Technology

failed · Virginia · Senate Mar 14, 2026

SB 141: Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty.

Elections; political campaign advertisements; synthetic media; penalty. Prohibits electioneering communications containing synthetic media, as those terms are defined in the bill, from being published or broadcast without containing the following conspicuously displayed statement: "This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." The bill creates a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for a violation of such prohibition and a Class 1 misdemeanor for a willful violation. The bill permits any registered voter who receives an electioneering communication in violation of this requirement to institute an action for preventative relief to prohibit the publication or dissemination of such electioneering communication, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires disclaimers for synthetic media in political ads to prevent deception, regulating tech use for consumer protection90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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passed · Virginia · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 39: Public schools; best practice of tech. tools to assist w/identifying students at risk of self-harm.

Department of Education; best practices for implementation in public schools of technology tools to assist with the identification of students at risk of engaging in self-harm or intending to inflict harm on others; report. Directs the Department of Education to convene a work group consisting of representatives set forth in the bill, as determined by the Department in consultation with and based on consideration of suggestions from statewide education organizations and appropriate technology industries, for the purpose of identifying and making recommendations to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education on best practices for the procurement, implementation, and use in public schools of technology tools designed to assist with the identification of students at risk of engaging in self-harm or intending to inflict harm on others. The bill directs the work group to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education by November 15, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill directs Department of Education to implement tech tools for identifying at-risk students, enhancing school safety and student support within K-12 education framework.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates best practices for implementing technology tools in schools to identify at-risk students, advancing technology use for safety without restricting it.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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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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passed · Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 6, 2026

HB 363: Regional Innovation Fund and Commonwealth Commercialization Fund; matching funds.

Commonwealth of Virginia Innovation Partnership Act; Regional Innovation Fund; Commonwealth Commercialization Fund; matching funds. Provides that, for purposes of the Regional Innovation Fund and the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund, any awards from such funds of $100,000 or less shall not require matching funds.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill provides funding for innovation/commercialization with reduced barriers for smaller awards, advancing tech development through accessible grant programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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passed · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 25, 2026

HB 707: State government; transaction of public business, prohibited website domains.

State government; transaction of public business; prohibited website domains. Prohibits a public body, defined in the bill, from maintaining an official website for public use with a domain other than a .gov, .edu, or .museum domain. The bill provides that any email address that a public body provides to its employees shall utilize a .gov domain and directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2029.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandating .gov domains for government websites and emails enhances cybersecurity by preventing spoofing and phishing, aligning with standard security best practices.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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

HB 713: Fostering Access, Innovation, and Responsibility in Artificial Intelligence Act; established.

Fostering Access, Innovation, and Responsibility in Artificial Intelligence Act established. Establishes the Fostering Access, Innovation, and Responsibility in Artificial Intelligence Act (FAIR AI Act) that requires a developer of a base artificial intelligence model, as defined in the bill, to clearly and conspicuously disclose, in a manner that is appropriate for the medium of the content and is easily accessible to the user of such model, in the terms of service governing the use of such model, certain elements related to the artificial intelligence system. The bill creates the FAIR AI Enforcement Fund for the purpose of supporting agency enforcement of artificial intelligence system misuse, bias, and workforce disruption. Finally, the bill limits the defenses available in any criminal or civil action against a defendant that is alleged to have developed, modified, or deployed an artificial intelligence system that caused harm to a plaintiff. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates AI developers to disclose model details to users, enhancing transparency and consumer protection in AI deployment.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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

HB 654: Consumer Data Protection Act; definition of "biometric data"; consent required for processing.

Consumer Data Protection Act; definition of "biometric data"; consent required for processing biometric data. Provides that, under the Consumer Data Protection Act, no consumer, controller, processor, or affiliate of the controller or processor shall process biometric data, defined separately in the bill, concerning an individual without obtaining the individual's consent, or, in the case of the processing of biometric data concerning a known child, without processing such data in accordance with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires consent for biometric data processing, strengthening consumer data privacy protections under the Consumer Data Protection Act.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 Yes ✗ Opposes 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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in committee · Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

HB 1250: Technology Governance and Coordination Program; established, report, sunset.

Department of Law; Technology Governance and Coordination Program; report. Directs the Office of the Attorney General to establish a Technology Governance and Coordination Program to support the Commonwealth's response to emergent technologies, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools. The bill requires the Office of the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science by December 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyEstablishes program for emergent tech governance (AI, biometrics) to coordinate responses, aligning with data privacy oversight and proactive tech management indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Technology

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