bill includes in the definition of "political action committee" any organization holding tax-exempt status that expressly advocates for or against candidates, solicits donations for such purpose, and makes contributions or independent expenditures in excess of $20,000 for such purpose.

William M. Stanley, Jr.Republican

Behavioral health services; correctional facilities, exchange of medical/mental health information.

Behavioral health services; exchange of medical and mental health information and records; correctional facilities. Permits the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Department of Social Services, and any local department of social services to access medical and mental health information and records for persons committed to any correctional facility for the purposes of providing pre-release services, reentry planning, and post-incarceration placement and services. The bill also authorizes the Department of Medical Assistance Services to access a juvenile's social, medical, psychiatric, and psychological reports and records during pre-release and up to 30 days following such juvenile's release from commitment for the purposes of providing pre-release services, reentry planning, and post-incarceration placement and services.

Carrie E. CoynerRepublican

Behavioral health services; correctional facilities, exchange of medical/mental health information.

Behavioral health services; exchange of medical and mental health information and records; correctional facilities.

Debra D. GardnerDemocrat

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering; percentage retained by racetrack and locality.

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering; satellite facilities; percentage retained by racetrack and locality. Reapportions the distribution of the retainage for pari-mutuel pools by increasing the percentage paid to the localities in which the satellite facilities are located and decreasing the percentage paid to the locality in which the racetrack is located.

Jeremy S. McPikeDemocrat

Income tax, state; establishes car tax credit.

Income tax; car tax credit. Establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2027 for a taxpayer whose federal adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 if filing as an individual or $100,000 if married and filing jointly in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the amount actually paid for tangible personal property tax to Virginia localities on qualifying vehicles, defined in the bill, or (ii) $150 for an individual or $300 for married individuals filing jointly. The bill provides that such credit shall not be allowed for such taxes paid to any locality that has, during the tax year for which such credit is claimed, imposed a tangible personal property tax rate upon qualifying vehicles at a rate that exceeds the rate imposed upon such vehicles by such locality during the 2024 tax year. Finally, the bill provides that if any provision of the bill is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall not be deemed severable.

Tara A. DurantRepublican

Workforce Development and Advancement, Department of; powers and duties.

Department of Workforce Development and Advancement; powers and duties. Requires the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to ensure that all workforce development programs and workforce education and training programs (i) address an industry need identified on a high-demand occupation or field list created by the Department and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and Advancement and (ii) include a job placement component in their implementation and operating plans. Publicly funded workforce development and workforce education and training programs may apply for an exemption from such requirements, and the Commissioner shall approve or disapprove such application within 45 days of receipt.

T. Travis HackworthRepublican

Child tax credit; Virginia adjusted gross income.

Child tax credit; Virginia adjusted gross income. Creates a one-time individual income tax credit in taxable years 2025 through 2029 for taxpayers whose households include dependents younger than 13 years of age and whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, defined in the bill, does not exceed $100,000. Such credit shall be in an amount equal to $300 for each such dependent and only one credit may be claimed for each such dependent. The bill provides that if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, the credit is refundable. Otherwise, the credit is nonrefundable.

Lashrecse D. AirdDemocrat