Sen. Chris Head

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution honoring the late Henry Levander Marsh, III, a former public servant. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, rights, or funding. The resolution formally recognizes his contributions through a ceremonial vote by both legislative chambers. It passed unanimously in the Senate and House in early February 2025, as documented in the official actions.

Health insurance; cost sharing for breast examinations. Prohibits health insurance carriers from imposing cost sharing for diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations, as those terms are defined in the bill, under certain insurance policies, subscription contracts, and health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2026. The bill provides that such examinations include examinations using diagnostic mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging, or breast ultrasound. This bill is a recommendation of the Health Insurance Reform Commission. This bill was incorporated into SB 1436.

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; publishing of certain institution-level data on website required. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to annually publish in an easily accessible format and location on its website data for each public institution of higher education and each nonprofit private institution of higher education eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program on the (i) cost of tuition and fees; (ii) student retention rate; (iii) student graduation rate; (iv) wages of former students three years after graduation; (v) 20 baccalaureate degree programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation; and (vi) 20 associate degree or certificate programs with the highest average annual wages following graduation. The bill requires such data to be presented in a user-friendly format so that the user can compare the data clearly and visually.

Opioid antagonists; dispensing and administration by person acting on behalf of an organization. Permits persons acting on behalf of an organization that provides services to individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose or training in the administration of naloxone or other opioid antagonists to dispense other opioid antagonists. The bill also allows persons to whom other opioid antagonists are dispensed to possess and administer such opioid antagonists. Under current law, persons acting on behalf of such organizations may only dispense naloxone.

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.

Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs. Requires the Virginia Community College System (the System), in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from both associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education that offer nursing programs, to develop a common curriculum for practical nursing programs that shall be implemented at each comprehensive community college in the System that offers a practical nursing program. The bill requires such common curriculum, to the extent possible, to (i) align with the degree requirements for registered nursing programs offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education and (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education or a baccalaureate public institution of higher education. The bill (a) requires each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to participate in a practical nursing program to registered nursing program transfer agreement with the System that aligns with the practical nursing program common curriculum established pursuant to the bill and (b) permits any private institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to be consulted regarding and participate on a voluntary basis in such a transfer agreement. This bill was incorporated into SB 953.

Newborn and stillborn tax credit. Establishes a refundable income tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for married individuals in an amount equal to $2,000 per eligible birth, defined in the bill. The bill also allows individuals and married individuals filing jointly to claim a refundable credit in an amount equal to $2,000 per stillborn birth so long as such stillborn birth is not also the birth of a child by a surrogate. The bill specifies that only one tax credit may be claimed for each eligible birth or stillborn birth.

State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. Repeals the State Air Pollution Control Board's authority to implement low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards that apply to vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later.

Tire stewardship program established; report. Requires producers of tires sold in the Commonwealth to join a tire stewardship organization, which must submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Quality for the establishment of an approved tire stewardship program, on or before January 1, 2027. Such tire stewardship program shall establish a statewide collection system for discarded tires to facilitate higher rates of recycling and resale for such tires. The bill establishes reporting requirements for tire stewardship organizations and provides that the Office of the Attorney General may, at the request of the Department, enforce the provisions of the bill.

Virginia retirement system; enhanced retirement benefits; animal control officers. Adds full-time animal control officers to the list of local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefits for hazardous duty service for service earned in such positions on or after July 1, 2026. Under current law, localities may provide such benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.