While Washington focused on the Inauguration, the Virginia General Assembly worked through hundreds of the bills filed for the 2025 Session.
This week, legislators worked hard to make up for time lost at the outset of Session. Committees are prioritizing bills with fiscal impacts to allow time for consideration before money committees ahead of “Budget Sunday” on February 2. At that time, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee will report out their committee budgets. To begin the budget review process this week, money committees received presentations on member budget amendments for consideration.
Below, you will find a breakdown of legislation that impacts the retail industry. Your Virginia Retail Federation team will continue to keep you informed throughout the 2025 Session on all issues that impact your business.
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ABC
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1655 | Dan I. Helmer | Alcoholic beverage control; limitation on manufacturers, etc., restrictions on employment. Alcoholic beverage control; limitation on manufacturers, bottlers, and wholesalers; restrictions on employment; exemptions. Allows a manufacturer, bottler, or wholesaler to employ any person employed by a retail licensee and a retail licensee to employ any person employed by a manufacturer, bottler, or wholesaler, provided that (i) no person employed by a manufacturer is employed as a designated manager of a retail licensee or similar position in a retail licensee establishment and (ii) no retail licensee is required by agreement or otherwise to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, or wholesalers.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-215 | House, Jan 13, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1655) |
| VA 2025 HB 1703 | David L. Bulova | Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Removes certain provisions of the exceptions to the tied house limitations that state a manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler cannot require, by agreement or otherwise, a retailer to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, importers, brokers, or wholesalers in order for the exception to apply. However, the bill retains the general prohibition that no manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler of alcoholic beverages shall make an agreement, or attempt to make an agreement, with a retail licensee pursuant to which any products sold by a competitor are excluded in whole or in part from the premises on which the retail licensee’s business is conducted.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-215, 4.1-216 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1925 | Jeion A. Ward | Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; police power; primary law-enforcement agency for certain larceny-related offenses. Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; police power; primary law-enforcement agency for certain larceny-related offenses. Provides that special agents of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board shall serve as the primary law-enforcement agency for enforcing and investigating certain larceny and fraud-related crimes that occur in government stores.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-105 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Stricken from docket by General Laws (21-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1981 | Dan I. Helmer | Alcoholic beverage control; illegal advertising, exceptions, charitable sales promotion. Alcoholic beverage control; illegal advertising; exceptions; charitable sales promotion. Allows a licensed distillery, winery, or brewery to advertise in or send any advertising matter into the Commonwealth about or concerning alcoholic beverages for the purposes of a charitable sales promotion to benefit (i) a charitable or civic organization; (ii) an organization exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; or (iii) any public or private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education, regardless of whether such charitable sales promotion advertises that a percentage of each sale or per product sold will benefit such organization, school, or institution.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-320 | House, Jan 17, 2025: Assigned GL sub: ABC/Gaming |
| VA 2025 HB 1994 | Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker | Alcoholic beverage control; requirements for restaurant retail licensees. Alcoholic beverage control; requirements for restaurant retail licensees; provision of free potable water. Requires restaurants granted a retail license to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption to provide free potable water to customers who have placed an order upon request. | House, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from General Laws (15-Y 6-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2033 | Shelly A. Simonds Mike A. Cherry Karrie K. Delaney | Alcoholic beverage control retail licensees and employees; training on human trafficking. Department of Criminal Justice Services; alcoholic beverage control retail licensees and employees; training on human trafficking. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop an online course for the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to offer to retail licensees and their employees to train such licensees and employees to recognize and report instances of suspected human trafficking. The bill also requires the certified alcohol server or seller training that a retail licensee may offer its employees that allows a reduction in the length of any suspension or the amount of any civil penalty imposed for a license violation to include a course developed or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-227, 9.1-102 | House, Jan 24, 2025: Reconsidered by Public Safety |
| VA 2025 HB 2058 | Paul E. Krizek | Alcoholic beverage control; delivery of mixed beverages. Alcoholic beverage control; delivery of mixed beverages; repeal. Clarifies that under current law, mixed beverage restaurant and limited mixed beverage restaurant licensees may sell for off-premises consumption or deliver up to two mixed beverages per meal served, but shall in no event sell for off-premises consumption or deliver more than four mixed beverages at any one time. The bill also provides clarification as to where delivery of such mixed beverages may be made. The bill maintains alcoholic beverage control third-party delivery licenses, the repeal of which is set to go into effect July 1, 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-212.1 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from General Laws (20-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2342 | Amanda E. Batten | Alcoholic beverage control; confectionery mixed beverage retail license. Alcoholic beverage control; confectionery mixed beverage retail license. Creates a confectionery mixed beverage retail license that authorizes the licensee to prepare and sell on the licensed premises for on-and-off premises consumption confectionery that contains five percent or less alcohol by volume. The bill provides that any alcohol contained in such confectionery shall not be in liquid form at the time of sale, unless such confectionery is a frozen dessert, as defined in the bill. The bill also sets the state and local license fee for such confectionery license and repeals the provisions of alcoholic beverage control law that created an off-premises wine and beer confectionery license.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-206.3, 4.1-231.1, 4.1-233.1 | House, Jan 21, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 2-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 811 | Aaron R. Rouse | Alcoholic beverage control; third-party delivery licenses. Alcoholic beverage control; third-party delivery licenses; repeal. Maintains alcoholic beverage control third-party delivery licenses, the repeal of which is set to go into effect July 1, 2026. | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 834 | Barbara A. Favola Christie New Craig | Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Alcoholic beverage control; tied house exceptions. Removes certain provisions of the exceptions to the tied house limitations that state a manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler cannot require, by agreement or otherwise, a retailer to exclude from sale at his establishment alcoholic beverages of other manufacturers, bottlers, importers, brokers, or wholesalers in order for the exception to apply. However, the bill retains the general prohibition that no manufacturer, bottler, importer, broker, or wholesaler of alcoholic beverages shall make an agreement, or attempt to make an agreement, with a retail licensee pursuant to which any products sold by a competitor are excluded in whole or in part from the premises on which the retail licensee’s business is conducted.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-215, 4.1-216 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 868 | Bryce E. Reeves | Mixed bev. licensees; prohibition on delivery to consumer of original bottle of alcoholic beverage. Alcoholic beverage control; mixed beverage licensees; prohibition on delivery to consumer of original bottle of alcoholic beverage; exception. Adds an exception to the prohibition on mixed beverage licensees or any agent or employee of such licensees delivering to a consumer an original bottle of an alcoholic beverage purchased under such license for the delivery of the entire contents of an original container of spirits for on-premises or off-premises consumption provided that the (i) container is 16 ounces or less and (ii) alcohol content is no greater than 15 percent by volume.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-325 | Senate, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB868) |
| VA 2025 SB 909 | William M. Stanley, Jr. | Motor sports facility; advertising alcoholic beverages, liquid nicotine, & nicotine vapor products. Advertising alcoholic beverages, liquid nicotine, and nicotine vapor products; motor sports facility. Provides an exception to the prohibition on advertising about or concerning alcoholic beverages for advertisements of any alcoholic beverage within the confines of a motor sports facility. Similarly, the bill provides that the requirement that any advertising or marketing of liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products in broadcast, cable, radio, print, and digital communications or any event marketing or sponsorships shall be made only where at least 85 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least 21 years of age, as determined by reliable, up-to-date audience composition data, shall not apply to advertisements or marketing for liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products within the confines of a motor sports facility.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-320, 58.1-1021.09 | Senate, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB909) |
12 bills
AI
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 2094 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Jackie H. Glass C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. | High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use, civil penalties. High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use; civil penalties. Creates requirements for the development, deployment, and use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems, defined in the bill, and civil penalties for noncompliance, to be enforced by the Attorney General. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. | House, Jan 23, 2025: Assigned CT & I sub: Communications |
| VA 2025 HB 2124 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker Jackie H. Glass | Synthetic digital content; penalty; work group. Synthetic digital content; penalty; work group. Expands the applicability of provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to include synthetic digital content, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to use any synthetic digital content for the purpose of committing any criminal offense involving fraud, constituting a separate and distinct offense with punishment separate and apart from any punishment received for the commission of the primary criminal offense. The bill also authorizes the individual depicted in the synthetic digital content to bring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such other relief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directs the Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the use of synthetic digital content, including deepfakes, and any further action needed to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts.Statutes affected: Introduced: 8.01-45, 8.01-46, 18.2-417 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2250 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Jackie H. Glass Irene Shin | Artificial intelligence Training Data Transparency Act; transparency and disclosure requirements. Consumer Data Protection Act; Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act. Allows consumers to authorize a third party, acting on the consumer’s behalf, to opt out of the processing of the consumer’s personal data. Such authorization may be made using technology that indicates the consumer’s intent to opt out, including a browser setting, browser extension, global device setting, or other user-selected universal opt-out mechanism. Where a controller has actual knowledge or willfully disregards that a consumer is an adolescent, defined in the bill as at least 13 years of age but younger than 16 years of age, no controller shall process any personal data collected or collect precise geolocation data from such adolescent without obtaining consent from such adolescent. The bill provides that the Attorney General has discretion regarding whether to provide an opportunity to cure a violation to a controller or processor beginning January 1, 2026. The bill also revises the definitions of “sale of personal data,” “sensitive data,” and “biometric data.” The bill requires a developer of a generative artificial intelligence system or service, defined in the bill, to disclose on the developer’s website information about the generative artificial intelligence data set used to train such system or service. A developer shall keep detailed records of the generative artificial intelligence data set used to train a generative artificial intelligence system or service and provide cle… | House, Jan 23, 2025: Assigned CT & I sub: Communications |
| VA 2025 HB 2411 | Jackie H. Glass | Consumer Counsel, Division of; expands duties, artificial intelligence fraud and abuse. Division of Consumer Counsel; duties; artificial intelligence fraud and abuse. Expands the duties of the Division of Consumer Counsel to include establishing and administering programs to address artificial intelligence fraud and abuse. The bill provides that such programs would include establishing a statewide fraud and abuse alert system to be administered by the Division.Statutes affected: Introduced: 2.2-517 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 2-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2483 | Jackie H. Glass Michael J. Webert | Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties; civil action. Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties; civil action. Requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of digital electronic equipment, or parts for such equipment, to make available to owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation, parts, and tools for purposes of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of such equipment. The bill requires, for digital electronic equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, OEMs to make available to the owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, any special documentation, parts, and tools needed to disable such lock or function and to reset it when disabled. A violation of the bill’s provisions is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Any person who suffers a loss as the result of a violation of the bill’s provisions shall be entitled to initiate an action for an injunction to enforce such provisions. The bill applies with respect to equipment sold or in use in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2026. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2483) |
