Department of Education; career and technical education programs, associate degree programs, and baccalaureate degree programs; return on investment analysis and report; report. Directs the Department of Education to prepare and submit to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations and the House Committees on Education and Appropriations by November 1, 2026, a return on investment report on the career and technical education programs, associate degree programs, and baccalaureate degree programs offered by public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth for the purpose of informing decisions relating to and ensuring alignment of future funding allocations with industry and market demand and postsecondary success. The bill directs the Department, in preparing such return on investment report, to consult with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, career and technical education directors, the Virginia Community College System, and such other stakeholders and industry partners as deemed appropriate by the Department.
Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services; certain customers. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia to establish rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services for its customers within the GS-5 rate class, as established by final order of the State Corporation Commission, that require each such customer to pay a minimum generation charge equal to 100 percent of such customers' contracted electric demand.
Professions and occupations; definition of "practice of athletic training"; dry needling. Adds dry needling to the definition of "practice of athletic training," as such term relates to the practice of medicine and other healing arts.
Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility. Provides that for the purposes of the Utility Facilities Act, the term "public utility" does not include any company that owns or operates one or more facilities for the generation, distribution, or storage of electric energy exclusively for consumption by one or more customers located on the site of such facilities or on adjoining property, provided that such facilities are connected on the customer's side of the electric meter and electricity is delivered without the use of a public utility's distribution or transmission system. The bill also provides that after such a facility operates within the certificated service territory of an electric utility for a duration of five years, such company is required to submit to such public utility a written offer for the sale of such facility.
Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; required disclosures; local permits. Requires the owner of residential real property with actual knowledge that the local governing body issued any special exception, special use permit, variance, or other land disturbing permit, including building permits and erosion and sediment control permits, for the property within the five years preceding the execution of a contract for sale for such property to disclose such fact to the purchaser prior to the execution of the contract for sale.
Property Owners' Association Act; disclosure requirements; declarant control. Requires a declarant who has any unexpired right to control the conduct of business of a property owners' association, once the majority of the members of the board of directors other than the declarant are owners of improved lots in the association, to disclose such rights and the status of the declarant's control in any contract for the sale of any lot in the association other than for development or resale. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused; (ii) the information provided to counsel for the accused; (iii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing; and (iv) the compensation of counsel for the accused. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; duties of landlord; mold remediation; civil penalty. Provides that a tenant, authorized occupant, or guest or invitee of a tenant or authorized occupant may bring a personal injury or wrongful death action for exposure to mold arising from the condition within the interior of a dwelling unit or for any property damage claims arising out of the landlord-tenant relationship to recover (i) compensatory damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and injury to personal property; (ii) punitive damages; and (iii) reasonable attorney fees and costs, if the mold is caused solely by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the landlord or managing agent. The bill also mandates a landlord to require a tenant to temporarily vacate the dwelling unit in order for the landlord to perform mold remediation in accordance with professional standards if it has been determined by a physician or other qualified medical professional and certified by a written medical statement that the mold condition in the dwelling unit materially affects the health or safety of the tenant or any authorized occupant.
Electric utilities; cost recovery; costs substantially related to serving data center customers. Prohibits the recovery of costs incurred by an electric utility that (i) are substantially related to the provision of electric service to data center customers and (ii) would not have been incurred but for the demand of such data center customers from being included in any rates or charges approved by the State Corporation Commission under current law, unless such rates and charges are designed to recover, or substantially recover, such costs solely from data center customers. Under the bill, "data center customers" are data centers with a peak demand of 100 megawatts or greater.
Property Owners' Association Act; operation and management of association; condemnation of common area; procedure. Requires consideration of the physical characteristics of a property owners' association's common area land when determining such land's highest and best use for purposes of valuing the property for award or payment for such land in a condemnation proceeding after the common area land is taken or damaged under the power of eminent domain.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements; landlord's maintenance responsibilities. Prohibits a rental agreement from containing any provision stating that the tenant agrees to pay (i) any fee for the maintenance of the premises, including the maintenance or provision of heating and cooling systems, pest control, trash disposal, common area utilities, and mail or package delivery; (ii) a fee for internet, cable, or any other utilities or services that amount to more than the cost paid by the landlord; or (iii) for the maintenance or security of the common areas. The bill also repeals the provision allowing the landlord and tenant to agree in writing that the tenant may perform certain duties typically assigned to the landlord and also specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, and remodeling, but only if the transaction is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord and if the agreement does not diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.
Motor vehicle liens; enforcement and sales. Creates a new, expedited process for the sale of certain unclaimed vehicles subject to liens, and accompanying requirements for such sales, and changes certain existing requirements for liens of keepers of vehicles, as defined in the bill, and mechanics.
