Del. Chad Green

Public elementary and secondary school students; parents' bill of rights established. Establishes, consistent with § 1-240.1 of the Code of Virginia, several enumerated rights for the parents of each public elementary or secondary school student in the Commonwealth, including the right to review any books, curricula, or instructional materials being taught or made available to their child and the right to be notified of any situation that directly affects their child's safety at school.

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.

Manufacturing, selling, distributing, or possessing flavored nitrous oxide; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute flavored nitrous oxide, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses flavored nitrous oxide, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 6 felony. The bill specifies that such prohibition does not apply to nitrous oxide that has been denatured or otherwise rendered unfit for human consumption or to (i) any person or establishment that is licensed to sell, serve, or offer for sale food or drink for human consumption; (ii) any person engaged in the business of selling or distributing catering supplies only or food processing equipment only, or of selling or distributing compressed gases for industrial or medical use that sells or otherwise distributes nitrous oxide in the course of that business; or (iii) any health care professional while engaged in the performance of his official duties.

Health insurance; coverage for at-home blood pressure monitors. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts to provide coverage for at-home blood pressure monitors to individuals who (i) have a diagnosis of hypertension, (ii) are at risk of developing hypertension, or (iii) have been recommended for at-home blood pressure monitoring by a licensed health care provider. The coverage provided under the bill shall not be subject to any copayment or fees for an at-home blood pressure monitor. The bill directs the Bureau of Insurance, in consultation with the Department of Health, to establish guidelines for implementing the coverage required by the bill, to monitor compliance of such requirements by health care providers, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2026.

Assault and battery; serious bodily injury; penalty. Creates a Class 6 felony for any person who commits an assault and battery that results in serious bodily injury, as defined in relevant law, and adds such new offense to the list of violent felony offenses for the purposes of the discretionary sentencing guidelines. The bill contains technical amendments.

Benefits consortium for localities. Authorizes the governing bodies of three or more cities, counties, or school boards to form a benefits consortium for the purpose of establishing a self-funded employee welfare benefit plan. Under current law, such governing bodies or school boards are authorized to form such a benefits consortium if they comprised the membership of a multiple employer welfare arrangement as of December 31, 2014. Such a benefits consortium is required to be a nonstock corporation established to operate a benefits plan. Each member of the benefits consortium is contractually liable for its allocated share of the consortium's liabilities, and the benefits consortium is exempt from taxation and from insurance regulations.

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers, animal control officers, and municipal park rangers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to (i) full-time salaried 911 dispatchers, (ii) full-time animal control officers, and (iii) sworn municipal park rangers qualifying as conservators of the peace. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2026, but allows an employer, as that term is defined in relevant law, to provide such enhanced retirement benefits for service earned in such positions before July 1, 2026, in addition to service earned on or after that date. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Abuse, etc., of child younger than the age of 15 by person in custodial or supervisory relationship; penalty. Creates a Class 6 felony for any person 18 years of age or older who maintains a custodial or supervisory relationship over a child younger than the age of 15 and who knowingly and intentionally on three or more occasions within a 30-day period (i) commits assault or assault and battery in violation of relevant law against such child, (ii) causes such child to be an abused or neglected child as such term is defined in relevant law, or (iii) engages in any conduct that he should know or reasonably know places such child in reasonable fear of death or bodily injury. The bill also provides that a prosecution for such offense may be commenced regardless of whether such violations have been reported to a law-enforcement officer or the alleged offender has been charged with or convicted of such alleged violations.

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.