K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; student participation in women's sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public school, or any other school that is a member of the Virginia High School League, or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on the biological sex of the students who participate on the team or in the sport: (i) males, men, or boys; (ii) females, women, or girls; or (iii) coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both males and females. The bill requires that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician's statement. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against any such school or institution of higher education based on a violation of the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or institution or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, institution, athletic association, or organization.
Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; exceptions; competency evaluation. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for an evaluation to determine a defendant's competency to stand trial.
Public institutions of higher education; information for pregnant and parenting students. Requires each public institution of higher education to post in a publicly accessible manner on its website and include in orientation materials that are distributed to each new student information for pregnant and parenting students, including resources available to such students, the rights of and protections afforded to such students, and a description of the process for such students to file a grievance or complaint pursuant to Title IX.
Possession of marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Provides that no person younger than 21 years of age shall consume or possess, or attempt to consume or possess, any marijuana, marijuana products, retail tobacco products, or hemp products intended for smoking, as such terms are defined in relevant law, and a violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with certain exceptions. The bill also allows any such person charged with his first offense of underaged possession of retail tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to have the proceedings deferred, to be placed on probation by the court, and to have the charges dismissed by the court without an adjudication of guilty upon such person's successful completion of probation.
Casino gaming; Tri-Cities Improvement Commission established. Establishes the Tri-Cities Improvement Commission, consisting of members from the Cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and Dinwiddie and Prince George Counties, to receive disbursements of gaming tax revenues and to prioritize and fund certain improvements in those jurisdictions.
Consumer Data Protection Act; user-generated content protected; civil penalty. Requires controllers and processors to provide consumers with a privacy notice that applies to the consumers' user-generated content, defined in the bill, under the Consumer Data Protection Act and requires that any secondary use, defined in the bill, of personal data or user-generated content be consented to by the consumer. The bill requires a controller or processor, upon request by a consumer, to provide such consumer with a report that describes how the consumer's personal data or user-generated content was processed over the prior 12 months. The bill increases from $7,500 to $15,000 the maximum civil penalties for violations and allows civil penalties of up to $22,500 per violation for repeated noncompliance or egregious violations. The bill also allows a consumer who suffers a loss due to a violation to bring a private right of action against a controller or processor.
Time zone of the Commonwealth. Provides that the Commonwealth shall observe Eastern Daylight Time (Eastern Standard Time, advanced one hour) year-round upon the enactment by Congress of a law allowing states to observe Eastern Daylight Time year-round.
Virginia retirement system; enhanced retirement benefits; animal control officers. Adds full-time animal control officers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service for service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2026. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 23.1-204.1 and 23.1-409 of the Code of Virginia, relating to State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; publishing of certain institution-level data on website required.
Department of Law; Address Confidentiality Program; removal of Program participant; penalty. Permits the Office of the Attorney General to cancel a participant's certification in the Address Confidentiality Program if such Program participant (i) has reached the age of 18, is not incapacitated, and did not submit recertification for participation in the Program within 60 days of his eighteenth birthday or (ii) initiates any legal action against the Office of the Attorney General. The bill clarifies that participation in the Program shall not affect custody or visitation orders in effect prior to or during Program participation. Finally, the bill penalizes any individual who knowingly discloses or publishes a Program participant's confidential address or any other confidential information with intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass such Program participant or any other person.
Parental access to minor's health records. Requires health care entities that provide access to health records of minors through a secure website to make such health records available to the minor's parent or guardian through the same secure website.
Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2026 and 2027 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2026 or 2027 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of the 2026-2028 biennium and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.
