Insurance agents; appointments and terminations. Amends the process for the appointment of insurance agents and agencies by insurers as administered by the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission. The bill also revises certain requirements of an insurer or authorized representative that terminates an appointment of an agent that is found to have engaged in conduct prohibited by existing law.
Photo speed monitoring devices; proof of violation; retired law-enforcement officials. Allows a retired sworn law-enforcement officer, defined in the bill, to swear to or affirm a certificate for a vehicle speed violation enforced by a photo speed monitoring device.
Health insurance; cost sharing for breast examinations. Prohibits health insurance carriers from imposing cost sharing for diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations, as those terms are defined in the bill, under certain insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2026. The bill provides that such examinations include examinations using diagnostic mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging, or breast ultrasound. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission. This bill incorporates HB 2133 and is identical to SB 1436.
Children's Services Act; state pool of funds. Makes a number of changes to the Children's Services Act state pool of funds for the provision of public or private nonresidential or residential services for troubled youth and families, including (i) removing from the purpose of the state pool of funds the consolidation of categorical agency funding and the institution of community responsibility for the provision of services; (ii) removing language specifying that references to funding sources and current placement authority for the target population served by the state pool of funds are for the purpose of accounting for the funds and should not be intended to categorize children and youth into funding streams in order to access services; (iii) modifying the target population served by the state pool of funds by (a) removing references to the Department of Education's private tuition assistance and the Interagency Assistance Fund for Noneducational Placement for Handicapped Children and (b) adding children and youth who are determined to be a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law; (iv) removing the requirement that the financial and legal responsibility for certain special education services remains with the placing jurisdiction, unless the placing jurisdiction has transitioned all appropriate services; (v) requiring that the uniform assessment instrument used to determine eligibility for funding through the state pool of funds be approved by the State Executive Council for Children's Services; and (vi) modifying the eligibility criteria for funding through the state pool of funds by adding language that (a) specifies that the child or youth's emotional or behavioral problems have resulted in the child or youth, or place the child or youth at imminent risk of, entering purchased residential care and (b) includes the determination by a court that the child or youth is a child in need of services, as such term is defined in relevant law. The bill also includes technical changes. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
Use of restraints on juveniles in court prohibited; exceptions. Prohibits the use of instruments of restraint, as defined in the bill, on a juvenile appearing before the juvenile and domestic relations district court unless, upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth or on the court's own motion sua sponte, the court makes a finding that (i) the use of such restraints is necessary (a) to prevent physical harm to such juvenile or another person, (b) because such juvenile has a history of disruptive courtroom behavior that has placed others in potentially harmful situations or presents a substantial threat of serious harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior, or (c) because such juvenile presents a substantial risk of flight from the courtroom and (ii) there are no less restrictive alternatives to such restraints that will prevent flight of or harm to such juvenile or another person, including court personnel or law-enforcement officers. The bill provides that the juvenile shall be entitled to an attorney prior to a hearing on the use of instruments of restraint. The bill also requires the court to provide the juvenile's attorney an opportunity to be heard before the court orders the use of instruments of restraint, and the juvenile's attorney may waive the juvenile's appearance at such hearing. Lastly, the bill requires the court, if such restraints are ordered, to communicate to the parties the basis of the decision either orally or in writing. This bill is identical to HB 2222.
Trailer franchise requirements; applicability to certain trailers. Changes the applicability of trailer franchise requirements to only apply to new trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 30,000 pounds. This bill is identical to HB 2261.
Professions and occupations; alternative to education requirement for licensure of architects. Requires the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects to adopt regulations establishing work and education experience equivalencies that shall provide an alternative to the requirement of a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The bill also requires the Board to adopt regulations establishing a credit system to account for varying degrees of work and education experience and to develop requirements for applicants seeking licensure to certify work and education experience on an annual basis. The bill requires the Board to evaluate any past work or education experience of any applicant under this bill until July 1, 2028. This bill is identical to HB 2154.
Public schools; enrollment of certain military children with disabilities; provision of special education services and accommodations. Provides that whenever a child of a service member who enrolls in a school division in accordance with applicable law is also a child with disabilities, the school board of the school division is required to, upon receipt of documentation from the service member parent or an official letter from the service member's command indicating such service member's relocation to such school division, coordinate with such child's parent and such child's previous school division to facilitate the prompt provision of comparable special education services and accommodations for such child.
Water utilities and wastewater utilities; eligible infrastructure replacement and enhancement; cost recovery. Permits a water or wastewater utility to petition the State Corporation Commission for the approval of an eligible infrastructure replacement and enhancement plan, as defined in the bill. The bill requires that a water or wastewater utility that receives approval for an eligible infrastructure replacement and enhancement rider shall provide a proposed earnings test for informational purposes in each annual informational filing or base rate proceeding filed with the State Corporation Commission before December 1, 2030. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2035. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the State Water Commission. This bill is identical to HB 2711.
Public middle and high schools; student-athletes; pre-participation physical examination required. Provides that no public middle or high school student is permitted to be a participant on or try out for any school athletic team or squad with a predetermined roster, regular practices, and scheduled competitions with other middle or high schools unless such student has submitted to the school principal a signed report from a licensed physician, licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant acting under the supervision of a licensed physician attesting that such student has received a physical examination and was found to be physically fit for athletic competition no more than 14 calendar months prior to the date on which such report was signed. Current law requires that the signed report attest that any such student has received a physical examination within the preceding 12 months. The bill prohibits any public middle or high school from becoming a member of any organization or entity that regulates or governs interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation any student who has satisfied the requirements for eligibility in accordance with the provisions of the bill.
School boards; Internet safety education program; Internet Safety Advisory Council established. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish and appoint no more than 12 members to the Internet Safety Advisory Council and requires the Council to (i) develop, annually review, and update as necessary model policies, model instructional practices, and best practices for school boards relating to Internet safety and the safe use of media and technology by students and teachers in public schools; (ii) develop, post, and maintain on the Department of Education's website, and update as necessary, a webpage with links to instructional practices, curricula, and other teacher resources for the safe use of media and technology by students and teachers that school divisions may incorporate into their Internet safety instructional programs; and (iii) submit a report of its findings to the Board of Education and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than October 31, 2025. The provisions of the bill have an expiration date of July 1, 2026.
Elections; election results; reporting; provisional ballots. Requires the general registrar of each locality to report to the Department of Elections for each precinct in his locality the total number of provisional ballots cast, the number of those provisional ballots determined to be valid by the electoral board, and the results of such valid provisional ballots by voters assigned to such precinct. The bill specifies that results from provisional voting and voting at the precinct on election day must be reported separately. The bill directs the Department to establish standards for ascertaining and reporting such information and provides that such standards must direct that all results be posted promptly and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the tenth day after the election day.
