Permit requirements for data centers; emission limits for certain engine-generator sets. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing an air permit for any application submitted for a data center on or after July 1, 2026, unless the emission limit for each engine-generator, defined in the bill, established by such permit is equal to or less than the emissions achieved by a Tier 4 equivalent engine-generator.
Actions for personal injury or death by wrongful act against or on behalf of a decedent's estate; appeal of appointment of administrator. Creates a process by which a person interested in the administration of an estate or the appointment of an administrator in an action brought for personal injury or death by wrongful act against or on behalf of a decedent's estate may appeal an order from the clerk of a circuit court that appoints an administrator in such matter. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.
Family abuse protective orders; other relief. Provides that in cases of family abuse where the court orders a permanent protective order, the court may require a respondent to pay or to contribute to the payment of rent or mortgage on a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession pursuant to such protective order and may further require that a respondent maintain suitable alternative housing and utility services to a residence to which a petitioner was granted possession.
Foreign divorce decrees; exercise of power by courts of the Commonwealth; non-domiciled party. Provides that a court of the Commonwealth with proper jurisdiction may exercise certain powers relating to a foreign decree dissolving a marriage or granting a divorce from the bond of matrimony if a proceeding is initiated by a non-domiciled party to such divorce, provided that the party domiciled in the Commonwealth is still domiciled in the Commonwealth at the commencement of an action.
Punitive damages; hit and run drivers. Provides that in any action for personal injury or death arising from conduct that constitutes a felony hit and run, punitive damages may be awarded to the plaintiff.
Qualified self-settled spendthrift trusts; disbursements; powers of trustee. Provides that a trustee may reimburse a settlor of a trust from the income or principal of such trust for various forms of tax liability in certain circumstances and in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code except as the terms of the trust provide otherwise. The bill also provides that a trustee shall not have the power to make such a reimbursement under certain conditions unless the terms of the trust expressly provide otherwise. The bill also removes redundant language governing the order in which a new qualified trustee may be appointed in the case of a vacancy.
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-3106, 2.2-3705.4, 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 22.1-209.2, 23.1-2002, 23.1-2006, 23.1-2007, 32.1-69.3, 32.1-71.5, 32.1-71.6, 38.2-5008, and 54.1-2961 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; Old Dominion University; Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center renamed as Virginia Health Sciences.
Department of Education; STEM+C Competition Grant Program eligibility. Requires the Department of Education, prior to the 2026 application period for grants pursuant to the STEM+C Competition Team Grant Program (the Program), to consider making the following changes to the grant application and eligibility guidelines: (i) clarify that, in accordance with the provision of relevant law that provides that the purpose of the Program is to provide grants for use in establishing or supporting STEM+C competition teams, grants may be awarded to establish new STEM+C competition teams or support existing STEM+C competition teams and (ii) provide that, in the event that grant applications exceed available funds, priority shall be given to applications for the establishment of new STEM+C competition teams with demonstrated financial need.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; consumer reproductive or sexual health information. Provides that, for the Virginia Consumer Protection Act prohibition on obtaining, disclosing, selling, or disseminating any personally identifiable reproductive or sexual health information without consumer consent, such prohibition does not apply to nonpublic personal information subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority; board of directors; chief executive officer. Makes several changes relating to the board of directors and the chief executive officer of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority (the Authority), including (i) reducing from 19 to 13 the number of appointed members on the boards of directors and adding the chief executive officer of the Authority as an ex officio member with voting privileges, thereby reducing from 21 to 16 the total number of board members; (ii) changing from voting to nonvoting the nature of the membership of the President of Virginia Commonwealth University (the University) on the board of directors and prohibiting rather than requiring, as under current law, the President of the University from serving as chairman of the board of directors; (iii) lengthening the terms of all members of the board of directors from three years to four years; (iv) requiring the biennial election of a chairman and vice-chairman of the board of directors, requiring such chairman and vice-chairman to have served for at least two years on the board of directors, and prohibiting any employee of the University, employee of the Authority, member of the board of visitors of the University, or legislative member from serving as chairman; (v) providing that no further action shall be taken if a majority of each of the three-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the Authority and the board of visitors of the University do not agree on the removal of the chief executive officer of the Authority within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board; and (vi) providing that in the event that a majority of the members of each committee do not agree on the selection or conditions of appointment of the chief executive officer within 30 days of the appointment of the committees by each board, then the process set forth in statute shall be repeated until such selection has been made or such conditions of appointment have been determined. Current law requires the President of the University to make a binding decision in the event of any such disagreement. This bill is identical to HB 1040.
Zoning; development agreements in certain localities. Allows any locality within Planning District 23 with a population between 245,000 and 350,000 that has adopted a transfer of development rights ordinance to include provisions in its zoning ordinance that allow the governing body to enter into binding development agreements with owners of real property in the locality, so long as the property to be developed contains at least 1,000 acres or is located within (i) a receiving area of a transfer of development rights program and (ii) a tax increment financing district. Current law allows only New Kent County to include such provisions allowing for development agreements in its zoning ordinance.
School boards; public middle and high schools; parental notification of course registration deadlines and processes required. Requires each school board to develop and implement, by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, policies requiring each public middle and high school in the school division to provide, at least 30 days prior to the course registration deadline, parental notification by email or SMS text message to the parent of each student in the public middle or high school of course enrollment deadlines and the process for requesting changes to the student's course selection.