| VA 2025 HB 2554 | Rozia A. Henson, Jr. | Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act; established. Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act established. Requires developers of generative artificial intelligence systems made available in the Commonwealth to ensure that any generative artificial intelligence system that produces audio, images, text, or video content includes on such AI-generated content a clear and conspicuous disclosure that meets certain requirements specified in the bill. The bill also requires developers of generative artificial intelligence systems to implement reasonable procedures to prevent downstream use of such system without the required disclosures and requires any third-party licensee of a generative artificial intelligence system to also implement such procedures. The bill provides that a violation of the disclosure requirements constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill allows the Attorney General to offer developers a right to cure noncompliance that is noticed by the Attorney General and provides that a person or entity claiming to be injured due to a violation of the disclosure requirements shall be entitled to initiate an action for monetary damages or equitable relief.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1161 | Saddam Azlan Salim | Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act; established. Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act established. Requires developers of generative artificial intelligence systems made available in the Commonwealth to ensure that any generative artificial intelligence system that produces audio, images, text, or video content includes on such AI-generated content a clear and conspicuous disclosure that meets certain requirements specified in the bill. The bill also requires developers of generative artificial intelligence systems to implement reasonable procedures to prevent downstream use of such system without the required disclosures and requires any third-party licensee of a generative artificial intelligence system to also implement such procedures. The bill provides that a violation of the disclosure requirements constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill allows the Attorney General to offer developers a right to cure noncompliance that is noticed by the Attorney General and provides that a person or entity claiming to be injured due to a violation of the disclosure requirements shall be entitled to initiate an action for monetary damages or equitable relief.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1161) |
| VA 2025 SB 1417 | Adam P. Ebbin | Digital Content Authenticity and Transparency Act; established, civil penalty. Digital Content Authenticity and Transparency Act established; civil penalty. Requires a developer of an artificial intelligence system or service to apply provenance data to synthetic digital content that is generated by such developer’s generative artificial intelligence system or service and requires a developer to make a provenance application tool and a provenance reader available to the public. The bill requires a controller of an online service, product, or feature to retain any available provenance data and requires a capture device to include a provenance application tool by default. The bill grants the Attorney General the exclusive authority to enforce such provisions and impose civil penalties pursuant to the bill. Under certain circumstances, the Attorney General may offer a developer an opportunity to cure a violation before imposing such civil penalties. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1417) |
8 bills
Cannabis
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1558 | Paul V. Milde Eric Phillips Mike A. Cherry | Possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. P ossession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law. A violation of such prohibition is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for a first violation and a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a second or subsequent violation. The bill also provides that a court may, as an alternative to the civil penalty, and upon motion of the defendant, prescribe the performance of up to 20 hours of community service for a first violation and up to 40 hours of community service for a second or subsequent violation, but if the defendant fails or refuses to complete the community service as prescribed, the court may impose the civil penalty. Additionally, upon such violation, the judge may enter an order suspending the motor vehicle and driver’s license of such person pursuant relevant law. | House, Jan 17, 2025: Subcommittee recommends incorporating into HB1946-Hope (Voice Vote) |
| VA 2025 HB 2366 | Carrie E. Coyner | Public Safety & Homeland Security & HHR, Secretaries of; combat sale of illicit cannabis products. Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Secretary of Health and Human Resources; combat the sale of illicit cannabis products; work group; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to analyze the current efforts in the Commonwealth to combat the sale of illicit cannabis products and develop recommendations to enhance such enforcement efforts with a focus on protecting consumers and children from harmful, untested, and unregulated products. The bill requires the work group to complete its work and submit a report regarding its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations, on General Laws, and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations, on General Laws and Technology, on Rehabilitation and Social Services, and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2025. | House, Jan 17, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2366) |
| VA 2025 HB 2485 | Paul E. Krizek | Cannabis control; establishes framework for creating retail market. Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill allows the Authority to begin issuing all marijuana licenses on September 1, 2025, but provides that no retail sales may occur prior to May 1, 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-1101.1, 4.1-1105.1, 18.2-248.1, 18.2-251.1 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #5 |
| VA 2025 HB 2510 | Kim A. Taylor | Safety and Health Codes Board; THC impairment standard for certain work sites. Safety and Health Codes Board; THC impairment standard for certain work sites. Directs the Safety and Health Codes Board to promulgate regulations to establish a THC impairment standard and testing protocol to be used exclusively on manufacturing and utility work sites and to commence the rulemaking process no later than October 1, 2025. | House, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce |
| VA 2025 HJ 497 | Paul E. Krizek | Joint commission to oversee transition of the Commonwealth into a retail cannabis market established; report. Joint commission to oversee transition of the Commonwealth into a retail cannabis market established; report. Establishes a joint commission to oversee the transition of the Commonwealth into a retail cannabis market. The joint commission shall expire on July 1, 2028. | House, Jan 16, 2025: Committee Referral Pending |
| VA 2025 SB 912 | William M. Stanley, Jr. | Safety and Health Codes Board; THC impairment standard for certain work sites. Safety and Health Codes Board; THC impairment standard for certain work sites. Directs the Safety and Health Codes Board to promulgate regulations to establish a THC impairment standard and testing protocol to be used exclusively on manufacturing and utility work sites and to commence the rulemaking process no later than October 1, 2025. | Senate, Jan 13, 2025: Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor (9-Y 6-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 970 | Aaron R. Rouse Jennifer D. Carroll Foy Lashrecse D. Aird | Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill allows the Authority to begin issuing all marijuana licenses on September 1, 2025, but provides that no retail sales may occur prior to May 1, 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 4.1-1101.1, 4.1-1105.1, 18.2-248.1, 18.2-251.1Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute : 4.1-1101.1, 4.1-1105.1, 18.2-248.1, 18.2-251.1 | Senate, Jan 17, 2025: Impact statement from VCSC (SB970) |
| VA 2025 SB 1266 | Tara A. Durant | Possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. P ossession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law. Any person who violates such prohibition is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. | Senate, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| VA 2025 SB 1483 | Jennifer B. Boysko | Regulated hemp product retail facility registration; fee. Regulated hemp product retail facility registration; fee.Statutes affected: Introduced: 3.2-4122 | Senate, Jan 24, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1483) |
9 bills
Consumer Protection
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1624 | Joshua E. Thomas Bonita G. Anthony | Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms; addictive feed prohibited for minors. Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms; addictive feed prohibited for minors. Prohibits a person that operates a social media platform that has knowledge that a user of the social media platform is a child under the age of 18 from using an addictive feed, defined in the bill, unless the operator of such social media platform obtains verifiable parental consent.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-575 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Assigned CT & I sub: Communications |
| VA 2025 HB 2043 | Bonita G. Anthony | Consumer Data Protection Act; user-generated content protected, civil penalty. Consumer Data Protection Act; user-generated content protected; civil penalty. Requires controllers and processors to provide consumers with a privacy notice that applies to the consumers’ user-generated content, defined in the bill, under the Consumer Data Protection Act and requires that any secondary use, defined in the bill, of personal data or user-generated content be consented to by the consumer. The bill requires a controller or processor, upon request by a consumer, to provide such consumer with a report that describes how the consumer’s personal data or user-generated content was processed over the prior 12 months. The bill increases from $7,500 to $15,000 the maximum civil penalties for violations and allows civil penalties of up to $22,500 per violation for repeated noncompliance or egregious violations. The bill also allows a consumer who suffers a loss due to a violation to bring a private right of action against a controller or processor.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-575, 59.1-578, 59.1-584 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Assigned CT & I sub: Communications |
| VA 2025 HB 2250 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Jackie H. Glass Irene Shin | Artificial intelligence Training Data Transparency Act; transparency and disclosure requirements. Consumer Data Protection Act; Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act. Allows consumers to authorize a third party, acting on the consumer’s behalf, to opt out of the processing of the consumer’s personal data. Such authorization may be made using technology that indicates the consumer’s intent to opt out, including a browser setting, browser extension, global device setting, or other user-selected universal opt-out mechanism. Where a controller has actual knowledge or willfully disregards that a consumer is an adolescent, defined in the bill as at least 13 years of age but younger than 16 years of age, no controller shall process any personal data collected or collect precise geolocation data from such adolescent without obtaining consent from such adolescent. The bill provides that the Attorney General has discretion regarding whether to provide an opportunity to cure a violation to a controller or processor beginning January 1, 2026. The bill also revises the definitions of “sale of personal data,” “sensitive data,” and “biometric data.” The bill requires a developer of a generative artificial intelligence system or service, defined in the bill, to disclose on the developer’s website information about the generative artificial intelligence data set used to train such system or service. A developer shall keep detailed records of the generative artificial intelligence data set used to train a generative artificial intelligence system or service and provide cle… | House, Jan 23, 2025: Assigned CT & I sub: Communications |
| VA 2025 HB 2515 | Adele Y. McClure Nadarius E. Clark Rozia A. Henson, Jr. | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Prohibits a supplier, in connection with a consumer transaction, from advertising or displaying a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges, as defined in the bill. The bill specifies the requirements for compliance with its provisions for certain suppliers and excludes from its provisions (i) certain fees charged by motor vehicle dealers, as defined in relevant law; (ii) fees charged by electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and telecommunications service providers, as those terms are defined in relevant law; and (iii) certain costs associated with real estate settlement services. The bill requires a food delivery platform to (a) at the point when a consumer views and selects a vendor or items for purchase, include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any additional fee or percentage charged, as defined in the bill, and (b) after a consumer selects items for purchase, but prior to checkout, display a subtotal page that itemizes the price of such selected items and any additional fee or percentage included in the total cost.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587 | House, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2515) |
| VA 2025 SB 684 | William M. Stanley, Jr. | Online Children’s Safety Protection Act; established, civil penalties. Online Children’s Safety Protection Act established; civil penalties. Creates the Online Children’s Safety Protection Act, which requires certain duties of covered entities, defined in the bill, to protect the best interests of children who use online services, products, or features. The bill requires any covered entity that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by a child to complete a data protection impact assessment, the details of which are described in the bill, within two years before any new online service, product, or feature is offered to the public on or after July 1, 2024. The bill also prohibits certain actions by covered entities and authorizes the Attorney General to impose penalties and initiate actions against any covered entity that violates the provisions of the bill. | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in General Laws and Technology |
| VA 2025 SB 783 | David R. Suetterlein Tammy Brankley Mulchi | Consumer Data Protection Act; protections for children. Consumer Data Protection Act; protections for children. Requires a controller or processor to obtain verifiable parental consent, defined in the bill, prior to registering any child with the controller’s or processor’s product or service or before collecting, using, or disclosing such child’s personal data. The bill also amends the definition of child for purposes of the Consumer Data Protection Act to include any natural person younger than 18 years of age.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-575, 59.1-576 | Senate, Jan 10, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB783) |
| VA 2025 SB 854 | Schuyler T. VanValkenburg Lashrecse D. Aird | Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms; addictive feed prohibited for minors. Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms; addictive feed prohibited for minors. Prohibits a person that operates a social media platform that has knowledge that a user of the social media platform is a child under the age of 18 from using an addictive feed, defined in the bill, unless the operator of such social media platform obtains verifiable parental consent.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-575 | Senate, Jan 14, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB854) |
