Electric utilities; approval required for construction of certain electrical transmission lines. Prohibits the construction of a new transmission line overhead unless the State Corporation Commission first determines that the construction of such transmission line in whole or in part underground is not in the public interest.
Siting of data centers; property classified for industrial use. Requires that any local government land use application for the siting of a data center shall only be approved if such application is for a data center located on property classified by local ordinance for industrial use. The bill applies only to such applications submitted on or after July 1, 2025.
Electric utilities; regional transmission entities; annual report. Requires each incumbent electric utility that is a member of or has established a regional transmission entity for purposes of management and control of its transmission system as required under current law to submit an annual report by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include all recorded votes cast by the utility during the immediately preceding calendar year, all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility, and a brief description explaining how each vote cast by the utility or its affiliate is in the public interest.
Assault and battery of law-enforcement officer; definition of law-enforcement officer; penalty. Adds officers of the Virginia Marine Police to the definition of law-enforcement officer, which means that the punishment for committing an assault and battery on such an officer who is engaged in the performance of his public duties is elevated from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony, with a six-month mandatory minimum term of confinement.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; deregulation of residential building energy analysts. Repeals certain provisions of the Code related to the regulation and licensure of residential building energy analysts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to perform for compensation without insurance coverage valued at no less than $100,000 or in a manner otherwise inconsistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines any inspection or evaluation of any of the readily accessible components of a residential building, such as appliances, water heaters, insulation materials, HVAC units, or electrical components, and provide recommendations to reduce the energy consumption or improve the efficiency of such components.
Zoning; by-right multifamily development in areas zoned for commercial use. Requires a locality to provide in its zoning ordinance provisions allowing for the by-right development and construction of multifamily residential uses on all land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications. The bill provides that the review and approval of such development shall be done administratively by the locality's staff and that any residential development that dedicates a minimum of 10 percent of the total number of housing units to households with a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income shall be granted an accelerated plan review and permit approval process by the locality's staff.
Salaries of boards of supervisors for certain counties. Increases the statutory salary caps for boards of supervisors of counties that have adopted salary limits consistent with provisions in the Code of Virginia relating to alternative procedures for establishing salaries of boards of supervisors.
Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill provides that the ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty and that the funds from such civil penalties may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses.
Health insurance; cost-sharing; pharmacy benefits managers; compensation and duties: civil penalty. Amends provisions related to rebates provided by carriers and health benefit plans to health plan enrollees by defining "defined cost-sharing," "pharmacy benefits management services," and "price protection rebates." The bill requires that an enrollee's defined cost-sharing for each prescription drug be calculated at the point of sale based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to at least 80 percent of all rebates received or expected to be received in connection with the dispensing or administration of the prescription drug.The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from deriving income from pharmacy benefits management services provided to a carrier or health benefit plan except for income derived from a pharmacy benefits management fee. The bill requires the amount of any pharmacy benefits management fees to be set forth in the agreement between the pharmacy benefits manager and the carrier or health benefit plan and that such fee not be based on the acquisition cost or any other price metric of a drug; the amount of savings, rebates, or other fees charged, realized, or collected by or generated based on the activity of the pharmacy benefits manager; or the amount of premiums, deductibles, or other cost-sharing or fees charged, realized, or collected by the pharmacy benefits manager from enrollees or other persons on behalf of an enrollee. The bill requires a pharmacy benefits manager to annually certify to the State Corporation Commission that it has met certain requirements. The Commission is directed to impose a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per claim for a violation of these provisions.The bill establishes a pharmacy benefits manager duty, which includes the duties of care, good faith, and fair dealing, owed to any enrollee, provider, or health benefit plan that receives pharmacy benefits management services from the pharmacy benefits manager or that furnishes, covers, receives, or is administered a unit of a prescription drug for which the pharmacy benefits manager has provided pharmacy benefits management services. The bill requires the Commission to define by regulation the scope of such duty and provides for a private cause of action for any person aggrieved by the breach of such duty. The bill is identical to HB 2773.
Statewide housing targets for localities. Requires localities to increase their total housing stock by at least 7.5 percent over the five-year period beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that in order to meet the 7.5 percent growth target, a locality shall develop a housing growth plan that best meets the needs of the locality and may include any of various listed housing growth strategies. The bill further provides that after January 1, 2031, an applicant who seeks local government approval for a residential development that will have the effect of increasing the supply of housing in a locality and has that application rejected may, in addition to other remedies, appeal such decision to the Housing Approval Board, which shall be established by the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill authorizes the Housing Approval Board to overturn local decisions and approve applications under certain circumstances. However, if the Housing Approval Board determines that a locality has in good faith implemented at least three of the housing growth strategies listed in the bill and has not rejected more than 25 percent of new housing development proposals over the previous five years, the Housing Approval Board shall allow the local decision to stand. Finally, the bill provides that the Housing Approval Board shall give extra weight for increases in affordable housing and for the rehabilitation of current, underutilized housing stock.
Minimum wage and overtime pay; warehouse distribution center employees and employers; civil action; civil penalty. Provides that (i) an employer that violates requirements in existing law relating to the minimum wage, payment of wages and salaries, or overtime pay or (ii) a warehouse employer, as defined in the bill, that violates the bill's provisions shall be liable to an impacted employee for certain remedies, damages, and other relief as specified in the bill. The bill requires a warehouse employer to provide each warehouse employee, as defined in the bill, a written description of each performance standard to which such employee is subject and of any potential adverse employment action that may result from such employee's failure to meet such performance standard. The bill prohibits a warehouse employer from taking an adverse action against a warehouse employee for such employee's use of a bathroom facility. The bill provides that a warehouse employer that violates the bill's provisions relating to warehouse employers is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each violation.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; enforcement by localities. Provides that if a condition exists in a rental dwelling unit that constitutes a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or with any provision of law that, if not promptly corrected, constitutes a fire hazard or serious threat to the life, health, or safety of tenants or occupants of the premises, a locality may institute an action for injunction and damages to enforce the landlord's duty to maintain the rental dwelling unit in a fit and habitable condition, provided that (i) the property where the violation occurred is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the locality and (ii) the locality has notified the landlord who owns the property, either directly or through the managing agent, of the nature of the violation and the landlord has failed to remedy the violation to the satisfaction of the locality within a reasonable time after receiving such notice. This bill is identical to SB 479.
