Local film industry community zones. Allows localities to establish, by ordinance, one or more zones in a film industry community, defined in the bill as a zone designated by a locality to promote a significant film industry presence and where such presence drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity. The bill provides that a locality, or another political subdivision acting on behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to film industry businesses, along with related businesses that serve the needs of the film industry, looking to locate within a film industry community zone, including the reduction of certain fees and taxes. In addition, the bill provides that local governing bodies are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development incentive grants to such businesses. The bill also allows a governing body to provide for certain regulatory flexibility and incentives and provides that the establishment of a film industry community zone does not preclude a filmmaker from participating in the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund and the motion picture production tax credit.
Public institutions of higher education; financial assistance; Medical Education Loan-for-Service Fund and Program established; report. Establishes the Medical Education Loan-for-Service Fund and Program (the Program) for the purpose of providing loans to any person enrolled in or admitted to an eligible institution, as defined in the bill, that shall be forgiven in whole or in part upon satisfactory completion of a service agreement entered into by a recipient to engage in clinical practice in a designated service area, as defined in the bill, for the requisite period and in accordance with the requirements set forth by the bill. The bill directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) and the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (the Authority) to administer the Program and to enter into a memorandum of understanding establishing policies and procedures for the administration of the Program. The bill also (i) establishes requirements for the administration of the Program, including (a) requirements for eligibility to apply to and receive a loan under the Program and the prioritization of Program applications and (b) terms and conditions governing the receipt, forgiveness, and repayment of loans under the Program; (ii) directs the Council and the Authority to promulgate regulations for the administration of the Program relating to monitoring and enforcing compliance of recipients with Program requirements and terms and conditions; (iii) authorizes the Council to take certain actions relating to the enforcement of Program requirements and the collection of loans in certain circumstances; and (iv) directs the program administrator to annually collect data on the activities of the Program for the preceding fiscal year and submit to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Committees on Education, Health and Human Services, and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations a report on such data by October 1 of each year. Finally, the bill directs the Council to promulgate such regulations as are necessary for (a) the program administrator to begin collecting applications for the Program by January 1, 2027, and (b) the disbursement of loans under the Program no later than July 1, 2027.
Board of Education; career and technical education courses, pathways, and credentials; biennial review; report. Requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, with the assistance of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, the Virginia Office of Education Economics, the Department of Education, the Virginia Community College System, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, to conduct, beginning with the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026, and each odd-numbered year thereafter, a biennial review of all career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings available to public school students across the Commonwealth for the purpose of ensuring that all such career and technical education course, pathway, and credential offerings are (i) aligned with current and emerging industry and workforce needs, demands, and standards and (ii) designed to effectively prepare students for postsecondary success through gainful employment in a high-demand industry or field, enrollment in postsecondary education, or enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. The bill requires the Board of Education and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development to develop and submit to the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 1 of each odd-numbered year, beginning with October 1, 2026, a report on each such biennial review.
Health insurance; large group policies; coverage for scalp treatment during cancer chemotherapy treatment. Requires health insurance carriers offering policies in the large group market to provide coverage for scalp cooling systems for the preservation of hair during cancer chemotherapy treatment. Provisions of the bill apply to health insurance policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the large group market in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2027.
Income tax credits; child care-related expenses. Establishes in taxable years 2026 through 2030 (i) a refundable tax credit in an amount equal to 20 percent of the credit claimed by a qualified taxpayer, as defined in the bill, pursuant to the federal Employer-Provided Childcare Credit, and (ii) a refundable tax credit equal to 50 percent of an employer's qualified child care expenditures, as defined in the bill. The bill directs that the aggregate amount of credit for an employer's qualified child care expenditures shall not exceed $500,000 per taxable year and such amount shall be adjusted annually for inflation.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-417, 46.2-421, 46.2-422, 46.2-423, 46.2-427, 63.2-1916, and 63.2-1941 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal § 46.2-320.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to suspension of driver's licenses; child support and certain unsatisfied judgements; repealed.
Mass Violence Care Fund established. Creates the Mass Violence Care Fund as a subfund within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund for the purpose of reimbursing victims or claimants of mass violence, defined in the bill, for unreimbursed medical expenses related to a mass violence event, defined in the bill. The bill directs the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission to promulgate guidelines and criteria for the payment of claims from the Mass Violence Care Fund within one year of the effective date of the bill.
Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Tax Credit Act. Establishes the Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Tax Credit Act, through which a qualified taxpayer, defined in the bill, shall be allowed a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2026 through 2030 in an amount equal to such taxpayer's certifiable premium. The bill provides that the Health Benefit Exchange Division of the State Corporation Commission shall determine each qualifying taxpayer's certifiable premium for each taxable year in which such taxpayer may claim a health insurance premium stabilization tax credit and shall annually report such amount to the Department of Taxation. Such amount, with respect to any taxable year, shall be the sum of each coverage month's premium balance across all coverage months for such taxable year, as described in the bill.
Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated renewable energy buyers. Classifies zero-carbon electricity generating facilities that are not otherwise renewable portfolio standard (RPS) program eligible sources and that are placed into service in the Commonwealth after July 1, 2030, as RPS eligible sources. The bill permits an accelerated renewable energy buyer to contract to obtain bundled capacity, energy, and renewable energy certificates from solar, wind, or zero-carbon electricity generation located within the PJM region and placed in commercial operation on or before January 1, 2015, if investments to increase the maximum thermal power output of such facility occurred after January 1, 2015, or if a financial agreement for procurement of energy and capacity was entered into with such facility after January 1, 2015, to prevent the early retirement or decommissioning of such facility due to financial constraints.
Real property tax; partial exemption for certain commercial and industrial structures. Prohibits the application of a partial real property tax exemption to the demolition or replacement of an existing structure when such structure is a registered Virginia landmark or is determined by the Department of Historic Resources to contribute to the significance of a registered historic district. Current law prohibits the application of an exemption to the demolition or replacement of an existing structure when such structure is a registered Virginia landmark or is determined to contribute to the significance of a registered historic landmark.
Photo speed monitoring devices; summons by mail; certain information to be included. Requires a mailed summons for a vehicle speed violation captured by a photo speed monitoring device to include (i) an explanation indicating the section of Code authorizing the placement and operation of photo speed monitoring devices and that such violation for which the summons was mailed will not be (a) deemed a conviction as an operator, (b) made part of the liable person's operating record, or (c) used for insurance purposes; (ii) an explanation of the process by which a person may contest such violation; and (iii) an explanation of the penalties for failure to pay the imposed civil penalty.
Motor vehicles; use of safety belt systems; certain emergency medical services personnel. Exempts from requirements for the use of safety belt systems emergency medical services personnel performing patient care while transporting persons inside the patient compartment of an emergency medical services vehicle where the wearing of such safety belt systems is impractical. This bill was incorporated into HB 230.