| VA 2025 SB 1212 | Stella G. Pekarsky David W. Marsden | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Prohibits a supplier, in connection with a consumer transaction, from advertising or displaying a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges, as defined in the bill. The bill specifies the requirements for compliance with its provisions for certain suppliers and excludes from its provisions (i) certain fees charged by motor vehicle dealers, as defined in relevant law; (ii) fees charged by electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and telecommunications service providers, as those terms are defined in relevant law; and (iii) certain costs associated with real estate settlement services. The bill requires a food delivery platform to (a) at the point when a consumer views and selects a vendor or items for purchase, include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any additional fee or percentage charged, as defined in the bill, and (b) after a consumer selects items for purchase, but prior to checkout, display a subtotal page that itemizes the price of such selected items and any additional fee or percentage included in the total cost.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587General Laws and Technology Substitute: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1212) |
| VA 2025 SB 1345 | Emily M. Jordan | Commercial entity offering social media accounts; restricted hours for minors, civil liability. Commercial entity offering social media accounts; restricted hours for minors; civil liability. Provides that no commercial entity that offers social media accounts, as defined in the bill, shall knowingly or intentionally allow a minor to access his social media account during the hours of 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. unless the minor’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian has provided permission for the minor to use such social media account during these hours. The bill provides that any commercial entity that violates these provisions shall be subject to civil liability for damages resulting from the interference with a minor’s sleep cycle or mental health by allowing such minor to access to his social media account during the hours of 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. and reasonable attorney fees and costs. | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter (8-Y 7-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1356 | Kannan Srinivasan Saddam Azlan Salim | Fees for electronic fund transfers; prohibited. Fees for electronic fund transfers; prohibited. Provides that charging any transaction or processing fee or similar surcharge for the purchase of a good or service through the use of an electronic fund transfer is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also prohibits landlords subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act from charging a transaction or processing fee for the payment of a security deposit, rent, or any other amounts payable.Statutes affected: Introduced: 55.1-1208, 59.1-199, 59.1-200 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Read second time and engrossed |
| VA 2025 SB 1376 | David W. Marsden Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; food labeling. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; food labeling. Prohibits the sale of any food required by the FDA to have a nutrition label, when any ingredient listed on the label is less than 50 percent, or greater than 150 percent, of the amount listed.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1455 | Richard H. Stuart | Online marketplace; high-volume third-party sellers. Online marketplace; high-volume third-party sellers. Establishes requirements for high-volume third-party sellers, defined in the bill as participants in an online marketplace that have entered into at least 200 discrete sales or transactions for 12 continuous months during the past 24 months resulting in accumulation of an aggregate total of $5,000 or more in gross revenues. The bill requires an online marketplace to (i) require high-volume third-party sellers to provide identifying and contact information to the online marketplace; (ii) verify the information provided by a high-volume third-party seller within 10 days of receipt; and (iii) require that high-volume third-party sellers make certain conspicuous disclosures to consumers on their product listing pages, with certain limited exceptions. The bill provides that the Attorney General has the exclusive authority to enforce its provisions and authorizes the Attorney General to seek an injunction to restrain any violations of the bill and seek civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation. The bill also makes it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act for any supplier in connection with a consumer transaction to sell, offer for sale, or facilitate the sale, including through an online marketplace platform or other online website or through the supplier’s warehouse or distribution center, of stolen goods.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1455) |
12 bills
Employer Mandates
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1730 | Karrie K. Delaney | Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Provides that in an action for injury to a person arising out of an act that would constitute criminal sexual assault committed by an employee or agent, such act shall be deemed to have occurred within the course and scope of his employment or agency if certain factors are proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill provides that the injured person has a cause of action whether or not the employee or agent has been charged or convicted of criminal sexual assault. | House, Jan 13, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1980 | Phil M. Hernandez Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations establishing reasonable standards designed to protect employees from heat illness and establish a list of high-hazard industries, as defined in the bill. The bill authorizes a person aggrieved by a violation of its provisions or the regulations promulgated thereunder to seek to obtain injunctive relief, to recover statutory damages of $1000, or both, in an action commenced within one year of the cause of action. The bill requires the Safety and Health Codes Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop a list of high-hazard industries by January 1, 2026, and to develop and adopt regulations requiring employers in high-hazard industries to implement standards for heat illness prevention by May 1, 2026. | House, Jan 14, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 HB 2098 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Labor and employment provisions; application of law, payment of wages, definition of employer. Labor and employment provisions; application of law; payment of wages; definition of employer. Clarifies that the exemption for the Commonwealth or any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, or any public body under Title 40.1 does not apply when expressly provided otherwise. The bill provides a definition of “public body” for Title 40.1. Additionally, the bill provides that for the purposes of certain requirements related to the payment of wages, “employer” includes the Commonwealth and its agencies, institutions, and political subdivisions, school boards, or any public body.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-2, 40.1-2.1, 40.1-29 | House, Jan 14, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 SB 485 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | Employee protections; employer-sponsored meetings on political matters, civil action. Employee protections; employer-sponsored meetings on political matters; civil action. Prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee (i) because such employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or receive an employer’s communications conveying an opinion about political matters, as defined in the bill; (ii) as a means of inducing an employee’s attendance at such meeting or receipt of such communications; or (iii) because the employee reports a suspected violation of the bill’s provisions. The bill permits an employee alleging a violation of the bill’s provisions to bring an action in civil court within 90 days after such violation occurs for appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, reinstatement, compensation for lost wages, benefits, and other remuneration, interest, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. | Senate, Nov 18, 2024: Left in Commerce and Labor |
| VA 2025 SB 894 | Russet Perry Mark D. Obenshain Jennifer B. Boysko | Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Provides that in an action for injury to a person arising out of an act that would constitute criminal sexual assault committed by an employee or agent, such act shall be deemed to have occurred within the course and scope of his employment or agency if certain factors are proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill provides that the injured person has a cause of action whether or not the employee or agent has been charged or convicted of criminal sexual assault. | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Passed by for the day |
| VA 2025 SB 1052 | Adam P. Ebbin | Virginia Human Rights Act; definition of “employer.” Virginia Human Rights Act; definition of “employer.” Reduces from 15 to five the number of employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year for the purposes of the definition of “employer.”Statutes affected: Introduced: 2.2-3905 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from General Laws and Technology (8-Y 0-N 6-A) |
| VA 2025 SB 1103 | Ghazala F. Hashmi | Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Employment health and safety standards; heat illness prevention. Requires the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations establishing reasonable standards designed to protect employees from heat illness and establish a list of high-hazard industries, as defined in the bill. The bill authorizes a person aggrieved by a violation of its provisions or the regulations promulgated thereunder to seek to obtain injunctive relief, to recover statutory damages of $1000, or both, in an action commenced within one year of the cause of action. The bill requires the Safety and Health Codes Board, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry, to develop a list of high-hazard industries by January 1, 2026, and to develop and adopt regulations requiring employers in high-hazard industries to implement standards for heat illness prevention by May 1, 2026. | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1218 | Richard H. Stuart | Labor and employment; covenants not to compete prohibited, exceptions, civil penalty. Labor and employment; covenants not to compete prohibited; exceptions; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from entering into, enforcing, or threatening to enforce a covenant not to compete with any employee except under certain circumstances. The bill permits employers to enter into and enforce a reasonable covenant not to compete with an employee who is not a low-wage employee, as defined in existing law, and to whom such employer has provided specialized training or education. The bill provides that any employer that violates its provisions is subject to a civil penalty in existing law of $10,000 for each violation. | Senate, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor |
8 bills
Energy
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1588 | Wren M. Williams Israel D. O’Quinn Jason S. Ballard | Public utilities; rate increases during certain months prohibited. Public utilities; rate increases during certain months prohibited. Prohibits the regulated operating revenues of certain public utilities from being increased in the months of November, December, January, or February. The bill’s limitation does not apply to certain increases, which are the same exceptions as allowed for the existing prohibition on multiple rate increases during a 12-month period.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-235.4 | House, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB1588) |
| VA 2025 HB 2084 | Irene Shin | SCC regulatory proceeding; reasonable classifications of customers by public utilities. State Corporation Commission regulatory proceeding; reasonable classifications of customers by public utilities. Directs the State Corporation Commission to conduct a regulatory proceeding to ensure that public utilities are using rates, tolls, charges, or schedules that contain reasonable classifications of utility customers by July 1, 2026. The bill requires that for Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power Company, such reasonable classifications of customers shall include a separate classification for data centers. The bill specifies that the Commission shall establish criteria and notice and hearing requirements for such proceeding no later than January 1, 2026. | House, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 7-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2436 | Michael J. Webert | Electric utilities; retail customer return to service. Electric utilities; retail customer return to service. Changes from five years’ advance written notice to one year’s advance written notice the requirement for a retail customer of electric energy to return to service by an incumbent electric utility. The bill requires that electric energy sold by a licensed supplier be generated by renewable portfolio standard eligible sources.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-577 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB2436) |
| VA 2025 HB 2547 | Sam Rasoul Mike A. Cherry | Electric utilities; retail competition, aggregation of load. Electric utilities; retail competition; aggregation of load. Provides, for retail competition for the purchase and sale of electric energy, that when two or more individual nonresidential retail customers of electric energy within the Commonwealth petition the State Corporation Commission for permission to aggregate or combine their demands to become qualified to purchase electric energy from a retail supplier, such retail customers shall be able to modify existing site accounts outlined in the petition without penalty or risk of revocation of petition approval, provided the petition continues to adhere to program requirements. Additionally, for a pilot program under which two or more nonresidential customers have filed applications seeking to aggregate their load and purchase electric energy from a supplier, such retail customers shall be able to modify existing site accounts outlined in the petition without penalty or risk of removal from the program, provided the petition continues to adhere to program requirements.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-577, 56-577.1 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB2547) |
| VA 2025 HB 2552 | Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. | Electric utilities; State Corporation Commission to establish an emissions intensity target program. Electric utilities; emissions intensity target program. Requires the State Corporation Commission to develop an emissions intensity target program for Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to achieve net-zero emissions. The bill requires the Commission to promulgate regulations to implement its provisions by January 1, 2026. Upon the promulgation of such regulations, the bill repeals certain provisions that require Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to participate in a renewable energy portfolio standard program, authorize the State Air Pollution Control Board to promulgate certain regulations, and provide that the construction or purchase by a public utility of certain generation facilities is in the public interest.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-585.5, 10.1-1402.03, 10.1-1402.04, 10.1-1187.6, 10.1-1307, 10.1-1332.3, 45.2-1701.1, 56-585.1, 56-585.3, 56-585.8, 56-594.3, 56-594.4, 58.1-400.3 | House, Jan 21, 2025: Stricken from docket by Labor and Commerce (20-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2663 | Hyland F. “Buddy” Fowler, Jr. Vivian E. Watts | Electricity consumption tax; rate adjustments. Electricity consumption tax; rate adjustments. Increases the electric utility consumption tax’s special utility tax rates for commercial and industrial consumer electricity consumed per month (i) in excess of 2,500 kWh but not in excess of 50,000 kWh and (ii) in excess of 50,000 kWh.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-2900 | House, Jan 17, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB2663) |
