Department of Social Services; corrective action plans and assumption of temporary control of local boards and local departments. Grants the Commissioner of Social Services the authority to create and enforce a corrective action plan for any local board of social services or local department of social services that (i) fails to administer public assistance and social services programs in accordance with applicable laws and regulations or (ii) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child or adult. The bill permits similar authority for any local board of social services that (a) fails to provide child welfare services in accordance with applicable law or regulations or (b) takes any action or fails to act in a manner that poses a substantial risk to the health, safety, or well-being of a child. Under the bill, if a local board or department fails to comply with a corrective action plan, the Commissioner has the authority to temporarily assume control of all or part of the local board's operations. The bill also provides that, when a local board of social services or local department of social services requests assistance, the Commissioner has the authority to utilize staff of the Department of Social Services or contract with private entities to provide public assistance and social services programs in the locality served by the local board or department. The bill also adds adult services to the definition of "social services" for purposes of Title 63.2 (Welfare (Social Services)).
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Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalties for failure to report. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person required to file a report, pursuant to relevant law, who fails to do so as soon as possible, but not longer than 24 hours after having reason to suspect a reportable offense of child abuse or neglect where such reportable offense is alleged to have occurred at a private or state-operated hospital, institution, or facility to which children have been committed or where children have been placed for care and treatment. The bill also provides that a second or subsequent conviction is a Class 6 felony. The bill further expands the mandatory reporting requirements for certain enumerated persons in their professional or official capacities to include certain offenses related to children and certain obscenity and related offenses and applies all such mandatory reporting requirements to all public and private school athletics program coaches, directors, and adult volunteers, including those associated with interscholastic teams and clubs. Under current law, the mandatory reporting requirements apply to such enumerated persons who suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child and to public or private sports organization or team athletic coaches, directors, or adult volunteers.
Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education Program established. Directs the Department of Health to establish the Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education Program to raise public awareness of and provide education on sickle cell trait.
Head Start State Collaboration Office; state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth; report. Requires the Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Department of Education, no later than December 1, 2026, to develop and recommend to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education for endorsement a report summarizing the state of Head Start and Early Head Start in the Commonwealth that is required to address several topics enumerated in the bill.
Department of Energy; use of waste heat from data centers; findings and recommendations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to lead efforts to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers in the Commonwealth by making certain findings and recommendations and convening a work group to provide expertise, assistance, and feedback on the Department's efforts. The bill requires the Department to submit a report of its efforts, findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations no later than September 1, 2026.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase I Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Appalachian Power Company. The bill permits excess bill credits to be distributed to shared solar subscribers more than once annually. The bill also requires the utility in administering its shared solar program to require net crediting functionality for customer utility bills, as described in the bill. The bill also directs Appalachian Power to (i) release an additional 50 megawatts as part two of the shared solar program on July 1, 2026; (ii) release a further additional 50 megawatts as part three of the shared solar program by January 1, 2028; and (iii) petition the Commission to initiate a shared solar expansion proceeding to determine the capacity for part four of the shared solar program by May 1, 2029. See final enactments for bill effective date. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 255.
Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Dominion Energy Virginia. Under the bill, Dominion Energy Virginia is authorized to release an additional 525 megawatts of capacity as part two of such program upon the earlier of (i) a determination that at least 90 percent of the aggregate program capacity has been subscribed and project construction is substantially complete or (ii) July 1, 2026. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine the capacity for part three of such program on or before part two of such program is substantially complete for 268 megawatts of capacity. The bill directs the Commission to evaluate the costs and benefits of the shared solar program under such proceeding and to consider the results of such proceeding in determining any future allocations of shared solar capacity and changes in program design. The bill directs the Commission to update its regulations on shared solar programs to comply with the provisions of the bill by December 31, 2026, and to require each participating utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementation of such programs by March 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 254.
Medicare supplement policies; regulations establishing minimum standards; work group; report. Amends provisions related to the State Corporation Commission's issuance of regulations to establish minimum standards regarding Medicare supplement policies to include minimum standards for the disclosure of methodology used in coverage decisions. The bill directs the Bureau of Insurance to convene a work group to review and make recommendations related to minimum standards regarding Medicare supplement policies, implementation of risk adjustment mechanisms, ways to eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments, methodologies used in coverage decisions, ways to improve care under such policies, and the effectiveness and utilization of existing consumer protections related to Medicare supplement policies and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026.
Department of Education; School Health Services Committee; annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12; recommendations on guidance and best practices. Directs the School Health Services Committee (the Committee), in collaboration with the Department of Education, to study and make recommendations on best practices for annual mental health screenings for public school students in grades six through 12 that utilize evidence-based tools. The bill directs the Committee to include its findings and recommendations in its annual report required pursuant to applicable law.
Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a public school or an accredited nonpublic school, two years of which shall have been full-time teaching experience at the preK-12 level and two years of which shall have been in administration and supervision and (b) been recommended by a school board that is interested in employing the individual as division superintendent and that governs a school division with fewer than 2,000 enrolled students. The bill also provides that the requirements under Option IV that were in effect prior to the effective date of the bill shall apply to any individual who was employed as a division superintendent pursuant to Option IV as of such date and who maintains continuous employment as a division superintendent in any school division in the Commonwealth after such date.