Department of Housing and Community Development; Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity. Creates the Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity to study the misvaluation and undervaluation of real property owned by minority individuals to combat bias in real property appraisal and valuation. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least annually and to report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities and any recommendations. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; community health workers in Medicaid managed care; report. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to evaluate and develop recommendations for a statewide strategy to integrate community health workers into Medicaid managed care and related health and human services programs. The bill instructs DMAS to consult with the Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Virginia Community Health Worker Association, Medicaid managed care organizations, local departments of social services, community-based providers, and other relevant stakeholders. The bill requires DMAS to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by December 1, 2026.
Study; Department of Education; public elementary school students; retention criteria; report. Directs the Department of Education (the Department) to study criteria used in public elementary schools to determine retention of students. Additionally, the bill directs the Department to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the criteria used in retention decisions. Finally, the bill requires the Department to submit a report of its findings and any recommendations to amend or expand criteria used to determine retention to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
Tax tribunal; work group convened; report. Requires the Chairs of the House Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations to convene a work group to evaluate the feasibility of establishing an independent tax tribunal in the Commonwealth for the adjudication and resolution of tax assessment disputes. The bill directs the work group to conclude its meetings by November 1, 2027, and to submit a report summarizing its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Governor no later than January 1, 2028.
Department of Health; Virginia State Anatomical Program; program finances and donor procurement, distribution, and disposition; report. Directs the Department of Health to convene a work group to evaluate the Virginia State Anatomical Program and its current finances and to provide recommendations to strengthen practices and procedures concerning donor procurement, distribution, and disposition to institutions of higher education and research facilities. The work group is directed to report its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2026.
Board of Pharmacy; work group to study medication, drug, and vaccine ingredient labeling; report. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to convene a work group to study medication, drug, and vaccine ingredient labeling. The bill directs the work group to review all regulations related to medications, drugs, or vaccines sold or distributed in the Commonwealth to ensure that (i) all active and inactive ingredients contained in such medication, drug, or vaccine are clearly listed on the product packaging or accompanying informational insert and (ii) accompanying informational inserts are readily available to consumers at a pharmacy upon request. The bill also directs the work group to study and make recommendations on the feasibility of requiring that any medication, drug, or vaccine sold or distributed in the Commonwealth that includes gluten as an active or inactive ingredient include a statement on the packaging or insert that such product contains gluten. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1, 2026.
Department of Energy; energy generation and storage by data centers; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to convene a work group to study the cost and feasibility of (i) energy generation by data centers, (ii) the use of such energy generation to serve as backup or primary generation for data centers, and (iii) the use of energy storage resources by data centers in the Commonwealth. The work group shall also examine the potential for partnerships with public universities to support the development of advanced energy technologies. The work group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by September 1, 2026.
Immunization requirements for children; hepatitis B vaccine. Removes the hepatitis B vaccine from the list of required immunizations for children in the Commonwealth, removes the extended conditional enrollment period for students requiring more than two doses of the hepatitis B vaccine, and directs the Board of Health to amend its regulations to remove provisions requiring children to receive the hepatitis B vaccine.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; cash payments; discrimination prohibited; penalty. Prohibits a supplier from discriminating against cash as a payment for a retail sale, including by refusing to accept cash as a form of payment, posting signs on business premises that cash payment is not accepted, or charging a higher price to consumers who pay with cash. The bill includes certain exceptions to such prohibition and provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Secretary of Transportation; review of the VDOT's approval process for projects involving buildings, road development, and other construction; report. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to (i) conduct a review of the Department of Transportation's approval process for projects involving buildings, road development, and other construction and (ii) submit a summary of his review and a report of his findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation no later than December 1, 2026.
Department of Energy to study geothermal energy; State Corporation Commission proceeding to establish geothermal energy requirements for high energy users. Directs the Department of Energy to conduct a study on geothermal electric generating resources and geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Commonwealth and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the State Corporation Commission by July 1, 2027. The bill also directs the State Corporation Commission to initiate a proceeding by September 30, 2027, to establish requirements for high energy users to utilize standardized amounts of capacity from geothermal electric generating resources and geothermal heating and cooling systems, as informed by the study submitted by the Department of Energy. The bill defines "high energy user" as a retail electric service customer of a utility regulated by the Commission with a consistent demand of 100 megawatts, but the Commission is permitted to adjust the megawatt size threshold for high energy users as determined by the Commission to be appropriate to manage electric demand in the Commonwealth through the use of geothermal energy.
Department of Social Services; Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Department of Health; Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services; work group; food insecurity and hunger survey; report. Directs the Department of Social Services, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and any other relevant state agencies to convene a work group to develop a statewide survey on food insecurity and hunger. The bill requires the work group to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.