| VA 2025 HB 2665 | James W. Morefield Sam Rasoul T. Travis Hackworth | Electric utilities; rate cps, Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, utility rate reviews. Electric utilities; rate caps; Commission on Electric Utility Regulation; utility rate reviews. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish capped rates for Appalachian Power. The bill requires the capped rates to be the rates in effect for each Phase I electric utility as of July 1, 2025. The bill authorizes the Commission to adjust such capped rates in connection with the electric utility’s recovery of fuel and purchased power costs. The bill’s capped rates expire on July 1, 2027. The bill requires the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (the Commission) to review and make recommendations regarding certain petitions filed by Appalachian Power with the State Corporation Commission. For each such review, the bill requires the Commission to convene a subcommittee that includes one nonlegislative citizen member from each planning district commission within the Phase I Utility’s service territory, each of whom is appointed by the relevant planning district commission. The Commission shall submit its recommendation to the State Corporation Commission no later than 90 days following the date such petition is filed. The bill prohibits the Commission from adopting any recommendation if a majority of the members of the subcommittee vote against the recommendation. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to consider the recommendations of the Commission.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-585.8 | House, Jan 15, 2025: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce |
| VA 2025 HB 2699 | Israel D. O’Quinn | Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice, report. 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. | House, Jan 21, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #3 |
| VA 2025 HB 2758 | Irene Shin | Electric utilities; rate increases during certain months, biennial rate reviews. Electric utilities; rate increases during certain months; biennial rate reviews. Provides that Appalachian Power Company shall not be required to file a case for fuel recovery in 2025 and that commencing in 2026, it shall make annual filings by January 15 with interim rates effective March 1 of each year. The bill prohibits certain rate adjustments from being applied during the months of November through February. The bill also changes from March 31 to April 30 thedate on which biennial rate review proceedings shall commence each biennial review year, from November 20 to December 31 the date for final orders to be granted, and from no later than January 1 of the subsequent year to no later than March 1 of the subsequent year the date by which any rate revisions shall take effect.Statutes affected: Introduced: 56-249.6, 56-585.1, 56-585.8 | House, Jan 17, 2025: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce |
| VA 2025 SB 824 | Aaron R. Rouse | State Corporation Commission; powers and duties. State Corporation Commission; powers and duties. Provides that in proceedings before the State Corporation Commission relating to the regulation and oversight of utilities, the Commission shall consider public health and safety, the economy of the Commonwealth, the promotion of workforce development for residents of the Commonwealth, and the maintenance of fair labor standards for workers employed by public service companies and their contractors, if applicable to the proceedings.Statutes affected: Introduced: 12.1-12Engrossed: 12.1-12 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB824) |
| VA 2025 SB 1336 | David W. Marsden | Electricity consumption tax; rate adjustments. Electricity consumption tax; rate adjustments. Increases the electric utility consumption tax’s special utility tax rates for commercial and industrial consumer electricity consumed per month (i) in excess of 2,500 kWh but not in excess of 50,000 kWh and (ii) in excess of 50,000 kWh.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-2900 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N) |
11 bills
Environment
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 33 | Nadarius E. Clark Bonita G. Anthony Alex Q. Askew | Public drinking water; Commissioner of Health’s work group to study occurrence of microplastics. Commissioner of Health; work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth’s public drinking water; report. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth’s public drinking water and develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth’s public drinking water. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2024. | House, Nov 26, 2024: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB33) |
| VA 2025 HB 1662 | Michael J. Jones Nadarius E. Clark Joshua G. Cole | Sale and distribution of plastic carryout bags by grocery stores prohibited; civil penalty. Sale and distribution of plastic carryout bags by grocery stores prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits any grocery store, as defined in the bill, from selling or distributing any plastic carryout bag, as defined in the bill, to its customers on or after January 1, 2027, unless such bag qualifies as an exempt bag, as defined in the bill. The bill provides that any grocery store that violates this provision shall be issued by the Department of Environmental Quality a written warning for the first violation and shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for a second and each subsequent violation as determined by the Director of the Department. The bill also requires any grocery store, no later than January 1, 2027, to develop, implement, and maintain a program to encourage its customers to utilize reusable bags, as defined in the bill.Statutes affected: Introduced: 10.1-1422.01, 58.1-1745 | House, Jan 14, 2025: Assigned ACNR sub: Natural Resources |
| VA 2025 HB 1764 | Marty Martinez Irene Shin Nadarius E. Clark | Disposable plastic bag tax; distribution to towns. Disposable plastic bag tax; distribution to towns. Provides that any town located within a county that has imposed a disposable plastic bag tax shall receive a distribution of revenues collected by the county based on the local sales tax distribution formula for appropriations to towns. The bill requires that towns use such revenues for the same purposes allowable for a county or city.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-1745 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Read third time and passed House (52-Y 45-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1941 | Holly M. Seibold David A. Reid Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler | Invasive plant species; retail sales. Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of certain invasive plant species for outdoor use, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of such signage no later than October 1, 2025, and requires the Commissioner to issue a stop sale order and mark or tag a plant in a conspicuous manner when an invasive plant is for sale at a retail establishment without appropriate signage. In such case, the bill requires the Commissioner to give written notice of a finding made to the owner, tenant, or person in charge of such retail establishment and requires the stop sale order issued to remain in effect until the required signage is posted.Statutes affected: Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute : 3.2-3810HACNR Sub: Agriculture Substitute: 3.2-3810 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (21-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2178 | Nadarius E. Clark | Discharging preproduction plastic; regulation, requirements. Regulation of discharging preproduction plastic; requirements. Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a program to ensure zero discharge or release from point and nonpoint source at certain facilities that discharge to (i) a surface water under a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Department or (ii) a publicly owned treatment works under an industrial pretreatment program permit or other written authorization issued by a local permit control authority and to require the prompt and environmentally responsible containment and cleanup of discharged or released preproduction plastic. The bill requires the Department to adopt and implement certain requirements in order to reduce and control the discharge or release of preproduction plastic from such facilities. The bill allows the Department to exempt a facility from the requirements of the program if a facility satisfies the criteria for a no exposure certification and complies with inspection requirements administered by the Department. The bill also allows the Department to establish additional requirements regarding the regulation of discharges and releases of preproduction plastic from certain facilities into water or onto land in the Commonwealth. | House, Jan 17, 2025: Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake |
| VA 2025 SB 1166 | Saddam Azlan Salim Jennifer B. Boysko | Invasive plant species; retail sales. Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of certain invasive plant species for outdoor use, a retail establishment to post in a conspicuous manner on the property located in proximity to each invasive plant signage identifying such plant as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to designate the format, size, and content of such signage no later than October 1, 2025, and requires the Commissioner to issue a stop sale order and mark or tag a plant in a conspicuous manner when an invasive plant is for sale at a retail establishment without appropriate signage. In such case, the bill requires the Commissioner to give written notice of a finding made to the owner, tenant, or person in charge of such retail establishment and requires the stop sale order issued to remain in effect until the required signage is posted.Statutes affected: Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute : 3.2-3810Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute: 3.2-3810 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Passed by for the day |
6 bills
Labeling
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1844 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker Jackie H. Glass | Baby Food Protection Act; testing and labeling requirements for toxic heavy metals. Baby Food Protection Act; testing and labeling requirements for toxic heavy metals. Prohibits a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a baby food product that contains certain toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill requires a manufacturer of a baby food product to meet certain testing requirements and include certain information related to toxic heavy metals on the manufacturer’s website and on the baby food product. The bill requires a consumer to report a baby food product to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services if the consumer reasonably believes that the baby food is being sold in the Commonwealth with toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the FDA. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026. The bill also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the presence of toxic heavy metals in baby food products and any further action needed to address the issue of toxic heavy metals in baby food products. | House, Jan 21, 2025: Referred from General Laws and referred to Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (Voice Vote) |
| VA 2025 HB 2633 | Tony O. Wilt Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. Timmy F. French | Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products. Misbranded food; manufactured-protein food products. Provides that a food is misbranded if it purports to be or is represented as a meat food product and such food product (i) bears or contains a manufactured-protein food product, as defined in the bill; (ii) is offered for sale; and (iii) has a label that is part of or placed on the food product package or other container storing such product that identifies the food as a meat food product, unless such label bears a conspicuous and prominent qualifying term and is in close proximity to an identifying meat term, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill exempts a meat food product that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services determines contains a trace amount of a manufactured-protein food product. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 3-N 2-A) |
| VA 2025 HB 2710 | Alfonso H. Lopez | Food packaging, certain; uniform labeling requirements. Uniform labeling requirements for certain food packaging. Prohibits the use of a sell-by date on a label affixed to a food product that is manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. The bill instead requires a person selling or offering for sale such food product to use on the outside packaging or container of such food product the phrase “Best if Used by,” “Best if Used or Frozen by,” “Use by,” or “Use by or Freeze by” or its associated abbreviations, as provided in the bill. The bill exempts from its provisions infant formula, eggs, including pasteurized in-shell eggs, beer or other malt beverages, certain shellfish, and any food that is required by law or regulation to bear a label indicating a date or time such food must be consumed, sold, or discarded. The bill maintains a person’s discretion to use a quality date or safety date that is not otherwise required by law; however, the bill requires use of the specified label if a person chooses to include such a label on the food product. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. | House, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2710) |
| VA 2025 SB 1133 | Jennifer B. Boysko Saddam Azlan Salim Irene Shin | Restaurants and catering operations; notice of food containing pork products, civil penalty. Restaurants and catering operations; notice of food containing pork products; civil penalty. Requires all restaurants and catering operations in the Commonwealth to place a conspicuous notice next to or underneath food items that contain pork products on menus. This bill also requires restaurants and catering operations to post a copy of the menu in a conspicuous location such that it is accessible to all employees involved in the preparation or service of food. Violators of this section are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $200 for each violation. | Senate, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1133) |
4 bills
Minimum Wage
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1625 | Adele Y. McClure Phil M. Hernandez Bonita G. Anthony | Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees; temporary foreign workers. Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees; temporary foreign workers. Eliminates the exemptions from Virginia’s minimum wage requirements for (i) persons employed as farm laborers or farm employees and (ii) certain temporary foreign workers.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-28.9 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 3-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1928 | Jeion A. Ward Lamont Bagby Bonita G. Anthony | Minimum wage. Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2027. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.41 per hour that is effective January 1, 2025 and increases the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2026 and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish an adjusted state hourly minimum wage by October 1, 2027.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-28.10 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 3-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2561 | Alfonso H. Lopez | Employee protections; minimum wage and overtime wages, civil actions, misclassification of workers. Employee protections; minimum wage and overtime wages; civil actions; misclassification of workers. Provides that an employer that violates minimum wage or overtime wages provisions is liable to the employee for the applicable remedies, damages, or other relief available in an action brought pursuant to the civil action provisions currently available for the nonpayment of wages. Such provisions currently available provide that an employee may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover payment of the wages, and the court is required to award the wages owed, an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, plus prejudgment interest thereon, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. Under current law, if the court finds that the employer knowingly failed to pay wages to an employee, the court is required to award the employee an amount equal to triple the amount of wages due and reasonable attorney fees and costs, and such actions are required to be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrued. The bill also increases from 300 days to two years the amount of time a complainant has to file an allegation of discriminatory practice with the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Law alleging a violation of the Virginia Human Rights Act or federal statutes governing discrimination in employment that also falls under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Human Rights Act. Additionally, the bill provides that a civil action brought by an individua… | House, Jan 21, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 SB 897 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | Overtime for certain employees; domestic service workers and live-in domestic workers. Overtime for certain employees; domestic service workers and live-in domestic workers. Adds domestic workers, as defined in the bill, to provisions related to overtime pay.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-29.3Engrossed: 40.1-29.3 | Senate, Jan 24, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB897) |
