Decreasing probation period. Establishes criteria for which a defendant's supervised probation period shall be reduced, including completing educational activities, maintaining employment, completing treatment, or obtaining housing. The bill provides that a court may decrease a defendant's probation period if warranted by the defendant's conduct upon receipt of a request from the Department of Corrections and requires the Department of Corrections to request termination of a defendant's supervised probation period after 12 months in certain situations. This bill is identical to HB 149.
Commission on Civic Education; website. Requires the Commission on Civic Education to develop and include certain enumerated items on a website. Current law requires the Commission on Civic Education to develop an electronic clearinghouse that includes such items but requires such clearinghouse to be accessible on the Department of Education's website. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Civic Education.
State-facilitated IRA savings program. Makes various changes to the state-facilitated IRA savings program administered by the Commonwealth Savers Plan. For purposes of defining an eligible employer, the bill (i) reduces the minimum number of eligible employees an organization must have in its employ from 25 to five for the period ending December 31 of the preceding calendar year prior to the program's open enrollment period for that calendar year and (ii) clarifies that such term does not include employers offering and sponsoring a qualified retirement plan, including 401(k) plans. The bill also removes the requirement that an eligible employee, for purposes of the program, works at least 30 hours a week and adds the requirement that participating individuals enrolling in the program independent of an employment relationship with an eligible employer be at least 18 years of age. The bill also expands the powers and duties of the governing board of the Commonwealth Savers Plan to include (a) procedures for reenrollment of participating employees and participating individuals; (b) allowing program participants to invest in a lifetime income option; (c) establishing the resources, tools, and incentives to promote greater financial education and literacy; (d) procedures for receiving and crediting federal matching contributions to an IRA or qualified retirement savings account; and (e) exploring and establishing incentives that encourage participation by eligible employers and eligible employees, including initiatives that incentivize compliance or that defray any costs incurred by an eligible employer to facilitate participation.The bill also requires eligible employers that withhold a program contribution from a participating employee's wages to remit such contribution not later than 10 business days following the date upon which such withholding was made and notes that eligible employers who fail to submit contributions to the program may be in violation of law and incur penalties. This bill is identical to HB 176.
Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice on the Department of Health's website containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, "If you have a food allergy, please notify us," and its translation, if applicable, on their menus or on a sign posted conspicuously in the restaurant. This bill is identical to HB 373.
Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments. Provides that, in the following contexts, information may be submitted by a provider to a health insurance carrier through electronic attachment, as defined in the bill: (i) information related to services rendered as required by the carrier in its provider contract; (ii) information related to any defect or impropriety that prevents the carrier from deeming a health insurance claim a clean claim, as defined in existing law; and (iii) information required to establish medical necessity, benefit coverage, or prior authorization of services, or to conduct reconsideration activities. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 676.
High school graduation requirements; history and social studies credits; certain substitutions permitted. Requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to permit any student to substitute the African American History course or the Advanced Placement African American Studies course for the World History I course or the World Geography course for the purpose of satisfying the history and social studies credit requirements, provided that (i) such a course is available to the student and (ii) the student is required to complete and receive a passing score on an applicable local alternative assessment or an equivalent Board-approved assessment, in order to satisfy history and social studies credit requirements for graduation. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its regulations in accordance with the provisions of the bill and to ensure that no student who makes such a substitution is required to earn a verified credit for the World History I or World Geography course in order to graduate. This bill is identical to HB 182.
Charlie's Law to Protect All Students; private elementary and secondary schools; student codes of conduct, policies, and procedures relating to bullying and cyberbullying prevention. Requires each principal, headmaster, or other chief administrator of each private elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth to include in such school's codes of student conduct policies and procedures (i) for addressing and handling instances of bullying and cyberbullying and (ii) that include a prohibition against bullying and a requirement to notify the parent of any student involved in a confirmed incident of bullying within 24 hours of confirming the incident of bullying. This bill is identical to HB 894.
Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to HB 662.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement; re-roofing. Excludes roofing maintenance, repair, restoration, and component replacement of existing facilities that do not involve modification to the structure from the prohibition on using cooperative procurement to purchase construction.
Admissions tax in counties; retail sales and use tax dedicated to promotion of tourism. Allows a county in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed to levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event. Under current law, any county may levy a tax on admissions for attendance at an event except such counties in which a state sales and use tax of at least one percent that is at least partially dedicated to the promotion of tourism is imposed. This bill is identical to HB 550.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant remedies; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel. Removes the requirement that military personnel terminating a rental agreement due to identified permissible circumstances shall provide the landlord with a termination date that is no more than 60 days prior to the date of departure necessary to comply with the official orders or any supplemental instructions for interim training or duty prior to the transfer.
Real property tax; special assessment for land use; notice requirements; civil penalty. Establishes notice requirements for the sale of real estate that is valued, assessed, and taxed by a locality under a special assessment on the basis of use. The bill directs the Department of Taxation to create a written notice that may be provided to the purchaser of real estate in a land use program. The notice must include disclosures regarding the special classification of the real estate and liability for roll-back taxes if a change in use occurs. The bill also requires settlement agents to provide this written notice to purchasers of real estate in a land use program and to obtain the purchaser's written acknowledgement of receipt of the notice. The willful failure of a settlement agent to provide the notice and obtain the written acknowledgement will subject the settlement agent to a civil penalty in an amount not exceeding $250. The bill directs the Real Estate Board to include in the residential property disclosure statement on its website a statement that the owner makes no representations or warranties with respect to whether the property is located in a locality that has adopted a land-use plan that may provide use value assessment and taxation for certain real estate and that advises purchasers to exercise due diligence to determine whether the property may be subject to roll-back taxes and interest for taxation on the basis of a use assessment and the liability for additional taxes and penalties that may attach if a change in use occurs. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
