Del. Shelly Simonds

Study; Department of Taxation; options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles; report. Directs the Department of Taxation to study options for abolishing the personal property taxation of certain qualifying vehicles and to evaluate alternative local revenue sources in order to account for the shortfall in local tax revenues that will result from the abolition of such tax.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SJ 130) honors the life and legacy of Eddie L. Radden, Jr., a specific individual. It is a non-binding commemorative measure passed by both the Senate and House in 2026, expressing collective recognition for his contributions. The resolution does not create new laws or affect any policies or groups.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SJ 106) commending Curtis Allen for his contributions. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, as it is solely a formal expression of recognition. The resolution passed unanimously in both the Senate (via voice vote on 2026-02-26) and House (via voice vote on 2026-03-02). It is a non-binding gesture with no practical impact on legislation or constituents.

Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; annual report. Establishes in Standard of Quality 2 the At-Risk Program and a state-supported add-on for special education students and requires corresponding formulas for the funding of such initiatives to be established in the general appropriation act. The bill also requires the Department of Education to report annually to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and on Education and Health the total and per pupil annual operating expenditures from local, state, and federal sources in each school division and the change in expenditures from each such source over the immediately preceding two-year, three-year, and five-year timeframes, expressed in both dollar amounts and percentages.

Virginia Conservation Easement Act; definitions; federally recognized tribes. Provides that a federally recognized tribe, as defined in the bill, can be a conservation easement holder and that such a tribe is not bound by the same restrictions on the location of a principal office or the duration of existence that are placed on other types of easement holders. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.

Powers and duties of the Marine Products Board; full-time equivalent position established; marketing and production of blue catfish. Directs the Marine Products Board to establish a full-time equivalent position to identify grants and other funding opportunities for the marketing and production of blue catfish in the Commonwealth and disburse moneys from such grants and funds.

Department of Emergency Management; emergency services and disaster preparedness programs; inclusion of federally recognized tribes. Requires the Department of Emergency Management to administer certain emergency services in coordination with federally recognized tribes that the Department has entered into a contract or memorandum of understanding with for assistance regarding such emergency services. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.

Superintendent of Public Instruction; employment of certified school library specialists. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ in the Department of Education at least one certified school library specialist who shall have several duties enumerated in the bill, including (i) providing leadership and technical assistance with the implementation and use of information literacy skills to school divisions, Department staff, and other stakeholders to support student achievement; (ii) directing the implementation of state and national school library standards and consulting with and providing technical assistance to local school divisions relating to such standards; (iii) collaborating on various grants and other initiatives that promote student literacy through school library programs throughout the Commonwealth; (iv) supporting student learning through instructional programs in which students are required to demonstrate information literacy, digital literacy and fluency, and effective use of technology and instructional programs that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math learning; and (v) providing the Department, the Board of Education, the General Assembly, and school boards with support relating to student learning through the use of school library standards and library resources.

Institutions of higher education; eligibility for in-state tuition for citizens of federally recognized Virginia tribes. Makes any non-Virginia student who is a member or citizen of a federally recognized tribe and who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program eligible for in-state tuition. The bill also allows the governing board of any public institution of higher education to charge in-state tuition to such students enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program. This is a recommendation of the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes.

Local film industry community zones. Allows localities to establish, by ordinance, one or more zones in a film industry community, defined in the bill as a zone designated by a locality to promote a significant film industry presence and where such presence drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity. The bill provides that a locality, or another political subdivision acting on behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to film industry businesses, along with related businesses that serve the needs of the film industry, looking to locate within a film industry community zone, including the reduction of certain fees and taxes. In addition, the bill provides that local governing bodies are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development incentive grants to such businesses. The bill also allows a governing body to provide for certain regulatory flexibility and incentives and provides that the establishment of a film industry community zone does not preclude a filmmaker from participating in the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund and the motion picture production tax credit.