Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses and odor of marijuana; exclusion of evidence. Removes provisions prohibiting a law-enforcement officer from stopping a motor vehicle for operating (i) with an expired registration sticker prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date; (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment; (iii) without tail lights, brake lights, or a supplemental high mount stop light; (iv) without lighted headlights displayed when so required; (v) with certain tinting films, signs, posters, stickers, or decals; (vi) with objects or other equipment suspended so as to obstruct the driver's view; or (vii) with an expired inspection prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date, as well as the accompanying exclusionary provisions. The bill also authorizes a law-enforcement officer to lawfully stop, search, or seize a person, place, or thing or a search warrant to be issued based solely on the odor of marijuana if such odor creates a reasonable suspicion of a violation of the law prohibiting driving while intoxicated.
Sponsored bills
Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation; review process. Prohibits a police officer from being discharged, disciplined, or threatened with discharge or discipline solely due to the designation of such police officer as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation. The bill defines "Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation" as a determination that is made by or a designation that is created by the attorney for the Commonwealth relating to a law-enforcement officer who is believed to have given inconsistent statements or otherwise engaged in conduct that meets the requirements for disclosure in a criminal prosecution according to the Constitution of the United States. The bill also provides for a review of the attorney for the Commonwealth's decision by the circuit court when a law-enforcement officer is designated as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation within certain time frames specified in the bill. Finally, the bill contains a retroactivity provision that applies the notice and appeal process created in the bill to any law-enforcement officer designated as a witness with a Witness Impeachment Evidence Designation prior to July 1, 2025.
Military and emergency laws; acquisition of land adjacent to a military base. Provides that no person shall purchase, acquire, lease, or hold any interest in land adjacent to a military base in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2026, unless such purchase, acquisition, lease, or holding of interest complies with the provisions of 50 U.S.C. § 4565.
Commonwealth Aviation Fund; allocations. Changes (i) the allocation amounts from the Commonwealth Aviation Fund, (ii) the entity to which certain funds from such Fund are allocated from air carrier airports to commercial service airport sponsors, and (iii) the classification of airports from air carrier airport and reliever airport to commercial service airport and regional business airport, respectively.
Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, etc., of fentanyl, heroin, or related controlled substances; penalties. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutes second degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not less than five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious act that resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture, sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substance to another and (i) such other person's death results from his use of the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill provides that venue for a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where the underlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substance occurred, or where death occurred. The bill also provides that if a person gave or distributed a Schedule I or II controlled substance only as an accommodation to another individual who is not an inmate in a community correctional facility, local correctional facility, or state correctional facility, or in the custody of an employee thereof, and not with intent to profit thereby from any consideration received or expected nor to induce the recipient of the controlled substance to use or become addicted to or dependent upon such controlled substance, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony. The bill also requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate the cause and manner of a death in any case where the attorney for the Commonwealth or the investigating law-enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the death resulted from such felony homicide. The bill also adds mandatory minimum fines for manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil based on the weight of such mixtures or substances.
Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice; work group; report. Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas utility authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. The bill prohibits a public entity from adopting an ordinance, resolution, or any other requirement that limits or prohibits customers from acquiring natural gas service and supply from both utility and non-utility gas companies. The bill prohibits public entities from denying building permits solely based on a proposed utility provider and directs public entities to ensure that all applicable permits and fees are reasonable, as compared to other utility providers, and do not restrict an applicant's ability to use the services of an authorized utility provider. The bill also directs the Department of Energy to convene a work group for the purposes of evaluating the impact of critical infrastructure sectors on natural gas service or natural gas supply choice and the impact of any public entity restricting a critical infrastructure sector from acquiring fuel and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2025.
K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; student participation in women's sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public school, or any other school that is a member of the Virginia High School League, or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on the biological sex of the students who participate on the team or in the sport: (i) males, men, or boys; (ii) females, women, or girls; or (iii) coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both males and females. The bill requires that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician's statement. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against any such school or institution of higher education based on a violation of the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or institution or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, institution, athletic association, or organization.
Assault and battery of law-enforcement officer; definition of law-enforcement officer; penalty. Adds officers of the Virginia Marine Police to the definition of law-enforcement officer, which means that the punishment for committing an assault and battery on such an officer who is engaged in the performance of his public duties is elevated from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony, with a six-month mandatory minimum term of confinement.
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; deregulation of residential building energy analysts. Repeals certain provisions of the Code related to the regulation and licensure of residential building energy analysts and makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to perform for compensation without insurance coverage valued at no less than $100,000 or in a manner otherwise inconsistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines any inspection or evaluation of any of the readily accessible components of a residential building, such as appliances, water heaters, insulation materials, HVAC units, or electrical components, and provide recommendations to reduce the energy consumption or improve the efficiency of such components.
Income tax; subtraction; retirement income of certain federal employees. Establishes, beginning in taxable year 2025, an individual income tax subtraction for 20 percent of the retirement income of retirees covered under the federal Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).