Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation; powers and duties. Requires the Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation to (i) review and comment on the budget for the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and (ii) periodically review professions and occupations regulated by the Department and determine whether the regulation level for such professions or occupations should change or whether such professions or occupations should be deregulated. Should the Board determine that a profession or occupation should be regulated at a different level than its current level of regulation or should be deregulated, the bill provides that it must make such recommendation to the General Assembly. This bill is identical to SB 1096.
Septic system inspectors; minimum requirements. Amends the requirements for septic system inspections, as such term is defined in the bill, in connection with real estate transactions to provide that an individual must be an authorized septic system inspector, as defined in the bill, in order to conduct such inspections. The bill adds minimum requirements for septic system inspectors in conducting such inspections.
Retail sales and use tax; aircraft components. Extends the sunset date for the sales and use tax exemption for parts, engines, and supplies used for maintaining, repairing, or reconditioning aircraft or any aircraft's avionics system, engine, or component parts to July 1, 2030. This bill is identical to HB 1729.
Board of Social Work; Board of Counseling; master's social worker; scope of practice; regulations. Expands the scope of practice of master's social workers to allow the provision of clinical services under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker. The bill also directs the Board of Social Work to promulgate regulations to allow master's social workers to engage in clinical services under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker and directs the Board of Counseling to amend its regulations to state that a licensed baccalaureate social worker shall not be required to (i) register with the Board of Counseling or (ii) fulfill any additional training or education requirements in order to serve as a qualified mental health professional-trainee. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to amend their regulations to deem the services provided by a licensed baccalaureate social worker to be equivalent to the services provided by a qualified mental health professional-trainee and reimbursed at a comparable rate, and directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek all necessary federal authority to enact such changes.
Subdivision ordinance; local approvals; report. Shortens the timeframes for various local government approvals of subdivision plats and site plans. Additionally, the bill calls on the Virginia Code Commission to convene a work group consisting of various stakeholders to review existing provisions related to the submission, review, and approval of subdivision plats and site plans. The work group shall develop recommendations to (i) organize procedural steps in a clear, logical, and sequential order to enhance ease of reference; (ii) clarify the processes, requirements, and timelines applicable to each type of plat or plan; (iii) standardize terminology to ensure consistency, reduce ambiguity, and minimize misinterpretation; and (iv) identify and eliminate redundant or duplicative provisions to streamline the Code and improve its usability and shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1, 2025.
Fire insurance; assignment of claims prohibited. Prohibits a fire insurance policy or a fire insurance policy in combination with other coverages from assigning or otherwise transferring, in whole or in part, to any other person the duties, rights, or benefits of the insured under the policy arising from a claim or covered loss without written consent of the insurer. Any such contract provision is void and unenforceable under the bill. This bill is identical to SB 1154.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; international licensure and certification; regulations. Directs the regulatory boards within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to promulgate regulations allowing the issuance of a license or certification to any applicant who holds a comparable international license or certification issued by another country. This bill is identical to HB 1940.
Current and Mature Semiconductor Technology Grant Fund. Establishes the Current and Mature Semiconductor Technology Grant Fund to, subject to appropriation, fund 15 annual grant award installments, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60 million, to a qualified company that engages in the manufacture of semiconductors and that executes a memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth and, on and after July 1, 2024, but before June 30, 2040, is expected to (i) make a capital investment, defined in the bill, of at least $2,170,130,850 and (ii) create and maintain at least 340 new full-time jobs, in an eligible locality, defined in the bill. The bill also authorizes bonus grants of up to $10 million that a qualified company may earn for certain new full-time job creation and maintenance. The bill also repeals the existing Semiconductor Manufacturing Grant Fund and is identical to SB 1208.
Transfer on death deeds; inter vivos deed conveying real property to another; emergency. Provides that an inter vivos deed is effective to revoke a recorded transfer on death deed if such inter vivos deed conveys real property to another so the transferor is no longer the owner at the time of the transferor's death. Under current law, an inter vivos deed is effective to revoke a transfer on death deed if it expressly revokes all or part of the transfer on death deed. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Charter; Town of Brodnax. Amends the charter for the Town of Brodnax in Brunswick and Mecklenburg Counties to provide that the mayor elected in November 2025 shall be elected for a term of two years and thereafter for a term of four years. The bill also replaces the town's procedure for filling council vacancies by referencing the procedure provided by general law.
Motor vehicle sales and use tax; abandoned vehicles not sold at auction. Clarifies the basis by which the motor vehicle sales and use tax is calculated in cases where a person is applying for a title to an abandoned motor vehicle that is in their possession and did not sell at auction.
Membership of Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission. Adds the executive director of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or his designee to the membership of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill is identical to SB 966.
