Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties. Removes the distinction between cocaine, which refers to powder cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, and salts of isomers and a mixture or substance that contains cocaine base, which refers to crack cocaine, for the offense of manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance. This bill is identical to SB 888.
Public elementary and secondary schools; cardiac emergency response or emergency action plans required. Requires each public elementary or secondary school to develop a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) or an athletic emergency action plan (EAP), as those terms are defined in the bill, that addresses the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual who is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds and, in the event that such school has an athletic department or organized athletic program, while attending or participating in an athletic practice or event. The bill requires each such CERP or athletic EAP to integrate nationally recognized evidence-based core elements and nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines and to integrate certain additional provisions and guidelines, including those relating to establishing a cardiac emergency response team, activating such team in response to a sudden cardiac event, and integrating the CERP or athletic EAP into the local community's emergency medical services response protocols. This bill is identical to SB 817.
Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs; pathway of stackable credentials. Requires the Virginia Community College System, in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education that offer nursing programs, to develop a common curriculum for practical nursing programs that shall be implemented at each comprehensive community college in the System that offers a practical nursing program. The bill requires such common curriculum, to the extent possible, to (i) align with the degree requirements for registered nursing programs offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education. The bill requires each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to participate in a practical nursing program to registered nursing program transfer agreement with the System that aligns with the practical nursing program common curriculum established pursuant to the bill and permits any private institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to be consulted regarding and participate on a voluntary basis in such a transfer agreement. The bill also (a) requires the System to establish a pathway of stackable nursing credentials that consists of a practical nursing to associate registered nursing to bachelor of science in nursing program pathway; (b) directs the System to develop and implement the common curriculum for practical nursing programs by July 1, 2026; and (c) directs the System to submit a progress report to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by December 1, 2025. The provisions of the bill relating to the development of the common curriculum for practical nursing programs have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill incorporates SB 791 and is identical to HB 2548.
Transient occupancy tax; administration. Provides that an accommodations provider shall not be required to transmit a transient occupancy tax return to a locality if (i) all retail sales of accommodations owned by the accommodations provider are facilitated by an accommodations intermediary and (ii) the accommodations provider attests to the locality that all such sales were facilitated by an accommodations intermediary. Such attestation shall be effective for 12 months beginning with the month in which the attestation is made, and annual attestations shall be due thereafter on a date set by the locality. However, such accommodations provider shall be required to transmit returns for the retail sale of any accommodations not facilitated by an accommodations intermediary.The bill also requires that information provided by an accommodations intermediary to a local commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, or any other local tax or revenue officer or employee of a county, city, or town for transient occupancy tax purposes shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any other department or official of the locality or any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Such information shall be used by such officials only for the purpose of levying and collecting retail sales and use tax, transient occupancy tax, and any other taxes imposed on the sale of accommodations. This bill is identical to HB 2383.
Phase I Utilities; securitized asset costs. Authorizes Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for a financing order for securitized asset costs, as defined in the bill. The bill creates the securitized asset cost charge and provides that the revenues generated by this charge, known as securitized asset cost property, are a property right that can be transferred and pledged as security for the securitized asset cost bonds. The bill establishes the procedures for creating, perfecting, and enforcing the security interest in securitized asset cost property. The bill also prohibits rate increases for Appalachian Power during the months of November through February and prohibits rate adjustment clauses from taking effect on customer bills between the months of November through February. The bill prohibits Appalachian Power from charing a residential customer any interest or late fees between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, and from charging a residential customer any reconnection fees between July 1, 2025, and March 1, 2026. The bill also provides that in any rate proceeding for Appalachian Power, the State Corporation Commission shall include an invitation for public comment.
Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; loan and grant program; eligible recipients; federally recognized tribes; Virginia recognized tribes. Expands the type of eligible recipients for loans and grants from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund to include federally recognized tribes and Virginia recognized tribes. Under current law, only localities are eligible to receive loans or grants from the Fund. This bill is identical to SB 1335.
Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs; pathway of stackable credentials. Requires the Virginia Community College System, in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education that offer nursing programs, to develop a common curriculum for practical nursing programs that shall be implemented at each comprehensive community college in the System that offers a practical nursing program. The bill requires such common curriculum, to the extent possible, to (i) align with the degree requirements for registered nursing programs offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education. The bill requires each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to participate in a practical nursing program to registered nursing program transfer agreement with the System that aligns with the practical nursing program common curriculum established pursuant to the bill and permits any private institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to be consulted regarding and participate on a voluntary basis in such a transfer agreement. The bill also (a) requires the System to establish a pathway of stackable nursing credentials that consists of a practical nursing to associate registered nursing to bachelor of science in nursing program pathway; (b) directs the System to develop and implement the common curriculum for practical nursing programs by July 1, 2026; and (c) directs the System to submit a progress report to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by December 1, 2025. The provisions of the bill relating to the development of the common curriculum for practical nursing programs have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 953.
Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education; however, participation in the Program is optional for such institutions. Under the bill, if a public institution of higher education or eligible private institution of higher education satisfies certain criteria set out in the bill, including creating initiatives on campus to address student food insecurity, it will receive a "Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry" designation and the Council will award a grant to such institution. Any such institution that receives a grant under the bill is required to utilize the funds to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of the on-campus food pantry established pursuant to the Program. The bill requires the Council to submit a report to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education no later than two years after the establishment of the Program. This bill is identical to HB 2240.
Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; annual report on eligibility and usage required. Requires the Department of Veterans Services and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to coordinate to report no later than December 15 of each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations (i) the number of qualified survivors and dependents who have been determined to be eligible for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at a public institution of higher education pursuant to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program but have not yet enrolled at such an institution and (ii) the best available estimate of the number of qualified survivors and dependents who are enrolled at each public institution of higher education with a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees pursuant to the Program as of December 1 of the current fall semester.
Real estate brokers and salespersons; licensees engaged by buyers. Repeals the provision providing that, notwithstanding any other provision of law requiring written brokerage agreements or governing the duties of licensees, nothing shall be construed to require that a written agreement between a licensee and a prospective buyer or tenant be executed prior to the licensee's showing properties to the prospective buyer. The bill also provides that a licensee engaged by a seller or landlord shall not be required to show property to a prospective buyer when such showing is conducted pursuant to and in accordance with a brokerage agreement entered into with a seller or landlord client. This bill is identical to SB 1309.
Sex Trafficking Response Coordinator; name change. Renames the Sex Trafficking Response Coordinator as the Human Trafficking Response Coordinator within the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill also changes related references from "sex trafficking" to "human trafficking."
Legal duty; action for damages for legal malpractice concerning estate planning; third parties to an attorney-client contract. Provides that an attorney does not owe a legal duty to a person other than the client for the purpose of the client's estate planning, including the provision of legal advice or the preparation of legal documents, unless the client and attorney enter into a signed, written agreement expressly allowing for such. The bill provides that its provisions are declarative of existing law. The bill also repeals the provisions under current law that specify the statute of limitations for legal malpractice actions relating to contracts for legal services concerning estate planning and the tolling of such statute of limitations. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference and is identical to SB 1115.
