Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SJ 340) is a ceremonial measure honoring Benjamin "Rod" Rodriguez. It does not create new laws or affect any individuals, groups, or policies. The bill passed both the Senate (Feb 6) and House (Feb 10) without substantive changes, as is standard for commemorative resolutions. It serves only to formally recognize Rodriguez's life through legislative acknowledgment.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SJ 336) honoring Dr. Peter John Kemp's life. It does not create legal obligations or affect any policies or individuals. The resolution formally expresses the legislature's commemoration of Dr. Kemp's contributions, as passed by both the Senate and House on February 6-11, 2025. It is a non-binding gesture of respect with no substantive impact.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late state legislator Frank Miller Ruff, Jr. It does not create new laws or affect any policies or people. The resolution formally commemorates his service and life through a symbolic tribute. As a non-binding resolution, it has no practical impact beyond recognition.

Maddy summarySR 232 is a Senate resolution commending the Rotary Club of Lake Ridge for its community service and contributions. It does not create new laws or affect any individuals or policies, as it is a ceremonial expression of recognition. The resolution passed the Senate by voice vote on February 6, 2025, and is purely symbolic. This type of resolution typically honors organizations without imposing any legal requirements or changes.

Maddy summarySR 231 is a ceremonial Senate resolution commending General Lewis B. Chesty Puller Post 1503 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for its service. It has no binding legal effect and does not create new policies or impact any group beyond expressing formal recognition. The resolution was passed by the Senate via voice vote on February 6, 2025, and is a standard symbolic gesture honoring a veterans' organization. It directly affects only the named VFW post through this public acknowledgment.

Maddy summarySR 230 is a ceremonial resolution commending Juli M. Porto for her contributions. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, rights, or obligations. The bill serves solely as a formal expression of recognition by the Senate, with no concrete policy changes or direct impact on individuals or groups. As a procedural resolution, it follows standard legislative steps for honoring individuals.

Virginia Residential Development Infrastructure Program and Fund. Establishes the Virginia Residential Development Infrastructure Program and Fund to provide financial assistance to localities for expanding or improving public infrastructure needed to support new residential development through the construction or installation of an eligible project, as defined by the bill. The bill provides that the Department of Housing and Community Development will administer the Program, in consultation with the Virginia Resources Authority.

Standards of Quality; Standards of Learning assessments in languages other than English; development and administration. Requires (i) the Board of Education to develop Standards of Learning assessments in native languages other than English that are most commonly spoken in the Commonwealth; (ii) each school board to make available any such native language assessment to any English language learner student who speaks any such language natively and is identified as having limited English proficiency; (iii) the English language learner faculty at any such student's school to make the final determination as to whether administration of any such native language assessment is appropriate; and (iv) the provisions of the bill to be implemented by the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Education to submit to the U.S. Department of Education by August 1, 2025 any amendments to its consolidated plan under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, that are necessary to implement its provisions.

Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; support services. Requires the Department of Education, (i) in calculating the deduction of federal funds in the Standards of Quality funding formula, to examine actual school division spending on support costs as a percentage of actual school division spending on all public education costs, with certain exceptions such as food service, and (ii) in calculating the costs in the Standards of Quality funding formula beginning with fiscal year 2029, to include all employee benefit costs incurred by a majority of school divisions, including costs related to retirement, health care, life insurance, and payout of earned but unused leave. The bill also requires support services positions to be funded based on a calculation of prevailing costs and prohibits such positions from being subject to any method of funding calculation that caps the number of funded support services positions based on a ratio of such positions to students enrolled in the school division, with the exception of certain support services positions enumerated in the bill.

Public schools; Standards of Quality; certain calculations; support services. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) (i) in calculating nonpersonal costs in the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include the costs associated with work-related employee travel and leased facilities; (ii) in calculating the deduction of federal funds in the Standards of Quality funding formula, to examine actual school division spending on support costs as a percentage of actual school division spending on all public education costs, with certain exceptions such as food service; (iii) in calculating the costs in the Standards of Quality funding formula beginning with fiscal year 2029, to include all employee benefit costs incurred by a majority of school divisions; (iv) in calculating the cost of salaries under the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include facilities staff and transportation staff salaries in the calculation of any cost of competing adjustment to salaries for instructional and support positions; and (v) in estimating the cost of any compensation supplement for instruction and support positions under the Standards of Quality funding formula, to include and estimate the cost of such a compensation supplement for facilities staff. The bill also prohibits the Department from applying any cap on inflation rate adjustments to non-personal cost categories during the biennial process of re-benchmarking the aid to the public education budget. The bill (a) requires a per-pupil Standards of Quality funding add-on to be provided for each special education student; (b) requires support services positions to be funded based on a calculation of prevailing costs and prohibits such positions from being subject to any method of funding calculation that caps the number of funded support services positions based on a ratio of such positions to students enrolled in the school division, with the exception of certain support services positions enumerated in the bill; and (c) establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at-risk, including programs and services of prevention, intervention, or remediation.