Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to HB 256.

Lane filtering; motorcycles; penalty. Authorizes the operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle to pass another vehicle that is stopped or traveling at no more than 10 miles per hour in the same lane or on the shoulder, provided that there are at least two lanes of travel in each direction, such motorcycle does not exceed a speed of 20 miles per hour, and the operator executes such passing with ordinary care. The bill makes intentionally impeding or attempting to impede the operator of a motorcycle from lawfully engaging in lane filtering a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $300. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to implement a statewide education campaign to alert drivers and the public that motorcycles may lawfully engage in lane filtering. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Health insurance; prior authorization requests reviewed by physician. Requires a provider contract between a health insurance carrier and a provider to contain provisions requiring (i) any decision to deny a prior authorization request for drug benefits or health care services is made by a licensed physician who is (a) an expert in the treatment of the enrollee's medical condition that is the subject of the prior authorization request and (b) knowledgeable about the recommended health care service or treatment through recent or current actual clinical experience treating patients with the same or similar medical condition of the enrollee and (ii) if the carrier is questioning the medical necessity of the request, the carrier will provide the enrollee's physician an opportunity to discuss the medical necessity of the health care service with the physician who will be responsible for determining authorization of the health care service or drug benefit under review.

Required disclosures for dietary supplements and medication; gluten disclaimer. Requires any person who manufactures, distributes, or sells or offers for sale a dietary supplement to label such dietary supplement with a list of active and inactive ingredients and include a separate disclaimer if the product contains gluten. The bill requires pharmacists, when dispensing a prescription drug, to provide all information required under federal law to accompany the drug, including the medication guide, patient package insert, or other written patient information. The bill also requires pharmacists to provide counseling consistent with federally required labels to patients upon request when dispensing a nonprescription drug. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Absentee voting in person; available the second and third Sunday before all elections. Requires absentee voting in person to be made available for a minimum of five hours between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the second and third Sunday immediately preceding all elections.

Public schools; right to free public elementary and secondary education; discrimination based on immigration status prohibited; civil cause of action. Prohibits any child in the Commonwealth from being denied a free public education through secondary school on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents, in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia and consistent with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill also, among other things, prohibits any school board, public elementary or secondary school, school resource officer employed by a local law-enforcement agency in any public elementary or secondary school, or any individual who is an employee, contractor, or agent of a school board from engaging in certain enumerated actions and practices that involve or result in the denial of a free public education, or denial of the benefits or exclusion from participation in any program or activity thereof, of a child on the basis of the actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status of the child or the child's parents. The bill establishes a civil cause of action for violations of the foregoing prohibitions. The bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop and make available to each school board by August 1, 2026, guidance and resources on developing policies and procedures to implement the requirements set forth in the bill and requires each school board to develop and implement by December 31, 2026, such policies and procedures and to require each public elementary and secondary school principal and administrator in the school division to complete training on compliance with the provisions of the bill as soon as is practicable but not later than the beginning of the 2027–2028 school year, consistent with the guidance and resources developed and made available by the Department of Education. This bill is identical to HB 836.

Occoquan Reservoir; low-flow protections for drinking water safe yield. Requires any Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit issued after July 1, 2026, authorizing the diversion of sewage or reclaimed water from a publicly owned treatment works for reuse that would otherwise discharge into the Occoquan Reservoir, the Occoquan River, Bull Run, or any of their tributaries above the Occoquan Reservoir to incorporate certain low-flow protection requirements for drinking water safe yield if the total diversion amount allowed by the permit exceeds 500,000 gallons per day. The bill also prohibits the issuance of any Virginia Water Protection Permit after July 1, 2026, authorizing the withdrawal of water for consumptive uses from the Occoquan Reservoir, the Occoquan River, Bull Run, or any of their tributaries above the Occoquan Reservoir for any purpose other than agricultural or irrigation purposes or for continued operation, expansion, or relocation of existing public water supply withdrawals.

