Del. Nadarius Clark

Driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; education for law-enforcement officers and emergency medical services providers; educational materials for driver training schools. Requires law-enforcement officers and emergency medical service providers, as a condition of such providers' certification and recertification, to undergo education on the driver communication improvement program for drivers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to display information about the driver communication improvement program on its website and distribute educational materials to all driver training schools licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. As introduced, this bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission.

Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody; custodians. Allows the custodian of a child to file a petition for relief of the care and custody of such child in a juvenile and domestic relations district court. Current law only authorizes the parent or parents of a child to file such petition for relief of care and custody. The bill also requires the petitioning parent or custodian to cooperate with any services provided by a local department of social services during the initial investigation by such local department of social services after such petition for relief of care and custody has been filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth and is identical to SB 206.

Programs for at-risk students; permissible uses of funding. Includes as covered programs that are eligible for funding under the At-Risk Program initiatives to support both the physical and mental health of students in public schools, including the hiring of licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses. This bill is a recommendation of the School Health Services Committee and is identical to SB 33.

Public schools; mental health awareness training and instruction; requirements. Requires each teacher and other relevant personnel, as determined by the applicable school board, employed on a full-time basis to complete mental health awareness training that addresses the needs of youth populations that are at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders in accordance with evidence-based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association. Current law requires such teachers and personnel to complete mental health awareness training but does not contain any requirements relating to the specific topics such training must address. The bill prohibits any of its provisions or any policy adopted in accordance with its provisions from being construed to permit biased or discriminatory treatment of any youth population deemed to be at a high risk of experiencing mental health challenges and disorders.

Study; joint subcommittee; public transit in Hampton Roads; report. Creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a two-year study on options for providing long-term, sustainable, and dedicated operations and capital funding with cost-containment controls to ensure that the public transit systems that serve Hampton Roads, including all modes of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) service, local and express bus, light rail, passenger ferry, paratransit, on-demand microtransit, and seasonal trolley and shuttle services, other ridesharing and commuter programs, and any future modes of public transportation or mobility services that may be developed to serve the Hampton Roads region, meet the growing public transit needs of the region.

The Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller; portrait. Authorizes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission to contract for, have painted, and have appropriately framed and placed in the Capitol a portrait of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller. This resolution is a recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.

Maddy summaryHJ 24 designates August 2026 and each August thereafter as "Immunization Awareness Month" in Virginia. This resolution does not create new laws or policies; it simply establishes an annual month for public awareness about immunization. The measure directly affects Virginia residents by encouraging state-level recognition of immunization importance during this designated period. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding requirements or funding impacts.

Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week. Designates the third full week of October, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week in Virginia.

Maddy summaryHJ 23 designates August 2026 and every August thereafter as "Make-A-Will Month" in Virginia. This symbolic resolution promotes public awareness about estate planning but does not create new legal requirements or affect any specific group. It has no binding provisions, merely naming a month for educational purposes. The bill is procedural and non-binding, focusing solely on recognition.

Health insurance; tobacco surcharge. Eliminates the authority of a health carrier to vary its premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a nonuser. The provisions of the bill apply to health benefit plans providing individual or small group health insurance coverage entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027.