Virginia Agribusiness Council
BILL # | Sponsor | Description | Status | Summary |
Oppose Very High | Adele Y. McClure; Phil M. Hernandez; Betsy B. Carr; et al. | Minimum Wage; Farm Laborers Or Farm Employees; Temporary Foreign Workers. | Passed | Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees; temporary foreign workers. Eliminates the exemptions from Virginia's minimum wage requirements for (i) persons employed as farm laborers or farm employees and (ii) certain temporary foreign workers. |
Oppose Very High | Jeion A. Ward; Lamont Bagby; Adele Y. McClure; et al. | Minimum Wage. | Passed | Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2027. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.41 per hour that is effective January 1, 2025 and increases the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2026 and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish an adjusted state hourly minimum wage by October 1, 2027. |
Support Very High | Alfonso H. Lopez; Joshua E. Thomas | Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program; State Veterinarian To Establish, Report. | Passed | State Veterinarian; large animal veterinary grant program; report. Directs the State Veterinarian to establish a large animal veterinary grant program no later than July 1, 2026, to provide grants to increase or stabilize the number of large animal veterinarians, as defined in the bill, practicing in areas of the Commonwealth that have been identified by the State Veterinarian as having a shortage of such veterinarians. The bill directs the State Veterinarian to annually select from a pool of applicants... |
Support Very High | Chris S. Runion; David Owen; Ian T. Lovejoy; et al. | Sewage Sludge; Land Application, Permit Exemptions, Sunset. | Passed | Land application of sewage sludge; permit exemptions; sunset. Exempts from permitting requirements for land application, marketing, and distribution of sewage sludge any land application for a research project when such land is owned and operated by an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the institution of higher education to notify the Department of Environmental Quality and the owner of every adjoining property of its intent to land apply such sewage sludge a... |
Support Very High | Bonita G. Anthony; Joshua E. Thomas; Marcia S. "Cia" Price; et al. | Statewide Food Desert Mapping Tool; Virginia Commission To End Hunger To Establish, Report. | Passed | Virginia Commission to End Hunger; statewide food desert mapping tool; report. Directs the Virginia Commission to End Hunger to establish a statewide food desert mapping tool, using geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic data to identify food deserts and food apartheid zones in the Commonwealth in order to create a comprehensive and actionable statewide food desert mapping tool. The Commission is directed to collaborate with the Departments of Health, Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Social... |
Oppose Very High | William M. Stanley, Jr. | Aerial Pesticide Application; Virginia Pollinator Protection Strategy, Civil Penalty. | Failed | Aerial pesticide application; Virginia Pollinator Protection Strategy; civil penalty. Requires any commercial or private pesticide applicator performing an aerial pesticide application, as defined in the bill, to submit certain relevant information to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and to certain beekeepers located within a five-mile radius no less than five days prior to such application. The bill provides that any commercial applicator or private applicator who violates th... |
Support High | Marcia S. "Cia" Price; Bonita G. Anthony; Luke E. Torian; et al. | Assistance W/food Access, Etc.; Methods To Improve Participation In Fed. Public Assistance Programs. | Passed | Department of Social Services; improving access to and maximizing participation in federal food assistance programs; work group; report. Requires the Department of Social Services to convene a work group to evaluate methods to improve access and maximize participation in federal public assistance programs relating to assistance with food access and improving food security. The Department shall report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Health an... |
Support High | Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.; Nadarius E. Clark; David A. Reid; et al. | Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program And Fund; Established And Created. | Passed | Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities, (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill, or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land. The bill provides that a private developer may apply for a grant in an amount equal to 70 percent o... |
Support High | Dan I. Helmer | Agricultural Commodity Boards; Agricultural Council, Appointment And Membership Terms. | Passed | Agricultural commodity boards; Agricultural Council; appointment and membership terms; production areas. Amends various provisions relating to the appointment, terms, and quorums of agricultural commodity boards, including the Cotton Board, Egg Board, and Tobacco Board. The bill eliminates the Pork Industry Board and amends membership terms for the Agricultural Council so that (i) each term is for four years and (ii) no member other than an ex officio member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive... |
Oppose High | Ellen H. Campbell | Animal Cruelty Conviction List; Established. | Failed | Animal Cruelty Conviction List established. Requires the Superintendent of State Police to establish no later than January 1, 2028, and to maintain an Animal Cruelty Conviction List (List) and to make the List publicly available on the Department of State Police's website. The bill specifies that the List include the names of persons convicted of certain felony animal cruelty offenses on or after July 1, 2025. The bill requires persons convicted of any such offense to pay a fee of $50 per conviction... |
Support High | Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. | Dealers In Agricultural Produce. | Passed | Dealers in agricultural produce. Repeals provisions relating to the licensing requirements of any person who buys, sells, solicits for sale, processes for sale or resale, resells, exchanges, negotiates, purchases, or contracts for processing or transfers any fruits and vegetables of a producer of such produce in Virginia. The bill maintains the exclusion of such person under the commission merchant licensing requirements if such person holds a license under the federal Perishable Agricultural Commodities... |
Support High | Hillary Pugh Kent; Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.; W. Chad Green | Agricultural Education Excellence, Virginia Commission For; Established, Report, Sunset. | Failed | Virginia Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence established; report. Establishes the 30-member Virginia Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government to be administratively housed within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and administered, staffed, and supported jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Education, the purpose of which is to assist in developing... |
Support High | Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker; Candi Mundon King; Laura Jane Cohen; et al. | School Breakfasts; Availability At No Cost To Students. | Failed | School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold... |
Support High | Joseph P. McNamara | Rs And Ut; Food Purchased For Human Consumption And Essential Personal Hygiene Products. | Failed | Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates, beginning July 1, 2025, the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is currently applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost... |
Monitor High | Marty Martinez | Virginia Erosion And Stormwater Management Program Authority; Right Of Entry. | Passed | Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry. Removes the restriction on localities that operate regulated municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) to only enter on those properties from which a discharge enters their MS4 and allows such localities to, at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter any establishment or upon any property, public or private, for the purpose of obtaining information or conducting surveys or investigations necessary in... |
Support High | Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. | Local Land Use; Authority For Decision Belongs Solely To Locality. | Failed | Local land use decision authority. Provides that the authority for a locality's planning and land use decisions belong solely to the locality and shall not be ceded to any state agency or state-sanctioned body. |
Oppose High | Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. | 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. | Failed | 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, conduct analysis and study policy options, review regional energy... |
Support High | Geary Higgins | Land Preservation Tax Credit; Maximum Amount Increase. | Failed | Land preservation tax credit; maximum amount increase. Increases from $75 million to $100 million, beginning in 2025, the maximum amount of land preservation tax credits that may be issued in a calendar year and adjusts such amount each year for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The bill also requires the Governor to submit a recommended appropriation each year in the Budget Bill, or as amendments to the general appropriations act, from the General Fund in an amount... |
Oppose High | Candi Mundon King; Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.; Joshua G. Cole; et al. | Solar Facilities; Local Regulation, Special Exceptions. | Failed | Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be permitted pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, and grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. |
Support High | Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.; Timmy F. French; Tony O. Wilt | Misbranded Food; Manufactured-protein Food Products. | Failed | Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying... |
Support High | W. Chad Green; Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.; J.D. "Danny" Diggs; et al. | Constitutional Amendment; Right To Work (first Reference). | Failed | Constitutional amendment (first reference); right to work. Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that declares that any agreement or combination between any employer and any labor union or labor organization whereby persons not members of such union or organization are denied the right to work for the employer, or whereby such membership is made a condition of employment or continuation of employment by such employer, or whereby any such union or organization acquires an employment... |
Oppose High | Nicholas J. Freitas; Anne Ferrell Tata; Bill Wiley; et al. | Constitutional Amendment; Right To Food Choice (first Reference). | Failed | Constitutional amendment (first reference); right to food choice. Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that declares the right of the people to acquire the food of their choice from the source of their choice shall not be infringed. |
Support High | Israel D. O'Quinn | Rural Affairs, Secretariat Of; Jlarc To Study Need For And Feasibility Of Creating Position. | Failed | Study; JLARC; creation of Secretariat of Rural Affairs; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the need for and feasibility of creating a Secretariat of Rural Affairs in the Commonwealth. |
Support High | Russet Perry; Christie New Craig; Timmy F. French | Agricultural Commodity Boards; Agricultural Council; Appointment And Membership Terms; Production Areas. | Passed | Agricultural commodity boards; Agricultural Council; appointment and membership terms; production areas. Amends various provisions relating to the appointment, terms, and quorums of agricultural commodity boards, including the Cotton Board, Egg Board, and Tobacco Board. The bill eliminates the Pork Industry Board and amends membership terms for the Agricultural Council so that (i) each term is for four years and (ii) no member other than an ex officio member is eligible to serve more than two consecutive... |
Support High | T. Travis Hackworth; Angelia Williams Graves; Lashrecse D. Aird; et al. | Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program; State Veterinarian To Establish, Report. | Passed | State Veterinarian; large animal veterinary grant program; report. Directs the State Veterinarian to establish a large animal veterinary grant program no later than July 1, 2026, to provide grants to increase or stabilize the number of large animal veterinarians, as defined in the bill, practicing in areas of the Commonwealth that have been identified by the State Veterinarian as having a shortage of such veterinarians. The bill directs the State Veterinarian to annually select from a pool of applicants... |
