Virginia Bills

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 Fire 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.

Assault and battery; Virginia Marine Police officers; penalty. Adds Virginia Marine Police officers to the definition of "law-enforcement officer" as such definition relates to the Class 6 felony for any person who commits an assault or assault and battery against another knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a law-enforcement officer.

Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimum sentences; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentences for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

Reckless, aggressive, and improper driving; prohibited altered suspension system; penalties. Creates additional penalties for causing serious bodily injury to or the death of another person while recklessly, aggressively, or improperly driving a motor vehicle with certain prohibited alterations made to the vehicle's suspension system. The bill directs the court, in addition to penalties imposed under current law, to suspend the driver's license of such offender for 90 days and order the completion of 150 hours of community service for a first conviction and suspend the driver's license of such offender for one year and impose a penalty of $1,500 for any second or subsequent conviction.

Local sales and use tax; capital projects for schools; Pulaski County. Adds Pulaski County to the list of localities that are authorized to levy an additional general retail sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent to provide revenue solely for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools within such locality. This bill was incorporated into SB 1307.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-217, 16.1-331, 18.2-308.04, 18.2-308.06, 18.2-308.2:2, 18.2-308.2:4, 19.2-13, 20-88.54, 22.1-287.1, 23.1-405, 23.1-407, 24.2-418, 24.2-444, 30-394, 32.1-261, 32.1-267, 32.1-269.1, 32.1-292.2, 40.1-96, 40.1-102, 46.2-323, 46.2-341.12, 46.2-345, 46.2-345.2, 46.2-2906, 54.1-3319, 54.1-4108, 59.1-118, and 65.2-900 of the Code of Virginia, relating to undesignated sex or gender designation option.

Reduction of local law enforcement budget prohibited; exception. Provides that no local governing body shall approve a budget that will reduce the total funds appropriated for local law-enforcement purposes from the preceding fiscal year except by unanimous vote of all members elected to the governing body.

Employment of school protection officers in public schools. Permits any local law-enforcement agency to employ in any public elementary or secondary school in the local school division, pursuant to an agreement with the local school board, a school protection officer, defined in the bill as a retired law-enforcement officer hired by the local law-enforcement agency on a part-time basis to provide limited law-enforcement and security services to public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to enter into a memorandum of understanding that sets forth the powers and duties of school protection officers. The bill requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish compulsory training standards for school protection officers and requires the collection of certain data relating to the activities of such officers.

A BILL to authorize the Adjutant General to facilitate and coordinate efforts to promote participation in the state-sponsored group term life insurance program offered to members of the Virginia National Guard. 24105179D

Southwest Regional Recreation Authority; powers. Provides for the Attorney General to provide legal services in civil matters upon the request of the executive director or board of directors of the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority. The bill also provides for the board of the Authority to adopt policies for the procurement of goods and services and requires such policies to incorporate certain provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. In addition, the bill (i) makes the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act and the policies of the Department of Human Resource Management applicable to employees of the Authority and (ii) authorizes the Director of the Department of General Services to lease vehicles and construction and forestry equipment to the Authority.

Paid sick leave; home health workers providing agency-directed services. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to home health workers who provide agency-directed services. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to home health workers who provide consumer-directed services. The bill provides that "employer" includes the Commonwealth, any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, and any public body.

Casino gaming; eligible host localities. Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development, (iii) outside of the Dulles airport flight path, (iv) within two miles of a major shopping destination containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (v) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway. The bill also requires an eligible host locality in selecting a preferred casino gaming operator to consider and give substantial weight to the proposer's history of or commitment to (a) paying or contracting for the payment of prevailing wages to those individuals providing construction labor during the initial construction of the casino gaming establishment and any hospitality facilities on the premises, and (b) entering into labor peace agreements with labor organizations that are actively engaged in representing or seeking to represent employees in the gaming or hospitality industries in the Commonwealth. The bill also requires an eligible host locality to provide with its submission of its preferred casino gaming operator to the Virginia Lottery an executed agreement with its preferred casino gaming operator certifying that such casino gaming operator and any subcontractor or sublessee responsible for the performance of casino gaming or hospitality operations at the proposed casino gaming establishment will enter into a labor peace agreement with each labor organization actively engaged in representing or seeking to represent employees in the gaming or hospitality industries in the Commonwealth that requests such labor peace agreement, and evidence of all such signed labor peace agreements.