Electric utilities; suspension of certain requirements. Provides that the renewable energy portfolio standard requirements and any associated construction, procurement, or retirement mandates are suspended for the applicable compliance year if the State Corporation Commission determines that compliance has resulted in, or will result in, any of the following: (i) an increase in the average residential customer’s total monthly electric bill of more than five percent in any calendar year that is attributable to compliance with the renewable energy portfolio standard or associated zero-carbon generation or energy storage requirements; (ii) an increase in any rate adjustment clause, rider, or non-bypassable charge associated with compliance with this section that exceeds $50 per month for the average residential customer; (iii) a determination that compliance poses a material risk to electric system reliability or resource adequacy in the Commonwealth; or (iv) a determination that the cost of renewable energy certificates necessary for compliance exceeds the applicable alternative compliance payment or deficiency payment for two consecutive compliance years.
Sponsored bills
Public schools; mathematics and reading in kindergarten through grade eight; certain initiatives. Establishes several requirements relating to mathematics and reading proficiency in kindergarten through grade eight, including (i) requiring the Department of Education to establish and administer the math teacher and specialist corps to provide grants on a competitive basis to school divisions in which the mathematics proficiency of students in kindergarten through grade eight indicates a high need for intervention and improvement in order for such school divisions to offer annual stipends to effective educators with endorsements in mathematics or as mathematics specialists and deploy such individuals to the schools with the highest need; (ii) requiring each student in kindergarten through grade three to participate in a mathematics screener approved by the Department and requiring any student whose results on such screener indicate the need for further assessment to participate in a diagnostic mathematics assessment approved by the Department and to receive a mathematics improvement plan if the results on such assessment indicate the need for accelerated interventions to progress toward proficient performance in mathematics; and (iii) prohibiting any student in grade three who receives reading intervention services and whose performance on the statewide literacy screener or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment at the end of the school year demonstrates substantial deficiencies from being promoted to grade four except in certain enumerated cases.
Electric utilities; retirement of certain electric generating units. Provides that, for the required retirement by December 31, 2045, of electric generating units that emit carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity, exceptions to such requirement include natural gas electric generating units with carbon capture capability and emissions-positive electric generating units. Under the bill, "emissions-positive generating unit" means an electric generating unit that produces a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by either preventing, capturing, or collecting such emissions from fuel combustion.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children four years of age or younger to receive services through such Program. Under current law, the Program is available for children between birth and three years of age.
Felony eluding; mandatory minimum. Imposes a one year mandatory minimum term of confinement in a state correctional facility for any person convicted of felony eluding if evidence is presented at sentencing that (i) the law-enforcement officer or responding law-enforcement agency used equipment, including spike strips or a law-enforcement vehicle, to forcibly stop such person's motor vehicle or (ii) such person's motor vehicle was used to intentionally damage a law-enforcement vehicle.
Voluntary manslaughter; penalty. Increases the penalty for voluntary manslaughter from a Class 5 felony, punishable by between one and ten years' imprisonment in a state correctional facility, to an unclassified felony punishable by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than 20 years or, in the discretion of the jury or court trying the case without a jury, by confinement in jail for a period not exceeding 12 months or a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.
Concealed handgun permit fees. Lowers the maximum from $35 to $10 the fee that a local law-enforcement agency conducting a background investigation for the purpose of processing an application for a concealed handgun permit may charge to cover the cost of conducting such an investigation and lowers from $50 to $25 the maximum total amount for processing such an application.
Individual income tax; subtractions; military benefits. Removes the cap on military benefits that may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, allowing the total amount of such benefits to be subtracted from such income. Under current law, up to $40,000 of military benefits may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income.
Cruelty to animals; malicious killing of a dog or cat; penalty. Creates, under the animal cruelty provisions, a Class 6 felony for any person who maliciously kills any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another. Currently, such felony applies only to a person who (i) tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims, or mutilates any dog or cat that is a companion animal whether belonging to him or another and (ii) as a direct result causes serious bodily injury to such dog or cat that is a companion animal, the death of such dog or cat that is a companion animal, or the euthanasia of such animal on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian upon determination that such euthanasia was necessary due to the condition of the animal.
Aggravated murder; assault and battery; correctional officer; custodial employee of Department of Corrections; penalties. Adds to the definition of aggravated murder, which is a Class 1 felony, the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of a correctional officer, defined in relevant law, when such killing is for the purpose of interfering with the performance of his official duties. The bill also expands the definition of aggravated murder to include the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of any person by a prisoner confined in a juvenile correctional facility, defined in relevant law. The bill provides that if any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means, including the means set out in existing law, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a correctional officer, as defined in relevant law, engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, such person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to existing law, a fine of not more than $100,000; upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years. The bill also provides that if any person unlawfully, but not maliciously, with the intent aforesaid, causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know such other person is a correctional officer engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, he is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year. Lastly, the bill provides that if an assault and battery upon (i) a correctional officer; (ii) a person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections; (iii) an employee of a local or regional correctional facility directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates in the custody of the facility; or (iv) a person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of persons in the custody of or under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Justice involves the use of any bodily fluid or excrement from such person charged, the sentence of such person, upon conviction, shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of three years.