Support High | Richard H. Stuart | Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund; Establishing A Reserve Fund Within Fund, Etc. | Failed – but language included in budget | Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund; Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund. Directs the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a reserve fund within the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund (the Fund) to be used when annual general fund revenue collections do not exceed the official revenue estimates contained in the general appropriation act and requires 15 percent of any amounts appropriated to the Fund due to annual general fund revenue collections in... |
Oppose High | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | Minimum Wage And Overtime Pay; Warehouse Distribution Center Employees And Employers. | Failed | Minimum wage and overtime pay; warehouse distribution center employees and employers; civil action; civil penalty. Provides that (i) an employer that violates requirements in existing law relating to the minimum wage, payment of wages and salaries, or overtime pay or (ii) a warehouse employer, as defined in the bill, that violates the bill's provisions shall be liable to an impacted employee for certain remedies, damages, and other relief as specified in the bill. The bill requires a warehouse employer... |
Support High | Richard H. Stuart | Livestock And Poultry Killed By Dogs; Increases Fair Market Value Compensation Amounts. | Passed | Compensation for livestock and poultry killed by dogs. Increases the fair market value compensation amounts for livestock and poultry killed or injured by dogs from $750 to $1,000 per animal and from $10 to $25 per fowl. |
Support High | Danica A. Roem; Kannan Srinivasan | School Breakfasts; Availability At No Cost To Students. | Failed | School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold... |
Oppose High | Jennifer B. Boysko; Saddam Azlan Salim; Kannan Srinivasan | Extreme Weather Relief Act; Established. | Failed | 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... |
Support High | Timmy F. French | Pasture, Rangeland, And Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program And Fund; Established, Sunset. | Failed – and money removed from budget | Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program and Fund established. Directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish and administer the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Premium Assistance Program. The bill allows any person to participate in the Program if such person (i) owns livestock that graze in the Commonwealth, (ii) is enrolled in the federal Rainfall Index Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage insurance program (PRF insurance) and provided proof... |
No Position High | Saddam Azlan Salim; Jennifer B. Boysko | Invasive Plant Species; Retail Sales, Penalty, Delayed Effective Date January 1, 2027. | Passed - compromise | Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of certain invasive plant species for outdoor use, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of... |
No Position High | R. Creigh Deeds; Jeremy S. McPike; Schuyler T. VanValkenburg | Va. Energy Facility Review Board & Virginia Clean Energy Technical Assistance Center; Established. | Failed | 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, conduct analysis and study policy options, review regional energy... |
No Position High | Jeremy S. McPike; Joshua E. Thomas | Industrial Wastewater; Publicly Owned Treatment Works. | Passed | Self-reporting of PFAS manufacture and use for PFAS assessment; Department of Environmental Quality; industrial wastewater; publicly owned treatment works. Requires every publicly owned treatment works to require certain new or existing industrial users to self-report use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as part of a pretreatment program. The bill requires every publicly owned treatment works receiving such self-report of PFAS from an industrial user to convey the information to the Department... |
Monitor High | William M. Stanley, Jr. | Animal Testing; Facilities Operated By Public Institutions Of Higher Education, Report. | Failed | Animal testing facilities operated by public institutions of higher education; report. Requires each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth that operates an animal testing facility to publish an annual report that includes specific information about such institution's animal testing operations. The bill requires each such institution to submit the annual report to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which shall make it publicly available on its website. |
Monitor Medium | Nadarius E. Clark | Commissioner Of Health; Work Group To Study The Occurrence Of Microplastics In The Commonwealth's Public Drinking Water; Report. | Failed | Commissioner of Health; work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House... |
Monitor Medium | Michael J. Jones; Atoosa R. Reaser; Joshua G. Cole; et al. | Sale And Distribution Of Plastic Carryout Bags By Grocery Stores Prohibited; Civil Penalty. | Failed | Sale and distribution of plastic carryout bags by grocery stores prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits any grocery store, as defined in the bill, from selling or distributing any plastic carryout bag, as defined in the bill, to its customers on or after January 1, 2027, unless such bag qualifies as an exempt bag, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that any grocery store that violates this provision shall be issued by the Department of Environmental Quality a written warning for the first violation... |
Monitor Medium | Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler | Eminent Domain; Documents Provided To Landowner. | Passed | Eminent domain; documents provided to landowner. Provides that a report showing all matters that affect the current ownership, existing liens, encumbrances, and other matters affecting title as of the date of the title report shall be provided by the condemnor to a landowner in a condemnation action. |
Monitor Medium | David L. Bulova | Alcoholic Beverage Control; Tied House Exceptions. | Passed | Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Removes certain provisions of the exceptions to the tied house limitations that state a manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler cannot require, by agreement or otherwise, a retailer to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, importers, brokers, or wholesalers in order for the exception to apply. However, the bill retains the general prohibition that no manufacturer, bottler, importer,... |
Monitor Medium | Bill Wiley; Michael J. Webert; Paul E. Krizek; et al. | Pari-mutuel Wagering; Historical Horse Racing, Percentage Retained For Distribution. | Failed | 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 poolsand in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.0125 percent eachshall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety... |
Monitor Medium | Marty Martinez; Irene Shin; Nadarius E. Clark | Disposable Plastic Bag Tax; Distribution To Towns. | Passed | Disposable plastic bag tax; distribution to towns. Provides that any town located within a county that has imposed a disposable plastic bag tax shall receive a distribution of revenues collected by the county based on the local sales tax distribution formula for appropriations to towns. The bill requires that towns use such revenues for the same purposes allowable for a county or city. |
Monitor Medium | Marty Martinez | Possession, Sale, Transfer, Or Breeding Of Nonhuman Primates Prohibited; Penalties. | Failed | Possession, sale, transfer, or breeding of nonhuman primates prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the possession, sale, transfer, or breeding of nonhuman primates and controls the ownership of such primates already in the Commonwealth. The bill exempts from the prohibition certain institutions, qualified transporters passing through the Commonwealth, those in possession of a state or federal exhibitor's license, and those in lawful possession of a nonhuman primate prior to July 1, 2026, subject to certain... |
Monitor Medium | Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. | Marine Resources Commission; Encroachment On Subaqueous Beds, Permitting Requirements. | Passed | Marine Resources Commission; encroachment on subaqueous beds; permitting requirements. Increases the maximum total value of projects eligible for a permit to trespass upon or over or encroach upon a subaqueous bed belonging to the Commonwealth from $500,000 to $1,000,000. The bill requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to update the total project value every five years using the Consumer Price Index and publish such increase or decrease on the Marine Resource Commission's website. This bill... |
Monitor Medium | Ellen H. Campbell | Virginia Retirement System; Enhanced Retirement Benefits For Animal Control Officers. | Failed | Virginia retirement system; enhanced retirement benefits; animal control officers. Adds full-time animal control officers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service for service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2026. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions. The bill has a delayed effective... |
Monitor Medium | Michelle Lopes Maldonado; Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker; Irene Shin; et al. | Baby Food Protection Act; Testing And Labeling Requirements For Toxic Heavy Metals. | Passed | Baby Food Protection Act; testing and labeling requirements for toxic heavy metals. Prohibits a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a baby food product that contains certain toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill requires a manufacturer of a baby food product to meet certain testing requirements and include certain information related to toxic heavy metals on the manufacturer's website and on the baby foo... |
Monitor Medium | Hillary Pugh Kent; A.C. Cordoza; Anne Ferrell Tata; et al. | Public Elementary And Secondary Schools; Nutritional Standards For School Meals And Other Foods. | Passed | Public elementary and secondary schools; nutritional standards for school meals and other foods; nutrition requirements; certain color additives prohibited. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school from offering or making available to any student any food served as a part of a school meal or any competitive food, as defined in applicable law, that contains any of the seven color additives listed in the bill. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its nutritional guidelines for... |
Monitor Medium | Atoosa R. Reaser; Irene Shin; Karen Keys-Gamarra; et al. | Land Records; Recording And Indexing Fees. | Failed | Land records; recording and indexing fees. Provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for one document that contains two or more instruments that may serve independent legal purposes, unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed between a grantor and grantee... |
Monitor Medium | Amy J. Laufer | Waste Tire Disposal By Producers And Haulers; Fee, Requirements, Report. | Failed | Waste tire disposal by producers and haulers; fee; requirements. Requires a hauler, as defined in the bill, to (i) register and submit a quarterly report with the Department of Environmental Quality, (ii) provide financial assurance in the form of a bond, and (iii) transfer all waste tires and speculatively accumulated waste tires to a transfer station, material recovery facility, landfill with a solid waste permit as required by law, waste tire end user, or waste tire processing facility. The bill... |
No Position Medium | Holly M. Seibold; David A. Reid; Debra D. Gardner; et al. | Invasive Plant Species; Retail Sales, Penalty, Delayed Effective Date January 1, 2027. | Passed - Compromise | Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of certain invasive plant species for outdoor use, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of... |
Monitor Medium | Debra D. Gardner; Shelly A. Simonds; Bonita G. Anthony; et al. | Wildlife Corridors Or Crossings; Action Plan And Programs. | Failed | Wildlife corridors or crossings; action plan and programs; Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan; Wildlife Corridor Action Plan; wildlife carcass removal tracking; report. Requires the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan created by the Department of Wildlife Resources to address the financial needs of the Plan and implement certain additional initiatives. The bill directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to include in the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan a directive to encourage opportunities... |
Monitor Medium | Bonita G. Anthony | Environmental Justice Task Force; Established, Report. | Failed | Environmental Justice Task Force; report. Establishes the Environmental Justice Task Force for the purpose of furthering environmental justice in the Commonwealth, consisting of appointees from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of Emergency Management, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, State Corporation Commission, and Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The bill requires the Task... |
