Sen. Dave Marsden

Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution that formally honors the life of Bernard L. Henderson, Jr. It does not create new laws or change government policies but serves as a commemorative gesture to recognize his contributions. The measure was passed by the Senate through a block vote, indicating unanimous agreement among its members. As a procedural document, it does not affect funding, regulations, or the general public.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally recognizes the University of Mary Washington men's basketball team. It serves as an official commendation rather than a law that changes government policy or spending. The measure was approved by the Senate to honor the team's accomplishments.

Purchase, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, or is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, transfers, or purchases a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 217.

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes and honors the veterans who served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. It does not create new laws or change existing policies but serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of their military service. The legislation was passed by both the House and Senate through voice votes, indicating broad bipartisan support for the commendation.

Maddy summaryThis bill honors the life of the Honorable Gerald Edward Connolly, a former state official. It serves as a commemorative resolution to recognize his contributions and legacy within the state government. The measure does not create new laws or policies but instead formally acknowledges his service. It was passed by both the House and Senate and is now awaiting final action.

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes and commends schools in Virginia that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students in qualifying schools. The legislation does not create new funding or policy changes but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of these schools' achievements in serving their student populations. It directly affects school administrators, staff, and students in Virginia who benefit from the Community Eligibility Provision by highlighting their contributions to school nutrition programs. The bill is a ceremonial measure intended to honor rather than alter existing educational policies or funding structures.

Maddy summaryThis bill formally recognizes the Virginia Youth Poet Laureate through a commendation resolution. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies but serves as an official acknowledgment of the program's contribution to youth arts and culture. The measure passed both the House and Senate by voice vote without requiring further legislative action.

Certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. Requires any water user required to register water withdrawal and use data to the State Water Control Board that provides water to another person offsite to include in its report, submitted on its regular reporting schedule, the total volume of potable water and, reported separately, the total volume of reclaimed water, as defined in the bill, provided during each month for each of the following categories: (i) a data center with an air permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) to the extent available without utility billing system modifications, (a) domestic purposes, (b) commercial and industrial purposes, separately or combined as available, and (c) all other non-categorized purposes. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 496.

Pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects; levy; report. Authorizes the State Corporation Commission, in reviewing any application submitted by a public utility for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an electrical transmission line of 500 kilovolts filed between January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, to approve up to four applications for qualifying projects to be constructed in whole or in part underground as part of the pilot program for underground transmission lines and to provide an expedited review of any such application. The bill removes certain provisions related to the existing pilot program.Under the bill, a project shall be qualified if (i) the Commission finds that an engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to place the proposed line in whole or in part underground, (ii) the application contains certain information regarding projections of project costs, (iii) the application contains evidence that the governing body of each locality in which at least a portion of the proposed line will be placed underground supports the project's inclusion in the program and agrees to meet its related funding obligations, and (iv) the Commission finds the overall cost of the project reasonable and consistent with the public interest. The bill permits the Commission to deny an application for a project that otherwise meets the criteria to qualify, provided that the Commission publicly shares its rationale for doing so.The bill requires at least 50 percent of the marginal costs, as defined in the bill, of the portion of a qualifying project chosen to be placed underground within a locality pursuant to its provisions to be paid by such locality. The bill permits such a locality to meet such requirement through imposing a levy that meets certain requirements on electric utility customers within the locality, issuing a general obligation bond subject to a referendum, allocating its own funds, or any combination of such methods. The bill extends the Commission's final report deadline for the pilot program from December 1, 2024, to December 1, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 1487.

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors. This bill is identical to SB 322.