| VA 2025 SB 967 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | Minimum wage and overtime pay; warehouse distribution center employees and employers. Minimum wage and overtime pay; warehouse distribution center employees and employers; civil action; civil penalty. Provides that (i) an employer that violates requirements in existing law relating to the minimum wage, payment of wages and salaries, or overtime pay or (ii) a warehouse employer, as defined in the bill, that violates the bill’s provisions shall be liable to an impacted employee for certain remedies, damages, and other relief as specified in the bill. The bill requires a warehouse employer to provide each warehouse employee, as defined in the bill, a written description of each performance standard to which such employee is subject and of any potential adverse employment action that may result from such employee’s failure to meet such performance standard. The bill prohibits a warehouse employer from taking an adverse action against a warehouse employee for such employee’s use of a bathroom facility. The bill provides that a warehouse employer that violates the bill’s provisions relating to warehouse employers is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each violation.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-28.12, 40.1-29, 40.1-29.2, 40.1-29.3 | Senate, Jan 13, 2025: Failed to report (defeated) in Commerce and Labor (6-Y 8-N 1-A) |
5 bills
Miscellaneous
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1557 | R. Lee Ware | Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty. Short-term rentals; registration; civil penalty. Directs the Department of Taxation to establish a registry of short-term rental properties and require accommodations providers and intermediaries to register. Under the bill, an accommodations provider shall provide to the Department its name and the address of each property it offers for short-term rental. The bill states that the Department shall issue each such accommodations provider a unique numerical identifier for each such property. An accommodations intermediary shall provide the Department its name and the contact information for the individual responsible for liaising with state and local officials regarding noncompliant short-term rental listings. The bill states that as a condition of listing a short-term rental on its platform, an accommodations intermediary shall require each accommodations provider to provide such provider’s name and the unique numerical identifier and specific address for each short term-rental offered. Under the bill, such information, as well as information regarding receipts and taxes paid, shall be provided to the Department by the accommodations intermediary on a quarterly basis. However, an accommodations intermediary shall not be required to provide such information to the Department if the intermediary provides monthly reports of property addresses and gross receipts for all accommodations facilitated by the accommodations intermediary to each locality in which an accommodation is loca… | House, Jan 20, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1585 | N. Baxter Ennis W. Chad Green | Sale of certain weight loss and muscle building products to minors prohibited. Sale of certain weight loss and muscle building products to minors prohibited. Prohibits any person from selling or distributing an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building to a person who is younger than 18 years of age and requires that the purchaser demonstrate, by producing a driver’s license or similar photo identification issued by a government agency, that he is at least 18 years of age. For mail or Internet sales, the bill requires that the person offering an over-the-counter diet pill or dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle building (i) prior to the sale verifies that the purchaser is at least 18 years of age through a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification and (ii) uses a method of mailing, shipping, or delivery that requires the signature of a person at least 18 years of age before the products will be released to the purchaser. The bill also requires that over-the-counter diet pills or dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building will only be displayed for sale behind a store counter that is not accessible to consumers or in a locked case that requires assistance from a store employee for customer access. A violation of the bill’s provisions is punishable by a civil penalty in the amount of $500 for a first violation and $2,500 for a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period. | House, Jan 13, 2025: Assigned sub: Health |
| VA 2025 HB 1620 | Nadarius E. Clark | Department of Labor and Industry; work group to evaluate workplace violence. Department of Labor and Industry; work group to evaluate workplace violence. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a work group for the purpose of evaluating the prevalence of workplace violence in the Commonwealth, including its effects on the workplace and measures to address workplace violence. The bill requires the work group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor no later than December 1, 2026. | House, Jan 3, 2025: Referred to Committee on Rules |
| VA 2025 HB 1658 | Karen Keys-Gamarra | Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation. Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to convene a stakeholder advisory group to evaluate changes to the Uniform Statewide Building Code addressing temperature regulation. The stakeholder group shall submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than November 1, 2025. | House, Jan 19, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1658) |
| VA 2025 HB 1667 | Michael J. Jones Joshua G. Cole Destiny LeVere Bolling | Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; employment prohibition exceptions; children 16 years of age or older. Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; employment prohibition exceptions; children 16 years of age or older. Allows children 16 years of age or older to serve in a licensed barbershop or cosmetology salon, provided that (i) the child is an apprentice; (ii) the child is participating in a work-training program in accordance with relevant regulations; or (iii) the child has obtained a cosmetology or barber license from the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-100 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Read first time |
| VA 2025 HB 1723 | Marcia S. “Cia” Price Bonita G. Anthony Rae Cousins | Department of Social Services; establishment of Task Force on Improving Access to Food Assistance Programs. Department of Social Services; establishment of Task Force on Improving Access to Food Assistance Programs. Requires the Department of Social Services to establish and appoint such members as it deems necessary or appropriate to the Task Force on Improving Access to Food Assistance Programs for the purpose of improving access to and maximizing participation in all federal public assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture relating to assistance with food access and improving food security. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to End Hunger. | House, Jan 21, 2025: Assigned Approps sub: Health & Human Resources |
| VA 2025 HB 1771 | Adele Y. McClure Debra D. Gardner Phil M. Hernandez | Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report. Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program (the Program) to provide matching funds to employers in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (the Foundation). To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-delivery provider or to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2026, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2027, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1919 | Jeion A. Ward | Workplace violence policy; required for certain employers, civil penalty. Workplace violence policy required for certain employers; civil penalty. Requires any employer of 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and maintain a workplace violence policy no later than January 1, 2026. The bill includes requirements for such a policy, such as procedures and methods for employee reporting of incidents and post-incident investigations. Employers subject to the bill are required to maintain documentation of workplace violence incidents for not less than five years. An employer that violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation. The bill prohibits retaliation from an employer on the basis of reporting a workplace violence incident and provides that any employee who makes a report of workplace violence shall be immune from civil liability.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-27.3 | House, Jan 14, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 HB 1940 | Rodney T. Willett Michelle Lopes Maldonado | International licensure and certification; regulations. Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; international licensure and certification; regulations. Directs the regulatory boards within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to promulgate regulations allowing the issuance of a license or certification to any applicant who holds a comparable international license or certification issued by another country. | House, Jan 23, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2141 | Paul V. Milde | Signs or advertisements within the limits of a highway; increases civil penalty. Signs or advertisements within the limits of a highway; civil penalty. Increases the civil penalty for placing advertisements and signs within the limits of any highway from $100 to $250 but retains the $100 civil penalty for identical signs and advertisements located within a 100-yard radius of a sign or advertisement for which the $250 civil penalty is imposed. The bill clarifies that when such signs and advertisements are removed, civil penalties may be collected in addition to the cost of removing such advertisements or signs.Statutes affected: Introduced: 33.2-1224 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 2-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2370 | Tony O. Wilt | Cigarette delivery sales; clarifies definition of “delivery sale.” Cigarette delivery sales; definition. Removes from the exceptions enumerated in the definition of “delivery sale” the delivery of cigarettes, not through the mail or by a common carrier, to a consumer performed by the owner, employee, or other individual acting on behalf of a retailer authorized to sell such cigarettes.Statutes affected: Introduced: 18.2-246.6 | House, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| VA 2025 HB 2515 | Adele Y. McClure Nadarius E. Clark Rozia A. Henson, Jr. | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Prohibits a supplier, in connection with a consumer transaction, from advertising or displaying a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges, as defined in the bill. The bill specifies the requirements for compliance with its provisions for certain suppliers and excludes from its provisions (i) certain fees charged by motor vehicle dealers, as defined in relevant law; (ii) fees charged by electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and telecommunications service providers, as those terms are defined in relevant law; and (iii) certain costs associated with real estate settlement services. The bill requires a food delivery platform to (a) at the point when a consumer views and selects a vendor or items for purchase, include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any additional fee or percentage charged, as defined in the bill, and (b) after a consumer selects items for purchase, but prior to checkout, display a subtotal page that itemizes the price of such selected items and any additional fee or percentage included in the total cost.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587 | House, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2515) |
| VA 2025 HB 2553 | Atoosa R. Reaser Nadarius E. Clark Marty Martinez | Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for; powers and duties. Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation; powers and duties. Requires the Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation to (i) review and comment on the budget for the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and (ii) periodically review professions and occupations regulated by the Department and determine whether the regulation level for such professions or occupations should change or whether such professions or occupations should be deregulated. Should the Board determine that a profession or occupation should be regulated at a different level than its current level of regulation or should be deregulated, the bill provides that it must make such recommendation to the General Assembly.Statutes affected: Introduced: 54.1-310 | House, Jan 20, 2025: Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process |
| VA 2025 HB 2595 | J.J.Singh | Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Redefines an “eligible transaction” for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines “eligible transaction” as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-339.14Finance Subcommittee Substitute : 58.1-339.14 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Incorporates HB1581(Ballard) |
| VA 2025 HB 2650 | James A. “Jay” Leftwich | Gift certificate theft; penalty. Gift certificate theft; penalty. Includes gift certificates, defined in relevant law, to the crime of credit card theft, which is punishable as grand larceny in existing law.Statutes affected: Introduced: 18.2-192 | House, Jan 20, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2650) |
| VA 2025 HB 2701 | David L. Bulova | Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits, civil penalty. Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits; civil penalty. Prohibits persons from making any single contribution, or any combination of contributions, that exceeds $20,000 to any one candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the Senate of Virginia or $10,000 to any one candidate for the House of Delegates in any one election cycle. The bill does not place any limits on in-kind contributions to such candidates from political party committees. The bill establishes thresholds for any candidates making contributions to their own campaign in excess of $400,000 in a race for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the Senate of Virginia or $200,000 in a race for House of Delegates. The bill also prohibits persons from making any single contribution, or any combination of contributions, that exceeds $10,000 to any one political committee in any calendar year. Civil penalties for violations of the limits established by the bill may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts. | House, Jan 16, 2025: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections |
| VA 2025 HB 2727 | Eric R. Zehr | Gift certificates; amends definition, international transactions, fraud reports. Gift certificates; international transactions; fraud reports. Amends the definition of “gift certificate” and prohibits merchants from selling a gift certificate as part of an international transaction without first implementing a 24-hour hold on the activation of such gift certificate. The bill also requires local law enforcement to communicate reports of gift certificate fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-530, 59.1-531 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2727) |