Monitor Medium | Shelly A. Simonds; Betsy B. Carr; Irene Shin; et al. | Tidal And Nontidal Wetlands; Wetland Restoration And Creation Policy Task Force, Report. | Passed | Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources; protection of existing tidal and nontidal wetlands; wetland restoration and creation; policy task force; report. Directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to establish a policy task force to develop (i) strategies to protect existing tidal and nontidal wetlands and restore, create, and plan for the persistence of such wetlands in the Commonwealth and (ii) mechanisms to incorporate such strategies into appropriate plans, including the Virginia... |
Monitor Medium | Shelly A. Simonds; Amy J. Laufer; Irene Shin; et al. | High-energy Facilities; Water And Energy Usage Info. Reports Statewide Clearinghouse Established. | Failed | High-energy facilities; water and energy usage information reports; statewide clearinghouse established. Requires any owner or operator of a high-energy facility, as defined in the bill, to submit to the Department of Environmental Quality no later than May 1, 2026, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, a report that contains certain information relating to water and energy usage for each such facility. The bill requires the Department, no later than July 1, 2026, to design, implement, and maintain... |
Medium | David L. Bulova; David A. Reid; Betsy B. Carr; et al. | Land Development; Solar Canopies In Surface Parking Areas. | Passed | Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 parking spaces or more and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that localities shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements... |
Monitor Medium | Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. | Cumberland State Forest; Boundary Line Agreement And Quitclaim Of Interest, Etc. | Passed | Department of Forestry; Cumberland State Forest; boundary line agreement and quitclaim of interest; acceptance of conveyance of easement. Authorizes the Department of Forestry to enter into a boundary line agreement and quitclaim of interest in and to private property located adjacent to Cumberland State Forest. The bill also authorizes the acceptance of a conveyance of a perpetual access easement by the Department from Stella Watson Chambliss and Rick Matthew Chambliss, Weyerhaeuser Company, an... |
Monitor Medium | Eric R. Zehr | Animal-drawn Vehicles; Equipment Requirements. | Failed | Animal-drawn vehicles; equipment requirements. Establishes certain equipment requirements for animal-drawn vehicles operating on the highways of the Commonwealth, including requirements for brake systems, tires and wheels, headlamps, reflectors, hazard lights, rearview mirrors, and horns. The bill replaces existing light and reflector requirements for animal-drawn vehicles under current law with such equipment requirements for headlamps, reflectors, and hazard lights. |
Monitor Medium | Bryce E. Reeves; Paul E. Krizek | Horse Racing And Pari-mutuel Wagering; Amends Definition Of Breakage. | Failed | 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 70 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 and 30 percent of such breakage shall be deposited in the... |
Monitor Medium | Israel D. O'Quinn | Stormwater Management Regulations; Localities Outside Chesapeake Bay Watershed. | Failed | Stormwater management regulations; localities outside Chesapeake Bay watershed. Requires the State Water Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to apply in a locality that is located outside of the Chesapeake Bay watershed the regulations establishing minimum design criteria for measures that were in effect prior to July 1, 2014 to control (i) nonpoint source pollution and (ii) localized flooding and stream channel erosion. |
Monitor Medium | Marty Martinez; Dan I. Helmer | Trees; Preservation During Development. | Failed | Preservation of existing trees during development; certain localities. Allows a locality with a population of at least 75 people per square mile or a locality located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, when assessing the adequacy of existing trees identified by the developer during the development process to be preserved or in assessing the overall impact of the development on existing trees, to require, by ordinance, the developer to (i) submit a survey or map detailing the location of critical... |
Monitor Medium | Rae Cousins; Bonita G. Anthony; Dan I. Helmer; et al. | Hunger-free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program; Established. | Passed | Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education and... |
Monitor Medium | Alfonso H. Lopez; Nadarius E. Clark; Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker | Boarding Establishments; Inspections By Animal Control Officers, Report. | Passed | Grooming and boarding establishments; inspections by animal control officers. Allows an animal control officer to inspect a grooming or boarding establishment, except for those establishments or facilities regulated by the Board of Veterinary Medicine, upon receipt of a complaint or by animal control's own motion to ensure compliance with state animal care laws and regulations. |
Monitor Medium | Ian T. Lovejoy | Electric Utilities; Controlled Environment Agriculture Facilities, Time-of-use. | Failed | Electric utilities; controlled environment agriculture facilities; time-of-use. Requires electric utilities, upon the request of a controlled environment agriculture facility, as defined in the bill, to advise such facility of available time-of-use rate structures for such facility based on its expected electricity usage patterns. |
Support Medium | M. Keith Hodges | Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Advisory Committee; Extension Of Sunset Date. | Passed | Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Advisory Committee; extension of sunset date. Extends from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2030, the sunset date of the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Advisory Committee to assist the State Water Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality in the management of groundwater in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area. |
Monitor Medium | Phillip A. Scott | Right To Farm; Minimum Area Requirements, Animal Husbandry Practices. | Failed | Right to farm; minimum area requirements; animal husbandry practices. Changes the standards under the Right to Farm Act allowing a locality to adopt minimum area requirements for land on which any agriculture activity occurs by restricting a locality from adopting minimum area requirements for agricultural operations involving an animal inconsistent with and more restrictive than standard animal husbandry practices. |
Monitor Medium | Michael J. Webert | Pari-mutuel Wagering; Historical Horse Racing, Percentage Retained For Distribution. | Failed | 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 each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Fair Association and the Great Meadow Foundation. |
Support Gently Medium | Israel D. O'Quinn; Ian T. Lovejoy | Vehicles Used For Agricultural Purposes; Reflectors/reflectorized Material On Rear End Of Trailers. | Passed – might need amendments from Gov | Vehicles used for agricultural purposes. Provides that trailers and semitrailers used for certain agricultural purposes may be operated without tail lights or brake lights on the highways of the Commonwealth between sunrise and sunset, provided that such trailer or semitrailer has affixed to the rear end either (i) two or more reflectors of a type approved by the Superintendent of State Police or (ii) at least 100 square inches of solid reflectorized material. |
Monitor Medium | Israel D. O'Quinn | New Solar Generation Facilities; Certificate Of Convenience And Necessity, Bond Required. | Failed | New solar generation facilities; certificate of convenience and necessity; bond required. Provides that the State Corporation Commission shall only issue a certificate of convenience and necessity for a public utility to construct, enlarge, or acquire a solar generation facility that has a size of over one acre if the public utility has filed with the Commission a bond for performance payable to the Commonwealth. The amount of such bond shall be determined by the Commission depending on the size of... |
Monitor Medium | Paul E. Krizek | Workers' Compensation; Injuries Caused By Repetitive And Sustained Physical Stressors. | Failed | Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, 'occupational disease' includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage... |
Amend Medium | Bryce E. Reeves; Paul E. Krizek | Virginia Gaming Commission; Established, Penalties, Report. | Failed | Virginia Gaming Commission; established. Establishes the Virginia Gaming Commission as an independent agency of the Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government, to oversee and regulate all forms of legal gambling in the Commonwealth except for the state lottery. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the appointment of a Commissioner and Virginia Gaming Commissioner Board members, provides powers and duties of such Commissioner and Board members, and... |
Amend Medium | Sam Rasoul; Joshua G. Cole; Karen Keys-Gamarra; et al. | Gas Pipeline Safety; Regulations. | Failed | Gas pipeline safety; regulations. Requires that for pipeline facilities used in the interstate transport of gas, as defined in federal regulations, any gas transported in transmission lines in the Commonwealth shall be adequately odorized, with an exception for certain pipelines in operation before May 5, 1975. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations related to the provisions of the bill. |
Monitor Medium | Christopher T. Head | Tire Stewardship Program; Established, Report. | Failed | Tire stewardship program established; report. Requires producers of tires sold in the Commonwealth to join a tire stewardship organization on or before January 1, 2027, which must submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Quality for the establishment of an approved tire stewardship program. Such tire stewardship program shall establish a statewide collection system for discarded tires to facilitate higher rates of recycling and resale for such tires. The bill establishes reporting requirements... |
Monitor Medium | Ryan T. McDougle | Workers' Compensation; Injuries Caused By Repetitive And Sustained Physical Stressors. | Failed - incorporated | Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, 'occupational disease' includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage... |
Monitor Medium | Barbara A. Favola; Christie New Craig | Alcoholic Beverage Control; Tied House Exceptions. | Passed | Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Removes certain provisions of the exceptions to the tied house limitations that state a manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler cannot require, by agreement or otherwise, a retailer to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, importers, brokers, or wholesalers in order for the exception to apply. However, the bill retains the general prohibition that no manufacturer, bottler, importer,... |
Monitor Medium | Bryce E. Reeves; Paul E. Krizek | Horse Racing And Pari-mutuel Wagering; Amends Definition Of Breakage. | Failed | 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. |
Monitor Medium | Timmy F. French; Russet Perry | Pari-mutuel Wagering; Historical Horse Racing; Percentage Retained For Distribution. | Failed | 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. |
Monitor Medium | Richard H. Stuart; Danica A. Roem | High Electric Demand Facility; Locality May Include In Its Zoning Ordinance Water Use Estimate. | Failed | Zoning; data centers; water use. Authorizes a locality to include in its zoning ordinance provisions for (i) requiring proposed data center developments to submit water use estimates and (ii) considering water use when making rezoning and special use permit decisions related to data center development. |
Monitor Medium | Mark J. Peake | Animal-drawn Vehicles; Equipment Requirements. | Failed | Animal-drawn vehicles; equipment requirements. Establishes certain equipment requirements for animal-drawn vehicles operating on the highways of the Commonwealth, including requirements for brake systems, tires and wheels, headlamps, reflectors, hazard lights, rearview mirrors, and horns. The bill replaces existing light and reflector requirements for animal-drawn vehicles under current law with such equipment requirements for headlamps, reflectors, and hazard lights. |
Amend Medium | Adam P. Ebbin; Lashrecse D. Aird; Paul E. Krizek; et al. | Virginia Gaming Commission; Established, Penalties, Report. | Failed | Virginia Gaming Commission; established. Establishes the Virginia Gaming Commission as an independent agency of the Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government, to oversee and regulate all forms of legal gambling in the Commonwealth except for the state lottery. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the appointment of a Commissioner and Virginia Gaming Commissioner Board members, provides powers and duties of such Commissioner and Board members, and... |
Support Gently Low | Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler; Ian T. Lovejoy | Hemp Product; Clarifies Definition. | Failed | Definition of hemp product. Also known as the Revitize Hemp Act. |
