Marine Resources Commission; Chesapeake Bay; diamondback terrapin protection areas; use of bycatch reduction devices on crab traps; penalty. Requires the Marine Resources Commission, in collaboration with the Crab Management Advisory Committee and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, to develop and establish by December 1, 2027, diamondback terrapin protection areas in those portions of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries where interactions may occur between diamondback terrapins and any nets, traps, pots, or other fishing devices or gear. The bill directs the Commission to require by regulation bycatch reduction devices, as defined in the bill, on all recreational crab pots placed within any such diamondback terrapin protection area established by the Commission. A violation of such regulation is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Possession or transportation of certain firearms by certain persons; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 18 years of age from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting a handgun or assault firearm within the Commonwealth. The bill also prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age, with certain exceptions outlined in the bill, from purchasing a handgun or assault firearm in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that a violation of the provisions of the bill is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates SB 797.
Restorative justice practices. Provides that participation in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, shall not be used as evidence or as an admission of guilt, delinquency, or civil liability in current or subsequent legal proceedings against any participant. The bill also provides that restorative justice communications, defined in the bill, are not admissible in, or subject to discovery for, any legal proceeding, and disclosure of such communications shall not be compelled in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation. The bill prohibits any person involved in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, from testifying about any phase of such practice in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation except in certain circumstances enumerated in the bill. Lastly, the bill provides civil immunity for any person, who in good faith, discloses any restorative justice communication based on his belief that such disclosure is allowed pursuant to such provisions, provided that such disclosure was limited to solely address any such allowable disclosure.
Department of Education; review of high school student athlete eligibility requirements; report. Requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Executive Committee of the Virginia High School League (VHSL), to review and make recommendations on revisions to the residency requirements established by the VHSL for participation of high school student athletes in high school athletic teams for the purpose of ensuring such requirements are aligned, to the maximum extent practicable, with the residency requirements for the enrollment of students in public schools in the Commonwealth.
Virginia Lottery; casinos; internet gaming authorized; penalties. Authorizes internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill requires a casino gaming operator that intends to conduct internet gaming to submit a separate notice of intent to the Director of the Virginia Lottery for each internet gaming platform that it intends to offer accompanied by a $2 million platform fee that is to be deposited into the Internet Gaming Platform Fee Holding Fund for the purpose of funding start-up costs and other costs associated with the implementation and creation of a gaming commission. The bill permits the Board to issue an internet gaming operator license to a casino gaming operator that submits an application on forms approved by the Board, meets certain qualifications, and pays an initial licensing fee of $500,000. The tax rate is set at 20 percent of an internet gaming operator's adjusted gross internet gaming revenue with five percent allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, six percent allocated to the Internet Lottery Hold Harmless Fund until January 1, 2037 and the remaining 89 percent before January 1, 2037, and 95 percent after January 1, 2037, allocated to the general fund.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-511, 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 18.2-325, 18.2-334, 19.2-389, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 37.2-314.2, 52-54, 58.1-4002, 58.1-4003, 58.1-4006, 58.1-4007, 58.1-4015.1, 58.1-4048, and 58.1-4103 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 11 a section numbered 11-16.3, by adding a section numbered 18.2-334.7, and by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 42, containing articles numbered 1 through 5, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4200 through 58.1-4225, relating to regulation of electronic gaming devices; penalties.
Alcoholic beverage control; government stores; distiller's licensees as agents of the Board; sale of alcoholic beverages. Allows certain holders of a distiller's license appointed as agents of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Authority to sell spirits, beer, wine, or cider for on-premises or off-premises consumption, provided that the spirits, beer, wine, or cider are manufactured within the same licensed premises or on contiguous premises of such agent licensed as a distillery, brewery, or winery. Under current law, such agents of the Board are permitted to give samples of such alcoholic beverages.The bill also increases the amount of spirits such distiller's licensees may give or sell to any person per day from three ounces to four and one-half ounces and requires such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available at all times when spirits are served. The bill provides such food may be provided by food trucks, patrons providing their own food, or the agent of the Board and specifies that failure of such distiller's licensees to have food reasonably available may result in the Board's reconsideration of the agency agreement appointing such holder of a distiller's license or its officers and employees as agents of the Board.The bill requires the Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of distiller's licensees with the provisions of this bill and report such data to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026 and again by November 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Authority to convene a stakeholders group to review the manufacturer event licenses and off-site sales privileges granted to manufacturing licensees and report its findings and any recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services no later than December 1, 2026. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2028.