| VA 2025 SB 305 | Saddam Azlan Salim | Gas-powered leaf blowers; local prohibition or regulation, civil penalty. Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The bill provides that the ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty and that the funds from such civil penalties may be used by the locality to assist with the purchase of nonprohibited leaf blowers by residents and local businesses. | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in Local Government |
| VA 2025 SB 756 | Mamie E. Locke | Public education; early childhood care and education, funding formula calculations, etc. Public education; early childhood care and education; funding formula calculations; Early Childhood Care and Education Fund established; report. Requires the Department of Education to (i) establish and maintain a funding formula for the provision of early childhood care and education services that establishes the minimum funding and number of slots per biennium for such providers based on a cost of quality rate per child, actual data from the prior year, unserved waitlists, and a multiplier based on enrollment and parent demand growth in prior biennia; (ii) make disbursements from the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund (the Fund), established in the bill, to support the provision of early childhood care and education services in accordance with the funding formula set forth in the bill; (iii) make certain funding calculations, in consultation with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, to be included in the funding formula, for the purpose of determining the number of slots to be added to support local or regional economic development efforts; and (iv) submit to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education a report on the status of the Fund, including the data used to calculate the minimum funding and number of slots per biennium established pursuant to the funding formula. The bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to submit to the Generally Assembly by November 1 of each year a report on Fund revenues, distributions, and balances.Statut… | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 759 | Mamie E. Locke | Contracts assigning rights to earned wages; legal rate of interest. Contracts assigning rights to earned wages; legal rate of interest. Provides that any contract entered into on or after July 1, 2025, pursuant to which a person receives a cash advance for assigning to a company or other entity a portion of such person’s rights to receive earned wages, salary, commissions, or other compensation for services shall be considered a loan and that any additional funds such person is obligated to pay under the terms of the contract shall be considered interest. The bill provides that such contract shall be subject to the legal rate of interest.Statutes affected: Introduced: 6.2-303 | Senate, Jan 16, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB759) |
| VA 2025 SB 798 | Christopher T. Head | Retail franchise agreements; governing law, competition restrictions. Retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions. Provides that retail franchise agreements shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth and prohibits any person from offering or entering into a franchise agreement that includes competition restrictions that extend beyond termination or expiration of the franchise agreement unless such settlement is approved by a court of competent jurisdiction.Statutes affected: Introduced: 13.1-559, 13.1-563 | Senate, Jan 17, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 894 | Russet Perry Mark D. Obenshain Jennifer B. Boysko | Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Civil actions; liability of employer or principal for criminal sexual assault by employee or agent. Provides that in an action for injury to a person arising out of an act that would constitute criminal sexual assault committed by an employee or agent, such act shall be deemed to have occurred within the course and scope of his employment or agency if certain factors are proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill provides that the injured person has a cause of action whether or not the employee or agent has been charged or convicted of criminal sexual assault. | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Passed by for the day |
| VA 2025 SB 1212 | Stella G. Pekarsky David W. Marsden | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices, mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; mandatory fees or surcharges disclosure. Prohibits a supplier, in connection with a consumer transaction, from advertising or displaying a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges, as defined in the bill. The bill specifies the requirements for compliance with its provisions for certain suppliers and excludes from its provisions (i) certain fees charged by motor vehicle dealers, as defined in relevant law; (ii) fees charged by electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and telecommunications service providers, as those terms are defined in relevant law; and (iii) certain costs associated with real estate settlement services. The bill requires a food delivery platform to (a) at the point when a consumer views and selects a vendor or items for purchase, include a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any additional fee or percentage charged, as defined in the bill, and (b) after a consumer selects items for purchase, but prior to checkout, display a subtotal page that itemizes the price of such selected items and any additional fee or percentage included in the total cost.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587General Laws and Technology Substitute: 59.1-200, 59.1-586, 59.1-587 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1212) |
| VA 2025 SB 1339 | David W. Marsden | Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act; telephone solicitations by text message. Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act; telephone solicitations by text message. Permits an individual receiving a telephone solicitation via text message to request not to receive telephone solicitations from a telephone solicitor by replying to such text message with the word “UNSUBSCRIBE” or “STOP.” The bill requires a telephone solicitor in receipt of such request to honor such request for at least 10 years from the time such request is made.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-510, 59.1-514.1 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Passed by for the day |
| VA 2025 SB 1350 | Kannan Srinivasan | Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required; civil penalty. Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required; civil penalty. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy on the Department of Health’s website. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, “If you have a food allergy, please notify us,” and its translation, if applicable, on their menus. The bill establishes a civil penalty for violations of its provisions. | Senate, Jan 16, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1350) |
| VA 2025 SB 1371 | Kannan Srinivasan | Gift certificates; fees; expiration. Gift certificates; fees; expiration. Prohibits the imposition of a dormancy fee, an inactivity charge or fee, or a service fee with respect to a gift certificate, unless certain requirements of the bill are met, including disclosure requirements. The bill also prohibits the sale or issuance of a gift certificate that is subject to an expiration date, unless the expiration date is not earlier than five years since the gift certificate was issued or funds were last loaded to the gift certificate and if the terms of expiration are clearly and conspicuously stated.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-530, 59.1-531Commerce and Labor Substitute: 59.1-530, 59.1-531 | Senate, Jan 17, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1371) |
| VA 2025 SB 1376 | David W. Marsden Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Virginia Consumer Protection Act; food labeling. Virginia Consumer Protection Act; food labeling. Prohibits the sale of any food required by the FDA to have a nutrition label, when any ingredient listed on the label is less than 50 percent, or greater than 150 percent, of the amount listed.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-200 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1389 | Kannan Srinivasan | Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-339.14 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1414 | Ghazala F. Hashmi | Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report. Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program (the Program) to provide matching funds to employers in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (the Foundation). To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-delivery provider or to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to proposals involving contributions from small businesses. The bill requires the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to provide an interim report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2026, and a summative report to the General Assembly by September 1, 2027, on the effectiveness and impact of the Program. | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) |
29 bills
ORC/Larceny
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 SB 1249 | Tara A. Durant | Larceny or any offense deemed larceny; charging several acts. Charging several acts of larceny or any offense deemed larceny. Permits the Commonwealth to charge and proceed against a person accused of larceny or any offense deemed larceny for any number of distinct acts of such larcenies that may have been committed by him within six months from the first to the last of the acts charged in the indictment.Statutes affected: Introduced: 19.2-223Courts of Justice Substitute: 19.2-223 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice (9-Y 6-N) |
1 bill
Paid Leave
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1921 | Jeion A. Ward Saddam Azlan Salim Alfonso H. Lopez | Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties, effective date. Employment; paid sick leave; civil penalties. Expands provisions of the Code that currently require one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for home health workers to cover all employees of private employers and state and local governments. The bill requires that employees who are employed and compensated on a fee-for-service basis accrue paid sick leave in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. The bill provides that employees transferred to a separate division or location remain entitled to previously accrued paid sick leave and that employees retain their accrued sick leave under any successor employer. The bill allows employers to provide a more generous paid sick leave policy than prescribed by its provisions. Employees, in addition to using paid sick leave for their physical or mental illness or to care for a family member, may use paid sick leave for their need for services or relocation due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. The bill provides that certain health care workers who work no more than 30 hours per month may waive the right to accrue and use paid sick leave. The bill also provides that employers are not required to provide paid sick leave to certain health care workers who are employed on a pro re nata, or as-needed, basis, regardless of the number of hours worked. The bill requires the Commissioner to promulgate regulations regarding employee notification and employer recordkeeping requirem… | House, Jan 14, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 HB 2531 | Briana D. Sewell | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements, civil action. Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2027. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage, not to exceed 120 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-322.02 | House, Jan 21, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 HB 2688 | Michael J. Webert | Protection of employees; restricting use of accrued leave for other employment prohibited. Labor and employment; protection of employees; restricting use of accrued leave for other employment prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from prohibiting any employee from using accrued annual or vacation leave to work on behalf of another employer unless such other employment would create a conflict of interest. The bill permits an employer to prohibit or restrict an employee’s use of such employer’s property, office space, equipment, materials, trade secrets, confidential information, or other assets for any purpose relating to such employee’s employment by another employer. The bill imposes a civil penalty of up to $100 on any employer that knowingly violates the bill’s provisions. | House, Jan 21, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 SB 91 | Barbara A. Favola Angelia Williams Graves Irene Shin | Paid sick leave; home health workers providing agency-directed services. Paid sick leave; home health workers providing agency-directed services. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to home health workers who provide agency-directed services. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to home health workers who provide consumer-directed services. The bill provides that “employer” includes the Commonwealth, any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions, and any public body.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-33.3Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101696D: 40.1-33.3 | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in Finance and Appropriations |
| VA 2025 SB 507 | Scott A. Surovell Jennifer D. Carroll Foy Schuyler T. VanValkenburg | Health care providers & grocery store workers; employers to provide paid sick leave, effective date. Paid sick leave; health care providers and grocery store workers. Requires employers to provide paid sick leave to health care providers and grocery store workers. Under current law, employers are only required to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. The bill removes requirements that workers work on average at least 20 hours per week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick leave. The bill provides that certain health care providers may waive their right to accrue and use paid sick leave and provides an exemption for employers of certain other health care providers. The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines for retail employers that sell groceries to provide sick leave and to publish such guidelines by December 1, 2024. The provisions of the bill other than the requirement for the Department of Labor and Industry to develop guidelines have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.Statutes affected: Introduced: 40.1-33.3, 40.1-33.4Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103888D: 40.1-33.3, 40.1-33.4 | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in Finance and Appropriations |
| VA 2025 SB 1122 | Jennifer B. Boysko R. Creigh Deeds Mamie E. Locke | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements, civil action. Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2028. Under the program, benefits are paid to covered individuals, as defined in the bill, for family and medical leave. Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2027. The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage, not to exceed 120 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-322.02 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Passed by for the day |
6 bills
Privacy