Paul V. Milde; Eric Phillips; Chris Obenshain; et al. | Possession Of Retail Tobacco Products And Hemp Products Intended For Smoking By A Person Younger Than 21 Years Of Age Prohibited; Penalty. | Failed | Possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law. A violation of such prohibition is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for a first violation and a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a second or subsequent violation. | |
Joseph P. McNamara; Katrina Callsen | Classification Of Land And Improvements For Tax Purposes; Localities. | Failed | Classification of land and improvements for tax purposes; localities. Reclassifies improvements to real property as a separate class of real property and authorizes any locality to impose a real property tax on improvements to real property at a tax rate that is different than the rate applied to the land on which such improvements are located. Such rate may exceed, equal, or be less than the tax imposed upon the land on which the improvements are located. | |
R. Lee Ware | Cigars; Tax To Collect Data On Number Sold With Sales Price Equal Or Greater Than $1.50, Report. | Failed | Department of Taxation; tobacco products tax; cigars; report. Directs the Department of Taxation to update its form TT-8, Virginia Tobacco Products Tax Return (OTP), to begin collecting data on the number of cigars sold in the Commonwealth at a sales price equal to or greater than $1.50 as a distinct category from all other cigars. The bill directs the Department to update such form or devise another appropriate method for data collection as soon as practicable and provide a report of the data s... | |
Jason S. Ballard | Tobacco Indemnification And Community Revitalization Fund; Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; Eligible Localities; Planning District 4. | Failed | Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund; Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; eligible localities; Planning District 4. Adds Planning District 4 (New River Valley Region) to a group of localities that is eligible to receive funds from the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revolving Fund. | |
Joshua E. Thomas; Shelly A. Simonds; Betsy B. Carr; et al. | Siting Of Data Centers; Site Assessment; High Energy Use Facility. | Passed | Siting of data centers; site assessment; high energy use facility. Provides that prior to any approval of a rezoning application, special exception application, or special use permit for the siting of a new high energy use facility (HEUF), as defined in the bill, a locality shall require that an applicant perform and submit a site assessment to examine the sound profile of the HEUF on residential units and schools located within 500 feet of the HEUF property boundary. The bill also allows a locality... | |
Nadarius E. Clark; Alex Q. Askew; Bonita G. Anthony; et al. | Department Of Labor And Industry; Work Group To Evaluate Workplace Violence. | Failed | Department of Labor and Industry; work group to evaluate workplace violence. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a work group for the purpose of evaluating the prevalence of workplace violence in the Commonwealth, including its effects on the workplace and measures to address workplace violence. The bill requires the work group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce... | |
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.; Joshua G. Cole; David Owen; et al. | Practice Of Chiropractic; Amends Definition. | Passed | Vitamins, minerals, and food supplements; practice of chiropractic; definition. Amends the definition of 'practice of chiropractic' to include recommending or directing patients on the use of vitamins, minerals, or food supplements. The bill also allows a chiropractor to recommend or direct patients on the use of vitamins, minerals, or food supplements, provided that the rationale for such recommendation is (i) documented in a patient's record and (ii) based on a reasonable expectation that the use... | |
Michael J. Jones | Retail Electric Energy; Renewable Energy Certificates. | Failed | 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... | |
Alex Q. Askew; Joshua E. Thomas; Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker; et al. | Real Estate Appraisers; Educational Requirement For Licensure, Fair Housing & Appraisal Bias Course. | Passed | Real estate appraisers; educational requirements for licensure; fair housing and appraisal bias course. Requires applicants for licensure as a certified residential real estate appraiser, a certified general real estate appraiser, or a licensed residential real estate appraiser to successfully complete a minimum of two hours of education on fair housing and appraisal bias administered or approved by the Real Estate Appraiser Board prior to licensure. The bill requires any such educational course on... | |
Alex Q. Askew | Fishing With Trawl Nets And Drag Nets; Shrimp And Horseshoe Crab; License Fee; Penalty. | Passed | Fishing with trawl nets and drag nets; shrimp and horseshoe crab; license fee; penalty. Allows the Marine Resources Commission to issue licenses or permits to any person to take or catch fish, shellfish, or marine organisms with a trawl net, drag net, or similar device within the three-mile limit of the Virginia Atlantic shoreline for the shrimp and horseshoe crab fisheries. The bill specifies that such license or permit shall be accompanied by a fee of $100 or as subsequently revised by the Commission... | |
David A. Reid | Venison Donation Tax Credit. | Failed | Venison donation tax credit. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for expenses incurred by a taxpayer to butcher and process an antlerless deer for human consumption. A taxpayer may claim this credit provided that (i) the hunting and harvesting of the deer complies with the Commonwealth's hunting laws and regulations and (ii) the taxpayer donates the processed deer meat to a venison donation program administered by a nonprofit organization. The amount of the... | |
Dan I. Helmer; Delores L. McQuinn; Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.; et al. | Carbon-free Energy Or Clean Energy; Definition Of Fusion Energy. | Passed | Carbon-free energy or clean energy; fusion energy; definitions. Adds fusion energy, as defined in the bill, to the list of generation sources that qualify as carbon-free energy or clean energy. This bill is identical to SB 1338. | |
Ellen H. Campbell; Mike A. Cherry; Terry L. Austin | Wildlife Resources, Board Of; Trout-fishing Access-site Registry, Income Tax Credit. | Failed | Board of Wildlife Resources; trout-fishing access-site registry; income tax credit. Requires the Board of Wildlife Resources to establish and manage a trout-fishing access-site registry through which eligible landowners may register real property to allow valid fishing-license holders access to such property for the sole purpose of fishing trout. The bill authorizes such registrants to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit in the amount of $2,000 for each full tax year that such person had rea... | |
Support | Shelly A. Simonds; Lamont Bagby; Lashrecse D. Aird; et al. | Comprehensive Plan; Social Determinants Of Health. | Passed | Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health. Encourages localities to utilize relevant and available data and research related to social determinants of health to consider how a locality's adopted comprehensive plan will impact the locality's overall public health and access to health care services. |
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Program; Zero-carbon Electricity. | Failed | Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity. Amends the definition of renewable energy for purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act to include energy derived from hydrogen and nuclear power. The bill provides that the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program that establishes goals for the sale of renewable energy shall also include goals for the sale of zero-carbon electricity and adds zero-carbon electricity generating resources... | |
Katrina Callsen | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Program Requirements. | Passed | Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including (i) the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with behind-the meter solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of three megawatts or less located in the Commonwealth and (ii) the date by which 75 percent of such requirements shall be met with resources located in th... | |
Rodney T. Willett | Real Property Tax; Exemption By Classification. | Passed | Real property tax; exemption by classification. Provides that the property of an organization that is tax exempt by classification includes the property of a single member limited liability company whose sole member is such an organization. | |
Hillary Pugh Kent | Blue Catfish; Board Of Wildlife Resources To Amend Regulations To Remove One-fish Daily Limit. | Failed | Board of Wildlife Resources; creel limits; blue catfish. Requires the Board of Wildlife Resources to amend regulations to remove the one-fish daily limit for blue catfish longer than 32 inches in Lake Gaston, Kerr Reservoir, and the James, Rappahannock, and York Rivers and their tributaries below the fall line. | |
Hillary Pugh Kent; Betsy B. Carr; Destiny LeVere Bolling; et al. | Virginia Institute Of Marine Science; Study Of The Cumulative Impacts Of Surface Water Intakes On Aquatic Fauna And Water Quality In The Chesapeake Bay And Its Major Virginia Tributaries; Report. | Failed | Virginia Institute of Marine Science; study of the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to study the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries. The bill requires VIMS to submit a report of its findings and any recommendations to the Governor, the... | |
Destiny LeVere Bolling; Mamie E. Locke; Michael B. Feggans; et al. | Electric Utilities; Generation Of Electricity From Renewable And Zero Carbon Sources. | Passed | Electric utilities; generation of electricity from renewable and zero carbon sources; projects on or adjacent to public elementary or secondary schools. Provides that for purposes of compliance with a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) program, to the extent that low-income qualifying projects, as defined in existing law, are not available and projects located on or adjacent to public elementary or secondary schools are available, a certain percentage of the required projects shall be composed... | |
Patrick A. Hope | Retail Tobacco And Hemp Products; Smoking By A Person Younger Than 21 Years Of Age, Prohibitions. | Passed | Possession, etc., of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age; prohibitions; enforcement. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that any such product purchased or possessed by a person younger than 21 years of age (i) shall be deemed contraband,... | |
David L. Bulova; Shelly A. Simonds | Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund Established. | Passed | Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund established. Establishes the Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund and requires any eligible designated funds received under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to be deposited into the Fund. The bill authorizes the Director of the Department of Energy to provide grants for certain projects described in the federal Act relating to the protection of public health, safety, and property from the adverse effects of coal mining practices. | |
Phil M. Hernandez | Coastal Storm Risk Management; Off. Of Commonwealth Resilience To Study Cost Of Feasibility Study. | Failed | Coastal storm risk management; Office of Commonwealth Resilience to study costs of feasibility studies; report. Directs the Office of Commonwealth Resilience to conduct a study to (i) examine the methodologies and criteria, if any, that other states in the United States use to apportion responsibility between the state and the participating localities for that portion of the cost of coastal storm risk management (CSRM) feasibility studies and plan implementation for which the nonfederal sponsor is... | |
Phil M. Hernandez | Living Shoreline Grant Fund; Established. | Failed | Living Shoreline Grant Fund established. Establishes the Living Shoreline Grant Fund to be administered by the Marine Resources Commission for the purpose of awarding grants to a local government or a federally recognized tribe in the Commonwealth to match federal or other matching funds. The bill requires such grants be used for the construction, renovation, or improvement of living shorelines greater than 1.5 miles in any shore angle direction. The bill requires the Commission to give priority to... | |
Amy J. Laufer | Mattress Stewardship Program; Established, Report, Civil Penalties. | Failed | Mattress Stewardship Program established; report; civil penalties. Establishes the Mattress Stewardship Program that allows certain industry associations to administer the Program as a mattress recycling organization with the approval and certification from the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill requires certain producers, retailers, and renovators of mattresses to register with a certified mattress recycling organization and requires a producer to identify each mattress brand it sell... | |
