Compensation of court-appointed counsel. Clarifies that, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, no person found indigent or child's parents or other persons responsible for the care of a child found indigent and who is represented by a public defender or court-appointed counsel shall have fees assessed against him for legal representation in an amount greater than the amount such person or such child would have owed if the assessment took place on or before June 30, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill is identical to HB 1757.
Amber warning lights; certain department of social services vehicles. Authorizes the use of amber warning lights on vehicles used by a local department of social services to respond to a request for assistance from law-enforcement agency personnel.
Charter; Town of Urbanna. Amends the charter for the Town of Urbanna in Middlesex County by clarifying that the mayor shall be a member of town council and shall be included in the determination of a quorum.
Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; required disclosures for buyer to beware; aircraft noise. Requires that the owner of a residential real property include in the residential property disclosure statement provided to a potential purchaser of such residential real property a statement that the owner makes no representations or warranties with respect to the property's proximity to a public use airport nor any noise from aircraft due to the proximity of the property to flight operations, and purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary to determine whether the property is within proximity to a flight path or public use airport aircraft noise zone. The bill also requires the Department of Aviation to establish and provide to the Real Estate Board by July 31, 2025, a website address that allows purchasers to access public use airport aircraft noise zone maps, and requires the Real Estate Board to include such website address on the form for signature by the parties stating that the purchaser has been advised of the disclosures listed in the residential property disclosure statement. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. This bill is identical to HB 1706.
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 HB 2358.
Compounded drugs; exceptions for distribution within health systems under common ownership. Allows for the distribution of compounded drugs within health systems under common ownership when such drugs will be administered only to patients within the hospital or health system. This bill is identical to SB 1366.
Office of the State Inspector General; behavioral health and developmental services; required reports. Adds the Behavioral Health Commission to the list of entities to whom the Office of the State Inspector General is required to report on certain issues related to behavioral health and developmental services. This bill is identical to SB 885.
Cigarette delivery sales; definition. Removes from the exceptions enumerated in the definition of "delivery sale" the delivery of cigarettes, not through the mail or by a common carrier, to a consumer performed by the owner, employee, or other individual acting on behalf of a retailer authorized to sell such cigarettes. This bill is identical to HB 2370.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Secretary of Finance; evaluate public safety communications infrastructure updates and hardware replacements; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of Finance, to evaluate the need for public safety communications infrastructure updates and hardware replacements, and the cost of meeting such need. The Secretaries shall report any findings and recommendations, including possible funding options, to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2025.
Fire Programs Fund; aid to localities; requirement for emergency incidents reporting. Requires that, in order to remain eligible for funding from the Fire Programs Fund, a locality must report all emergency incidents through the National Emergency Response Information System while sharing such emergency incident data with the Department of Fire Programs. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 2065.
Health insurance; carrier contracts; required provisions regarding prior authorization for health care services; work group; report. Requires certain health insurance contracts under which an insurance carrier has the right or obligation to require prior authorization for a health care service, as defined in the bill, to include provisions governing the prior authorization process. Such required provisions include (i) time limits for a carrier to respond to prior authorization requests, (ii) a prohibition on revoking, limiting, making conditional, modifying, or restricting a previously approved prior authorization except under certain circumstances, and (iii) a requirement that a carrier shall provide the reasons for denial of a request. The bill requires a carrier to make publicly available on its website a list of health care services and codes for which prior authorization is required. The foregoing provisions have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance to establish a work group to develop and deliver a report related to the bill's provisions by November 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 2099.
Commonwealth Rail Fund; Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund. Removes the $4 million cap on those Commonwealth Rail Fund (Fund) moneys distributed to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation that may be applied to the Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund and instead provides that up to 50 percent of such Fund moneys may be applied to the Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund. The bill retains the current provisions granting 93 percent of Fund moneys to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and seven percent to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation. This bill is identical to SB 1144.
