Del. Michelle Maldonado

Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

Maddy summaryHJ 659 is a ceremonial resolution commending Mekhi Becton, Sr., for his contributions to the community. It does not create new laws, alter policies, or directly affect any individuals or groups beyond expressing legislative recognition. The resolution passed unanimously in the Senate via voice vote after being introduced and quickly advanced through procedural steps. As a non-binding resolution, it serves only to honor an individual and has no legal or practical impact on governance or public policy.

Health insurance; cost sharing for breast examinations. Prohibits health insurance carriers from imposing cost sharing for diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations, as those terms are defined in the bill, under certain insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2026. The bill provides that such examinations include examinations using diagnostic mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging, or breast ultrasound. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission. This bill incorporates HB 2133 and is identical to SB 1436.

Public schools; enrollment of certain military children with disabilities; provision of special education services and accommodations. Provides that whenever a child of a service member who enrolls in a school division in accordance with applicable law is also a child with disabilities, the school board of the school division is required to, upon receipt of documentation from the service member parent or an official letter from the service member's command indicating such service member's relocation to such school division, coordinate with such child's parent and such child's previous school division to facilitate the prompt provision of comparable special education services and accommodations for such child.

Institutions of higher education; Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Program shall be managed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and available for participation by public institutions of higher education and eligible private institutions of higher education; however, participation in the Program is optional for such institutions. Under the bill, if a public institution of higher education or eligible private institution of higher education satisfies certain criteria set out in the bill, including creating initiatives on campus to address student food insecurity, it will receive a "Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry" designation and the Council will award a grant to such institution. Any such institution that receives a grant under the bill is required to utilize the funds to support on-campus efforts and initiatives to eliminate student food insecurity at such institution through the maintenance and operation of the on-campus food pantry established pursuant to the Program. The bill requires the Council to submit a report to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education no later than two years after the establishment of the Program. This bill is identical to SB 1016.

Real property tax; exemption for elderly and disabled individuals. Revises various provisions of the local real property tax exemption and deferral program for elderly and disabled individuals. The bill allows a locality to require that an individual (i) pay all delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest assessed by the locality and incurred prior to becoming eligible for an exemption or deferral; (ii) enter into an installment agreement with the locality for the payment of all such delinquent amounts in installments over a period that is reasonable under the circumstances, but that in no event shall exceed 72 months; (iii) submit and obtain the treasurer's agreement to an offer in compromise with respect to all amounts of delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest; or (iv) carry out a combination thereof. Additionally, the bill provides that notice of the terms and conditions of the exemption and deferral program may be included in any notice of change in assessment and that the treasurer shall post such information on the locality's website. Finally, the bill allows a locality to provide a prorated exemption or deferral for the portion of the taxable year during which the taxpayer would have qualified for such exemption or deferral but had not yet filed an application. This bill is identical to SB 816.

Public elementary and secondary schools; enrollment; dependent students of active duty service members; policies. Permits any school board to establish and implement policies providing for the enrollment of any student, upon request of such student's parent, (i) who does not reside within the applicable school division, (ii) whose parent is a full-time active duty member of the uniformed services of the United States and for whom the Commonwealth is the home of record, and (iii) who meets the other requirements set forth in the bill. The bill permits such policies to provide for the denial of any such enrollment request if the school board can demonstrate that it lacks the resources or capacity.

Medicare supplement policies; annual open enrollment period. Requires an insurer, health services plan, or health maintenance organization issuing individual Medicare supplement policies or certificates in the Commonwealth to offer to an individual currently insured under any such policy an annual open enrollment period commencing on the day of the individual's birthday and remaining open for at least 60 days thereafter, during which time the individual may purchase any Medicare supplement policy made available by any insurer in the Commonwealth that offers the same benefits as those provided by the current coverage. The bill also requires such insurer, health services plan, or health maintenance organization to notify, at least 15 days but not more than 30 days prior to the commencement of such annual open enrollment period, each individual to whom such open enrollment period applies of the dates of that open enrollment period, the rights of the individual during that open enrollment period, and any modification of benefits provided by or adjustment of premiums charged for such Medicare supplement policy. This bill is identical to SB 1199.

Florence Neal Cooper Smith Sickle Cell Research Endowment Fund established. Establishes the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Sickle Cell Research Endowment Fund to support medical and biomedical sickle cell disease research conducted in institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth that relates to the causes and potential cures of sickle cell disease. The Fund shall be administered by the Commonwealth Health Research Board.

Public schools; interscholastic sports and athletics; guidelines and policies on student-athlete extreme heat safety and protection; development and implementation. Requires the Board of Education to develop, biennially review and update as necessary, and distribute to each local school division guidelines on policies relating to extreme heat safety and protection for student-athletes. The bill requires each school board to develop and update, in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Board of Education, policies on student-athlete extreme heat safety and protection that (i) are consistent with any heat guidelines based on Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) levels developed by an organization or entity whose purpose it is to regulate or govern interscholastic athletics programs in the Commonwealth; (ii) establish tiered heat-acclimatization and modification procedures for outdoor athletics practices or games based on the WBGT levels to reduce the risks associated with extreme heat faced by student-athletes; (iii) require student-athletes to be given unhindered access to hydration at all times; (iv) include procedures relating to preventing, recognizing, and addressing heat-related illnesses; and (v) establish a process for reporting and investigating any instance in which a student-athlete experiences a heat-related illness requiring emergency medical treatment or resulting in death. This bill is identical to SB 1104.