Taxation provisions. Increases the standard deduction to $10,000 for single individuals, $15,000 for individuals eligible to claim head of household for federal tax purposes, and $20,000 for married individuals beginning in taxable year 2027 and indexes such deduction amount for inflation beginning in taxable year 2028. The bill also removes the aggregate amount of housing opportunity tax credits that may be claimed for qualified projects across all calendar years and exempts food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products from the local sales tax. The bill establishes two new tax brackets beginning on and after January 1, 2027, that tax income in excess of $600,000 but not in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of eight percent and income in excess of $1,000,000 at a rate of 10 percent. Finally, the bill provides that 50 percent of revenues generated by the new tax brackets will be dedicated to localities for maintenance, operation, capital outlays, debt and interest payments, or other expenses incurred in the operation of public schools.
Del. Vivian Watts
Sponsored bills
School breakfast; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill clarifies that the provision of a breakfast by a school to a student at no cost to the student shall not be construed as creating a disincentive for the school or local school division to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision program. Additionally, the bill provides that schools shall maximize the number of students who participate in the school breakfast program by implementing one or more suggested service models to increase access to such program. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each eligible school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one reimbursable breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger.
Electric utilities; energy storage requirements; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality to develop model ordinances; work groups; reports. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 5,220 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 3,480 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2030. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission.The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to create model ordinances for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects and to convene a work group to develop such model ordinances and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill directs the Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Quality to convene a work group to develop recommendations and financial incentives related to the development of long-duration energy storage projects and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill also directs the Department of Energy to engage with PJM Interconnection, LLC, in reviewing regional market conditions related to energy storage resources and permits Dominion Energy Virginia to propose a partnership with institutions of higher education to deploy energy storage resources. This bill is identical to SB 1394.
Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to SB 1105.
Condemnation of conservation or open-space easement; compensation; Uniform Easement Relocation Act. Provides that if a person takes by condemnation proceedings any land or right-of-way or similar interest therein that is subject to a conservation easement or an open-space easement, the person shall compensate, in amounts proportionate to the land or interest therein being condemned, (i) the Commonwealth for the value of any tax credit received by the landowner under the provisions of the Virginia Land Conservation Incentives Act of 1999 during the pendency of the conservation easement or open-space easement and (ii) the locality in which the land or interest therein is located for any property tax avoided by the landowner during the pendency of the conservation easement or open-space easement. The bill further requires that compensation required to be paid to the Commonwealth pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall be in addition to (a) any compensation required by the provisions of the conservation easement due to the landowner and holder or compensation required by the provisions of the open-space easement due to the landowner and the public body and (b) fulfillment of the requirements pertaining to the conversion or diversion of open-space land.Subject to reenactment by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly, the bill further creates the Uniform Easement Relocation Act, which allows the owner of real estate burdened by an easement to obtain a court order to relocate the easement if the relocation does not materially impair, among other impairments, (1) the utility of the easement holder or (2) the physical condition, use, or value of the benefited property. The Act requires that the burdened property owner file a civil action, give notice to other potentially affected real property interest owners, and bear the costs of relocation. Under current law, the owner of land that is subject to an easement may seek relocation of the easement on the servient estate upon petition to the circuit court and notice to all parties in interest, and the petition will be granted if, after a hearing held, the court finds that (A) the relocation will not result in economic damage to the parties in interest, (B) there will be no undue hardship created by the relocation, and (C) the easement has been in existence for not less than 10 years. The bill directs the Boyd-Graves Conference to conduct a study on the provisions of such Uniform Easement Relocation Act and report any findings of such study to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2025.
Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1 of each year regarding its activities. The bill directs the Task Force to conclude its work by November 1, 2026. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023.
Electricity consumption tax; rate adjustments. Increases the electric utility consumption tax's special utility tax rates for commercial and industrial consumer electricity consumed per month (i) in excess of 2,500 kWh but not in excess of 50,000 kWh and (ii) in excess of 50,000 kWh. This bill is identical to SB 1336.
Virginia military forces; Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program established. Establishes the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program (the Program) within the Department of Military Affairs. The bill also establishes the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer (the Officer) to perform victim advocacy services, including helping victims of certain criminal sexual assault offenses make either a restricted report or an unrestricted report, as those terms are defined in the bill. Restricted and unrestricted reports may be made (i) by a person who is a member of the Virginia military forces, defined in the bill as the Virginia National Guard and the Virginia Defense Force, or (ii) against a member of the Virginia military forces. The bill directs the Adjutant General, in coordination with the Officer, to submit an annual report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and the chairmen of both the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. The annual report shall include relevant information enumerated in the bill, including implementation and effectiveness of the Program's policies and procedures, as well as statistical information about restricted reports and unrestricted reports.
Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices, as defined in the bill, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. This bill is identical to SB 780.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; state pharmacy benefits manager; independent evaluation. Requires the Department of Medical Assistance Services, by July 1, 2026, to select and contract with a third-party administrator to serve as the state pharmacy benefits manager to administer all pharmacy benefits for Medicaid recipients, including recipients enrolled in a managed care organization. The bill enumerates requirements for the Department's contract with the state pharmacy benefits manager. In addition, the bill directs the Department to engage an independent consultant to evaluate the implementation of a contract with a third-party pharmacy benefits manager pursuant to the bill. This bill incorporates HB 2209 and is identical to SB 875.