Sale of dogs and cats by pet shops; consumer education; work group; report. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (the Department) to convene a work group to analyze and evaluate currently collected data on the sale of dogs and cats by pet shops to identify what information a pet shop shall make available to a prospective dog or cat owner. The bill requires the work group to include representatives from animal welfare organizations, pet shops that sell dogs and cats, and any other relevant stakeholders the Department deems appropriate. The bill requires the Department to submit a report on the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources no later than November 1, 2025.
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 consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.
Photo speed monitoring devices; private vendors; calibration; civil penalty. Reduces from 12 months to six months the validity of a calibration or testing of a photo speed monitoring device and requires any state or local law-enforcement agency that places and operates such a device to conduct an additional daily test of the accuracy of the device. The bill also requires any such law-enforcement agency to include in its annual report of certain information to the Department of State Police the operating costs of the use of such device. The bill requires any private vendor that has entered into an agreement with a law-enforcement agency to provide a photo speed monitoring device and is also compensated for the calibration of such device to calibrate such device in the same manner and to the same specifications as all other devices determining speed, to the extent that such devices utilize the same method of speed detection as such photo speed monitoring device, used by such law-enforcement agency. The bill also (i) requires such a private vendor to provide, within 10 days of a request by a person receiving a summons by mail for a vehicle speed violation recorded by a photo speed monitoring device provided by such private vendor, for proof of calibration for such photo speed monitoring device; (ii) requires such a summons to provide notice of such right to request such proof of calibration; and (iii) imposes a civil penalty on any private vendor who fails to provides such proof of calibration within such time.
Juvenile and domestic relations district court; juvenile intake; school notification. Expands the offenses for which a juvenile and domestic relations district court intake officer, upon the filing of a petition alleging an offense was committed, is required to notify the superintendent of the school division in which the child who is the subject of the petition is enrolled or was enrolled at the time of the offense. The bill adds carjacking and sexual extortion to the list of offenses.
Abandonment of highways and roads; consideration of alternative use. Provides that in Planning District 8, consideration shall be given to the discontinuance, rather than the abandonment, of a highway in the primary or secondary state highway system and its potential uses for (i) hiking or bicycle trails, (ii) greenway corridors, or (iii) access to historic, cultural, and educational sites. The bill also requires the governing body of a county in Planning District 8, prior to the abandonment of a road not in the primary or secondary state highway system, in determining whether public necessity exists for the continuance of a section of road as a public road, to consider such potential uses of such road as described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii).
Protected health care activities; prohibition on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves protected health care activity within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. Protected health care activity is defined in the bill as the provision or receipt, attempted provision or receipt, or assistance or attempted assistance in the provision or receipt of any health care that is lawful in the Commonwealth by a health care provider licensed under the laws of the Commonwealth and physically present in the Commonwealth.
Northern Virginia Transportation Authority; recommendations related to the Northern Virginia Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Study; report. Directs the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to coordinate with the Department of Transportation and certain other stakeholders to examine the findings of the Department of Transportation's December 2024 Northern Virginia Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Study and make recommendations on a method to implement and fund the infrastructure needs and other objectives identified in such study.
Workers' compensation; compensation to dependents or beneficiaries of an employee killed. Provides that if an employee's death results from an accident compensable under the workers' compensation program, the employer shall pay or cause to be paid certain compensation to certain family members, dependents, or beneficiaries of the deceased employee under certain circumstances as described in the bill.
Operation of the City of Hampton local health department. Requires the City of Hampton to enter into a contract with the Department of Health for the local administration of local health services. Currently, the local department of health is operated as a joint venture between the state and local governments.
Retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions. Provides that retail franchise agreements shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth and prohibits any person from offering or entering into a franchise agreement that includes competition restrictions that extend beyond termination or expiration of the franchise agreement unless such settlement is approved by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2025, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium. A violation is a Class 6 felony.
Action for civil trespass; GPS; private road or driveway. Provides that a person operating a motor vehicle is liable for trespass if such person enters a private road or driveway along which the owner of such private road or driveway has posted signs that may be reasonably seen that such road is a private driveway. The bill also provides that when such defendant relied upon a global positioning system (GPS) and such reliance resulted in the trespass, any corporation, company, or other entity responsible for the mapping function of the GPS may be added as a party to such action. The bill allows such corporation, company, or entity to provide in writing in advance of any proceeding in the action that such private road or driveway has been removed from the GPS and requires the court, upon receiving such evidence, to dismiss the action against such corporation, company, or entity.
