Virginia 2025 Regular Session All Bills
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2527
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2025, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium. A violation is a Class 6 felony.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2528
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Electric utilities; customer energy choice; customer return to service; subscription cap and queue. Removes certain restrictions on the ability of individual retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth, regardless of customer class, to purchase electric energy matched 100 percent by renewable energy certificates from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth. The bill requires a licensed supplier to match a percentage of each retail electric customer's annual load with renewable energy certificates from within the PJM transmission region. The bill decreases from five years to six months the required written notice period for certain electric energy customers to return to service by an incumbent electric utility after purchasing electric energy from other suppliers. The bill also directs the Commission, by October 1, 2026, to establish a subscription cap allowance for certain utility customers seeking to participate in purchasing electric energy from a licensed supplier. The Commission is required to review the subscription cap allowance every two years starting on January 1, 2028, and electric utilities are required to file their subscription queues with the Commission by January 15, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill contains an exception to the subscription cap allowance for customers seeking to expand usage at an existing or new facility. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026, unless the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated pursuant to the bill specify a commencement date.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2529
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Public institutions of higher education; endowments; investment management; certain divestment practices prohibited. Prohibits any public institution of higher education or any affiliated foundation, investment management company, or other entity that is responsible for managing or investing endowment funds of the institution from establishing or implementing any policy or practice of divesting from all investments in any country or territory that is not the subject of an active sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2530
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Use of restraints on juveniles in court prohibited; exceptions. Prohibits the use of instruments of restraint, as defined in the bill, on a juvenile appearing before the juvenile and domestic relations district court unless the court makes a finding that (i) the use of such restraints is necessary (a) to prevent physical harm to such juvenile or another person, (b) because such juvenile has a history of disruptive courtroom behavior that has placed others in potentially harmful situations or presents a substantial threat of serious harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior, or (c) because such juvenile presents a substantial risk of flight from the courtroom and (ii) there are no less restrictive alternatives to such restraints that will prevent flight of or harm to such juvenile or another person, including court personnel or law-enforcement officers. The bill requires the court to provide the juvenile's attorney an opportunity to be heard before the court orders the use of instruments of restraint, and if such restraints are ordered, requires the court to make written findings of fact in support of the order.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2531
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Report Pass
1/28/25
Report Pass
1/31/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Refer
2/5/25
Report Pass
2/10/25
Report Pass
2/11/25
Engrossed
2/12/25
Enrolled
2/17/25
Vetoed
3/24/25
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 amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 120 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2532
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers in critical situations. The bill permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location, or to provide real-time aerial observation to rapidly assess incident scenes, deliver essential supplies, and enhance the response to emergency calls. The bill also authorizes the use of unmanned aircraft systems by law enforcement during large public gatherings, demonstrations, disturbances, or other similar events.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2533
Introduced
1/8/25
Refer
1/8/25
Report Pass
1/24/25
Engrossed
1/29/25
Refer
1/31/25
Report Pass
2/10/25
Engrossed
2/12/25
Engrossed
2/14/25
Enrolled
2/19/25
Chaptered
3/24/25
Passed
3/24/25
Local comprehensive plan; tiny homes; accessory dwelling units. Clarifies that the comprehensive plan prepared by a local planning commission and adopted by a local governing body may include the use of tiny homes and accessory dwelling units, defined in the bill, as part of any residential development and use designated within such plan. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 1832.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2534
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/28/25
Engrossed
1/31/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Refer
2/4/25
Report Pass
2/13/25
Enrolled
3/7/25
Chaptered
3/21/25
Passed
3/21/25
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance services; crisis stabilization services for nonhospitalized individuals; emergency. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek the necessary federal approvals to remove the prohibition against the use of crisis stabilization services for nonhospitalized individuals in institutions for mental disease and, upon receiving federal approval, (i) authorizes the Department of Medical Assistance Services to implement such change through agency guidance documents prior to the completion of any regulatory review process and (ii) directs it to promulgate regulations to implement such change to be effective within 280 days of receiving federal approval. This bill is identical to SB 1304.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2535
