Del. Nadarius Clark

Maddy summaryHB 858 changes the state holiday observed on the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. This policy affects state government operations, including public offices and schools, which typically close for legal holidays. The bill formally redesignates the holiday by replacing the current name and historical reference with Indigenous Peoples' Day. It does not alter the date or create new government obligations, only updating the official designation of an existing holiday.

Maddy summaryHJ 73 designates April 24-30, 2026, and every subsequent year, as "Christian Heritage Week" in Virginia. This symbolic resolution directly affects the Virginia state government by requiring official recognition of this week in the state calendar. It has no funding, regulatory, or enforcement mechanisms - it solely establishes a ceremonial observance. The bill does not alter existing laws or impact residents, businesses, or other entities. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as per guidelines.)

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.

Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing. Requires the Department of General Services to determine whether, following an offer of surplus property to the chief administrative officer of the locality within which the surplus property is located, as well as to any economic development entity for such locality, such surplus property is suitable for the development of affordable housing, as defined by the bill. If the Department so determines, the bill provides that such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to eligible organizations, as defined by the bill, for the purpose of developing affordable housing, provided that the terms of the disposition include a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years. The bill also requires the chief administrative officer of each locality to prepare and maintain an inventory of all real property within its jurisdiction to which the locality holds fee simple title and that the locality has determined to be feasible for the development of affordable and middle-income housing. If the governing body of a locality chooses to dispose of such a property, such property shall be offered for at least 90 days exclusively to public or private entities, for the purpose of developing affordable and middle-income housing, through purchase, lease, exchange, or donation in return for a recorded covenant to provide affordable housing for at least 30 years.

Maximum number of judges in each judicial district. Increases from five to six the maximum number of authorized general district court judges in the Twelfth Judicial District. The bill also increases from six to seven the maximum number of authorized juvenile and domestic relations district court judges in the Twelfth Judicial District. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts.

Assault and battery; definition of "Islamophobia"; penalty. Defines "Islamophobia" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery as malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims. This definition applies regardless of whether the victim is actually a practitioner of Islam, provided that the perpetrator targeted such victim based on a perceived adherence to such faith. The bill also clarifies that religious conviction includes Islam. The bill directs the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to include the bill's definition of "Islamophobia" in its hate crime reporting central repository.

Use of artificial intelligence-based tools; covered artificial intelligence; disclosure of use. Requires the use of covered artificial intelligence, as defined in the bill, in a criminal investigation to be disclosed in a police report filed for that investigation. Such a report shall be submitted to the attorney for the Commonwealth upon arrest or issuance of a summons and made available to the individual under investigation or such individual's counsel. The bill provides that any use of covered artificial intelligence subsequent to arrest shall be disclosed to the attorney for the Commonwealth and the individual under investigation as soon as practicable but no later than 30 calendar days following such use. The bill enumerates what each report shall include regarding the use of covered artificial intelligence and provides that the first draft of any report or record created in whole or in part by generative artificial intelligence shall be retained for as long as the final report is retained. The bill also provides that the program used to generate a draft or final report shall maintain an audit trail that identifies (i) the person who used artificial intelligence to create or edit the report; (ii) any changes made to the report following the initial draft; and (iii) the video and audio footage used to create a report, if any. The bill provides that the Attorney General may investigate and, if warranted, bring a civil action against any law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill and provides that a resident of the jurisdiction may bring a civil action against the law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill requires such plaintiff to provide written notice of any alleged violation to the law-enforcement agency at least 90 days prior to filing suit, in a manner that is reasonably calculated to enable the law-enforcement agency to cure the alleged violation.

Law enforcement; artificial intelligence inventory; civil action. Requires all law-enforcement agencies, defined in the bill as any state or local law-enforcement agency or sheriff's department, to conduct an inventory of any covered artificial intelligence system, defined in the bill, used by such agency and to make such inventory publicly available by November 1 of each year. The bill also provides that the Attorney General may investigate and, if warranted, bring a civil action against any law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill and provides that a resident of the jurisdiction may bring a civil action against the law-enforcement agency to obtain equitable or declaratory relief to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill requires such plaintiff to provide written notice of any alleged violation to the law-enforcement agency at least 90 days prior to filing suit, in a manner that is reasonably calculated to enable the law-enforcement agency to cure the alleged violation.

Line of Duty Act; sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. Provides that a sheriff or deputy sheriff shall be eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits. Under current law, sheriffs or deputy sheriffs are only eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits in the City of Richmond.

Electric utilities; small portable solar generation devices. Permits any electric utility customer to own and operate a small portable solar generation device, defined in the bill as a nationally certified, plug-in solar photovoltaic device with a maximum power output of no more than 1,200 watts at a single premise that is not designed to be interconnected with the electric grid and is intended primarily to offset part of the customer's electricity consumption. The bill prohibits an investor-owned utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative from imposing interconnection requirements, charging any fee related to the device, or requiring that the customer obtain the utility's approval before installing or using the device. Under the bill, no electric utility or electric cooperative shall be liable for damage or injury caused by a small portable solar generation device.