Public institutions of higher education; other educational and cultural institutions; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board. Amends the enumerated powers of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by replacing the authority to adopt regulations to establish classes of membership in the Museum with the authority to adopt regulations and set fees relating to the use and visitation of properties under the control of the board. The bill clarifies that the regulations on museum and grounds use and access set forth in the Virginia Administrative Code shall continue in effect and be deemed to constitute the regulations adopted pursuant to the bill.
Wills and estates; claims to exempt property and allowances; title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser. Directs that any election to take a family allowance, exempt property, or homestead allowance be made one year after the (i) time of admission of a decedent's will to probate or (ii) qualification of an administrator of the decedent's intestate estate, whichever is later. Current law requires such election of exempt property or allowances to be made within one year of the decedent's death. The bill also provides that the title to real estate of a bona fide purchaser acquired without notice of such election shall not be affected by such election unless such election is recorded in the appropriate circuit court clerk's office within one year after the decedent's death.
Comprehensive plan; social determinants of health. Encourages localities to utilize relevant and available data and research related to social determinants of health to consider how the locality's adopted comprehensive plan will impact the locality's overall public health and access to health care services.
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 64.2-552 and 64.2-556 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 64.2 a section numbered 64.2-508.1, relating to administration of estates; claims against decedent or estate.
Uniform Power of Attorney Act; agent's duty of disclosure. Creates a process by which the principal of a power of attorney may relieve an agent of such power of attorney from the agent's required duties of disclosure for powers of attorney created on or after July 1, 2026.
Wage garnishment; state tax debt. Provides that the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek that is subject to garnishment to collect delinquent taxes and charges owed to the state government shall not exceed the lesser of (i) 25 percent of such individual's disposable earnings for that week or (ii) the amount by which such individual's disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal or Virginia minimum wage, whichever is greater. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to recognize Currently Not Collectible status granted by the Internal Revenue Service and to offer taxpayers with such status a similar Virginia status with comparable protections from collection activities. The bill contains technical amendments and has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Signing of pleadings, motions, and other papers of a party represented by an attorney; attorney information required. Provides that every initial pleading, motion, or other paper of a party filed in any action in a court of record represented by an attorney shall include the attorney's mailing address, Virginia State Bar number, email address, and telephone number on the first pleading filed by that attorney in the action. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Compromise of claim for death by wrongful act; approval without a hearing. Allows the court to approve a proposed compromise of a claim for death by wrongful act if the parties in interest agree to and endorse an approval order relating to such proposed compromise. The bill further requires that the endorsement of any such approval order by a beneficiary shall be notarized unless the endorsement is made by an attorney acting as guardian ad litem for such beneficiary. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Newborn screening; process for evaluation of disorders for inclusion. Directs the Department of Health to establish a process for considering the addition of disorders to the Commonwealth's newborn screening program that are not included on the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, which process shall include criteria and a timeline for consideration of disorders and a timeline for initiation of rulemaking.
An Act to amend and reenact § 15, as amended, § 17.1, §§ 21 and 32, as severally amended, and §§ 33.1, 47, and 49 of Chapter 662 of the Acts of Assembly of 1966, which provided a charter for the City of Lexington, relating to city council, city manager, city attorney, courts, and school board.
State Board of Local and Regional Jails; standards and regulations for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated persons in local and regional correctional facilities; report. Directs the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to set minimum standards and regulations regarding lactation policies for incarcerated persons and their infants by December 1, 2028. In developing such regulations and standards, the Board is directed to consider best practices related to lactation and how to incorporate such practices into the regulations and standards set by the Board.
Vacant building registration; registered agents. Permits any locality to require, by ordinance, the owner, or his registered agent, of any building that has been continuously vacant for at least three years to register such building with the locality annually. The bill also allows the registered agent of an owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to file the registration forms required to be filed by the owner under current law. Finally, the bill provides that the registration forms shall include a requirement to provide the name and contact information for an owner required to register, or his registered agent.
