Del. Keith Hodges

Department of Environmental Quality; carbon market participation; coastal and marine resources. Allows the Department of Environmental Quality to participate in any carbon market for the preservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the Commonwealth's coastal and marine resources on state-owned bottomlands and property and enter into agreements necessary to facilitate such participation. The bill requires the Department to hold exclusive title to such credits until such credits are sold. Any revenues resulting from the sale of such credits are required to be distributed as follows: 75 percent to the Oyster Replenishment Fund and 25 percent to the qualifying leaseholder.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJ 84) is a ceremonial resolution commending the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and its Foundation for their service. It does not create new laws, alter policies, or affect any individuals or organizations through concrete measures. The resolution formally recognizes the group's contributions, as is typical for such non-binding acknowledgments. It passed both the Senate and House via voice vote in February 2026.

Electric utilities; suspension of certain requirements. Provides that the renewable energy portfolio standard requirements and any associated construction, procurement, or retirement mandates are suspended for the applicable compliance year if the State Corporation Commission determines that compliance has resulted in, or will result in, any of the following: (i) an increase in the average residential customer’s total monthly electric bill of more than five percent in any calendar year that is attributable to compliance with the renewable energy portfolio standard or associated zero-carbon generation or energy storage requirements; (ii) an increase in any rate adjustment clause, rider, or non-bypassable charge associated with compliance with this section that exceeds $50 per month for the average residential customer; (iii) a determination that compliance poses a material risk to electric system reliability or resource adequacy in the Commonwealth; or (iv) a determination that the cost of renewable energy certificates necessary for compliance exceeds the applicable alternative compliance payment or deficiency payment for two consecutive compliance years.

Public schools; mathematics and reading in kindergarten through grade eight; certain initiatives. Establishes several requirements relating to mathematics and reading proficiency in kindergarten through grade eight, including (i) requiring the Department of Education to establish and administer the math teacher and specialist corps to provide grants on a competitive basis to school divisions in which the mathematics proficiency of students in kindergarten through grade eight indicates a high need for intervention and improvement in order for such school divisions to offer annual stipends to effective educators with endorsements in mathematics or as mathematics specialists and deploy such individuals to the schools with the highest need; (ii) requiring each student in kindergarten through grade three to participate in a mathematics screener approved by the Department and requiring any student whose results on such screener indicate the need for further assessment to participate in a diagnostic mathematics assessment approved by the Department and to receive a mathematics improvement plan if the results on such assessment indicate the need for accelerated interventions to progress toward proficient performance in mathematics; and (iii) prohibiting any student in grade three who receives reading intervention services and whose performance on the statewide literacy screener or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment at the end of the school year demonstrates substantial deficiencies from being promoted to grade four except in certain enumerated cases.

Income tax subtraction; broadband grant fund awards. Establishes an individual and corporate income tax subtraction for any amount of public grant awards received in the taxable year for the exclusive purpose of planning, constructing, expanding, or improving upon broadband infrastructure and services in the Commonwealth beginning in taxable year 2025.

Electric utilities; retirement of certain electric generating units. Provides that, for the required retirement by December 31, 2045, of electric generating units that emit carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity, exceptions to such requirement include natural gas electric generating units with carbon capture capability and emissions-positive electric generating units. Under the bill, "emissions-positive generating unit" means an electric generating unit that produces a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by either preventing, capturing, or collecting such emissions from fuel combustion.

Pharmacists; initiation of treatment; influenza prophylaxis. Permits pharmacists to initiate treatment with, dispense, or administer drugs and devices for prophylactic purposes to prevent or mitigate the symptoms of influenza virus infection.

Department of Conservation and Recreation; federal National Flood Insurance Program; guidance document. Requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation, in collaboration with the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Transportation, Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, representatives from localities, and any other state agency issuing permits in a floodplain, to develop and maintain a comprehensive guidance document to assist localities in complying with federal floodplain management requirements under the National Flood Insurance Program. The bill requires such guidance document to provide the proper implementation of enforcement provisions regulating development in floodplain management areas, including floodplain permitting requirements for all man-made development, within localities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. The bill requires the Department to review and revise the guidance document, with input from other state agencies and representatives of localities, at least every five years.

Income tax; real property tax relief credit. Provides a refundable income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 to eligible taxpayers, defined in the bill, who incur real property taxes in an amount equal to or greater than four percent of their federal adjusted gross income for up to $500 for single individuals and $1000 for married persons filing jointly.

Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority; powers; commercial fishing pier. Expands the powers of the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority to allow the Authority to construct, maintain, and operate a commercial fishing pier, defined in the bill, whose primary purpose is to allow fishing by the public. The bill exempts such a pier from certain licensing and reporting requirements for commercial fishing piers.