Industrial development authorities in certain localities; housing. Allows industrial development authorities in the Counties of Halifax, Henry, and Pittsylvania and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville to exercise their powers with respect to facilities used primarily for single or multifamily residences in order to promote safe and affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Under current law, such powers may be exercised only in a locality where a housing authority has not been activated. The bill also grants industrial development authorities in such localities the power to issue bonds associated with the construction of affordable housing.
Minimum parking requirements; prohibition on mandates by localities. Provides that no locality shall adopt, enforce, or maintain any ordinance, policy, or requirement that mandates a minimum number of parking spaces for any new or existing building, structure, or other use. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into HB 888.
Constitutional amendment (first reference); personal property tax; exemption for motor vehicles owned for personal, noncommercial use. Exempts one motor vehicle used for personal, noncommercial purposes from state and local taxes. The amendment specifies that such exemption is only applicable (i) for automobiles, motorcycles, and pickup trucks and (ii) on and after the date the motor vehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whichever is later, and is not applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date of the amendment.
Parole; eligibility; youthful offenders. Expands the eligibility requirements for juvenile parole to include (i) any person sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was 20 years of age or younger and who has served at least 20 years of such sentence and (ii) any person who has active sentences that total more than 20 years for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person was 20 years of age or younger and who has served at least 20 years of such sentence. Under current law, only a person who was a juvenile when he committed any such offense is eligible for juvenile parole.
Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels. Allows a retail licensee to elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill provides that such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and may be displayed on the retail licensee's premises.
Alcoholic beverage control; designated outdoor refreshment areas. Allows a permitted brewery or winery to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption in an area designated for the designated outdoor refreshment area during an event held by the designated outdoor refreshment area licensee. The bill also removes the requirement that alcoholic beverages consumed at such event be contained in paper, plastic, or similar disposable containers that clearly display the name or logo of the retail on-premises licensee from which the alcoholic beverage was purchased. The bill allows designated outdoor refreshment area licensees that are nonprofit organizations to sell tickets or charge for wristbands for an event to cover expenses of the event and also only requires such licensee to provide adequate security for an event if deemed necessary by the locality. The bill also provides that a designated outdoor refreshment area licensee that is a nonprofit organization shall be permitted to receive in-kind and financial sponsorships and donations from a manufacturer and may collect participation fees from breweries, wineries, and retail licensees for events held under a designated outdoor refreshment area license. Lastly, the bill allows, with the concurrence of the designated outdoor refreshment area licensee, a nonprofit organization that is not the designated outdoor refreshment licensee, or a brewery, winery, or distillery, to obtain a banquet special event license or a mixed beverage special event license for a special event to be held within the boundaries of the designated outdoor refreshment area as long as there is no event being held by the designated outdoor refreshment area licensee at the same time as such special event.
Line of Duty Act; sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. Provides that a sheriff or deputy sheriff shall be eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits. Under current law, sheriffs or deputy sheriffs are only eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits in the City of Richmond.
Certificate of public need; exception; maternal and perinatal health services. Creates an exception to certificate of public need requirements for any project or action related to maternal and perinatal health services. The bill also removes neonatal intensive care from the definition of tertiary care for purposes of determining health planning regions.
Home care organizations; licensure. Provides that no license to establish or operate a home care organization shall be issued or renewed until such time as all existing home care organizations have been inspected. The bill also prohibits a home care organization from maintaining its office in a private residence or virtual office.
Board of Education; student discipline and codes of student conduct; anti-bullying policies and procedures. Makes several revisions to expand requirements set forth in current law relating to bullying prevention, response, and intervention in public schools. The bill expands requirements relating to parental responsibilities and involvement, including by requiring (i) the Board of Education's standards for school board policies on bullying to emphasize parental responsibility and intervention in preventing and addressing incidents of bullying, (ii) each school board to provide annual training on bullying prevention and intervention for students and parents and workshops for parents and educators relating to bullying prevention and intervention, and (iii) each school principal to request a meeting to discuss parental responsibilities with the parent of any student who violates a school board policy or student code of conduct by engaging in bullying and such student's record evidences a pattern of repeated violations involving engaging in bullying or the principal determines that the severity of the incident requires further intervention.The bill also enhances school responses to and disciplinary consequences for incidents of bullying by requiring (a) the Board to include in its standards for school board policies on bullying procedures for imposing clear and escalating consequences for incidents of bullying based on frequency and severity of violations involving engaging in bullying and (b) each school board to include in its code of student conduct policies and procedures relating to bullying, including procedures for requiring, when appropriate, any student who violates a school board policy by engaging in an act of bullying to receive counseling at the school for the purpose of addressing the behaviors and working on communication and conflict resolution skills designed to prevent recurrence of such behavior. The bill also requires each school board to include in such code of student conduct policies and procedures for protections designed to empower any student who is a victim of bullying or cyberbullying to stand up for himself in an appropriate and safe manner.Finally, the bill requires the Board to include in its guidelines and model policies on codes of student conduct guidance for school boards on effective oversight of public schools to ensure compliance with each school board's code of student policies and procedures.
State Board of Health; permanent pump and haul of sewage; agritourism. Requires the State Board of Health to amend regulations to exempt the pumping and hauling of sewage associated with an agritourism activity from the prohibition on pumping and hauling sewage on a permanent basis unless done under the auspices and supervision of a government entity.
K-12 schools; student participation in women's sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public school or any other school that is a member of the Virginia High School League to be expressly designated as one of the following based on the biological sex of the students who participate on the team or in the sport: (i) for males, men, or boys; (ii) for females, women, or girls; or (iii) for coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both males and females. The bill requires that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician's statement. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against any such school based on a violation of the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, athletic association, or organization.