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Uniform Health Care Decisions Act. Repeals most provisions of the Health Care Decisions Act and enacts the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act. The bill creates a process for the execution of advance health care directives, as defined in the bill; establishes criteria for determining the capacity of an individual to make health care decisions; provides for the establishment of a default surrogate in the absence of an appointed agent for health care decisions; establishes powers and duties of agents appointed by powers of attorney for health care; and establishes duties of health care professionals.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2536
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/24/25
Engrossed
1/29/25
Refer
1/31/25
Report Pass
2/17/25
Enrolled
3/7/25
Chaptered
3/19/25
Passed
3/19/25
Exemption from jury service; clerk of circuit court; circuit court clerk deputies. Automatically exempts the elected clerk of any circuit court and such clerk's deputies from serving on juries in civil and criminal cases.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2537
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/30/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Refer
2/5/25
Report Pass
2/10/25
Report Pass
2/17/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Enrolled
3/7/25
Vetoed
5/2/25
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 Virginia 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 to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 5,220 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 3,480 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2030. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission.The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to create model ordinances for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects and to convene a work group to develop such model ordinances and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill directs the Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Quality to convene a work group to develop recommendations and financial incentives related to the development of long-duration energy storage projects and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill also directs the Department of Energy to engage with PJM Interconnection, LLC, in reviewing regional market conditions related to energy storage resources and permits Dominion Energy Virginia to propose a partnership with institutions of higher education to deploy energy storage resources. This bill is identical to SB 1394.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2538
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/29/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Refer
2/5/25
Report Pass
2/13/25
Public education; early childhood care and education; funding formula calculations; Early Childhood Care and Education Fund established; report. Requires the Department of Education to (i) establish and maintain a funding formula for the provision of early childhood care and education services that establishes the minimum funding and number of slots per biennium for such providers based on a cost of quality rate per child, actual data from the prior year, unserved waitlists, and a multiplier based on enrollment and parent demand growth in prior biennia; (ii) make disbursements from the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund, established in the bill, to support the provision of early childhood care and education services in accordance with the funding formula set forth in the bill; and (iii) submit to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education a report on the status of the Fund, including the data used to calculate the minimum funding and number of slots per biennium established pursuant to the funding formula. The bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to submit to the General Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on Fund revenues, distributions, and balances. The bill contains a reenactment clause.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2539
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/28/25
Report Pass
1/31/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Engrossed
2/4/25
Refer
2/5/25
Report Pass
2/13/25
Report Pass
2/17/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Enrolled
3/7/25
Chaptered
3/24/25
Passed
3/24/25
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance services; dental care services for pregnant women; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment for comprehensive dental care services for pregnant women. The bill requires the Department to report to the Governor and General Assembly annually on the implementation and outcomes of the provision, and requires the first such report to be submitted by November 1, 2026.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2540
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/24/25
Engrossed
1/29/25
Refer
1/31/25
Report Pass
2/5/25
Enrolled
2/10/25
Chaptered
3/19/25
Passed
3/19/25
Lithium-ion Battery Separator Manufacturing Grant Fund. Establishes the Lithium-ion Battery Separator Manufacturing Grant Fund to, subject to appropriation, fund 20 annual grant award installments, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60.597 million, to a qualified company that engages in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery separators and that executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority, and that on and after July 1, 2024, but before July 1, 2045, is expected to (i) make a capital investment, defined in the bill, of at least $1.3506 billion and (ii) create and maintain at least 2,015 new full-time jobs in Pittsylvania County. This bill is identical to SB 1207.
VA
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Virginia House Bill HB2541
Introduced
1/9/25
Refer
1/9/25
Report Pass
1/27/25
Report Pass
1/31/25
Engrossed
2/3/25
Refer
2/5/25
Report Pass
2/12/25
Report Pass
2/17/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Engrossed
2/20/25
Enrolled
3/7/25
Chaptered
3/24/25
Passed
3/24/25
Information Technology Access Act; digital accessibility. Makes numerous organizational changes to the Information Technology Access Act. The bill defines "information and communications technology" as it relates to digital accessibility, defined in the bill, for all persons with disabilities. The bill permits the head of each covered entity, defined in the bill, to designate an employee to serve as such covered entity's digital accessibility coordinator and provides that such digital accessibility coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing such covered entity's digital accessibility policy. The bill has delayed effective dates of April 24, 2026, and April 26, 2027, for specific covered entities according to population size.