Inhaling drugs or other noxious chemical substances or causing, etc., others to do so; distribution of nitrous oxide to persons under 18 prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of a device that is designed or intended to deliver a gas containing nitrous oxide to persons under 18 years of age with exceptions as defined in the bill. Any person who fails to make diligent inquiry as to whether the person trying to obtain such a device is 18 years of age or older or sells, distributes, or attempts to sell or distribute such a device to a person under 18 years of age is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also adds nitrous oxide to the list of noxious chemical substances for which it is unlawful to deliberately smell or inhale with the intent to become intoxicated, inebriated, excited, or stupefied or to dull the brain or nervous system, or to deliberately cause another person to do so. This bill is identical to SB 1361.
Assignment of causes of action. Provides that the limitations on assignable causes of action shall not prohibit any injured party or his estate from making a voluntary assignment of the proceeds or anticipated proceeds into a self-settled trust for which the injured party is the beneficiary, including self-settled trusts for the charitable purpose of one or more charitable organizations.
Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; employment prohibition exceptions; children 16 years of age or older. Allows children 16 years of age or older to serve in a licensed barbershop or cosmetology salon, provided that (i) the child is an apprentice, (ii) the child is employed in a work-training program as provided by relevant law and in accordance with relevant regulations, or (iii) the child has obtained a cosmetology or barber license from the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology. This bill is identical to HB 1667.
Advanced registered medication aides; administration of drugs. Specifies that advanced registered medication aides may administer drugs to long-term care residents who do not have a clinical condition that requires evaluation by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse for the administration of medications. The bill also limits the practice of advanced registered medication aides to nursing homes licensed by the Department of Health and permits advanced registered medication aides to administer drugs determined permissible by the Board of Nursing. The bill directs the Department of Health, the Board of Nursing, and the Board of Pharmacy to promulgate regulations to be effective as of December 15, 2025, pertaining to the administration of drugs to residents in nursing homes by advanced registered medication aides.
Line of Duty Act; campus police officers; private police officers. Provides employees of contributing nonprofit private institutions of higher education and contributing private police departments, as those terms are defined in the bill, with the benefits granted to employees of participating employers under the Line of Duty Act. The bill clarifies that the Line of Duty Act shall not apply to any (i) private institution of higher education that is not a contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education or (ii) private police department that is not a contributing private police department. The bill requires each contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education and contributing private police department to pay its pro rata share of the initial costs to implement the bill, as determined by the Virginia Retirement System. This bill is identical to SB 1142.
Resale Disclosure Act; resale certificate; prohibition on requiring purchaser's name. Prohibits any association from requiring a purchaser's name prior to preparing the resale certificate or requiring such information to be set out on a completed resale certificate prepared pursuant to the provisions of the Resale Disclosure Act.
Department of Education; survey of local education agencies on school-based mental and behavioral health services; report. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to survey each local education agency (LEA) in the Commonwealth to determine (i) how public schools governed by such LEA currently grant access to local departments of social services and community services boards and other community-based providers of mental and behavioral health services and (ii) what school-based mental and behavioral health services are made available by such LEA. The bill requires the Department to utilize the results of and feedback from the survey to inform the continued development and improvement of guidelines for school professionals to support students and families by connecting them with community resources that provide mental and behavioral health services. The bill requires the Department to report to the Commission on Youth by November 1, 2025, any findings and recommendations that result from the survey. This bill is identical to SB 768.
Fire Prevention Code; prohibition on permit fees for fire departments and emergency medical services agencies in certain localities. Prohibits the State Fire Marshal from charging a fee for the approval and administration of certain permits issued to fire departments and emergency medical services agencies in localities with a total population of less than 10,000 as determined by the most recent federal decennial census by the United States Census Bureau.
Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers; exclusions. Excludes from the definition of "publicly funded provider" for the purpose of provisions of law relating to early childhood care and education any program for which the sole source of public funding is financial assistance for military child care pursuant to relevant federal law and that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Defense-approved national accrediting body.
Marine Resources Commission; encroachment on subaqueous beds; permitting requirements. Increases the maximum total value of projects eligible for a permit to trespass upon or over or encroach upon a subaqueous bed belonging to the Commonwealth from $500,000 to $1,000,000. The bill requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to update the total project value every five years using the Consumer Price Index and publish such increase or decrease on the Marine Resource Commission's website. This bill is identical to HB 1810.
Behavioral health services; exchange of medical and mental health information and records; correctional facilities. Permits the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Department of Social Services, and any local department of social services to access medical and mental health information and records for persons committed to any correctional facility for the purposes of providing pre-release services, reentry planning, and post-incarceration placement and services. The bill also authorizes the Department of Medical Assistance Services to access a juvenile's social, medical, psychiatric, and psychological reports and records during pre-release and for up to 30 days following such juvenile's release from commitment for the purposes of providing pre-release services, reentry planning, and post-incarceration placement and services. This bill incorporates HB 2290, HB 2655, and HB 2752 and is identical to SB 870.
Office of the Children's Ombudsman; foster youth's right to receive information. Requires the Department of Social Services or a local department of social services, a children's residential facility, or any child-placing agency to provide certain information along with the contact information for the Office of the Children's Ombudsman to a biological parent, prospective adoptive parent, or foster parent, as well as to any child in foster care age 12 or older upon the opening of a foster care case for such child. The bill also provides that, in relation to complaints made to the Ombudsman, if such child is the complainant, the Ombudsman need not gain the consent of the Department or local department of social services, the children's residential facility, the child-placing agency, or the foster parent or guardian of the child or other person having custody or care of the child to receive information from or communicate with the child. This bill is identical to SB 1406.
