Tax exempt property; nonprofit institutions of learning; emergency. Clarifies existing law in that institutions licensed by the Department of Education that provide services pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or any school that is licensed by the Board of Education as a school for students with disabilities are institutions of learning not conducted for profit whose property is exempt from taxation pursuant to the Constitution of Virginia. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to HB 1970.
Real property tax; exemption for religious buildings; rebuilding structure. Provides that the property tax exemption for property used for religious worship shall include property on which a church or other building for religious worship is being replaced or rebuilt. The property owner shall demonstrate the intention to use such structure exclusively for religious worship or for the residence of the minister of any church or religious body, as well as certain other requirements provided in the bill. This bill applies to tax years on and after January 1, 2023.
Tax exempt property; nonprofit institutions of learning; emergency. Clarifies existing law in that institutions licensed by the Department of Education that provide services pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or any school that is licensed by the Board of Education as a school for students with disabilities are institutions of learning not conducted for profit whose property is exempt from taxation pursuant to the Constitution of Virginia. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to SB 1202.
Issuance of writ of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Amends the procedure that allows victims of human trafficking, defined in the bill, to file a petition of vacatur in circuit court to have certain convictions vacated and the police and court records expunged for such convictions. This bill is identical to HB 2393.
Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources; protection of existing tidal and nontidal wetlands; wetland restoration and creation; policy task force; report. Directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to establish a policy task force to develop (i) strategies to protect existing tidal and nontidal wetlands and restore, create, and plan for the persistence of such wetlands in the Commonwealth and (ii) mechanisms to incorporate such strategies into appropriate plans, including the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, to address losses and adverse impacts from human activities and climate change. The bill requires the task force to include certain relevant stakeholders, to meet at least two times annually, to report its initial findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 1, 2025, and to update its report at least every two years.
Board of Pharmacy; emergency medical services providers; work group. Directs the Board of Pharmacy to convene a work group to advise the Board on issues related to emergency medical services providers. The bill requires the Board to staff the work group and directs the work group to meet at least quarterly. The bill has an expiration date of June 30, 2027.
Department of Housing and Community Development; affordable housing; development by nonprofit organizations. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop a document describing considerations that a locality may consider when implementing an ordinance to stimulate affordable housing and strategies on property owned by a property tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Such document shall be published on the Department's website no later than December 31, 2025.
Criminal records; expungement and sealing of records. Amends numerous statutes related to the expungement and sealing of criminal records that are scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2025. In addition, the bill requires (i) the Department of State Police to develop a secure portal by October 1, 2026 for the purpose of allowing government agencies to determine whether a record has been sealed prior to responding to a request pursuant to current law; (ii) the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission to (a) educate and provide support to public defenders and certified court-appointed counsel on expungement and sealing, (b) conduct trainings on expungement and sealing across the Commonwealth, (c) develop a library of resources on expungement and sealing for use by public defenders and court-appointed counsel, and (d) post information regarding expungement and sealing for use by the public on its website; and (iii) the Department of State Police, Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and clerk of any circuit court to provide data and information on sealing upon request of the Virginia State Crime Commission for purposes of monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of the sealing processes. The bill also directs (1) the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to collect data related to petitions filed pursuant to relevant law, (2) the Virginia State Crime Commission to analyze data and information collected on automatic and petition sealing and report to the General Assembly by the first day of the 2026 Regular Session, and (3) the Virginia State Crime Commission to continue its study on the sealing of criminal records and report its work to the General Assembly by the first day of the 2026 Regular Session.The bill repeals the Sealing Fee Fund and directs any money in such Fund to be reverted to the general fund. The bill contains a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026, for the provisions related to the sealing of former possession of marijuana offenses without entry of a court order and the sealing of charges and convictions related to automatic sealing and such petitions. Lastly, the bill delays the repeal of the relevant law related to marijuana possession, limits on dissemination of criminal history record information, and prohibited practices by employers, educational institutions, and state and local governments until July 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission. This bill is identical to HB 2723.
Department of Criminal Justice Services; standards and training for security at nonprofit institutions. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish statewide best practices, including training, for any law-enforcement officer, unarmed security officer, or armed security officer providing security services at nonprofit institutions that serve individuals and communities at risk of hate crimes within the Commonwealth.
Issuance of writ of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Amends the procedure that allows victims of human trafficking, defined in the bill, to file a petition of vacatur in circuit court to have certain convictions vacated and the police and court records expunged for such convictions. This bill incorporates HB 2227 and is identical to SB 1460.
State Corporation Commission; distribution cost sharing program; required distribution system upgrades. Directs the State Corporation Commission by July 1, 2026, to establish by regulation a distribution cost sharing program for Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to construct distribution system upgrades required to interconnect participating projects, as defined in the bill. The bill directs the Commission to require each such utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for the implementation of the program by December 1, 2026, and to submit a report on the implementation of the program by November 1, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 1058.
Department of Health; waterworks; mandatory reporting. Requires owners of waterworks to report any critical equipment failure or malfunction or contaminant release to the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water as soon as practicable but no more than two hours after discovery. The bill also requires owners of waterworks that are required to submit a monthly operating report to the Office to include any noncritical equipment failure or malfunction that could adversely affect water quality, public health, or service continuity in such report. This bill is identical to HB 2749.
