Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Restructures the existing governance structure and responsibilities of the Commission on VASAP and expands its oversight authority over local alcohol safety action programs. The provisions of the bill related to a fiscal agent locality have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Commission on VASAP to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to review the sustainability of the structure and funding model for VASAP and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Commission on VASAP and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on VASAP and is identical to SB 391.
Regional emergency communications authorities; creation and powers. Authorizes localities to create a regional authority to operate and manage emergency communication services including public safety answering points. The bill authorizes such authorities to employ or contract for personnel, acquire and manage property, enter into agreements, and receive and expend funds, and requires compliance with the standards of the 9-1-1 Services Board.
Certificate of public need; expedited review of certain projects; duties of the State Health Services Plan Task Force. Directs the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for designating areas of the state with an identifiable need for additional projects, taking into account numerous barriers of access to health care. The bill also directs the Board of Health to promulgate updated regulations for expedited application and review processes for certain projects. This bill is identical to HB 1337.
Department of Education; artificial intelligence system use in instructional settings; development of AIS safety guidance required; AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program established; report. Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with school divisions and other relevant stakeholders, to compile information on current uses of artificial intelligence systems (AIS) for student instruction in public schools in the Commonwealth and to establish and post in a publicly accessible location on its website guidance for the safe, ethical, and equitable use of AIS in instructional settings in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill requires each school board to establish, implement, and enforce policies consistent with the guidance developed by the Department in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill also directs the Department to establish and oversee the AIS Innovation in Education Pilot Program for the purpose of funding, evaluating, and scaling innovative uses of AIS in public elementary and secondary schools by providing support to school divisions in piloting AIS applications for instruction, tutoring, student engagement, operational efficiency, and teacher support and to submit an annual report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1. The Pilot Program has an expiration date of July 1, 2030. This bill is identical to HB 1186.
Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs. Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill specifies that each regulatory board must report such revisions to DPOR or DHP and requires each agency to report such revisions to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate or compact licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; renewable portfolio standard requirements. Permits an individual retail customer of electric energy from Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during 2024 or any year thereafter to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill requires a licensed supplier providing electric energy to such a customer to meet the annual renewable portfolio standard program requirements on an aggregate basis for all electric energy sold within the incumbent electric utility's service territory during a compliance year.
Regulation of contractors; solar installation companies; sale, lease, or power purchase of solar energy systems; civil penalty. Authorizes the Board for Contractors (the Board) to require specific contract provisions and disclosures relating to the sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system, as defined in the bill. The bill requires a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system to have a written contract that includes specific provisions related to the solar installation company, system design and performance or production guarantees, and information related to invoices and payments. The bill includes several mandatory disclosures to be included with a sale, lease, or power purchase agreement for a residential solar energy system. Under the bill, a willful violation of such requirements shall be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $2,500 per violation. The bill also directs the Board to adopt regulations and update existing regulations to implement the provisions of the bill by January 1, 2027. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1439.
Winchester Parking Authority Act. Amends the Winchester Parking Authority Act to grant the Authority the power to sell, lease as lessor, transfer, or dispose of any property or interest acquired by it.
SB 822 requires school nurses in public schools to complete training on sickle cell disease. This directly affects school nurses and aims to better support students with sickle cell disease or those at risk. The key provision mandates this training to help nurses recognize symptoms and manage care during health crises. The bill's abstract focuses solely on implementing this training requirement for school health staff.
Health insurance; mandated benefits; treatment of menopause and perimenopause. Requires each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing hospital, medical and surgical, or major medical coverage on an expense-incurred basis; each corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts; and each health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment and care for menopause and perimenopause, as described in the bill.
Official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal. Repeals the designation of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A. Bland, as set out in House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Session of 1940, as the official state song emeritus.
Prevailing wage rate for public works contracts; localities. Requires each state agency or locality, when procuring services or letting contracts for public works paid for in whole or in part by state or local funds, or when overseeing or administering such contracts for public works, to ensure that its bid specifications or other public contracts applicable to the public works require bidders, offerors, contractors, and subcontractors to pay wages, salaries, benefits, and other remuneration to any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform services in connection with the public contract for public works at a rate no less than the prevailing wage rate. The bill also amends the definition of "public works" to include work performed at certain institutions of higher education and to exclude work performed at a non-governmental property or facility used to provide broadband or other telecommunications services. Under the bill, a contractor or subcontractor may be liable to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry for liquidated damages for violating the prevailing wage requirements in the bill. Under the bill, any interested party shall have standing to challenge bid specifications, project agreements, or other public contracts for public works that violate the provisions of the bill. The bill requires institutions of higher education to expressly agree to comply with the public works contract requirements. Under the bill, the Commissioner shall determine the prevailing wage based on a survey of wages and benefits paid in each area, as defined in the bill, conducted every two years. The bill includes factors for the Commissioner to consider in determining a prevailing wage rate. The bill directs the Commissioner to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 518.