Ian T. Lovejoy | Data Centers; Sitings Near Parks, Schools, And Residential Areas. | Failed | Siting of data centers; parks, schools, and residential areas. Requires that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center, as defined in the bill, be approved only for areas that are one-quarter mile or more from federal, state, or local parks, schools, and property zoned or used for residential use. | |
Ian T. Lovejoy | Disclosures In Land Use Proceedings; Statewide Application. | Failed | Disclosures in land use proceedings; statewide application. Alters certain land use disclosure requirements applicable to officials in any county with the urban county executive form of government (Fairfax County) by replacing 'relationship of employee-employer, agent-principal, or attorney-client' with the broader phrase of 'business or financial relationship.' The bill makes the same change to existing provisions that currently apply only to Loudoun County and applies the change statewide. | |
Alex Q. Askew; Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler | Medical Cannabis Program; Changes Requirements For Product Labels, Dispersing Cannabis Products. | Passed | Medical cannabis program; product labels; delivery. Changes the requirements for what is included on medical cannabis product labels affixed by pharmaceutical processors to include (i) the total milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product, both defined in the bill; (ii) the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving of the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product; and (iii) the total... | |
Joseph P. McNamara | Energy Innovation Pilot Program; Established, Report. | Failed | Energy Innovation Pilot Program established. Establishes the Energy Innovation Pilot Program to foster the development of innovative energy projects by allowing Program participants to provide grid services or other beneficial energy measures. Under the Program, a participant, after obtaining State Corporation Commission approval, is not required to comply with specific state statutes and regulations pertaining to the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy for sale, except for... | |
Amy J. Laufer | Electric Utilities; Regional Transmission Entities; Annual Report. | Failed | Electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report. Requires each incumbent electric utility that is a member of or has established a regional transmission entity for purposes of management and control of its transmission system as required under current law to submit an annual report by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include all recorded votes cast by the utility during the immediately preceding calendar year, all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility, and a brief description... | |
Joseph P. McNamara | Retail Sales And Use Tax; Sales Through Vending Machines. | Failed | Sales and use tax; sales through vending machines. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, only a one percent local sales and use tax shall be applied to sales through vending machines of food purchased for human consumption or essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, the rate applicable to such sales is 5.3 percent or 6.0 percent, as applicable depending on the locality, plus the one percent local sales and use tax. | |
Joshua E. Thomas | Data Centers; Industrial Zoning. | Failed | Data centers; industrial zoning. Requires a locality to review and amend its zoning ordinance to (i) designate data centers as industrial uses for zoning purposes; (ii) review the locations of zones allowing data centers by right, and adjust the zoning map, if needed, considering proximity to residential areas; (iii) review the minimum requirements in the zoning ordinance, such as setbacks and building heights, for the purpose of mitigating negative impacts on residential or other sensitive area... | |
Joshua E. Thomas | State Corporation Commission; Certificate Of Operation For High Load Facilities. | Failed | State Corporation Commission; certificate of operation for high load facilities. Prohibits any person from operating a high load facility, defined in the bill as a facility whose electricity demand exceeds 25 megawatts that was not operating before July 1, 2026, without first having obtained a certificate of operation from the State Corporation Commission. The bill requires the Commission to permit the operation of a high load facility upon a finding that such facility and associated facilities (i)... | |
Robert D. Orrock, Sr. | Sewage Disposal; Alternative Onsite Sewage Systems, Elimination Of Report Filing Fee. | Failed | Sewage disposal; alternative onsite sewage systems; elimination of report filing fee. Eliminates the $1 filing fee required for the filing of site visit reports by licensed operators of alternative onsite sewage systems. | |
Bonita G. Anthony | Insecure Uncrewed Aircraft Systems; Prohibition On Procurement And Use, Report. | Failed | Prohibition on procurement and use of insecure uncrewed aircraft systems; report. Prohibits, beginning on July 1, 2025, any public body from purchasing, leasing, or otherwise procuring an insecure uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), as that term is defined in the bill. The bill further prohibits, beginning on July 1, 2029, any public body from using, whether directly or through work with or on behalf of another public body, an insecure UAS. The bill directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency... | |
Paul E. Krizek; Paul V. Milde; Robert D. Orrock, Sr. | Virginia's Great Outdoors Act; Land Preservation Distributions And Appropriations. | Failed | Virginia's Great Outdoors Act; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Provides that beginning July 1, 2026, (i) after required distributions for transportation and localities under current law, no less than $200 million of the remaining recordation tax revenues shall be distributed for specified land protection and preservation purposes and (ii) no less than $30 million of the proceeds of bonds issued by the Virginia Public Building Authority shall be made available for infrastructure... | |
Irene Shin; Chris S. Runion; Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Income Tax, State; Energy Efficient Homes Tax Credits. | Failed | Income tax; energy efficient homes tax credits. Authorizes an eligible contractor, defined in the bill, to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit, during taxable years 2025 through 2029, in an amount equal to $1,000 per construction of a qualified new energy efficient home and $2,000 per construction of a zero energy ready home, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill establishes a maximum credit amount that an eligible contractor may claim per taxable year of $250,000. | |
Irene Shin | Multi-family Shared Solar Program; Amends Requirements For A Shared Facility, Etc. | Passed | Multi-family shared solar program; minimum bill. Amends requirements for a shared solar facility for the purposes of the multi-family shared solar program to include facilities that are located on a rooftop of a commercial building that shares a common or adjacent substation of the investor-owned utility with the multi-family shared solar subscriber. The bill also adds requirements for the minimum bill for the multi-family shared solar program, requiring that a subscriber's net bill not fall below... | |
Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Labor & Employment Provisions; Application Of Law, Protection Of Employees, Definition Of Employer. | Passed | Labor and employment provisions; application of law; payment of wages; definition of employer. Clarifies that the exemption for the Commonwealth or any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, or any public body under Title 40.1 does not apply when expressly provided otherwise. The bill provides a definition of \'public body\' for Title 40.1. Additionally, the bill provides that for the purposes of various requirements related to the protection of employees, including the paymen... | |
Michelle Lopes Maldonado; Irene Shin; Jackie H. Glass; et al. | Electric Utilities; Data Center Cost Allocation. | Failed | Electric utilities; data center cost allocation. Directs the State Corporation Commission to initiate proceedings to determine if the current allocation of costs among different customer classifications of electric utilities requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customers that are data centers. If the Commission determines that the current allocation of costs requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customer... | |
Adam P. Ebbin; Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker; Charniele L. Herring | Solar Interconnection Grant Program; Established, Sunset, Report. | Passed | Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites. The bill... | |
Karen Keys-Gamarra | Collection Of State Taxes; Period Of Limitations On Collection. | Failed | Department of Taxation; collection of state taxes; period of limitations on collection. Removes provisions requiring that the period of limitations on tax collection by the Department of Taxation be suspended during the effective period of an installment agreement between a taxpayer and the Tax Commissioner for the payment of income taxes. | |
Karen Keys-Gamarra; Holly M. Seibold; Joshua G. Cole; et al. | Public Utility Ombudsman,office Of The; Established. | Passed | Office of the Public Utility Ombudsman; established. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish the Office of the Public Utility Ombudsman to protect the interests of residential customers of public utilities. The Office of the Public Utility Ombudsman shall serve (i) residential customers of public utilities that are nonjurisdictional or of limited jurisdiction and (ii) residential customers who cannot be assisted by other Commission staff due to a potential conflict of interest. | |
Paul V. Milde | Land Use; Refund By Localities Of Certain Application Fees. | Failed | Refund by localities of certain land use application fees. Provides a method whereby an applicant who fails to receive approval of a land use application due to failure to meet a statutory deadline for a completed application may seek an application fee refund from a locality that is at least partially responsible for the delay that caused the applicant to miss the deadline. | |
Nadarius E. Clark; Candi Mundon King; Irene Shin; et al. | Discharging Preproduction Plastic; Regulation, Requirements. | Failed | Regulation of discharging preproduction plastic; requirements. Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a program to ensure zero discharge or release from point and nonpoint source at certain facilities that discharge to (i) a surface water under a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Department or (ii) a publicly owned treatment works under an industrial pretreatment program permit or other written authorization issued by a local permit control... | |
Paul V. Milde | Cash Proffers; Land Transfer, Extinguishing Development Rights. | Failed | Cash proffers; land transfer; extinguishing development rights. Provides that (i) cash payments proffered pursuant to relevant zoning law and (ii) the transfer of land may be used by an applicant for the purpose of extinguishing development rights elsewhere in the locality if the development rights to be extinguished are greater than the development rights being granted and the extinguishing of those development rights results in a perpetual conservation easement. The bill also provides that cas... | |
Nicholas J. Freitas | Electric Utilities; Regulation, Development Of Renewable Energy Facilities. | Failed | Regulation of electric utilities; development of renewable energy facilities; powers of State Air Pollution Control Board; powers of State Corporation Commission. Repeals provisions (i) requiring the State Air Pollution Control Board to adopt regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from any electricity generating unit in the Commonwealth and authorizing the Board to establish an auction program for energy allowances; (ii) prohibiting the State Corporation Commission from approving any new utility-owned... | |
Nicholas J. Freitas | Higher Educational Institutions, Public; Grants With Foreign Countries Of Concern Prohibited, Etc. | Failed | 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... | |
Terry G. Kilgore; Timothy P. Griffin | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Standard Eligible Sources. | Failed | 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. | |
Terry G. Kilgore | Electric Utilities; Renewable Portfolio Standard Program, Deficiency Payments. | Failed | Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program; deficiency payments. Removes provisions requiring deficiency payments by certain electric utilities that are unable to meet the compliance obligation of the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) program requirements or if the cost of renewable energy certificates necessary to comply with RPS program requirements exceeds $45 per megawatt hour. | |
