Consumer protection; automatic renewal or continuous service offers; disclosure and cancellation. Amends certain definitions related to automatic renewal or continuous service offers, including the definition of "clear and conspicuous" as it relates to seller disclosures and requirements to provide a simple cancellation mechanism. The bill replaces the term "supplier" in current provisions with "seller" and provides a definition for such term. The bill requires sellers to provide a cancellation mechanism that is at least as easy to use as the mechanism used to initiate the automatic renewal or continuous service offer, and includes additional requirements for providing such cancellation mechanism. Under the bill, certain businesses are no longer exempt from disclosure and cancellation requirements for automatic renewal or continuous service offers, and a violation of the provision constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. This bill is identical to HB 1022.
Parking, stopping, and standing enforcement; bus obstruction monitoring systems. Allows localities to authorize the use of bus obstruction monitoring systems by a public transit agency operating within the locality for the purpose of enforcing local ordinances related to parking, stopping, or standing in bus stop zones or in lanes reserved for transit buses during posted times. This bill is identical to HB 564.
Motor vehicle insurance; use of certain factors to establish rates prohibited. Prohibits an insurer from refusing to insure, refusing to continue to insure, or limiting the amount or extent of motor vehicle insurance coverage, or charge an individual a different rate for the same motor vehicle insurance coverage, solely because of such individual's consumer credit information or credit-based insurance score. The bill also directs the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance to study the use by insurers of an insured's or applicant's consumer credit information or credit-based insurance score in connection with underwriting motor vehicle insurance polices and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by October 1, 2027.
Comprehensive crisis system; Marcus alert system; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; comprehensive mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disability crisis services; written plan. Allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in collaboration with the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to amend the written plan created pursuant to relevant law after the publication of such written plan, provided that (i) the stakeholders listed in relevant law are consulted during the development of any new language to be added to such written plan and (ii) a public comment period of no less than 30 days is held prior to the finalization of such written plan. The bill also provides that the written plan shall serve as the operational framework for relevant components of the comprehensive crisis system and the Marcus alert system and that state agencies and local implementing partners shall align their policies, procedures, and operations on an ongoing basis with the requirements and guidance set forth in the written plan, as amended. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to HB 453.
Department of Social Services; corrective action plans; centralized hotline for reports or complaints of child abuse or neglect. Establishes a centralized hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and grants the Commissioner of Social Services the authority to create and enforce a corrective action plan for any local board of social services or local department of social services that (i) fails to administer public assistance and social services programs in accordance with applicable laws and regulations or (ii) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child or adult. The bill permits similar authority for any local board of social services that (a) fails to provide child welfare services in accordance with applicable law or regulations or (b) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child. Under the bill, if a local board or department fails to comply with a corrective action plan, the Commissioner has the authority to temporarily assume control of all or part of the local board's operations. The bill also provides that, when a local board of social services or local department of social services requests assistance, the Commissioner has the authority to utilize staff of the Department of Social Services or contract with private entities to provide public assistance and social services programs in the locality served by the local board or department. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to establish and maintain a hotline for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and specifies that the Department shall determine the validity of such reports and complaints. The bill eliminates the requirement that local departments must be capable of receiving and responding to reports and complaints of abuse or neglect and instead requires that any complaint of child abuse or neglect received by a local department shall be immediately forwarded to the Department's child abuse and neglect hotline. The bill also adds adult services to the definition of "social services" for purposes of Title 63.2 (Welfare (Social Services)). The bill directs the Department of Social Services to (1) promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and (2) contract with a third party by August 1, 2026, to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the screening process used for child protective services complaints across Virginia. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a Social Services Task Force to develop a comprehensive improvement plan to address changes needed within the State Department of Social Services and the local departments of social services. The provisions of the bill related to centralized intake have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; Forest Sustainability Fund. Adds management of the Forest Sustainability Fund to the powers and duties of the Office of Working Lands Preservation within the Department of Forestry. This bill is identical to HB 543.
Sheriffs; courthouse and courtroom security; physical location of courthouse or courtroom. Clarifies that, where a courtroom of a locality is located within the courthouse of a different county, city, or town, the sheriff, any deputy sheriff, or any law-enforcement officer of such locality shall have (i) the same police powers within and on the surrounding property of the courthouse as in his own jurisdiction and (ii) concurrent jurisdiction while present within or on the surrounding property of such courthouse, or while traveling to and returning from such courthouse, and engaged in the performance of his official duties to enforce certain laws of the Commonwealth.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan; report. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, during the first year of each new gubernatorial administration, to develop and implement a written comprehensive Virginia Farm and Forest Prosperity Plan that is designed to be enacted over the course of such gubernatorial administration's term. The Secretary is directed to submit a report detailing the progress made toward the development and implementation of the Plan to the Governor and to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources by December 1 of the first year of each new gubernatorial administration. This bill is identical to HB 512.
Vehicle equipment; films on windshields. Authorizes the application of clear film to the windshield of a vehicle, so long as it is maintained in a condition consistent with federal requirements.
Alcoholic beverage control; banquet license; municipality or nonprofit organization. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, broker, importer, or wholesaler to sponsor or provide support, including equipment, staff, financial, and other support, for a special event for which a municipality or nonprofit organization has been issued a banquet license when such special event is to be held on the grounds of a museum or a government-registered national, state, or local historic site at which the municipality or nonprofit organization is licensed to operate a gift shop, provided that any retail license issued to the premises has been deactivated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the duration of such special event. The bill limits such municipalities or nonprofit organizations to no more than eight banquet licenses for such special events per year. This bill is identical to HB 1343.
School boards; language access plan for limited English proficient parents. Requires each school board to develop, implement, and post in a publicly accessible location on its website a language access plan consisting of policies and procedures designed to ensure meaningful communication with and informational accessibility for limited English proficient (LEP) parents, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1278.
Motion picture production tax credit; sunset extended. Extends the motion picture production tax credit sunset date from taxable year 2026 to taxable year 2030. This bill is identical to HB 400.
