Transportation

Use of license plates from another vehicle; authorized time period. Extends from five to 30 days the time period for which the owner of a motor vehicle is authorized to use license plates from his motor vehicle on another motor vehicle owned by a person operating a garage or owned by a motor vehicle dealer, provided that such use is limited to the time during which his motor vehicle is being repaired or while the motor vehicle owned by the garage operator or motor vehicle dealer is loaned to him for demonstration.

School crossing zones; institutions of higher education. Expands the definition of "school crossing zone" to include areas surrounding schools where the presence of students reasonably requires a special warning to motorists and provides that the term "school" as it relates to a school crossing zone includes public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education. Currently, the definition of "school crossing zone" includes only areas surrounding schools where the presence of children requires such warning. Existing provisions of law allowing photo speed monitoring devices to be installed in school crossing zones will apply to any location that meets the expanded definition.

Pedestrians; walking on roadways that are part of divided highways. Permits pedestrians, when walking on a roadway that is part of a highway divided by a physical barrier or barriers or an unpaved area, and when there are no shoulders of the highway present, to keep to the extreme right side or edge of the roadway, regardless of the direction of traffic they face. Under current law, pedestrians, when permitted to walk on a roadway, are required to keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof. The bill also clarifies current law, which requires pedestrians walking on a roadway to face oncoming traffic.

Department of Motor Vehicles; improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public; report. Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to examine and make recommendations for options and measures for improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices, and mopeds for operators and the general public and submit a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on 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 is identical to SB 59.

Local highway system funding; revenue-sharing funds; funding cycle. Requires the application process established by the Commonwealth Transportation Board for localities to receive revenue-sharing funds to use for the improvement, construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of the highway system to be conducted on an annual basis.

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 SB 191.

Photo speed monitoring devices, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems, and stop sign violation monitoring systems; placement and operation; violation enforcement; civil penalties. Authorizes state and local law-enforcement agencies to place and operate pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones, and high-risk speed corridors for purposes of recording pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill requires local law-enforcement agencies implementing or expanding the use of pedestrian crossing violation and stop sign violation monitoring systems, prior to the implementation or expansion of such systems, to conduct a public awareness program for such implementation or expansion.The bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a summons for vehicle speed violations captured by photo speed monitoring devices and violations captured by the other devices authorized by this bill and requires summonses issued for such violations captured by such devices to be such summons. The bill makes various changes to the requirements for the use of these 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 such devices renders such summons invalid and requires courts to dismiss such summons.The bill also limits the use of such 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 device placed in a highway work zone unless the operator of the photo speed monitoring device, pedestrian crossing violation monitoring system, or stop sign violation monitoring system, respectively, provides a sworn certification verifying that workers were present at the time of the 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 incorporates SB 81 and is identical to HB 684.

Lighted vehicle headlights; lawful stop by law-enforcement officer. Clarifies that any evidence discovered or obtained following the lawful stop by a law-enforcement officer of a vehicle displaying no lighted headlights may be offered as evidence in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding if such evidence is otherwise admissible.