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 2121 | Michelle Lopes Maldonado Jackie H. Glass Irene Shin | Digital Content Authenticity and Transparency Act; established, civil penalty. Digital Content Authenticity and Transparency Act established; civil penalty. Requires a developer of an artificial intelligence system or service to apply provenance data to synthetic digital content that is generated by such developer’s generative artificial intelligence system or service and requires a developer to make a provenance application tool and a provenance reader available to the public. The bill requires a controller of an online service, product, or feature to retain any available provenance data and requires a capture device to include a provenance application tool by default. The bill grants the Attorney General the exclusive authority to enforce such provisions and impose civil penalties pursuant to the bill. Under certain circumstances, the Attorney General may offer a developer an opportunity to cure a violation before imposing such civil penalties. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (10-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 2483 | Jackie H. Glass Michael J. Webert | Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties; civil action. Digital Right to Repair Act; access to diagnostics, tools, service documentation, and firmware; penalties; civil action. Requires an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of digital electronic equipment, or parts for such equipment, to make available to owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation, parts, and tools for purposes of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of such equipment. The bill requires, for digital electronic equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, OEMs to make available to the owners of such equipment and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, any special documentation, parts, and tools needed to disable such lock or function and to reset it when disabled. A violation of the bill’s provisions is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Any person who suffers a loss as the result of a violation of the bill’s provisions shall be entitled to initiate an action for an injunction to enforce such provisions. The bill applies with respect to equipment sold or in use in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2026. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2483) |
| VA 2025 HB 2546 | Sam Rasoul | Electronic communication service or remote computing service; obtaining records without a warrant. Obtaining records concerning electronic communication service or remote computing service without a warrant. Provides that when disclosure of real-time location data or subscriber data is not prohibited by federal law, an investigative or law-enforcement officer may obtain real-time location data or subscriber data without a warrant if the investigative or law-enforcement officer reasonably believes that (i) an individual or group of individuals has made a credible threat via electronic communication to commit an act of violence upon the property, including the buildings and grounds thereof, of any (a) child day center, including any preschool program offered by a publicly funded provider; (b) preschool or nursery program certified by the Board of Education; or (c) public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school and (ii) a warrant cannot be obtained in time to prevent the identified danger or identify the source of the threat.Statutes affected: Introduced: 19.2-70.3Courts of Justice Subcommittee Substitute : 19.2-70.3 | House, Jan 20, 2025: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 769 | Ryan T. McDougle | Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacy notice; cookies; consumer consent. Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacy notice; cookies; consumer consent. Requires the privacy notice that a controller must provide to consumers to include a method by which a consumer may opt out of the automatic placement of a data file, commonly referred to as a “cookie,” on the consumer’s computer or web browser and a disclosure of the purposes for which the data files are used. The bill prohibits controllers from using cookies, except those that are strictly necessary, without the prior express consent of the consumer and prohibits controllers from preventing access to their services if such consent is not granted. The bill also requires controllers to document and store proof of such consent and make available an easily accessible method by which consumers may withdraw such consent.Statutes affected: Introduced: 59.1-578 | Senate, Jan 15, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB769) |
4 bills
Sales and Use Tax
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1560 | Joseph P. McNamara | Sales and use tax; accommodations for transients. Sales and use tax; accommodations for transients. Provides that the term “retail sale” shall include the sale of accommodations to transients for less than 30 days. Under current law, “retail sale” includes such sales to transients for less than 90 days.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-602 | House, Jan 20, 2025: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (3-Y 5-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1755 | Vivian E. Watts | Sales and use tax on services and digital personal property. Sales and use tax on services and digital personal property. Levies the retail sales and use tax on the following services: admissions; charges for recreation, fitness, or sports facilities; nonmedical personal services or counseling; dry cleaning and laundry services; companion animal care; residential home repair or maintenance, landscaping, or cleaning services when paid for directly by a resident or homeowner; vehicle and engine repair; repairs or alterations to tangible personal property; storage of tangible personal property; delivery or shipping services; travel, event, and aesthetic planning services; and digital services. Digital services are defined in the bill as the following: software application services, computer-related services, website hosting and design, data storage, and digital subscription services. The services taxed under the bill includes any transaction for digital services where the purchaser or consumer of the service is a business but does not include any service otherwise exempt under law. The bill also imposes the retail sales and use tax on digital personal property, defined in the bill as a digital product delivered electronically that the purchaser owns or has the ability to continually access without having to pay an additional subscription or usage fee to the seller after paying the initial purchase price. Revenues generated by the taxes levied on services and digital personal property shall be allocated in the same manner as other sales an… | House, Jan 5, 2025: Referred to Committee on Finance |
| VA 2025 HB 2006 | Joseph P. McNamara | RS and UT; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Sales and use tax; food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Eliminates, beginning July 1, 2025, the remaining one percent local sales and use tax that is imposed on food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Under current law, no other sales and use tax is currently applied to such products. The bill requires an equivalent amount of revenue to be distributed to cities and counties on a monthly basis in compensation for the lost tax revenue.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-603.1, 58.1-603.2, 58.1-604.01, 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1, 58.1-611.1 | House, Jan 19, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB2006) |
| VA 2025 HB 2487 | W. Chad Green Nadarius E. Clark Wren M. Williams | Sales and Use Tax, additional local; school capital projects in Gloucester County. Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; use of funds. Authorizes Gloucester County to utilize the revenues from its additional one percent local sales and use tax for school capital projects for repayment of existing indebtedness incurred from school projects that were begun or completed prior to the imposition of the tax. The bill allows use of funds for prior indebtedness regardless of whether such use of funds was described in the referendum authorizing such tax. Such use of funds would require approval via ordinance passed by the county board of supervisors.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1 | House, Jan 21, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB2487) |
| VA 2025 HB 2673 | Eric Phillips Daniel W. Marshall, III | Retail Sales and Use Tax; dealer discount. Sales and use tax; dealer discount.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-622 | House, Jan 21, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB2673) |
| VA 2025 SB 983 | Tammy Brankley Mulchi | Retail Sales and Use Tax; dealer discount. Sales and use tax; dealer discount. Provides that the dealer discount deduction for state retail sales and use tax that the dealer accounts for in submitting his return and paying the amount due, beginning July 1, 2025, will be six percent of the first three percent of the tax imposed. Under current law, the dealer discount is allowed as a deduction from the first three percent of the state retail sales and use tax that the dealer accounts for in submitting his return and paying the amount due in the following percentages: four percent, if the monthly taxable sales of the dealer are $0 to $62,500; three percent, if the monthly taxable sales of the dealer are $62,501 to $208,000; and two percent if the monthly taxable sales of the dealer are $208,001 and above.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-622 | Senate, Jan 19, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (SB983) |
| VA 2025 SB 1307 | Jeremy S. McPike T. Travis Hackworth | Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in all counties and cities to support schools. Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects, defined in the bill, if such levy is approved in a voter referendum, except for those counties and cities (i) where the combined rate of state and local retail sales and use taxes exceeds eight percent or (ii) that impose a meals tax or tax on the sale of food and beverages. The bill also removes the requirement that such tax have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body, but in no case more than 20 years after the date of the approval of the referendum authorizing such tax. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-602, 58.1-605, 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1Finance and Appropriations Substitute : 58.1-602, 58.1-605, 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1 | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) |
7 bills
Small Business
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1802 | Laura Jane Cohen | Small Business and Supplier Diversity, Department of; powers and duties. Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; employment services organizations. Amends provisions related to the powers and duties of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to reflect the Department’s support of employment services organizations. The bill also directs the Department to amend relevant regulations of the Virginia Administrative Code to reflect the intent of the General Assembly to specifically reference “employment services organizations” in such regulations. This bill is a recommendation of the Disability Commission.Statutes affected: Introduced: 2.2-1605, 2.2-1606, 2.2-1610 | House, Jan 6, 2025: Referred to Committee on General Laws |
| VA 2025 HB 1922 | Jeion A. Ward Luke E. Torian Bonita G. Anthony | Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program; established, report. Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program established. Establishes the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small SWaM business, as such term in defined in the bill, utilization in all discretionary spending by executive branch agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to small SWaM businesses in instances where the prime contractor is not a small SWaM business for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. The bill provides that executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWaM business utilization rates by three percent per year until reaching the 42-percent target or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rates. In addition, the bill provides for a small SWaM business set-aside for executive branch agency and covered institution purchases of goods, services, and construction, requiring that purchases up to $100,000 be set aside for award to certified small SWaM businesses. The bill creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for purposes of collaborating with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Department of Transportation, … | House, Jan 17, 2025: Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government |
| VA 2025 HB 2490 | Rozia A. Henson, Jr. Nadarius E. Clark Joshua G. Cole | Small business set-asides; Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to study. Study; Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; small business set-asides; report. Directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to study small business set-asides and their effectiveness in promoting the growth and economic development of small businesses through participation in government contracting. For purposes of the study, “small business” includes women-owned and minority-owned businesses. | House, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee on Rules |
3 bills
Tax
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1560 | Joseph P. McNamara | Sales and use tax; accommodations for transients. Sales and use tax; accommodations for transients. Provides that the term “retail sale” shall include the sale of accommodations to transients for less than 30 days. Under current law, “retail sale” includes such sales to transients for less than 90 days.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-602 | House, Jan 20, 2025: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (3-Y 5-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1562 | W. Chad Green | Income tax deduction; tips. Income tax deduction; tips. Provides, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, an income tax deduction for the amount of cash tips received during the taxable year that are included on statements furnished to the employer for federal tax purposes.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-322.03 | House, Jan 14, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB1562) |
| VA 2025 HB 1572 | R. Lee Ware | Tobacco products tax; cigars. Tobacco products tax; cigars. Caps the statutory tax rate imposed on the selling or distributing of cigars by a distributor or remote retail seller at 20 percent of the manufacturer’s sales price or 30 cents ($0.30) per cigar, whichever is lower. Under current law, the effective rate is 20 percent of the manufacturer’s sales price due to language in the appropriation act, which doubles the statutory rate. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to update its form TT-8, Virginia Tobacco Products Tax Return (OTP), to begin collecting data on the number of premium cigars sold in the Commonwealth as a distinct category from all other cigars. The bill directs the Department to update such form as soon as practicable and provide a report of the data so collected and estimated fiscal impacts of adopting a cap of 30 cents ($0.30) per cigar or another rate on the tobacco products tax imposed on premium cigars to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2025. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Finance with substitute (22-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1866 | Joseph P. McNamara | Corporate income tax; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property. Corporate income tax; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property. Implements market-based corporate income tax sourcing for attributing sales, other than sales of tangible personal property, to Virginia beginning in taxable year 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-416, 58.1-419, 58.1-422.4, 58.1-422.5 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB1866) |
| VA 2025 HB 1965 | Anne Ferrell Tata | Income tax, state; deduction for tips and overtime compensation. Income tax deduction; tips and overtime compensation. Provides, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, an income tax deduction for the amount of tips received during the taxable year that are included on statements furnished to the employer for federal tax purposes. The bill also establishes, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, an income tax deduction for any overtime compensation, defined in the bill, received by an employee who is not exempt from overtime compensation rules pursuant to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-322.03 | House, Jan 18, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB1965) |
| VA 2025 HB 2004 | Joseph P. McNamara | Local meals and prepared food and beverage taxes; maximum rate. Local meals and prepared food and beverage taxes; maximum rate. Provides a cap on the maximum allowable tax rate that localities may impose on meals and prepared food and beverages. The bill sets the maximum rate at no more than four percent, unless a higher rate of no more than six percent is authorized via a referendum in the locality. The new limitation applies to localities beginning January 1, 2028. In the case of a town, the maximum rate is limited by the amount of any food and beverage tax imposed by the county in which the town is located. The bill requires that no town shall impose any rate if, when added to the county food and beverage tax rate, such tax rate exceeds the four or six percent limit, as applicable.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-3833, 58.1-3840 | House, Jan 16, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB2004) |