Rae Cousins; Bonita G. Anthony; Irene Shin; et al. | Extreme Weather Relief Act; Established. | Failed | 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... | |
Chris S. Runion | Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund; Point Source Pollution Grant Agreements. | Failed | Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund; Director of Department of Environmental Quality; point source pollution grant agreements. Clarifies that the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality is only required to enter into water quality improvement grant agreements with all facilities designated as significant dischargers or eligible nonsignificant dischargers that apply for such grants if sufficient and unobligated funds are available in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund at the... | |
Bonita G. Anthony | Air Quality Monitoring Program For Certain Communities; Deq To Establish, Report. | Failed | Air quality monitoring program for certain communities; Virginia Council on Environmental Justice; report. Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish an ongoing air quality monitoring program for fenceline communities, as defined in the bill, disproportionately impacted by toxic metals, coal dust pollution, and other inhalable particulate matter that can cause adverse health effects, including PM2.5 and PM10, in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Department to report its findings... | |
Chris Obenshain | Deer, Elk, Or Bear; Director Of Dwr Or His Designee Has Exclusive Authority To Provide Kill Permits. | Failed | Kill permits for deer, elk, or bear; local authority. Clarifies that the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee has the exclusive authority to provide written authorization to kill deer, elk, or bear and prohibits a locality from amending, abridging, or limiting such authorization. | |
Ellen H. Campbell; Nadarius E. Clark; Sam Rasoul | Drinking Water; Maximum Contaminant Levels, Water Treatment Or Filtration Systems. | Failed | Drinking water; maximum contaminant levels; water treatment or filtration systems; Residential Well Water Testing and Treatment Program and Program Fund established. Directs the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to utilize point-of-use or point-of-entry drinking water treatment or filtration systems to remove or significantly reduce concentrations of contaminants of concern that meet or exceed any maximum contaminant level or health advisory for the same contaminant adopted by the U.S. Environmental... | |
Will Davis | Marijuana, Etc.; Possession, Smoking By Person Younger Than 21 Years Of Age Prohibited. | Failed | Possession of marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Provides that no person younger than 21 years of age shall consume or possess, or attempt to consume or possess, any marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, or hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in relevant law, and a violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with certain exceptions.... | |
M. Keith Hodges | Notice Of Certain Land Use Actions; First-class Mail To Last Known Address, Etc., Of Property Owner. | Passed | Notice of certain land use actions. Provides that one notice sent by first-class mail to the last known address of certain property owners impacted by a proposed change in the zoning map classification of 25 or fewer parcels of land shall be deemed adequate notice, provided that a representative of the local planning commission shall make affidavit that such mailings have been made and file such affidavit with the papers in the case. Current law also allows such notice to be given by registered or... | |
M. Keith Hodges | Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; Acceptance Of Signed & Sealed Plan In Lieu Of Local Plan Review. | Failed | Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; acceptance of signed and sealed plan in lieu of local plan review. Authorizes a locality subject to the provisions of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to accept a set of plans and supporting calculations prepared by a licensed professional, as described in the bill, for any land-disturbing activity that disturbs 2,500 square feet or more but less than one acre in an area of a locality designated as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. The bill provides that such... | |
Shelly A. Simonds | Blue Catfish; Digital Free Fishing License Program, Sunset. | Failed | Free fishing license program; blue catfish; sunset. Directs the Department of Wildlife Resources to create a program that allows a person to obtain a digital fishing license at no cost through the Department's Go Outdoors Virginia mobile application to catch blue catfish. The bill requires the Department to establish certain eligibility requirements as provided in the bill and to establish guidelines for the administration of the program, including an incentive program to recognize program participants... | |
Candi Mundon King; Adele Y. McClure; Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker; et al. | Prevailing Wage Rate; Apprenticeship Requirements, Rps-eligible Source Work, Penalties. | Passed | Prevailing wage rate; apprenticeship requirements; renewable energy portfolio standard eligible source work; penalties. Requires each public service company, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. The bill requires each public service... | |
Tony O. Wilt; Christopher T. Head; Ellen H. Campbell; et al. | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Program, Zero-carbon Electricity. | Failed | Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity. Amends the definition of renewable energy for purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act to include energy derived from hydrogen and nuclear power. The bill provides that the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program that establishes goals for the sale of renewable energy shall also include goals for the sale of zero-carbon electricity and adds zero-carbon electricity generating resources... | |
Tony O. Wilt | Cigarette Delivery Sales; Clarifies Definition Of "delivery Sale." | Passed | Cigarette delivery sales; definition. Removes from the exceptions enumerated in the definition of 'delivery sale' the delivery of cigarettes, not through the mail or by a common carrier, to a consumer performed by the owner, employee, or other individual acting on behalf of a retailer authorized to sell such cigarettes. This bill is identical to SB 1067. | |
Eric R. Zehr | Electrical Generating Facilities; Capacity Factor, Report. | Failed | 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... | |
M. Keith Hodges | Comprehensive Plan; Data Centers; Water Usage. | Failed | Comprehensive plan; data centers; water usage. Requires every locality to incorporate into its comprehensive plan provisions that prioritize and evaluate alternative methods of cooling, such as air cooling, geothermal cooling, or other innovative technologies that minimize water usage, particularly in the context of approving or siting data centers or similar land uses. The bill provides that the comprehensive plan shall include methods of assessing the environmental impact of water-based coolin... | |
Eric R. Zehr | Dangerous Dogs; Criteria For Adjudication. | Failed | Dangerous dogs; criteria for adjudication. Allows a court to find an animal is a dangerous dog if the threat, injury, or damage was sustained by a person who was willfully trespassing or if at the time of the acts complained of the animal was protecting its kennel, its offspring, or its owner's property. The bill retains the restriction on a court from finding an animal is dangerous if such animal was responding to pain or injury to itself, its owner, or another person but requires the other person... | |
Katrina Callsen; Amy J. Laufer | Small Renewable Energy Projects; Amends Definition, Permit By Rule. | Passed | Small renewable energy projects; permit by rule. Amends the definition of \\'small renewable energy project\\' for the purposes of obtaining a permit by rule from the Department of Environmental Quality to include interconnection facilities, as defined in the bill. The bill requires that the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission enter into a memorandum of understanding to implement the provisions of the bill. | |
Michael J. Webert | Real Property Tax; Special Assessment For Land Preservation. | Failed | Real property tax; special assessment for land preservation. Allows a locality to provide for the use value assessment and taxation of qualifying leased real estate. Qualifying leased real estate is defined in the bill as real estate devoted to open-space use that is subject to an active lease with a lessor who is using the property for agricultural purposes. The taxpayer seeking to qualify for the different assessment of any such qualifying leased real estate must apply to the commissioner of the... | |
M. Keith Hodges | Living Shoreline Grant Fund; Established. | Failed | Living Shoreline Grant Fund established. Establishes the Living Shoreline Grant Fund to be administered by the Marine Resources Commission for the purpose of awarding grants to a local government or a federally recognized tribe in the Commonwealth to match federal or other matching funds. The bill requires such grants be used for the construction, renovation, or improvement of living shorelines greater than 1.5 miles in any shore angle direction. The bill requires the Commission to give priority to... | |
Geary Higgins | Highway Rights-of-way; Invasive Species. | Failed | Highway rights-of-way; invasive species. Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to establish and implement a policy for identifying, digging up, and destroying any invasive plant on the list of invasive plants created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation on any state highway right-of-way. | |
Paul E. Krizek; Dan I. Helmer; Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler; et al. | Cannabis Control; Establishes Framework For Creating Retail Market, Penalties. | Passed | Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill allows the Authority to begin issuing all marijuana licenses on September 1, 2025, but provides that no retail sales may occur prior to May 1, 2026. | |
W. Chad Green; J.D. "Danny" Diggs | Local Tax Authority; Nicotine Vapor Products. | Failed | Local tax authority; nicotine vapor products. Authorizes localities by ordinance to impose a sales and use tax on nicotine vapor products and includes directives for the administration and enforcement of any such ordinance. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to consult with localities, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Municipal League in implementing and administering such local taxation of nicotine vapor products. | |
Kim A. Taylor; H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr. | Dcr, Et Al., To Convene Work Group To Examine Use. | Failed | Department of Conservation and Recreation; Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; work group to examine use of Johnsongrass in the Commonwealth. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation (the Department), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to convene a work group to examine measures to reduce, mitigate, and eliminate the continued sale and use of Johnsongrass in the Commonwealth. The bill requires such work group to (i) conduct a risk assessment... | |
Alfonso H. Lopez; Nadarius E. Clark | Virginia Institute Of Marine Science & Marine Resources Commission; Oyster Stock Assessment, Report. | Failed | Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Marine Resources Commission; oyster stock assessment; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Marine Resources Commission to conduct a stock assessment of the oyster population in the waters of the Commonwealth. The bill requires VIMS to provide a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture,... | |
Briana D. Sewell; Joshua E. Thomas; Joshua G. Cole; et al. | Paid Family And Medical Leave Insurance Program; Definitions, Notice Requirements, Civil Action. | Passed | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2027. The bill provides that the... | |
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.; Delores L. McQuinn; Destiny LeVere Bolling; et al. | Energy Storage Requirements; Department Of Energy, Et Al., To Develop Model Ordinances, Reports. | Passed | Electric utilities; energy storage requirements; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality to develop model ordinances; work groups; reports. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy are required to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval... | |
Sam Rasoul; Mike A. Cherry | Electric Utilities; Retail Competition, Aggregation Of Load. | Failed | Electric utilities; retail competition; aggregation of load. Provides, for retail competition for the purchase and sale of electric energy, that when two or more individual nonresidential retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth petition the State Corporation Commission for permission to aggregate or combine their demands to become qualified to purchase electric energy from a retail supplier, such retail customers shall be able to modify existing site accounts outlined in the petition... | |
