Del. Kelly Fowler

Transportation network companies; minimum compensation; civil penalty. Establishes minimum compensation rates for TNC partners. The bill also prohibits gratuities from passengers from being included in TNC partner compensation calculations, authorizes TNC partners to collect gratuity in cash or electronically, and prohibits transportation network companies from limiting the amount that can be paid as gratuity through such companies' digital platforms. The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to establish a process for reporting violations and to investigate claims. The bill authorizes enforcement by civil action or by civil penalties assessed by the DMV Commissioner.

School breakfast; availability at no cost to students. Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill clarifies that the provision of a breakfast by a school to a student at no cost to the student shall not be construed as creating a disincentive for the school or local school division to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision program. Additionally, the bill provides that schools shall maximize the number of students who participate in the school breakfast program by implementing one or more suggested service models to increase access to such program. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each eligible school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one reimbursable breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; personalized algorithmic pricing disclosures; prohibitions; civil penalties; civil actions. Prohibits, for purposes of the Virginia Fair Housing Law and the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA), certain discriminatory uses of protected class data, defined in the bill, in the sale or rental of a dwelling. The bill requires, when applicable, disclosure of the use of personalized algorithmic pricing, defined in the bill, for purposes of the Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act and the VRLTA. Under the VRLTA, the bill prohibits a landlord from facilitating an agreement between or among two or more landlords to not compete with respect to any dwelling unit, including by operating or licensing software, a data analytics service, or an algorithmic device that performs a coordinating function, defined in the bill, on behalf of or between and among such landlords. The bill also prohibits a landlord and a multiple listing service, defined in the bill, from setting or adjusting rent prices, rental agreement terms, occupancy levels, or other rental agreement terms and conditions in one or more of his dwelling units based on recommendations from software, a data analytics service, or an algorithmic device performing a coordinating function. The bill allows the Attorney General to seek an injunction and civil penalties to restrain certain violations of the bill and allows any injured individual to bring a civil action to recover the greater of actual or statutory damages and reasonable attorney fees.

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.

General district courts; jurisdictional limits; motor vehicle accidents. Provides that general district courts of the Commonwealth shall have jurisdiction over actions for bodily injury to or death of a person caused by a motor vehicle accident for an amount in controversy not to exceed $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs, and any prior settlement made pursuant to a motor vehicle owner's insurance policy.

Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent, and states that such allowance is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1 each year. The bill requires the locality to publish such allowance on its website by June 1 of each year. Certain facilities, as outlined in the bill, are exempt from such ordinance. The bill also requires a locality adopting an anti-rent gouging ordinance to establish an anti-rent gouging board to establish rules and procedures by which landlords may apply for and be granted exemptions from the rent increase limits set by the ordinance or delegate such duties and functions to an existing local board, department, or agency. The bill also requires the anti-rent gouging board to establish a fair return on investment rent increase exemption to the annual anti-rent gouging allowance where necessary to offset increased operating expenses. Finally, the bill provides that a locality shall establish a civil penalty for failure to comply with the requirements set out in its ordinance.

Electric utilities; electric vehicle charging stations; transportation electrification. Permits Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company to develop, own, maintain, and operate public-facing fast-charging stations, as defined in the bill, at or beyond a radial distance from privately owned fast-charging stations, which radial distance shall be determined by the Commission in a rulemaking proceeding initiated by June 1, 2027, with a final order entered no later than December 31, 2027. The bill repeals current law related to the recovery of costs associated with investment in transportation electrification on December 31, 2027, to coincide with such final order. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.

Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to SB 1105.

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. Makes several changes relating to the textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials that are utilized as the curriculum basis for public elementary and secondary school student instruction, including (i) requiring each local school board to adopt and implement textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials in English language arts for grades six through 12 and mathematics, science, and history and social studies for grades kindergarten through 12 and requiring the Department of Education to support such local adoption and implementation in several ways and (ii) requiring each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education with certain endorsements to include a program of coursework and clinical experience and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in identifying and implementing textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. The provisions of the bill, with the exception of a provision that requires a study of and report on the textbook review and approval process by November 1, 2025, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 2291 and HB 2772 and is identical to SB 955.

Health insurance; reimbursement for services rendered by certain practitioners other than physicians. Requires health insurers and health service plan providers whose policies or contracts cover services that may be legally performed by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to provide equal coverage for such services. The bill requires the reimbursement for a service provided by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to be in the same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a certified nurse midwife performing such service in the area served, subject to certain conditions.