Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance; Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; rights and requirements of dam owners; civil penalty. Amends various provisions of the Dam Safety Act to streamline the Department of Conservation and Recreation's enforcement powers for impounding structures under the Act and clarifies the Department's powers and duties during an active dam failure. The bill also makes changes to a dam owner's responsibilities under the Act, including adding requirements to obtain a general permit for a low hazard impounding structure, making a dam owner responsible for ensuring that his impounding structure that presents an imminent danger has a safety inspection performed as provided in the bill, and allowing a dam owner to identify the dam break inundation zone of his impounding structure by providing the limits of the dam break inundation zone in lieu of filing a map. The bill also changes certain criteria for applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund, including the project match requirements for grants or loans. Finally, the bill repeals the provisions providing civil penalties for violating the provisions of the Act and makes technical amendments related to such repeal. This bill is identical to HB 2000.
Firearm safety device tax credit; definitions. Redefines an "eligible transaction" for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines "eligible transaction" as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025. This bill incorporates HB 1581 and is identical to SB 1389.
Six-year capital outlay plan and funding. Repeals the requirement that the Six-Year Capital Outlay Plan Advisory Committee meet on the day the Governor presents his preliminary financial report.
General district courts; jurisdictional limits. Increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the maximum civil jurisdictional limit of general district courts for all civil actions. Under current law, only civil actions for personal injury or wrongful death have a maximum jurisdictional limit of $50,000. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Medical malpractice; certification of expert witness; written opinion. Provides that at the time of service of process of every complaint, counter claim, third party claim, or warrant in debt in a medical malpractice action or every complaint, counter claim, or third party claim in an action for wrongful death against a health care provider, the plaintiff shall be deemed to have obtained a written opinion signed by an expert witness stating that the defendant in the action deviated from the applicable standard of care and the deviation was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed. The bill provides that a plaintiff may have separate certifications for standard of care and causation. The bill also requires a plaintiff to certify to the defendant upon whom service of process has been requested to certify within 21 days of the defendant's answer being filed that such plaintiff obtained the necessary expert opinion at the time service was requested or affirming that such plaintiff did not need to obtain a certifying expert witness opinion in accordance with relevant law.
Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance; Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; rights and requirements of dam owners; civil penalty. Amends various provisions of the Dam Safety Act to streamline the Department of Conservation and Recreation's enforcement powers for impounding structures under the Act and clarifies the Department's powers and duties during an active dam failure. The bill also makes changes to a dam owner's responsibilities under the Act, including adding requirements to obtain a general permit for a low hazard impounding structure, making a dam owner responsible for ensuring that his impounding structure that presents an imminent danger has a safety inspection performed as provided in the bill, and allowing a dam owner to identify the dam break inundation zone of his impounding structure by providing the limits of the dam break inundation zone in lieu of filing a map. The bill also changes certain criteria for applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund, including the project match requirements for grants or loans. Finally, the bill repeals the provisions providing civil penalties for violating the provisions of the Act and makes technical amendments related to such repeal. This bill is identical to SB 857.
Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education; members. Expands from 31 to 32 the minimum number of members of the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education by adding one representative of the Department of Veterans Services to the nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission. This bill incorporates SB 1427 and is identical to HB 2645.
Child victims and witnesses using two-way closed-circuit television or other securely encrypted two-way audio and video technology; standard. Allows the court to order that the testimony of a child be taken by two-way closed-circuit television or other securely encrypted two-way audio and video technology if it finds that the child is unavailable to testify in open court in the presence of the defendant, the jury, the judge, and the public if the court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, based upon expert opinion testimony, that the child will suffer at least moderate emotional trauma that is more than nervousness or excitement or some reluctance to testify as a result of testifying in the defendant's presence and not in the courtroom generally where such trauma would impair the child's ability to communicate.Under current law, the court may order such testimony be taken by two-way closed-circuit television if it finds that (i) the child has a substantial inability to communicate about the offense or (ii) there is a substantial likelihood, based upon expert opinion testimony, that the child will suffer severe emotional trauma from so testifying.The bill also extends the application window for the party seeking such order from seven to 14 days before the trial date or such other preliminary proceeding to which such order is to apply.
SB 799 extends the expiration date of the School Health Services Committee from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2028. This procedural bill does not change the committee's duties or who it serves; it only delays the committee's automatic termination. The change applies directly to the existing committee structure and its ongoing oversight of school health services. The bill was enacted on March 21, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2025.
Protective orders; Military Protective Orders. Permits a court to issue a preliminary protective order upon evidence of a Military Protective Order issued by a commanding officer in the Armed Forces of the United States, the Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state in favor of the petitioner or the petitioner's family or household members. The bill provides that a Military Protective Order issued between the parties shall only be admissible or considered as evidence in accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Rules of Evidence of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or other relevant Virginia case law. The bill requires a law-enforcement agency, upon a defendant's violation of a protective order, if such Military Protective Order was issued against the same defendant as a protective order in a Virginia court and registered with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), to inform the military law-enforcement officer or agency that issued and entered the Military Protective Order into NCIC of such violation. This bill incorporates SB 751 and is identical to HB 1882.
Retired justices and judges; per diem payments for attendance at mandatory judicial conferences. Provides that justices and judges who are retired under the Judicial Retirement System and are eligible for recall shall receive a per diem payment for attendance at any mandatory judicial conference at a rate established by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. This portion of the bill does not become effective unless reenacted by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly. In addition, the bill directs the Office of the Executive Secretary to study the provision of an hourly rate of payment for any retired judge or justice eligible for recall and any member of the State Corporation Commission or Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission for time necessarily expended when such judge, justice, or member is not actually sitting and report its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2025.
Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; directors. Provides that the board of directors of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority may hire directors, rather than an executive director, to carry out various duties of the Authority.