Alfonso H. Lopez; Adele Y. McClure; Rae Cousins; et al. | Employee Protections; Minimum Wage And Overtime Wages, Civil Actions, Misclassification Of Workers. | Passed | Employee protections; minimum wage and overtime wages; civil actions; misclassification of workers. Provides that an employer that violates minimum wage or overtime wages provisions is liable to the employee for the applicable remedies, damages, or other relief available in an action brought pursuant to the civil action provisions currently available for the nonpayment of wages. Such provisions currently available provide that an employee may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to... | |
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. | Retail Sales And Use Tax; Exemption For Data Centers, Reports. | Failed | Retail sales and use tax; exemption for data centers; reports. Requires a data center operator, in order to be eligible for the existing data center sales and use tax exemption to (i) beginning July 1, 2030, purchase a certain percentage of the data center's annual electric load from clean energy resources, (ii) beginning July 1, 2030, demonstrate sufficient investment in energy efficiency measures to provide system-wide benefits, and (iii) beginning July 1, 2027, use only backup generators that meet... | |
A.C. Cordoza; Mike A. Cherry; W. Chad Green | Human Trafficking; Nonprofit Organizations Supplying Informational Materials To State Entities. | Failed | Nonprofit organizations supplying human trafficking informational materials to state entities for distribution. Allows a nonprofit organization that has been granted tax-exempt status under ? 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to supply to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (the Authority) and the Department of Transportation (the Department) copies of informational materials about human trafficking at no cost, which may take the form of adhesive stickers. If any such nonprofi... | |
Kathy K.L. Tran | Electric Utilities; Request For Proposals Required For Certain Facilities. | Failed | 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... | |
Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.; N. Baxter Ennis; W. Chad Green | Companion Animals; Notification By Individuals Who Find Animals, Civil Penalty. | Failed | Notification by individuals finding companion animals; civil penalty. Increases from $50 to $500 the civil penalty for violating provisions requiring an individual who finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or safekeeping or (ii) retains the companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities to notify the owner of such companion animal and a public animal shelter that serves the locality where such companion animal was found and provide adequate care of such companion animal. | |
Tony O. Wilt | Charitable Gaming; Use Of Proceeds, Charitable Gaming Adjusted Gross Receipts, Effective Date. | Failed | Charitable gaming; use of proceeds; charitable gaming adjusted gross receipts. Amends charitable gaming law to allow certain organizations, as a condition of receiving a charitable gaming permit or authorization to conduct electronic gaming, to use (i) with respect to charitable gaming, other than electronic gaming, a predetermined percentage of its charitable gaming adjusted gross receipts, not to exceed 25 percent, and (ii) with respect to electronic gaming, a predetermined percentage of its electronic... | |
Patrick A. Hope; Betsy B. Carr; Irene Shin; et al. | Trees; Conservation And Replacement During Development Process. | Passed | Conservation and replacement of trees during development process. Expands certain existing local government authority to conserve or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by altering a provision that requires the granting of an exception when strict application... | |
Terry G. Kilgore | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Definition And Facilities. | Failed | Electric utilities; renewable energy definition and facilities. Amends the definition of 'renewable energy' for the purposes of electric utility regulation to include fuel cells. The bill also adds any renewable energy generation facility located in the coalfield region of the Commonwealth to the list of projects for which a utility may seek a rate adjustment clause. | |
Timothy P. Griffin | Electric Utilities; Regulation, Development Of Renewable Energy Facilities. | Failed | Regulation of electric utilities; development of renewable energy facilities; powers of State Air Pollution Control Board; powers of State Corporation Commission. Repeals provisions (i) requiring the State Air Pollution Control Board to adopt regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from any electricity generating unit in the Commonwealth and authorizing the Board to establish an auction program for energy allowances; (ii) prohibiting the State Corporation Commission from approving any new utility-owned... | |
Marty Martinez | Electrical Facilities That Generate Electricity From Wind; Requirements For Permitting, Etc. | Failed | Electrical facilities that generate electricity from wind; requirements for permitting; impact on U.S. military and national security. Requires, for the issuance of a permit by rule by the Department of Environmental Quality for a small renewable energy project that generates electricity solely from wind, that either (i) the U.S. Secretary of Defense has determined that the project does not have an adverse impact on military operations and readiness or pose an unacceptable risk to the national security... | |
Israel D. O'Quinn | Natural Gas Utilities; Retail Supply Choice, Report. | Failed | Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice; work group; report. Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas utility authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. The bill prohibits a public entity from adopting an ordinance, resolution, or any other requirement that limits or prohibits customers from acquiring natural gas service and supply from both utility and non-utility gas companies. The bill prohibits... | |
Alfonso H. Lopez | Food Packaging, Certain; Uniform Labeling Requirements. | Failed | Uniform labeling requirements for certain food packaging. Prohibits the use of a sell-by date on a label affixed to a food product that is manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. The bill instead requires a person selling or offering for sale such food product to use on the outside packaging or container of such food product the phrase 'Best if Used by,' 'Best if Used or Frozen by,' 'Use by,' or 'Use by or Freeze by' or its associated abbreviations, as provided in the bill. The bill exempts from its... | |
Ian T. Lovejoy | Data Centers; Local Authority Considering Any Land Use Application. | Failed | Siting of data centers; local authority. Provides that a locality, in considering any land use application required for the siting of a data center, may (i) require and consider water use estimates for proposed data center developments; (ii) require sound modeling studies for proposed data center developments; (iii) establish and enforce maximum allowable sound levels for operational data center facilities, including the use of alternative low-frequency metrics, and include such requirements in zoning... | |
Paul V. Milde | Atlantic Menhaden; Marine Resources Commission, Et Al., To Study Ecology, Fishery Impacts, Etc. | Failed | Marine Resources Commission; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; study of ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of Atlantic menhaden; report. Directs the Marine Resources Commission in collaboration with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and certain stakeholders, as provided in the bill, to conduct a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the Atlantic menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Commission to... | |
Marty Martinez | Retail Sales And Use Tax; Exemption For Data Centers Definitions. | Failed | Sales and use tax exemption; data centers. Requires data center operators to meet certain wage rate standards in order to be eligible for the sales and use tax exemption for data center purchases. Under the bill, a data center operator shall be eligible for the exemption only if such operator ensures that every building service employee, as defined by the bill, employed at the data center is compensated at a rate that is no less than the standard building service employee rate, as defined by the bill.... | |
Irene Shin; Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler; Saddam Azlan Salim | Electric Utilities; Rate Increases During Certain Months, Biennial Rate Reviews. | Failed | 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 thedate on which biennial rate review... | |
Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. | All-terrain Vehicles And Off-road Motorcycles; Operation On Secondary Highway System, Penalty. | Failed | All-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles; penalty. Authorizes the use of all-terrain vehicles on secondary state highways if (i) such operation is approved by action of the governing body of a locality for operation on the secondary state highways within such locality and (ii) such all-terrain vehicles, when operated between dusk and dawn, are equipped with two front and two rear lights that render discernible a person or object at a distance of 200 feet. | |
Alex Q. Askew; Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler; Michael B. Feggans; et al. | Zero Waste Awareness Week; Designating As First Full Week Of Sept. 2025 & Each Succeeding Year. | Passed | Zero Waste Awareness Week. Designates the first full week of September, in 2025 and in each succeeding year, as Zero Waste Awareness Week in Virginia. | |
Irene Shin | Land Value; Dhcd To Study Tax Implications Of Allowing Localities To Implement A Tax. | Failed | Study; Department of Housing and Community Development; tax implications of allowing localities to implement a land value tax; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to study the potential tax implications that may result from each of the governing bodies of the Cities of Fairfax, Poquoson, Richmond, and Roanoke levying a land value tax and the potential tax implications that may result from allowing all local governing bodies to implement a land value tax. | |
Israel D. O'Quinn | Constitutional Amendment; Right To Work (first Reference). | Failed | Constitutional amendment (first reference); right to work. Provides that it is unlawful for any person, corporation, association, or the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions to deny or attempt to deny employment to any person because of such person's membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization. | |
Russet Perry | Manufacturing, Selling, Giving, Distributing, Or Possessing With Intent To Manufacture, Sell, Give, Or Distribute A Controlled Substance Or An Imitation Controlled Substance Prohibited; Penalties. | Passed | Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties. Removes the distinction between cocaine, which refers to powder cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers and a mixture or substance that contains cocaine base, which refers to crack cocaine, for the offense of manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with... | |
William M. Stanley, Jr. | Dogs; Sale And Procurement By Pet Shops, Pet Shop Regulations. | Passed | Sale and procurement of dogs by pet shops; pet shop regulations. Requires a pet shop upon taking custody of a dog, or any representative of a pet shop upon taking custody of a dog on behalf of the pet shop, to make a record of the matter containing certain information relating to the custody of the dog. The bill requires the pet shop to maintain such record for at least two years and make such record available to the State Veterinarian at the time of inspection or upon request. The bill requires the... | |
William M. Stanley, Jr. | Animal Testing Facility Operated By A State Agency; Nonhuman Primates, Care And Treatment. | Passed | Animal testing facility operated by a state agency; nonhuman primates. Requires any animal testing facility operated by a state agency that no longer has need for a nonhuman primate, as defined in the bill, in its possession to consider options for and determine the appropriate care and treatment of such nonhuman primate in consultation with the facility's attending veterinarian, which options shall include offering for release such nonhuman primate to a certified sanctuary, defined in the bill. The... | |
Saddam Azlan Salim | Local Ordinances; Regulation Of Pet Shops. | Failed | Sale of dogs and cats by pet shops; consumer education; work group; report. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (the Department) to convene a work group to analyze and evaluate currently collected data on the sale of dogs and cats by pet shops to identify what information a pet shop shall make available to a prospective dog or cat owner. The bill requires the work group to include representatives from animal welfare organizations, pet shops that sell dogs and cats, and an... | |
