Del. Hillary Pugh Kent

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJ 371) is a ceremonial resolution commending Hoda Kotb, a well-known television host and co-anchor, for her contributions. It does not create any legal requirements or affect any individuals, organizations, or policies. The resolution simply expresses the legislature's appreciation through a formal statement. As a commemorative measure, it has no binding effect and passed unanimously in both chambers.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late state legislator Frank Miller Ruff, Jr. It does not create new laws or affect any policies or people. The resolution formally commemorates his service and life through a symbolic tribute. As a non-binding resolution, it has no practical impact beyond recognition.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); personal property tax; exemption for motor vehicles owned for personal, noncommercial use. Requires the General Assembly to exempt from personal property taxes motor vehicles owned by an individual for personal, noncommercial use, provided that for the first year following the effective date of such law, the exemption shall be equal to 20 percent of the tax rate imposed by a locality on tangible personal property, and shall increase by an additional 20 percent of such rate for each year thereafter until such time that the exemption is equal to 100 percent. For purposes of the exemption, "motor vehicle" includes only automobiles, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. The amendment provides that the exemption is applicable on the date the motor vehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whichever is later, but is not applicable for any period of time prior to the effective date.

School safety; employment of school security officers; criteria. Modifies the criteria that an individual employed as a school security officer, as defined by applicable law, must satisfy in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties by eliminating the requirement that within 10 years immediately prior to being hired, he was either an active law-enforcement officer, as defined by applicable law, in the Commonwealth or was employed by a law-enforcement agency of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof. The bill instead requires any such individual to be age 75 or younger at the time he is hired to be a school security officer, in addition to the other requirements set forth in applicable law, in order to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties.

Virginia Social Media Regulation Act established; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act for the purpose of prohibiting minors in Virginia from possessing an account on any social media platform, defined in the bill, without the express consent of a parent or guardian. The bill requires a social media company to provide a minor's parent or guardian with access to the minor's account and all posts and information on such account. The bill also places prohibitions on the type of data and personal information a social media platform may collect from a minor account holder and prohibits the use of any practice, design, or feature on a social media company's platform that the company knows, or should reasonably know, could cause a minor account holder to have an addiction to the social media platform. Lastly, the bill provides that any violation of the Virginia Social Media Regulation Act shall constitute a prohibited practice and be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Firearms-related offenses; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Increases from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense the mandatory minimum sentence for use or display of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies.

Board of Wildlife Resources; creel limits; blue catfish. Requires the Board of Wildlife Resources to amend regulations to remove the one-fish daily limit for blue catfish longer than 32 inches in Lake Gaston, Kerr Reservoir, and the James, Rappahannock, and York Rivers and their tributaries below the fall line.

Tax credit; veterinary care for retired police canines. Creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for costs directly incurred for the veterinary care, defined in the bill, of a retired police canine, also defined in the bill, during such taxable year up to $1,500. The bill requires the Tax Commissioner to establish guidelines for claiming the credit and provides that any unused credit may be carried forward by the taxpayer for five taxable years following the taxable year for which the credit was issued.

School boards; employment of school resource officers in each public elementary and secondary school. Requires each school board to enter into a collaborative agreement with the local law-enforcement agency to employ at least one school resource officer in each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division and provides that no school board shall be granted any full or partial waiver from such staffing requirements. The bill contains a contingent effective date that states that the foregoing requirement shall become effective beginning with the fiscal year in which funding has been provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to fully fund such requirement.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exclusions; apprenticeship programs; minors. Excludes from the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act any personal information in a public record regarding the participation of a minor in a program run by a state public body, such as an internship, externship, or apprenticeship, except as otherwise prescribed by law.