Del. David Reid

Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2027. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 120 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.

Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 parking spaces or more and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that localities shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Importation, sale, manufacture, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill with some exceptions, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm with some exceptions. This bill is identical to SB 1181.

Collective bargaining by public employees; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 917.

Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities; (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill; or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land. The bill provides that a private developer may apply for a grant in an amount equal to 70 percent of the private developer's non-utility costs for the installation of such public electric vehicle charging stations. The awarding of a grant under the Program would be conditional upon an agreement with the applicant that any cost of a project not funded by a grant awarded by the Program be funded by non-federal funds. The Department of Energy shall establish guidelines for the administration of the Program, including guidelines related to the application for and award of grants. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.

Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth; exemptions; public institutions of higher education; penalty. Permits the governing board of a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy prohibiting the carrying of any firearm, ammunition, or components or combination thereof within any building owned or operated by such public institution of higher education. The bill allows such policy to include security measures that are designed to reasonably prevent the unauthorized access of buildings that are open to the public. Finally, the bill exempts certain activities, defined in the bill, operated at public or private institutions of higher education from any policy created by a governing board. This bill is identical to SB 1182.

Tangible personal property tax; electric landscaping equipment. Establishes a separate classification of tangible personal property for electric-powered landscaping equipment employed in a trade or business and used to maintain commercial, public, or private gardens, lawns, trees, shrubs, or other plants, including lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws. Such property may be taxed by a locality at a rate not to exceed that applied to the general class of tangible personal property.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 750) is a symbolic resolution commending Virginia Union University for its contributions to education and the community. It does not create new laws, allocate funds, or affect any specific policies or individuals beyond expressing formal recognition. The resolution passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on February 18, 2025, and is now formally recorded. As a commemorative measure, it has no binding legal effect.

Maddy summaryHR 752 is a ceremonial House resolution commending the artist Shaboozey for their contributions to music. It has no binding effect or policy changes; it simply expresses the House's appreciation through a formal statement. The bill passed unanimously by voice vote in the House on February 18, 2025, and was engrossed as HR752ER. This type of resolution does not affect any laws, regulations, or specific groups of people.

Maddy summaryHR 753 is a non-binding resolution that formally commends Penelope Nowell-Shortt for her contributions. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, as it is solely a ceremonial recognition. The bill passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on February 18, 2025, and was later engrossed. This type of resolution typically honors individuals for community service or achievements without legal effect.