Sen. Todd Pillion

Stormwater management regulations; localities outside Chesapeake Bay watershed. Requires the State Water Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to apply in a locality that is located outside of the Chesapeake Bay watershed the regulations establishing minimum design criteria for measures that were in effect prior to July 1, 2014, to control (i) nonpoint source pollution and (ii) localized flooding and stream channel erosion.

Electric utilities; retail competition. Authorizes a customer who is a customer of a Phase I Utility that had a typical residential customer bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month that exceeded 125 percent of the statewide average during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electric energy within the Commonwealth. The bill also decreases the period that such a customer who switches from an investor-owned electric utility to a competing supplier is barred from returning as a customer of its utility from five years to 90 days.

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.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; real estate brokers, sales persons and rental location agents; criminal history information; self-certification. Provides that the Real Estate Board must require each applicant for licensure to submit fingerprints and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain criminal history record information regarding such applicant. The bill requires the Board to require an applicant for licensure to self-certify on his application whether he has any prior criminal convictions. The bill provides that if the Board has not yet received an applicant's criminal history record but his application is otherwise complete and Board approved and such applicant has certified that he has no prior criminal history, the Board will issue a real estate license to such applicant. If the Board later receives such applicant's criminal history record and it indicates a previously undisclosed criminal history, the Board shall immediately terminate such applicant's license and refer the application for further review. The bill states that if an applicant certifies on the application that he has a prior criminal history, the Board shall refer the application for further review to determine whether a license shall be issued.

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.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 210) that formally honors Lawrence Douglas Wilder, the first Black governor of Virginia (1990-1994). It does not create new laws or affect policy; it is solely a symbolic expression of respect for Wilder's historical service. The resolution was unanimously agreed to by the Senate on January 16, 2025. It directly recognizes Wilder's legacy but has no binding effect or practical impact on legislation or constituents.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally expresses appreciation for Lawrence Douglas Wilder, Virginia's first Black governor, recognizing his service to the state. It passed both the Senate and House by voice vote on January 15-16, 2025, with no recorded opposition. The bill has no binding effect or policy changes - it serves solely as a ceremonial honor. It directly affects no individuals or entities beyond the symbolic recognition of Wilder's legacy.

Public elementary and secondary schools; compulsory attendance policies and procedures; educational neglect defined. Revises the policies and procedures relating to addressing the nonattendance or nonenrollment of a child subject to compulsory education requirements by expanding the definition of "abused or neglected child" to include educational neglect and, therefore, requiring any teacher, attendance officer, or other person employed by such child's school, to report such neglect to the appropriate authority in accordance with pertinent law. The bill defines "educational neglect" as the failure or refusal to provide necessary education for a child who is subject to compulsory attendance in accordance with relevant law and is enrolled in a public school and has missed 10 percent or more of the academic year, including by (i) causing or allowing the child to become chronically absent, defined as any student who has missed 10 percent or more of the academic year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences, or (ii) failing or refusing to enroll a child in any school who is not otherwise exempt from school attendance if (a) such failure or refusal to enroll continues after the school notifies and institutes proceedings against the parent and (b) the time elapsed between the institution of proceedings and the continued noncompliance to date exceeds 10 percent of the academic year.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 23.1-408.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes; compensation and representation for name, image, or likeness. 24105621D

Content manufacturing tax credit. Removes the sunset for the motion picture tax credit, which currently is set to expire after taxable year 2026, and expands and redesignates the tax credit as the content manufacturing tax credit. The bill increases the total amount of credits that can be allocated to taxpayers to $46.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2024; however, should less than $100 million worth of certain new investments, as described by the bill, occur in Virginia by January 1, 2027, the cap will be reduced to $10 million per fiscal year. The bill also amends the definition of the "qualifying expenses" eligible for the content manufacturing tax credit to mean certain amounts spent in connection with the production of an eligible project filmed in the Commonwealth. The bill defines "eligible project" to be the production of a motion picture or an episodic television series.