Financial institutions; loans and legal rate of interest. Provides that for the purposes of provisions governing usury and the legal rate of interest, "making," when used in reference to a loan, means advancing, offering to advance, or making a commitment to advance funds to a borrower for a loan. The bill provides that the prohibition against a contract for the payment of interest on a loan at a rate that exceeds 12 percent per year applies to any person who seeks to evade its application by any device, subterfuge, or pretense whatsoever, including (i) making loans disguised as personal property sale and leaseback transactions; (ii) disguising loan proceeds as a cash rebate for the pretextual installment sale of goods or services; and (iii) making, offering, assisting, or arranging a debtor to obtain a loan with a greater rate of interest, consideration, or charge than permitted through any method, including mail, telephone, internet, or any electronic means, regardless of whether the person has a physical location in the Commonwealth.

Use of compression release engine brakes in localities. Authorizes localities to regulate the use of compression release engine brakes, commonly known as "Jake brakes" or "Jacobs brakes", when motor vehicles are operated within their boundaries and adjacent to residence districts. This bill was incorporated into HB 55.

Intentional discharge of untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth; civil penalty. Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $50,000 per violation for any person found to have intentionally discharged untreated sewage onto land or into waters of the Commonwealth.

Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners; substantial risk factors and considerations; court jurisdiction; constructive possession of firearms; penalty. Expands the list of persons eligible to file a petition for an emergency substantial risk order. The bill provides various factors that a judge or magistrate shall consider for the purpose of determining whether to issue an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order. The bill expands court jurisdiction over substantial risk orders from circuit courts to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and general district courts and requires petitions against minors to be filed in juvenile and domestic relations district courts. The bill requires a copy of the order to be served on the parent or guardian of the minor at any address where the minor resides or the local board of social services in the case where the minor is the subject of a dependency or court-approved out-of-home placement. The bill also provides the process for which firearms not owned by the subject of a petition are returned to the lawful owner of such firearms. The bill provides that any emergency substantial risk order or substantial risk order issued remains in full force and effect pending any appeal. Lastly, the bill provides that any person that makes a materially false statement or representation to a court during the petitioning process is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 901.

Siting of battery energy storage projects; commercial solar photovoltaic generation facilities; permitted accessory use. Deems battery energy storage projects as a permitted accessory use in all zoning districts on any parcel of land that is subject to an approved special exception, as defined in the bill, for a commercial solar photovoltaic generation facility, if such battery energy storage project is located within the boundaries of the parcel covered by the existing special exception and complies with any applicable federal, state, and local safety or fire codes and environmental regulations. The bill prohibits a host locality from requiring a special exception or any other local land use approval on such battery energy storage project. The bill clarifies that nothing in the provisions of the bill shall be construed to (i) limit the authority of a host locality to enforce compliance with applicable codes or ensure the safe operation of the battery energy storage project or (ii) preclude the developer of a battery energy storage project from negotiating a siting agreement with the host locality. The bill also clarifies that any battery energy storage project for which an initial interconnection request has been filed with an electric utility or a regional transmission organization prior to July 1, 2030, and is constructed in accordance with the provisions of the bill shall be subject to the applicable local ordinance and regulation in effect on July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 891.

Marine Resources Commission; prohibition of commercial electrofishing in the Rappahannock River; report. Directs the Marine Resources Commission to temporarily prohibit commercial electrofishing in the portion of the Rappahannock River north of the Downing Bridge in Tappahannock until January 1, 2027, and to examine the practice of commercial electrofishing in the waters of the Commonwealth and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than January 1, 2027.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to HB 781.

Virginia Commission on Youth; work group to study extending oversight of Office of the Children's Ombudsman to include committed juveniles; report. Directs the Virginia Commission on Youth, in coordination with the Office of the Children's Ombudsman, to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study the changes necessary to extend the purview of the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to include juveniles who are committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill requires the work group to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, a report of its findings and any recommendations for any legislative and organizational changes needed to implement such extension of oversight. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.