Department of Health Professions; health regulatory boards; regulations; licensure by endorsement. Directs each health regulatory board regulated by the Department of Health Professions to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway for qualified applicants as practitioners of the particular profession or professions regulated by such board. The bill specifies that the Board of Medicine shall be the first health regulatory board to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway. This bill is identical to SB 1438.
Newborn screening requirements; federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; evaluation; rulemaking; report. Directs the Department of Health (the Department) to determine whether testing for disorders included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) recommended by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should be included in the Commonwealth's newborn screening requirements. The bill directs the Department to evaluate disorders included on the RUSP within 12 months of their addition to the RUSP and commence rulemaking procedures for adding such disorders to the Commonwealth's screening program if their inclusion is appropriate. The bill also requires the Department to determine annually whether disorders not included in the Commonwealth's newborn screening program should be reevaluated for inclusion. The bill requires the Department to submit a status report to the General Assembly annually containing information on the disorders included, evaluated, not recommended for inclusion, and not recommended for reevaluation. The bill contains an enactment clause requiring the Department to conduct such evaluation and, if applicable, commence rulemaking procedures for the addition of disorders within 12 months of the effective date of the bill for any disorders that are listed on the RUSP as of January 1, 2025.
Dissemination of criminal history record information. Requires an attorney for the Commonwealth to provide a physical or electronic copy of a person's criminal history record information, including criminal history record information maintained in the National Crime Information Center and the Interstate Identification Index System that is in his possession, pursuant to the rules of court for obtaining discovery or for review by the court. The bill also provides that no criminal history record information provided shall be disseminated further.Current law provides that nothing shall preclude the dissemination of a person's criminal history record information pursuant to such rules of court but does not require the attorney for the Commonwealth to provide the copy nor identify specific types of information. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill incorporates HB 2314 and is identical to SB 1193.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents; exemptions. Clarifies that the provisions related to real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents shall not apply to any person employed by a licensed real estate broker for and on behalf of the owner of any real estate or the improvements thereon that the licensed broker has contracted to manage for the owner if the actions of such employee are limited to (i) accepting and signing broker-approved rental agreements, state or federal required disclosures, and any documents required for compliance with Virginia Fair Housing Law related to such rental transaction and (ii) accepting security deposits, periodic rent, and other payments contracted for in the rental agreement for such real estate. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill is identical to SB 993.
Vehicle operation; unlicensed minor; penalty. Prohibits any person from knowingly authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle by (i) any person who he knows has no legal right to do so or (ii) a minor who he knows has no operator's license or who has a learner's permit but who he knows would operate such motor vehicle in violation of certain limitations on operating a motor vehicle with a learner's permit. The bill provides that any person who violates such provisions is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if such violation results in a motor vehicle accident that causes death or injury to any person, provided that such violation does not otherwise constitute a felony. Existing law prohibits any person from knowingly authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle by any person who the authorizing person knows (a) has had his operator's license or permit suspended or revoked or (b) has no operator's license or permit and has been previously convicted of driving without a license.
School-connected student overdoses; policies relating to parental notification. Requires public school principals and heads of private schools in the Commonwealth to report certain information to the parents of enrolled students within 24 hours of a confirmed or suspected school-connected student overdose, as defined in the bill. This bill is identical to HB 2774.
Notifying defendant of consequences criminal proceedings can have on immigration. Requires that upon the defendant's first appearance for any misdemeanor or felony, the court shall advise the defendant of the following: The outcome of criminal proceedings may have federal immigration and naturalization consequences.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; early termination of rental agreement; victims of family abuse, sexual abuse or criminal sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. Provides that a tenant who is a victim of family abuse, sexual abuse or other criminal sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking may terminate such tenant's obligations under an active and current rental agreement if the tenant has obtained a preliminary protective order or a magistrate, law-enforcement agency, grand jury, special grand jury, or court has issued a warrant, summons, information, or indictment charging any such crime. Under current law, there must be a permanent protective order or a conviction before the tenant may terminate such obligations under a rental agreement. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission.
Real property tax; exemption for elderly and disabled individuals. Revises various provisions of the local real property tax exemption and deferral program for elderly and disabled individuals. The bill allows a locality to require that an individual (i) pay all delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest assessed by the locality and incurred prior to becoming eligible for an exemption or deferral; (ii) enter into an installment agreement with the locality for the payment of all such delinquent amounts in installments over a period that is reasonable under the circumstances, but that in no event shall exceed 72 months; (iii) submit and obtain the treasurer's agreement to an offer in compromise with respect to all amounts of delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest; or (iv) carry out a combination thereof. Additionally, the bill provides that notice of the terms and conditions of the exemption and deferral program may be included in any notice of change in assessment and that the treasurer shall post such information on the locality's website. Finally, the bill allows a locality to provide a prorated exemption or deferral for the portion of the taxable year during which the taxpayer would have qualified for such exemption or deferral but had not yet filed an application. This bill is identical to HB 2029.
Possession, etc., of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age; liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products license; prohibitions; enforcement. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that any such product purchased or possessed by a person younger than 21 years of age (i) shall be deemed contraband and (ii) may be seized by a law-enforcement officer. Any such product, the lawful possession of which is not established, seized by such officer shall be forfeited and disposed of according to the process described in relevant law. The bill also provides that seizure shall be the sole penalty for a violation of such prohibition and that the provisions of the bill shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute. Further, if a person does not receive a license from the Department of Taxation to sell, deal, transport, or ship liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products to retailers in the Commonwealth, such person is subject to a penalty of $400, in addition to any other applicable taxes or fees. The bill provides that the Department of Taxation is not required pursuant to relevant law to conduct unannounced investigations of retail tobacco dealers at least once every 24 months to verify that a retail dealer is not selling retail tobacco products to persons younger than 21 years of age. Lastly, the bill requires the Department of Taxation to convene a work group consisting of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Office of the Attorney General, the Virginia State Police, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services to develop an enforcement program related to the sale of retail tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to individuals younger than 21 years of age. The work group's findings and recommendations are to be reported to the Chairs of the House Committees on General Laws and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Rehabilitation and Social Services and Finance and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 1946.
Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases by one the maximum number of general district court judges in the Ninth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts. The bill also increases by one the maximum number of juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Second Judicial District. This bill incorporates HB 2249 and HB 2361 and is identical to SB 1327.
Secretary of Transportation; autonomous driving systems; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, to convene a work group to identify operational, technical, and legal issues presented by the operation of autonomous driving systems in the Commonwealth for the purpose of developing draft legislation addressing governance of such systems in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the work group to report its findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026.
