Del. Hillary Pugh Kent

Potomac River Compact; Potomac River Fisheries Commission; appointment of members. Amends the Potomac River Compact (the Compact) with the State of Maryland to require the Governor of Virginia to appoint three at-large members of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (the Commission). The bill also provides that the fourth member from Virginia shall be the Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Currently, three such members are members of the VMRC and one such member is appointed by the Governor of Virginia. The bill provides that any Virginia member of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission who is a member of the VMRC shall be permitted to carry out the remainder of his term and directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, no later than October 1, 2026, to notify the Senate President and the House Speaker of the Maryland General Assembly in writing that the Commonwealth of Virginia has confirmed and ratified an amendment to the Compact and requests that the Maryland General Assembly confirm and ratify the same pursuant to the Compact. The bill will become effective upon the confirmation and ratification of a law of the Maryland General Assembly providing consent to the amendments made to the Compact in the bill.

Department of Social Services; Child Protective Services; family assessments; face-to-face interviews with victim children. Directs the Department of Social Services to amend its regulations to require that face-to-face interviews with victim children younger than three years of age conducted as part of a family assessment occur within 24 hours of receiving the report that triggers such family assessment. Under current law, the requirement that such interview be conducted within 24 hours applies to children younger than two years of age.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; kratom products. Prohibits the selling or offering for sale of (i) any kratom product containing any synthesized material, semi-synthetic alkaloid, or synthetic kratom-like compound; (ii) any kratom product containing 7-hydroxymitragynine in an alkaloid fraction exceeding two percent of total alkaloids in the container or providing more than one milligram of 7-hydroxymitragynine per serving; (iii) any kratom product adulterated with any dangerous, poisonous, or otherwise deleterious non-kratom ingredient, including any substance listed as a controlled substance under state or federal law; (iv) any kratom product that is combustible or intended for vaporization or injection; (v) any kratom product that is manufactured, packaged, or marketed in a manner attractive to children; or (vi) any kratom extract product containing residual solvent levels exceeding applicable statutory or pharmacopeial limits.

Income tax; real property tax relief credit. Provides a refundable income tax credit in taxable years 2026 through 2030 to eligible taxpayers, defined in the bill, who incur real property taxes in an amount equal to or greater than four percent of their federal adjusted gross income for up to $500 for single individuals and $1000 for married persons filing jointly.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Rural Housing Infrastructure Fund and Program. Establishes the Virginia Rural Housing Infrastructure Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, for the purpose of financing infrastructure projects in rural communities associated with increased housing development within such communities. The bill directs the Department to develop criteria and guidelines for awarding grants under the Program.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 24.2 a chapter numbered 6.1, consisting of sections numbered 24.2-684.1 through 24.2-684.17, relating to statewide referendum ballot questions; fairness and transparency requirements; Ballot question fairness Commission; readability standards; language accessibility; public comment; judicial review.

State retiree health benefits program; reenrollment in program. Allows a state retiree who elects to participate in the state retiree health plan but later discontinues participation one opportunity to return to participation in the plan, provided that such return to participation occurs within five years after the date of such employee's retirement. Under current law, a state retiree who elects to participate in the state retiree health plan but later discontinues participation is barred from participating in the plan.

Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent kratom; Virginia Consumer Protection Act; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute kratom, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill defines kratom as any part of the leaf of the plant Mitragyna speciosa or any extract thereof. The bill also amends the existing provisions related to kratom in the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to prohibit selling or offering for sale (i) any kratom product to a person younger than 21 years of age or (ii) any kratom product intended for human consumption. Under current law, the Act prohibits selling or offering for sale (a) any kratom product to a person younger than 21 years of age or (b) any kratom product that does not include a label listing all ingredients and specific guidance about such product.

Income tax; credit for surviving spouse's real property taxes. Provides, for taxable years 2026 through 2030, a nonrefundable income tax credit in an amount equal to a surviving spouse's qualifying portion of real property taxes, defined in the bill, for any qualifying residence, also defined in the bill. The bill defines "eligible veteran" as a veteran who had been determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability. The bill defines "surviving spouse" as the surviving spouse (i) of an eligible veteran; (ii) that would have been eligible for a real property tax exemption but for the eligible veteran's death having occurred prior to January 1, 2011; and (iii) who paid real property taxes on a qualifying residence during the taxable year for which the credit is claimed. The aggregate amount of credits allowable under the provisions of the bill shall not exceed $5 million per taxable year and shall be allocated by the Department of Taxation on a first-come, first-served basis.

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.