Teachers; employment and licensure; locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credentials. Establishes, enumerates criteria for, and permits a division superintendent or a comprehensive community college to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, valid for a period not to exceed three years, to any individual who demonstrates expertise in content or subject matter area in order for such individual to provide instruction or coursework in a corresponding non-core subject or course, as that term is defined in the bill, in grades six through 12 at any public school in the Commonwealth or at a comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses. The bill delineates the criteria for issuance of such locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the employment of individuals under a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, including (i) permitting any school division or institution of higher education to hire any such individual on a full-time or part-time basis to teach a non-core subject or course; (ii) requiring any such individual to be subject to a background clearance check and the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements required as a condition of employment of any applicant who is offered or accepts employment at a school division pursuant to applicable law; (iii) requiring each employing school board to assign an individual employed by such school board as a mentor to supervise any individual issued a subject matter expert teaching credential; and (iv) permitting any division superintendent to renew an individual's locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential for a period not to exceed three additional years, provided that such individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations for each year of the original three-year locally awarded subject matter teaching credential. Finally, the bill requires each school division to annually report to the Department of Education the number of locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credentials issued for part-time and full-time teaching positions.
Del. Wendell Walker
Sponsored bills
Department of Juvenile Justice; inquiry and report of immigration status; juvenile or adult adjudicated delinquent or convicted of violent juvenile felony. Requires the Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice or other person in charge of a secure facility where a juvenile or adult has been committed upon an adjudication of delinquency or a finding of guilt for a violent juvenile felony to ascertain whether such juvenile or adult is in the United States illegally and, if such juvenile or adult is found to be in the United States illegally, to communicate such information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under current law, such immigration inquiries are required of jail officers or correctional officers in charge of state, local, or regional correctional facilities.
Computer trespass; elementary and secondary schools; school board; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for the offense of computer trespass when such offense is committed against any public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school or any school board.
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2025, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium. A violation is a Class 6 felony.
Study; Autism Advisory Council; establishment of an autism data dashboard in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Autism Advisory Council to study and advise the General Assembly on the establishment of an autism data dashboard for the purpose of promoting greater public transparency and access to information and resources on autism spectrum disorders. The Council is directed to submit a report with recommendations for such dashboard's development, including the types of data and resources that should be included, to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2025.
Taxable income; subtractions; military benefits. Removes the current cap of $40,000 of military benefits that may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, such that the total amount of military benefits may be subtracted from such income.
Taxable income; subtractions; military benefits. Removes the current cap of $40,000 of military benefits that may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, such that the total amount of military benefits may be subtracted from such income.
Consumer Data Protection Act; social media; parental consent. Requires any social media platform, defined in the bill, that is subject to the provisions of the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act to obtain verifiable parental consent prior to permitting any minor to create an account with such social media platform and, with such account, use such social media platform. The bill requires such social media platform to give the parent or legal guardian of such minor the option to consent to the collection and use of the minor's personal data without consenting to the disclosure of such minor's personal data to third parties.
Certain government and civics courses; civics diploma seal of excellence; instruction on local government. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginia and United States Government for grade 12 and requires each school board to provide as a part of any Virginia and United States Government course or civic education course offered to students in grade 12 an explanation of the purpose, role, responsibility, and identity of local constitutional officers and local governing bodies, including city councils, town councils, boards of supervisors, and school boards. The bill also requires the Board of Education to consider in its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civics education and understanding of the state and federal constitutions and the democratic model of government the successful completion of government or civics courses that include instruction on the structures and functions of local government.
Income tax; alternative schooling and public school tax credits. Creates an alternative schooling tax credit as a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029, for up to $5,000 in qualifying expenses, defined in the bill, incurred by the parent or legal guardian of an eligible student in home education or attending a private school. If the taxpayer's family Virginia adjusted gross income does not exceed 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines, the taxpayer may claim an additional $2,500 refundable tax credit. The bill also creates a public school tax credit as a refundable individual tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029, for up to $1,500 in qualifying expenses, defined in the bill, incurred by the parent or legal guardian of a student in public school. If the taxpayer's family Virginia adjusted gross income does not exceed 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines, the taxpayer may claim an additional $2,500 refundable tax credit. The bill allows the taxpayer one credit per eligible student per year and requires the taxpayer to submit purchase receipts to verify qualifying expenses for each credit. The aggregate amount of credits allowable for each credit is limited to $25 million per taxable year and will be allocated by the Department of Taxation on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event that the aggregate amount of credits claimed in a single taxable year is greater than 90 percent of such amount, then such aggregate credit cap amount shall be increased in the immediately succeeding taxable year by 10 percent.