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.
Elections; absentee and provisional ballots; process and timing for rejected absentee ballot applications, returned absentee ballots, and rejected provisional ballots. Requires the general registrar to promptly notify a voter by telephone or email of an error or omission on the provisional ballot form and to provide information to the voter on how to correct the issue so his ballot may be counted if the electoral board determines that such voter who submitted a provisional vote was not entitled to vote as a result of a material error or omission on the provisional ballot form. The voter is entitled to make such necessary corrections before noon on the Monday after the election. The bill also requires the list of absentee ballot applicants to be updated daily and to include whether each application has been accepted or rejected and, if it has been rejected, the reason for rejection or, if it has been accepted, the status of the absentee ballot. Registrars are also required to enter such information into the voter registration system, and such information is required to be made available to voters via a free-access system made available by the Department of Elections. The bill removes the requirement that absentee ballots be received by the Friday immediately preceding the day of the election for the general registrar to implement the process of curing errors or failures in such absentee ballots. The bill also moves the deadline for curing errors or omissions in absentee ballot applications from noon on the third day after the election to noon on the Monday after the election. Finally, the bill requires the Department to issue guidance to local election officials on the uniform processing and counting of provisional ballots. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026.
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.
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 30-201, 45.2-1711, 45.2-1712, 45.2-1713, 56-579, 56-585.1:1, 56-585.1:5, 56-592, 56-592.1, 56-596, 56-596.1, 56-596.3, and 56-599 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Commission on Electric Utility Regulation; name change.
Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges. Limits a treasurer's lien issued with respect to wages or salary to 25 percent of the delinquent taxpayer's disposable earnings in a single pay period. The 25 percent limitation shall not apply (i) if the lien issuer determines that the adjusted gross income of the delinquent taxpayer exceeds 250 percent of the poverty guideline amount adjusted for household size; (ii) if the treasurer determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the delinquent taxpayer or the property assessed with such taxes is no longer in the jurisdiction, or the taxpayer is attempting to flee the jurisdiction or is improperly disposing of assets with the intent to hinder or delay the collection of the delinquent taxes; or (iii) to any portion of the delinquent obligation collected by the delinquent taxpayer and held in trust to remit to the local governing authority. This bill is identical to HB 1100.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; joint and cooperative procurement; construction exception. Excludes certain intergovernmental support agreements pursuant to federal law from provisions of law under the Virginia Public Procurement Act that provide an exception for construction where a public body may purchase from another public body's contract if the request for proposal or invitation to bid specified that the procurement was a cooperative procurement being conducted on behalf of other public bodies.
Financial institutions; officers and directors. Provides that the State Corporation Commission may permit, upon petition, an individual to serve as an officer or on the boards of directors of more than one financial institution if the Commission finds that the financial institutions are not in competition with each other or that one or both of the institutions might otherwise be denied capable management or direction from an individual residing in or employed in the locality served by an institution.