Monitor | Richard H. Stuart | Virginia Water Protection Permit; Interbasin Transfers Of Water Prohibited. | Failed | Virginia Water Protection Permit; interbasin transfers of water prohibited. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing a Virginia Water Protection Permit for a surface water withdrawal if more than five percent of the nonconsumptive volume of such withdrawal will be returned to a different major river basin, as defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that such prohibition does not apply to any lawful withdrawal in existence on July 1, 2025. |
Richard H. Stuart | Aquatic Fauna/water Quality In Chesapeake Bay & Its Major Tributaries; Surface Water Intakes. | Failed | Virginia Institute of Marine Science; study of the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to study the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries. The bill requires VIMS to submit a report of its findings and any recommendations to the Governor, the... | |
Bill DeSteph | Natural Gas Utilities; Retail Supply Choice, Report. | Failed | Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice; work group; report. Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas utility authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. The bill prohibits a public entity from adopting an ordinance, resolution, or any other requirement that limits or prohibits customers from acquiring natural gas service and supply from both utility and non-utility gas companies. The bill prohibits... | |
Aaron R. Rouse; Jennifer D. Carroll Foy; Lashrecse D. Aird | Cannabis Control; Establishes Framework For Creating Retail Market, Penalties. | Passed | Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill allows the Authority to begin issuing all marijuana licenses on September 1, 2025, but provides that no retail sales may occur prior to May 1, 2026. | |
Lamont Bagby; Stella G. Pekarsky; Todd E. Pillion; et al. | Casino Gaming; Eligible Host Localities. | Failed | Casino gaming; eligible host localities. Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containin... | |
Christopher T. Head; Angelia Williams Graves | Mattress Stewardship Program Established; Report; Civil Penalties. | Failed | Mattress Stewardship Program established; report; civil penalties. Establishes the Mattress Stewardship Program that allows certain industry associations to administer the Program as a mattress recycling organization with the approval and certification from the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill requires certain producers, retailers, and renovators of mattresses to register with a certified mattress recycling organization and requires a producer to identify each mattress brand it sell... | |
Danica A. Roem | Siting Of Data Centers; Property Classified For Industrial Use. | Failed | 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. This section shall only apply to such applications submitted on or after July 1, 2025. | |
Danica A. Roem | Data Centers; Noise Abatement. | Failed | 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... | |
Danica A. Roem | Electric Utilities; Approval Required For Construction Of Certain Electrical Transmission Lines. | Failed | 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. | |
Adam P. Ebbin | Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; Draft Regulations Governing Cannabis, Report. | Failed | Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; draft regulations governing cannabis; report. Directs the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to draft regulations governing the indoor cultivation, processing, manufacturing, testing, packaging, labeling, distribution, sale, and delivery of marijuana to adults age 21 or older in the Commonwealth, which shall (i) include appropriate application and license fees; (ii) include transaction limits; and (iii) model, to the greatest extent practicable, the regulations... | |
Mark J. Peake | Electric Utilities; Regulation, Development Of Renewable Energy Facilities. | Failed | Regulation of electric utilities; development of renewable energy facilities; powers of State Air Pollution Control Board; powers of State Corporation Commission. Repeals provisions (i) requiring the State Air Pollution Control Board to adopt regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from any electricity generating unit in the Commonwealth and authorizing the Board to establish an auction program for energy allowances; (ii) prohibiting the State Corporation Commission from approving any new utility-owned... | |
T. Travis Hackworth | Electric Utilities; Renewable Energy Standard Eligible Sources. | Failed | 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. | |
Ghazala F. Hashmi | Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program; Established. | Failed | Virginia Community College System; Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program; established. Requires the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System to establish and implement the Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program. Under the program, any comprehensive community college that enters into a power purchase agreement, either alone or in partnership with any local school division in the region that it serves, and that provides workforce development opportunities such as... | |
Angelia Williams Graves | Workers' Compensation; Injuries Caused By Repetitive And Sustained Physical Stressors. | Failed | Workers' compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act, 'occupational disease' includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage... | |
Jennifer B. Boysko; Irene Shin; Mamie E. Locke; et al. | Prospective Employees; Prohibiting Employer Seeking Wage Or Salary History. | Passed | Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee fo... | |
Jennifer B. Boysko; Adam P. Ebbin; Ghazala F. Hashmi; et al. | Restaurants And Catering Operations; Notice Of Food Containing Pork Products. | Failed | Restaurants and catering operations; notice of food containing pork products. Requires all restaurants and catering operations in the Commonwealth to place a conspicuous notice next to or underneath food items that contain pork products on menus. This bill also requires restaurants and catering operations to post a copy of the menu in a conspicuous location such that it is accessible to all employees involved in the preparation or service of food. | |
Ryan T. McDougle | Tobacco Products; Caps Statutory Tax Rate Imposed On Selling Or Distributing Of Cigars, Etc. | Failed | Tobacco products tax; cigars. Caps the statutory tax rate imposed on the selling or distributing of cigars by a distributor or remote retail seller at 20 percent of the manufacturer's sales price or 30 cents ($0.30) per cigar, whichever is lower. Under current law, the effective rate is 20 percent of the manufacturer's sales price due to language in the appropriation act, which doubles the statutory rate. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to update its form TT-8, Virginia Tobacco Products... | |
No Position | Saddam Azlan Salim | Gas-powered Leaf Blowers; Local Prohibition Or Regulation, Civil Penalty. | Failed | Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill provides that the ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty and that the funds from such civil penalties may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses. |
R. Creigh Deeds | Virginia Land Conservation Fund; Land Conservation Goals And Needs Assessment. | Failed | Department of Conservation and Recreation; Virginia Land Conservation Fund; land conservation goals and needs assessment. Establishes as a goal of the Commonwealth the achievement of permanent conservation of 20 percent of the land area of Virginia by 2035 and requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to monitor progress toward such goal and, every five years beginning in 2030, establish additional goals for 2040, 2045, and 2050. The bill requires the Department to consult with relevant... | |
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg | Historical Horse Racing; Pari-mutuel Wagering, Certain Localities. | Failed | Historical horse racing; pari-mutuel wagering; certain localities. Prescribes the distribution of the breakage retained by any licensee in a locality that has not passed a referendum allowing pari-mutuel wagering on or after July 1, 2018, and in which no terminals were authorized by the Commission on or before January 1, 2024. | |
Lashrecse D. Aird | Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program And Fund; Established And Created. | Failed | Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities, (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill, or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land. The bill provides that a private developer may apply for a grant in an amount equal to 70 percent o... | |
Jeremy S. McPike | Horse Racing And Pari-mutuel Wagering; Percentage Retained By Racetrack And Locality. | Failed | 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. | |
David W. Marsden | Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund; Established, Wildlife Carcass Removal Tracking, Reports. | Failed | Wildlife corridors; action plan, fund, and programs; Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan; wildlife carcass removal tracking; reports. Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that preserve or enhance wildlife corridors prioritized by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and associated wildlife crossing infrastructure projects and establishes a grant program for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Transportation,... | |
Kannan Srinivasan; Shelly A. Simonds; Ghazala F. Hashmi | High-energy Facilities; Water And Energy Usage Info. Reports Statewide Clearinghouse Established. | Failed | High-energy facilities; water and energy usage information reports; statewide clearinghouse established. Requires any owner or operator of a high-energy facility, as defined in the bill, to submit to the Department of Environmental Quality no later than May 1, 2026, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, a report that contains certain information relating to water and energy usage for each such facility. The bill requires the Department, no later than July 1, 2026, to design, implement, and maintain... | |
Kannan Srinivasan | Underground Transmission Lines; Qualifying Projects. | Failed | 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... | |
Todd E. Pillion | Stormwater Management Regulations; Localities Outside Chesapeake Bay Watershed. | Failed | Stormwater management regulations; localities outside Chesapeake Bay watershed. Requires the State Water Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to apply in a locality that is located outside of the Chesapeake Bay watershed the regulations establishing minimum design criteria for measures that were in effect prior to July 1, 2014 to control (i) nonpoint source pollution and (ii) localized flooding and stream channel erosion. | |
David W. Marsden; Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; Food Labeling. | Passed | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; food labeling. Prohibits the sale of any food required by the FDA to have a nutrition label, when any ingredient listed on the label is less than 50 percent, or greater than 150 percent, of the amount listed. | |
Jeremy S. McPike | Solar Photovoltaic Project; Decisions Of Localities, Regional Energy Plans. | Failed | Solar photovoltaic project; siting. Requires the Department of Energy's Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to establish regional planning targets for each planning district for energy production and energy efficiency. The bill requires such targets to be included in the Virginia Energy Plan and for each planning district commission to amend its regional strategic plan to include a regional energy plan that meets such targets. The bill requires localities to incorporate into their comprehensive... | |
Adam P. Ebbin; Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | Data Centers; Site Assessment For High Energy Use Facility. | Passed | Siting of data centers; site assessment; high energy use facility. Provides that prior to any approval of a rezoning application, special exception application, or special use permit for the siting of a new high energy use facility (HEUF), as defined in the bill, a locality shall require that an applicant perform and submit a site assessment to examine the sound profile of the HEUF on residential units and schools located within 500 feet of the HEUF property boundary. The bill also allows a locality... | |
Jennifer B. Boysko; Saddam Azlan Salim | Hemp Products; Regulated Retail Facility Registration, Fee. | Failed | Regulated hemp product retail facility registration; fee. Changes the requirement that a regulated hemp product retail facility registration be required for each location that offers for sale or sells at retail regulated hemp products to instead require such registration for the primary location that offers for sale or sells such products. The bill also requires an applicant for a regulated hemp product retail facility registration to notify the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services no... |
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