Labor and employment; payment of wages; minimum wage and overtime wages; misclassification of workers; prevailing wage rate; civil actions. Provides that an employer that violates provisions relating to minimum wage, overtime wages provisions, the misclassification of workers, or the prevailing wage rate 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 recover payment of the wages, and the court is required to award the wages owed, an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, plus prejudgment interest thereon, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. Under current law, if the court finds that the employer knowingly failed to pay wages to an employee, the court is required to award the employee an amount equal to triple the amount of wages due and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Campaign finance; campaign contribution and expenditure limits; contingency. Establishes campaign contribution and expenditure limits for all persons and committees in the Commonwealth. The effectiveness of the provisions of the bill is contingent on certification by the Attorney General to the Code Commission that any such provision is reasonably probable to be upheld as constitutional due to (i) an opinion by the Supreme Court; (ii) The adoption of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution; or (iii) any other reason, to be specified in the certification. The bill also states that in the opinion of the General Assembly, the Supreme Court's decisions in Citizens United v. FEC, 558 US. 310 (2010), McCutcheon v FEC, 572 U.S. 185 (2014), and other related campaign finance cases were wrongly decided, that such decisions undermine the integrity of Virginia's democratic process by preventing reasonable limits on campaign contributions and expenditures, and that contribution and expenditure limits will enhance public trust in Virginia's electoral system, facilitate greater transparency, and ensure that elected officials remain accountable to all Virginians. The provisions of the bill establishing expenditure limits for candidates do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Elections; political campaign advertisements; synthetic media; penalty. Prohibits electioneering communications containing synthetic media, as those terms are defined in the bill, from being published or broadcast without containing the following conspicuously displayed statement: "This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." The bill creates a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for a violation of such prohibition and a Class 1 misdemeanor for a willful violation. The bill permits any registered voter who receives an electioneering communication in violation of this requirement to institute an action for preventative relief to prohibit the publication or dissemination of such electioneering communication, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction.
Sale of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age; civil penalty paid to locality. Requires that any civil penalty imposed for selling a retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age be deposited into the local treasury. Under current law, such civil penalty is paid into the state treasury.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 58.1-4000, 58.1-4002 through 58.1-4008, 58.1-4023, 58.1-4027, 58.1-4100, 58.1-4102, 58.1-4103, 58.1-4105 through 58.1-4117, 58.1-4119 through 58.1-4124, 58.1-4126, 58.1-4127, 58.1-4133, 58.1-4136, 58.1-4138, and 58.1-4140 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 40.1, containing articles numbered 1 through 2, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4049 through 58.1-4074, by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 40.2, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4075 through 58.1-4093, by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 42, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4142 through 58.1-4172, by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 43, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4173 through 58.1-4187, by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 44, containing articles numbered 1 through 6, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4188 through 58.1-4236; and to repeal Article 1.1:1 (§§ 18.2-340.15 through 18.2-340.37) of Chapter 8 of Title 18.2, §§ 58.1-4001, 58.1-4007.1, 58.1-4007.3, 58.1-4009 through 58.1-4022.1, and 58.1-4029, Article 2 (§§ 58.1-4030 through 58.1-4048) of Chapter 40 of Title 58.1, Chapter 29 (§§ 59.1-364 through 59.1-405) of Title 59.1, and Chapter 51 (§§ 59.1-556 through 59.1-570) of Title 59.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to revenues, taxes, gaming, and lottery.
