Deferred disposition in a criminal case; license suspension; driving while under the influence. Permits a trial court, with the agreement of the Commonwealth if the charge is ineligible for sealing, to suspend the driver's license of a defendant for a period of not less than 10 days nor more than six months when deferring disposition. The bill also allows a trial court to defer judgment for a violation of driving while intoxicated and require that the defendant participate in and successfully complete an alcohol safety action program and prohibit the defendant from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system. The bill excludes from its provisions any person with a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit or who was operating a commercial motor vehicle during the alleged violation.
Photo speed monitoring devices; photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals; school bus video-monitoring systems; proof of violation; certain persons swearing to or affirming certificates; training. Authorizes retired sworn law-enforcement officers, registered special conservators of the peace, and technicians employed by a locality to swear to or to affirm certificates for the purposes of enforcement of violations recorded by traffic light signal violation monitoring systems, traffic control device violation monitoring systems, photo speed monitoring devices, or school bus video-monitoring systems upon completion of a training course developed and approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill also requires law-enforcement officers swearing to or affirming such certificates to complete such training course. These provisions of the bill have an effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop, approve, and make available such training course no later than January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 59.
Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation; summons. Requires a second summons for a vehicle speed violation captured by a photo speed monitoring device to be mailed if a summoned person fails to appear on the date of return set out in the first summons mailed. If the summoned person fails to appear after the second summons, the bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to issue or renew the vehicle registration certificate or the license plate issued for such vehicle until the required civil penalties and any administrative fees have been paid and any applicable reinstatement processes required by the Department of Motor Vehicles have been completed. The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and requires summonses issued for such vehicle speed violations to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that, for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of photo speed monitoring devices renders such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons. The bill provides that any person against whom an enforcement action is carried out by a locality or law-enforcement agency, pursuant to the authority granted for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, where the enforcement action was based upon a willful disregard for applicable law, shall be entitled to an award of compensatory damages and to an order remanding the matter to the locality with a direction to carry out any further enforcement in a manner consistent with the law and may be entitled to reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The bill also provides that if a locality fails to comply with such an order, the court may order that the locality shall be ineligible to receive any funds collected from enforcement using photo speed monitoring devices, in excess of those used for its photo speed monitoring device program, and that the court shall order that any such excess funds be deposited in the Virginia Highway Safety Improvement Program until the locality comes into compliance with such order. The bill also limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the vehicle speed violation. The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund established; voluntary contributions; report. Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that conserve or enhance wildlife corridors prioritized by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and associated wildlife crossing infrastructure projects. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall administer the Fund in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, and the Department of Transportation. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1 of each odd-numbered year concerning the amount of public and private funding received by the Fund, the awarding of grants from the Fund, and the progress of funded projects, including data on the use of project infrastructure by wildlife. The bill also provides mechanisms for individuals to make voluntary contributions to the Fund through a Department of Motor Vehicles electronic transaction and an individual income tax return.
Land subdivision and development; optional provisions of a subdivision ordinance; electric vehicle charging stations; Department of Energy; report. Allows, effective July 1, 2027, a locality to include in its subdivision ordinance a requirement for electric vehicle (EV) supply equipment, EV-ready charging spaces, or EV-capable parking spaces that provide infrastructure to facilitate future EV charging, including electrical capacity, prewiring, and conduit for a development containing commercial, industrial, or multifamily residential uses. Effective in due course, the bill directs the Department of Energy to evaluate the design and deployment of the electrical distribution infrastructure necessary to support the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities in new developments consisting of single-family and multifamily residential units, to provide recommendations on the appropriate number and type of EV charging spaces for new commercial and industrial developments, and to report its findings and recommendations to the State Corporation Commission no later than November 15, 2026.
HB 1145 changes the required frequency for motor vehicle safety inspections, extending the interval from every 12 months to every 24 months. This directly affects all vehicle owners in the state who are currently required to undergo annual safety inspections. The key provision replaces the annual inspection requirement with a biennial (every two years) schedule. The bill does not alter the inspection standards or costs, only the timing between required checks. This change would reduce the number of inspections vehicle owners must complete each year.
Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation. Directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and requires summonses issued for such vehicle speed violations to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of photo speed monitoring devices, including the use of funds from collected civil penalties, signage, data retention and storage, photo speed monitoring device calibration, making certain information available to the public, requirements for private vendors, and reporting. The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of requirements and provides that for any summons issued, failure to comply with the requirements for the operation of photo speed monitoring devices renders such summons invalid. The bill also limits the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones to when workers are present, as defined in the bill, and provides that a certificate sworn to or affirmed by a law-enforcement officer or a retired sworn law-enforcement officer is not prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein for a photo speed monitoring device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the vehicle speed violation.The bill contains delayed effective dates for certain provisions.
Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight except in use for hostler or utility service. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to include in an existing report the number of probable violations of federal regulations related to railroad safety investigated by the Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety and reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for enforcement. This bill is identical to HB 25.
Department of Transportation; criteria and recommendations for the potential designation of vulnerable road user safety zones; report. Requires the Department of Transportation to develop criteria and recommendations for the potential designation of vulnerable road user safety zones in the Commonwealth in areas that have experienced elevated rates of crashes, injuries, or fatalities involving pedestrians or cyclists. The bill requires the Department to submit a report with its criteria and any recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Transportation and the House Committees on Appropriations and Transportation no later than November 1, 2026.
Photo speed monitoring devices; photo-monitoring systems for traffic signals; school bus video-monitoring systems; proof of violation; certain persons swearing to or affirming certificates; training. Authorizes retired sworn law-enforcement officers, registered special conservators of the peace, and technicians employed by a locality to swear to or to affirm certificates for the purposes of enforcement of violations recorded by traffic light signal violation monitoring systems, traffic control device violation monitoring systems, photo speed monitoring devices, or school bus video-monitoring systems upon completion of a training course developed and approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill also requires law-enforcement officers swearing to or affirming such certificates to complete such training course. These provisions of the bill have an effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop, approve, and make available such training course no later than January 1, 2027. This bill incorporates SB 81 and is identical to HB 684.
