Captain Matthew "Chevy" Chiaverotti Memorial Bridge. Designates the bridge on Interstate 264 over South Rosemont Road in Virginia Beach the "Captain Matthew "Chevy" Chiaverotti Memorial Bridge."
School boards; threat assessment teams and procedures; parental notification of student determined to pose a threat of violence or physical harm to self or others; provision of certain recognition and response materials required. Requires each division superintendent or his designee to provide materials on recognition of and strategies for responding to behavior indicating that a student poses a threat of violence or physical harm to himself or others to the parent or legal guardian of any student who, according to a preliminary determination from a threat assessment team, poses such a threat. The bill specifies that the provision of such materials shall occur either in the initial attempt to immediately notify such student's parent or legal guardian pursuant to applicable law or through a separate communication to such student's parent or legal guardian made as soon as practicable thereafter. The bill (i) requires such materials to be selected in accordance with the criteria and guidelines developed by the Board of Education pursuant to the provisions of the bill; (ii) requires such materials to include information on the requirements set forth in applicable law relating to the safe storage of firearms in the presence of minors; and (iii) permits such materials to include guidance on best practices and strategies for limiting a student's access to lethal means, including firearms and medications.
School boards; driver education; behind-the-wheel driver training. Strongly encourages each school board, in recognition of the fact that behind-the-wheel training is an essential school-to-work skill and a vital step in the pathway to obtaining a driver's license and cultivating well-educated teen drivers, to offer as part of its program of driver education behind-the-wheel training either during school hours or before or after school hours, including on weekends.
Department of Education; development of guidelines and information relating to virtual or online learning; public health emergencies. Provides for the Department of Education to develop and post on its official website guidelines and information relating to virtual or online learning. Such guidelines and information shall include (i) statewide policies relating to virtual learning, (ii) the availability of online or virtual learning options and pertinent information on such options, and (iii) guidelines for educators and schools relating to online or virtual learning policies and best practices. In addition, the bill requires each K-12 school in the Commonwealth to include as a component of its annual safety audit a review of the school's plan for school closures during public health emergencies. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth and is identical to SB 1380.
Maternal health; protocols and resources for hospitals and outpatient providers; report. Requires all hospitals with an emergency department or labor and delivery, freestanding emergency departments, and birthing centers to implement standardized protocols for identifying and responding to obstetric emergencies, including obstetric hemorrhage, preeclampsia, and eclampsia. Such standardized protocols shall be based on protocols established by the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative for inpatient and outpatient providers regarding the treatment of obstetric emergencies, the recognition of urgent maternal warning signs, and the transfer of pregnant and postpartum patients. The bill requires the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative to collect data and submit an annual report to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the General Assembly with data relating to the implementation of standardized protocols and maternal health outcomes. This bill incorporates HB 2518 and is identical to SB 1279.
Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.
Study; Department of Health Professions; expanding scope of practice for physician assistants; report. Directs the Department of Health Professions to conduct a study on expansion of the scope of practice for physician assistants in the Commonwealth as a means to increase autonomy in the profession. In addition to reviewing the education and training requirements for physician assistants in the Commonwealth and the other states, the study includes an analysis of the costs and benefits to patients of increased autonomy for physician assistants. The Department is directed to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2025.
Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of certain invasive plant species for outdoor use, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of such signage no later than October 1, 2025, and requires the Commissioner to issue a stop sale order and mark or tag a plant in a conspicuous manner when an invasive plant is for sale at a retail establishment without appropriate signage. In such case, the bill requires the Commissioner to give written notice of a finding made to the owner, tenant, or person in charge of such retail establishment and requires the stop sale order issued to remain in effect until the required signage is posted. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 1166.
Eviction Diversion Pilot Program; name change; general application; expiration repealed. Renames the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program as the Eviction Diversion Program, removes the July 1, 2025, expiration date from the Program, and makes the Program available to all general district courts. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Housing Commission. This bill is identical to SB 830.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Act; report. Directs the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department of Education, to convene a work group to develop a plan to (i) create a mental health screening and assessment tool for children in early childhood care and (ii) provide mental health consultation resources and training to early childhood education providers, pediatric health providers, and families. The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2025.
