Rep. Baxter Ennis

Institutions of higher education; financial assistance; tuition grants; Virginia National Guard. Increases from $50,000 to $250,000 the amount of grant funding that the Department of Military Affairs may use each year to recruit qualified applicants for service in the Virginia National Guard.

Computer trespass; elementary and secondary schools; school board; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for the offense of computer trespass when such offense is committed against any public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school or any school board.

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2025, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium. A violation is a Class 6 felony.

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.

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.

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.

Notification by individuals finding companion animals; civil penalty. Increases from $50 to $500 the civil penalty for violating provisions requiring an individual who finds a companion animal and (i) provides care or safekeeping or (ii) retains the companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities to notify the owner of such companion animal and a public animal shelter that serves the locality where such companion animal was found and provide adequate care of such companion animal.

Certain government and civics courses; civics diploma seal of excellence; instruction on local government. Requires the Board of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginia and United States Government for grade 12 and requires each school board to provide as a part of any Virginia and United States Government course or civic education course offered to students in grade 12 an explanation of the purpose, role, responsibility, and identity of local constitutional officers and local governing bodies, including city councils, town councils, boards of supervisors, and school boards. The bill also requires the Board of Education to consider in its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civics education and understanding of the state and federal constitutions and the democratic model of government the successful completion of government or civics courses that include instruction on the structures and functions of local government.

Access to minor's records; records contained in or made available through secure website. Specifies that for the purposes of allowing a parent to access the academic or health records of such parent's minor child such access includes access to a secure website where such records are contained or made available.