Maddy summaryThis resolution formally commends Linda Ford for her contributions. It passed unanimously in both the Senate and House via voice vote, with final passage recorded on February 19, 2025. As a ceremonial resolution, it does not create new laws or affect policies, funding, or regulations. It serves solely to recognize an individual's service.
Maddy summarySJ 363 is a ceremonial resolution commending the Virginia Spaceport Authority for its work in advancing space exploration and economic development in Virginia. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, as it is purely symbolic recognition. The bill passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly with unanimous voice votes in February 2025. It honors the Authority's contributions but has no binding effect or direct impact on residents, businesses, or regulations.
Maddy summaryThis bill (SJ 371) is a ceremonial resolution commending Hoda Kotb, a well-known television host and co-anchor, for her contributions. It does not create any legal requirements or affect any individuals, organizations, or policies. The resolution simply expresses the legislature's appreciation through a formal statement. As a commemorative measure, it has no binding effect and passed unanimously in both chambers.
Elections; campaign finance disclosure reports; searchable electronic database. Requires the Department of Elections to provide an interface for the campaign finance database maintained by the Department that allows users to easily search for and sort information by individual candidates and types of elections, offices, committees, other spenders, and contributors; contributions, receipts, disbursements, expenditures, loans, and other categories of information included in campaign finance reports; and late filings, incomplete filings, and other violations. The bill specifies that the interface shall also provide users tools for manipulating and exporting data. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.
Department of Education; Child Care Subsidy Program waiting list; additional priority group; target timeline for assigning slots to priority groups. Requires the Department of Education to amend its Child Care Subsidy Program Guidance Manual to add a seventh priority group to the Child Care Subsidy Program waiting list that consists of any family that meets all other Program eligibility criteria and includes a parent who is employed for at least 30 hours per week by a publicly funded child care provider in the Commonwealth that serves children from birth to age five, excluding employment by a local school division but including employment by a Head Start program that is located within a public school building. The bill also directs the Department of Education to require local departments of social services to target a maximum of 30 days for moving priority group families from the waiting list into services; regularly assess, in coordination with the Department of Social Services, the length of time it takes for priority groups to be assigned slots; and provide quarterly updates, beginning October 1, 2025, to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education on such timeline and any other barriers experienced by families in priority groups on the waiting list in accessing services.
Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Increases from 52 weeks to 104 weeks the maximum duration after the date of diagnosis that workers' compensation benefits are payable for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty.
Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations establishing reasonable standards designed to protect employees from heat illness and establish a list of high-hazard industries, as defined in the bill. The bill authorizes a person aggrieved by a violation of its provisions or the regulations promulgated thereunder to seek to obtain injunctive relief, to recover statutory damages of $1000, or both, in an action commenced within one year of the cause of action. The bill requires the Safety and Health Codes Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop a list of high-hazard industries by January 1, 2026, and to develop and adopt regulations requiring employers in high-hazard industries to implement standards for heat illness prevention by May 1, 2026.
Charitable gaming; conduct of athletic event drawings. Authorizes affiliated nonprofit organizations to conduct athletic event drawings in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bill places limits on when and where an athletic event drawing may be held and requires the prize amount of any such drawing to be 50 percent of the total amount collected from the sale of the tickets. The bill requires the organization to donate a certain percentage of the remaining funds in accordance with Department regulations.
Pari-mutuel wagering; historical horse racing; percentage retained for distribution. Provides that with respect to all authorized historical horse racing terminals, of the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools and in addition to the current distribution required under law, 0.0125 percent each shall be distributed to the Shenandoah County Agricultural Foundation and the Great Meadow Foundation to support the promotion, education, maintenance, and safety of horse racing at such facilities. The bill also increases the distribution percentage provided from the amount that a horse racing licensee retains from wagering on historical horse racing pools to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund from 0.01 percent to 0.025 percent.
Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill establishes the Fire Service Cooperation Board to administer its provisions. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.
