Sen. Tara Durant

Department of Health Professions; health regulatory boards; regulations; licensure by endorsement. Directs each health regulatory board regulated by the Department of Health Professions to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway for qualified applicants as practitioners of the particular profession or professions regulated by such board. The bill specifies that the Board of Medicine shall be the first health regulatory board to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway. This bill is identical to HB 1861.

Maddy summaryHJ 629 is a non-binding resolution commending Patricia Healy for her contributions. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, as it is purely a ceremonial expression of recognition by the legislature. The resolution passed both the House and Senate by voice vote in February 2025.

Public elementary and secondary schools; nutritional standards for school meals and other foods; nutrition requirements; certain color additives prohibited. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school from offering or making available to any student any food served as a part of a school meal or any competitive food, as defined in applicable law, that contains any of the seven color additives listed in the bill. The bill directs the Board of Education to amend its nutritional guidelines for competitive foods promulgated pursuant to relevant law in accordance with the provisions of the bill. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 1910.

Application for change of name; person required to register on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry; victim notification. Requires the attorney for the Commonwealth to make a reasonable effort to notify the victim of an offense for which a person is required to register with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry or such victim's immediate family member if such victim has died when such registrant applies for a change of name with the court. This bill is identical to HB 1846.

Department of Veterans Services; powers and duties of Commissioner; identification of incarcerated veterans. Provides that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall assist the Department of Corrections, sheriffs, and local and regional jails in utilizing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Re-Entry Search Services system to identify veterans incarcerated in state prisons and local and regional jails to help such veterans prepare for release or reentry, reduce recidivism and homelessness, connect such veterans to resources to address the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder, and divert eligible veterans to treatment dockets. This bill is identical to HB 2071.

Transportation; Commonwealth Transportation Special Structures Program Revenue Bond Act of 2025. Authorizes the Commonwealth Transportation Board to issue revenue bonds to be known and designated as "Commonwealth of Virginia Special Structures Program Revenue Bonds." The bill provides that the aggregate principal amount of such bonds shall not exceed $1 billion and shall not exceed $200 million in any single fiscal year. The bonds shall be payable solely (i) first from revenues received from the Special Structure Fund; (ii) second and to the extent required, from revenues legally available from the Transportation Trust Fund; and (iii) then to the extent required, from any other legally available funds.

Maddy summaryHJ 564 is a non-binding resolution honoring the late Honorable Henry Levander Marsh, III, recognizing his contributions to the state. It does not create new laws or affect any specific group, as it is purely commemorative. The resolution passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and was formally adopted by the legislature. This type of resolution serves to acknowledge an individual's legacy without implementing policy changes.

Maddy summaryHJ 609 is a ceremonial joint resolution commemorating the life of Robert Carl Gibbons. It does not create new laws or affect any individuals, groups, or policies; it is a symbolic gesture passed by both the House and Senate to honor a specific person. The resolution was formally agreed to by both chambers in February 2025 and finalized in March.

Maddy summaryHJ 584 is a commemorative resolution honoring Dr. Golden Bethune-Hill, recognizing her contributions to the community. It does not create new policies or affect any specific group through legislative action. The resolution was passed unanimously by the Senate on February 12, 2025, and formally adopted by the legislature. As a ceremonial measure, it has no substantive policy impact.

Acute psychiatric bed registry; Bed Registry Advisory Council established; patient privacy and data security; Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemption. Requires the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to include provisions for the protection of patient privacy and data security pursuant to state and federal law and regulations in contracts with private entities for the administration of the acute psychiatric bed registry. The bill requires the Commissioner to create the Bed Registry Advisory Council to advise the Commissioner and any such private entity on the administration of such registry and to review and approve requests for access to data from the registry. The bill also creates a Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemption for information submitted to such registry. This bill is identical to HB 1937.