Technology

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 8, 2026

HB 277: Zoning; wireless facility modifications, application process.

Zoning; wireless facility modifications; application process. Prohibits a locality from denying an application for the modification of an existing wireless facility if (i) the modification would not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility; (ii) the modification involves the co-location of new transmission equipment, the removal of transmission equipment, or the replacement of transmission equipment; and (iii) the request meets the requirements of the bill. The bill provides that a modification does not substantially change the physical dimensions of the existing wireless facility if it entails the excavation or deployment of transmission equipment within 30 feet, in any direction, of the existing wireless support structure or base station. The bill also provides various requirements for local approval within a specified timeframe, permits any applicant or locality to bring claims related to the bill to any court of competent jurisdiction, and prohibits any party, other than the applicant or locality, from having an actionable appeal for the issuance of permits or authorizations made pursuant to the bill.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFacilitates wireless infrastructure deployment for expanded coverage (first responders/schools), advancing internet access infrastructure without restrictions.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 245: School boards; use of social media by schools, etc.

School boards; use of social media platforms as sole means of certain communications prohibited. Provides that each school board shall prohibit public elementary and secondary schools, school board employees, and school volunteers from using a social media platform as the sole means of communication with students for the facilitation of school-related extracurricular activities. The bill provides an exception to such prohibition when such use is required to meet an objective that cannot be reasonably achieved without such use, provided that the division superintendent or his designee (i) provides clear, written instructions on such use and (ii) may revoke such exception at any time.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyImposes strict privacy defaults for minors, bans dark patterns, and mandates harm prevention - directly advancing data privacy protections in social media platforms.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 275: Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeship program for children 16 years of age or older.

Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeships; children 16 years of age or older. Permits a child 16 years of age or older to serve in an apprenticeship program or other work-based learning experience related to culinary arts or information technology, provided that (i) the child is continuously enrolled in an accredited secondary school, (ii) the child is a registered apprentice, (iii) the child is employed in a work-training program administered under the Board of Education, and (iv) the work being performed is not in violation of federal or state laws. This bill is identical to SB 10.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows 16+ youth access to structured apprenticeships, expanding work-based learning educational pathways as an alternative to traditional schooling.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExplicitly permits IT apprenticeships for minors, advancing tech workforce development within education pathways.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 971: College student-athletes; biometric data, protections and limitations.

College student-athletes; biometric data; protections and limitations. Prohibits any private institution of higher education, associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, or baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from disclosing to any individual or entity outside of the institution any enrolled student-athlete's biometric data, as defined in the bill, without the prior written consent of the student-athlete. The bill also prohibits any individual or entity from making the possession, use, or ownership of or the rights to any student-athlete's biometric data a condition of any contract with the student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness without the prior written consent of the student-athlete in a writing that is separate and apart from such contract.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits unauthorized disclosure of biometric data without consent, strengthening data privacy protections for student-athletes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 743: Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties.

Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to HB 317.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds penalties for damaging critical infrastructure, expanding criminalization without reform focus per indicators.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill imposes penalties for damaging IT systems in critical infrastructure, protecting technology infrastructure from intentional harm, aligning with cybersecurity protection.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 108: School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition.

School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies. Amends the requirements for the student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies that each school board is required to develop and each public elementary and secondary school is required to implement pursuant to applicable law to require such policies to, except as provided in applicable law, restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and prohibit student cell phone and smart device use on school property from bell to bell. Current law only requires such policies to restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill mandates prohibition of student cell phone use on school property, restricting device access as a school policy.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyProhibits student cell phone and smart device use in schools, restricting technology access and usage in educational settings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Technology

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 580: Consumer Counsel, Division of; establishing mechanisms for receiving and investigating complaints.

Division of Consumer Counsel; duties; artificial intelligence fraud and abuse. Expands the duties of the Division of Consumer Counsel to include establishing mechanisms for receiving and investigating complaints by the Commonwealth's consumers involving emerging technologies, including referring appropriate complaints to the federal, state, and local departments or agencies charged with the enforcement of applicable consumer laws.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyExpands consumer protection programs addressing AI fraud and abuse, establishing a statewide alert system to safeguard against tech-related harms.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

passed · Virginia · Senate Mar 9, 2026

SB 85: Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms & model operators, interoperability interfaces.

Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms and operators; interoperability interfaces. Requires social media platforms and operators, defined in the bill, to implement third-party interoperability interfaces to allow users to share social graph data, defined in the bill, and contextual data associated with artificial intelligence systems, defined in the bill, as the user designates. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates data portability for user privacy, requiring platforms to implement interoperability interfaces per consumer data protection standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 758: Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties.

Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act established; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act to require that deployers that operate or distribute a chatbot in the Commonwealth (i) ensure that any chatbot operated or distributed by the deployer does not make human-like features, defined in the bill, available to minors to use, interact with, purchase, or converse with and (ii) implement reasonable age verification systems to ensure that chatbots with human-like features are not made available to minors. The bill also requires deployers operating or distributing a chatbot that is a social artificial intelligence companion, defined in the bill, to ensure such chatbot is not available to minors. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill prohibits AI chatbots from offering human-like features to minors and mandates age verification, restricting tech use for minors to protect them.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Technology

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in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 1368: Consumer Data Protection Act; individual action for damages or penalty, social media platforms.

Consumer Data Protection Act; individual action for damages or penalty; social media platforms. Allows a parent or minor who suffers loss as the result of a violation of Consumer Data Protection Act provisions relating to social media platforms to initiate an action against a controller or processor in violation of such provisions. The bill requires a parent or minor to provide a controller or processor 30 days' written notice and an opportunity for the controller or processor to cure the noticed violation prior to initiating such an action.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill strengthens data privacy protections by enabling legal action against social media platforms for violations, aligning with consumer data protection regulations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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