Income tax credit; braille labeling program. Creates a nonrefundable individual and corporate income tax credit, as applicable, for taxable years 2026 through 2030 for up to $50,000 of expenditures incurred in the development and implementation of a braille labeling program on products, items, or packages sold in or shipped within the Commonwealth. The bill specifies that the aggregate amount of such credits allowed for all taxpayers in a taxable year is $500,000 and that any credit not usable for the taxable year in which it is first allowed shall not be carried over for credit in any succeeding taxable year.
Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat; penalty. Creates, under the animal cruelty provisions, a Class 6 felony for any person who maliciously kills any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another. Currently, such felony applies only to a person who (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, or mutilates any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii) as a direct result causes serious bodily injury to such dog or cat that is a companion animal, the death of such dog or cat that is a companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal.
Lane filtering; motorcycles; penalty. Authorizes the operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle to pass another vehicle that is stopped or traveling at no more than 10 miles per hour in the same lane or on the shoulder, provided that there are at least two lanes of travel in each direction, such motorcycle does not exceed a speed of 20 miles per hour, and the operator executes such passing with ordinary care. The bill makes intentionally impeding or attempting to impede the operator of a motorcycle from lawfully engaging in lane filtering a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $300. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to implement a statewide education campaign to alert drivers and the public that motorcycles may lawfully engage in lane filtering. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Interest in agricultural land; foreign adversaries. Amends the definition of foreign adversary, as it relates to the prohibition on ownership of agricultural land by foreign adversaries, to include any business entity that is substantially funded by a foreign government or nongovernment person determined by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of United States persons. The bill also amends the definition of "interest in agricultural land" to (i) include any controlling lease, long-term land use agreement, mineral rights, or water rights and (ii) remove the exclusion for any interest that taken on its own or together with any other interest held in common or under common control does not give the holder of the interest the ability to possess or occupy the agricultural land in any manner or the power or authority to direct the conduct of the agricultural operation being conducted on the agricultural land.
School boards; policies relating to volunteer student life counseling and support services; guidelines and requirements. Permits any school board to adopt a policy permitting certain individuals or groups to provide, on a volunteer basis, student life counseling or support services, as defined in the bill, on school property after regular school hours, in accordance with the requirements in the bill. The bill (i) requires a school board to hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for public comment on the proposed policy prior to adopting such policy and (ii) requires such policy (a) to include background and criminal records check requirements for individuals volunteering to provide such support services; (b) to require written parental consent before any minor student participates in or receives such support services; and (c) to require any approved individual or group to include on materials provided to students and parents information a parent or student may need in order to provide full and informed consent.
Electric utilities; certificate of operation for high-load facilities. Prohibits any person from operating a high-load facility, defined in the bill as a facility whose electricity demand exceeds 90 megawatts that was not operating before January 1, 2027, without first having obtained a certificate of operation from the State Corporation Commission. The bill includes factors for the Commission to consider in reviewing a petition to operate a high-load facility. The bill establishes a presumption that a high-load facility shall be considered to have met certain requirements if the high-load facility has secured sufficient contracts for energy storage resources or zero-carbon electric generating resources or that the high-load facility has a plan to implement sufficient demand reduction measures. The bill also requires the Commission to consider certain factors in a review of a petition for a certificate to operate a high-load facility, including whether there is sufficient energy, capacity, and grid infrastructure to support the operation of the high-load facility and whether the operation of the high-load facility would create an unreasonable cross-subsidy across customers served by the incumbent electric utility.
A BILL to amend and reenact Items 5 and 6 and Enactments 14, 15, and 16 of Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025, which appropriates the public revenues for two years ending, respectively, on June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and to amend Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025, which appropriates the public revenues for two years ending, respectively, on June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, by adding an item numbered 78.10 and by adding enactments numbered 17, 18, 19, and 20 which appropriates the public revenues for two years ending, respectively, on June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026; and to provide for the submission to the voters of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Virginia by amending Section 6 of Article II and by adding in the Schedule a section numbered 6; and to repeal § 30-13 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the general appropriation act; Department of Elections.
Department of Motor Vehicles; motor vehicle title databases. Authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to enter into agreements with nationally recognized motor vehicle title databases to share and receive motor vehicle owner and lienholder information between governmental entities.
Motor vehicles; use of safety belt systems; certain emergency medical services personnel. Exempts from the requirements for the use of safety belt systems emergency medical services personnel while in the patient compartment of an emergency medical services vehicle providing necessary care, as defined in the bill, to a patient. The bill also provides that, for seats that are subject to such requirements for the use of safety belt systems, such personnel shall use safety belt systems while the vehicle is in motion and such personnel is not providing necessary care to a patient.
Required disclosures for dietary supplements and medication; gluten disclaimer. Requires any person who manufactures, distributes, or sells or offers for sale a dietary supplement to label such dietary supplement with a list of active and inactive ingredients and include a separate disclaimer if the product contains gluten. The bill requires pharmacists, when dispensing a prescription drug, to provide all information required under federal law to accompany the drug, including the medication guide, patient package insert, or other written patient information. The bill also requires pharmacists to provide counseling consistent with federally required labels to patients upon request when dispensing a nonprescription drug. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training. Requires every operator, defined in the bill, and its employees to complete an approved training course on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking, as provided or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, by January 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill contains technical amendments.
Positive behavior support facilitators; scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications. Adds positive behavior support facilitators to the professions governed by the Board of Counseling. The bill establishes qualification, scope of practice, and supervision requirements and directs the Board of Counseling to adopt regulations governing positive behavior support facilitators. The bill also directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services to promulgate regulations that align with the regulations adopted by the Board of Counseling in accordance with the bill.
