Del. Kelly Fowler

Virginia Commission on Lynching Sites Memorialization established; report. Establishes the Virginia Commission on Lynching Sites Memorialization as an advisory commission in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the 15-member Commission is to acknowledge the history of racial violence in Virginia through the placement of historical markers at the sites of lynchings. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2028.

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord obligations; access of tenant to broadband services. Prohibits the landlord of a multifamily dwelling unit from accepting payment from a provider of broadband service for granting such provider mere access to the landlord's tenants or giving such tenants mere access to such service. The bill also prohibits a landlord from demanding or accepting payment from tenants in exchange for such a service unless the landlord itself is the provider of the service.

Maddy summaryHB 2775 clarifies the legal definition of "hemp product" under state law. This bill directly affects hemp product manufacturers, retailers, and regulatory agencies by establishing a clear standard for what qualifies as a hemp product. The key provision defines hemp products based on specific cannabinoid levels and processing methods, removing ambiguity in current regulations. This clarification aims to streamline compliance and enforcement without introducing new restrictions or requirements.

Regulation of discharging preproduction plastic; requirements. Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a program to ensure zero discharge or release from point and nonpoint source at certain facilities that discharge to (i) a surface water under a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Department or (ii) a publicly owned treatment works under an industrial pretreatment program permit or other written authorization issued by a local permit control authority and to require the prompt and environmentally responsible containment and cleanup of discharged or released preproduction plastic. The bill requires the Department to adopt and implement certain requirements in order to reduce and control the discharge or release of preproduction plastic from such facilities. The bill allows the Department to exempt a facility from the requirements of the program if a facility satisfies the criteria for a no exposure certification and complies with inspection requirements administered by the Department. The bill also allows the Department to establish additional requirements regarding the regulation of discharges and releases of preproduction plastic from certain facilities into water or onto land in the Commonwealth.

Public schools; student support services; student personal information and data security; registration; requirements; grants; report. Requires any student support agency, as defined by the bill, to register with the Department of Education (the Department) in order to provide any student support programs, as defined by the bill, to students enrolled in any public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth. The bill establishes several requirements for the registration of any student support agency relating to the protection of any student personal information collected by the student support agency, including (i) requiring such agencies to adopt certain policies, procedures, and protocols designed to ensure the continued security, integrity, and confidentiality of student personal information; (ii) requiring the Department to ensure any student support agency obtains informed consent from the parent of any student or, if such student is 18 years of age or older, the student prior to collecting or using any student personal information; (iii) requiring the Department to develop a standard memorandum of understanding and each student support agency and school board to execute a memorandum of understanding establishing authorizations and limitations relating to the transmission, collection, and use of student personal information; (iv) requiring the Department to establish and administer a grant program for the purpose of awarding grants to certain student support agencies for data security upgrades, training for staff, and third-party audits; (v) prohibiting any student support agency from using or sharing student personal information for certain purposes set forth in the bill, including sharing any such student personal information for use in targeted advertising; (vi) requiring the Department to establish certain programs and provide certain resources to support certain registered student support agencies and school boards in effectively and efficiently providing student support programs in compliance with the provisions of the bill; and (vii) requiring the Department to conduct an annual audit of a certain percentage of registered student support agencies to ensure compliance with the provisions of the bill and establishing provisions relating to consequences for failure of the audit or otherwise being found in violation of the provisions of the bill.

Study; Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; small business set-asides; report. Directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to study small business set-asides and their effectiveness in promoting the growth and economic development of small businesses through participation in government contracting. For purposes of the study, \"small business\" includes women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Department of Education; paid parental and family leave program for certain school board employees. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to establish and administer a paid parental and family leave program in which school boards may opt to participate and by which any individual employed full time for at least the immediately preceding three months by such a participating school board shall, after submitting to the school board an application form approved by the Department and with such supporting documentation as may be required by the Department, receive six weeks of paid leave at 50 percent of the employee's regular salary to care for a family member facing a serious health condition or emergency or six weeks of paid leave at 100 percent of the employee's regular salary following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of such employee's child, with certain terms and conditions set forth in the bill. The bill provides that the program shall be funded with such funds as may be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act and that the Department shall reimburse participating school boards for paid parental leave and paid family leave provided pursuant to the program.

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for 911 dispatchers. Allows local governments to provide enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service to full-time salaried 911 dispatchers. The bill provides that such enhanced retirement benefits apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher 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 as a full-time salaried 911 dispatcher 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.

Child tax credit; Virginia adjusted gross income. Creates a one-time tax credit in taxable years 2025 through 2029 for taxpayers whose households include dependents younger than 12 years of age and whose family Virginia adjusted gross income, defined in the bill, does not exceed $100,000. Such credit shall be in an amount equal to $300 for each such dependent and only one credit may be claimed for each such dependent. The bill provides that if the taxpayer is a resident of the Commonwealth for the full taxable year, the credit is refundable. Otherwise, the credit is nonrefundable.

Advertisement of legal notices; website. Allows a locality to advertise legal notices on its website rather than in a newspaper having a general circulation in the locality.