State correctional facilities; required education or vocational training; earned sentence credits classification levels. Requires a prisoner in a state correctional facility, as a part of his reentry plan developed and implemented by the Department of Corrections, to complete a high school equivalency test or vocational, technical, or other certification prior to such prisoner's release. The bill also provides that the annual review of a prisoner's classification level for earned sentence credits shall include such prisoner's quantifiable or measurable progress, as available, in any programs, job assignments, and educational curricula in which he is participating, such as test scores achieved or completion of a high school equivalency test or other trade or vocational certification.
Sponsored bills
Virginia Retirement System; return to work; break in service. Reduces from six months to one month the length of the required break in service after retirement for a teacher before such person may return to work full time and continue to receive his pension under the Virginia Retirement System.
State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility; biennial rate review; reports. Directs the State Corporation Commission to adhere to certain requirements and consider certain enumerated factors in its 2026 review of the rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services by Appalachian Power. The bill prohibits the Commission from approving a rate of return on common equity that is greater than the rate of return approved by the Commission as part of Appalachian Power's preceding biennial rate review unless Appalachian Power demonstrates that such increase is the approach to maintaining reasonable access to capital that results in the lowest cost to customers. The bill directs the Commission to conduct reviews of Appalachian Power's terms of service and rates for electric transmission and efforts to address rising costs of severe weather events. The bill also directs the Office of the Attorney General to conduct a study of the methods used to determine the cost of equity capital for investor-owned utilities.
Insurance; Fire Programs Fund; fees for vehicles; Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program established; Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund established. Increases the fire insurance assessment from one percent of total direct gross premium income for such insurance to (i) 1.5 percent on and after July 1, 2026, but before July 1, 2027, and (ii) two percent on and after July 1, 2027. The bill also increases the vehicle registration fee used to provide support for emergency medical services from $4.25 to $6.25 for each pickup or panel truck and each motor vehicle. The bill also establishes (a) the Virginia At Risk Fire Grant Program, to be funded by 0.25 percent of the assessments on insurance companies, for the purposes of providing grants to localities with fire departments that are determined to be most at risk of being unable to provide fire suppression or rescue activities or maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations and (b) the Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fund, for the purpose of purchasing breathing apparatus equipment and other non-vehicular equipment necessary for the protection of firefighters responding to a fire.
Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Line of Duty Act; transitional coverage. Requires the Department of Human Resource Management to acquire and provide temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during the period of transition into the LODA (Line of Duty Act) Health Benefits Plans. Current law authorizes but does not require the Department to acquire and provide such temporary transitional health insurance coverage to disabled persons, eligible spouses, and eligible dependents during such period.
Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products beginning on July 1, 2026. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue.
Maddy summaryThis resolution formally commends the Marion Senior High School boys' tennis team for their achievements. It does not create new laws, impose requirements, or affect any individuals or groups beyond expressing legislative recognition. The bill passed unanimously in both the Senate and House via voice vote in January 2026. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no binding legal effect or policy impact.