| VA 2025 HB 2488 | W. Chad Green J.D. “Danny” Diggs | Local tax authority; nicotine vapor products. Local tax authority; nicotine vapor products. Authorizes localities by ordinance to impose a sales and use tax on nicotine vapor products and includes directives for the administration and enforcement of any such ordinance. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to consult with localities, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Municipal League in implementing and administering such local taxation of nicotine vapor products.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-3830, 58.1-3832.1, 58.1-3840 | House, Jan 23, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (HB2488) |
| VA 2025 SB 459 | David W. Marsden | Income tax, state; rolling conformity. Income tax; rolling conformity. Provides that when Virginia does not conform on a rolling basis to federal tax laws due to any changes in a single act of Congress with an impact of more than $15 million on revenues in the year in which the amendment was enacted or any of the next four years, such nonconformity shall not be considered for purposes of calculating the nonconformity threshold for all amendments in a year with a cumulative projected impact of more than $75 million in the year in which the amendments were enacted or any of the next four years.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-301Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101327D: 58.1-301 | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in Finance and Appropriations |
| VA 2025 SB 763 | Ryan T. McDougle Christie New Craig Mark D. Obenshain | Income tax deduction; tips. Income tax deduction; tips. Provides, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, an income tax deduction for the amount of cash tips received during the taxable year that are included on statements furnished to the employer for federal tax purposes.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-322.03 | Senate, Jan 10, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (SB763) |
| VA 2025 SB 1307 | Jeremy S. McPike T. Travis Hackworth | Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in all counties and cities to support schools. Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects, defined in the bill, if such levy is approved in a voter referendum, except for those counties and cities (i) where the combined rate of state and local retail sales and use taxes exceeds eight percent or (ii) that impose a meals tax or tax on the sale of food and beverages. The bill also removes the requirement that such tax have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body, but in no case more than 20 years after the date of the approval of the referendum authorizing such tax. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-602, 58.1-605, 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1Finance and Appropriations Substitute : 58.1-602, 58.1-605, 58.1-605.1, 58.1-606.1 | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 13-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1389 | Kannan Srinivasan | Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer. Firearm safety device tax credit; defines commercial retailer.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-339.14 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 1-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1402 | Scott A. Surovell | Transient occupancy tax; administration. Transient occupancy tax; administration. Provides that an accommodations provider shall not be required to transmit a transient occupancy tax return to a locality if (i) all retail sales of accommodations owned by the accommodations provider are facilitated by an accommodations intermediary and (ii) the accommodations provider attests to the locality that all such sales were facilitated by an accommodations intermediary. Such attestation shall be effective for 12 months beginning with the month in which the attestation is made, and annual attestations shall be due thereafter on a date set by the locality. However, such accommodations provider shall be required to transmit returns for the retail sale of any accommodations not facilitated by an accommodations intermediary. The bill also requires that information provided by an accommodations intermediary to a local commissioner of the revenue, treasurer, or any other local tax or revenue officer or employee of a county, city, or town for transient occupancy tax purposes shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any other department or official of the locality or any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Such information shall be used by such officials only for the purpose of levying and collecting retail sales and use tax, transient occupancy tax, and any other taxes imposed on the sale of accommodations.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-3, 58.1-3826, 58.1-3827 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 2-A) |
| VA 2025 SB 1423 | T. Travis Hackworth | Taxation; rate of interest. Taxation; rate of interest. Provides that (i) the rate of interest on omitted taxes and assessments is equal to the Underpayment Rate established by the Internal Revenue Code and (ii) the rate of interest on refunds is equal to the Overpayment Rate for noncorporate taxpayers established by the Internal Revenue Code beginning in the third quarter of calendar year 2025 and thereafter. Current law provides that (a) the rate of interest on omitted taxes and assessments is equal to the Underpayment Rate plus two percent and (b) the rate of interest on refunds is equal to the Overpayment Rate for noncorporate taxpayers plus two percent.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-15 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (SB1423) |
| VA 2025 SB 1426 | Lamont Bagby | Income tax, corporate and state; defines “entire net income.” Corporate income tax; Virginia taxable income; definitions. Defines, for purposes of income tax, “entire net income” as the total net income from all sources that a taxpayer is required to report for purposes of the federal income tax. The bill further defines “net operating loss” as the excess of any allowable income tax deductions over the gross income used in computing entire net income.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-301 | Senate, Jan 16, 2025: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations |
| VA 2025 SB 1456 | Mark D. Obenshain | Income tax, corporate; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property. Corporate income tax; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property. Implements market-based corporate income tax sourcing for attributing sales, other than sales of tangible personal property, to Virginia beginning in taxable year 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 58.1-416, 58.1-419, 58.1-422.4, 58.1-422.5 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Impact statement from TAX (SB1456) |
15 bills
Tobacco
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1572 | R. Lee Ware | Tobacco products tax; cigars. Tobacco products tax; cigars. Caps the statutory tax rate imposed on the selling or distributing of cigars by a distributor or remote retail seller at 20 percent of the manufacturer’s sales price or 30 cents ($0.30) per cigar, whichever is lower. Under current law, the effective rate is 20 percent of the manufacturer’s sales price due to language in the appropriation act, which doubles the statutory rate. The bill also directs the Department of Taxation to update its form TT-8, Virginia Tobacco Products Tax Return (OTP), to begin collecting data on the number of premium cigars sold in the Commonwealth as a distinct category from all other cigars. The bill directs the Department to update such form as soon as practicable and provide a report of the data so collected and estimated fiscal impacts of adopting a cap of 30 cents ($0.30) per cigar or another rate on the tobacco products tax imposed on premium cigars to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2025. | House, Jan 22, 2025: Reported from Finance with substitute (22-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1580 | Jason S. Ballard | Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund; Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; eligible localities; Planning District 4. Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund; Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; eligible localities; Planning District 4. Adds Planning District 4 (New River Valley Region) to a group of localities that is eligible to receive funds from the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revolving Fund. | House, Jan 15, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (8-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1946 | Patrick A. Hope | Retail tobacco products, etc., liquid nicotine, smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age. Possession, etc., of retail tobacco products, hemp products, and nicotine vapor products containing liquid nicotine intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age; prohibitions; enforcement. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from attempting to purchase, purchasing, or possessing any retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that any such product purchased or possessed by a person younger than 21 years of age shall be deemed contraband and forfeited to the Commonwealth and that such forfeiture shall be the sole penalty for such person, except that any person who commits a second or subsequent offense may be required to complete a tobacco and nicotine education and cessation course provided by a program licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The bill also provides that such provisions shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute. The bill also allows the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, local law enforcement, or any other agency or political subdivision of the Commonwealth charged with the enforcement of laws relating to retail tobacco products and nicotine vapor products containing liquid nicotine to collaborate with the Department of Taxation to enforce relevant law, including to (i) notify the D… | House, Jan 22, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1946) |
| VA 2025 HB 2370 | Tony O. Wilt | Cigarette delivery sales; clarifies definition of “delivery sale.” Cigarette delivery sales; definition. Removes from the exceptions enumerated in the definition of “delivery sale” the delivery of cigarettes, not through the mail or by a common carrier, to a consumer performed by the owner, employee, or other individual acting on behalf of a retailer authorized to sell such cigarettes.Statutes affected: Introduced: 18.2-246.6 | House, Jan 8, 2025: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
4 bills
Workers Comp/Unemployment Comp
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action |
| VA 2025 HB 1749 | N. Baxter Ennis | Workers’ compensation; duty to furnish medical attention; timeframe for decision. Workers’ compensation; duty to furnish medical attention; timeframe for decision. Requires an employer, as defined in existing law, to issue a decision regarding the provision of medical attention to an employee within 45 calendar days after such employee’s request for care pursuant to existing law, with certain exceptions described in the bill.Statutes affected: Introduced: 65.2-603 | House, Jan 16, 2025: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N) |
| VA 2025 HB 1766 | Marty Martinez | Unemployment compensation; increase weekly benefit amounts; report. Unemployment compensation; increase weekly benefit amounts; report. For unemployment compensation claims effective on or after January 1, 2026, an eligible individual’s weekly benefit amount shall be $100 higher than the current weekly benefit amount. The bill directs the Commission on Unemployment Compensation, in consultation with the Virginia Employment Commission, to convene a work group to study making annual adjustments to individual weekly benefit amounts based on the average weekly wage. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.Statutes affected: Introduced: 60.2-602 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Assigned Approps sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources |
| VA 2025 HB 1767 | Marty Martinez | Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2025, an eligible individual’s weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.Statutes affected: Introduced: 60.2-602, 60.2-619 | House, Jan 22, 2025: Assigned Approps sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources |
| VA 2025 HB 2135 | Karen Keys-Gamarra | Unemployment compensation; allowance for dependents. Unemployment compensation: allowance for dependents. Provides that, in addition to the weekly unemployment benefit amount determined by relevant law, an eligible claimant who is unemployed in any week shall be paid an allowance of $25 for each of up to three dependents of such claimant. The bill defines “dependent” as the child, adopted child, or stepchild of a claimant who, on January 1 of the benefit year, is wholly or partly supported by such claimant and younger than 16 years of age. The bill requires any claimant declaring one or more dependents to provide proof of such dependents in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission in conformance with certain conditions enumerated in the bill. This bill is a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.Statutes affected: Introduced: 60.2-607 | House, Jan 16, 2025: Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| VA 2025 SB 520 | Angelia Williams Graves Stella G. Pekarsky Bonita G. Anthony | Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, “occupational disease” includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitive or sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period, provided that the time period over which such physical stress occurred can be reasonably identified.Statutes affected: Introduced: 65.2-400Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24103836D: 65.2-400 | Senate, Nov 19, 2024: Left in Finance and Appropriations |
| VA 2025 SB 788 | Christopher T. Head | Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, “occupational disease” includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitive or sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period, provided that (i) the time period over which such physical stress occurred can be reasonably identified and documented and (ii) exposure to such repetitive and sustained physical stressors in the course of employment is the primary cause, as defined in the bill, of the injury or disease.Statutes affected: Introduced: 65.2-400 | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor (9-Y 6-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 803 | Ryan T. McDougle | Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors. Provides that, for the purposes of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, “occupational disease” includes injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, or noises. The bill provides that such injuries or diseases are covered under the Act and that such coverage does not require that such repetitive or sustained physical stress occurred over a particular time period, provided that (i) the time period over which such physical stress occurred can be reasonably identified and documented and (ii) exposure to such repetitive and sustained physical stressors in the course of employment is the primary cause, as defined in the bill, of the injury or disease. The bill’s provisions apply only to injuries or diseases arising on or after July 1, 2026.Statutes affected: Introduced: 65.2-400 | Senate, Jan 20, 2025: Incorporated by Commerce and Labor (SB788-Head) (14-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 878 | Adam P. Ebbin | Unemployment Compensation, Commission on; increases membership, powers and duties. Commission on Unemployment Compensation; membership; compensation; powers and duties. Adds two nonlegislative citizen members to the membership of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation and transfers the powers and duties of the subcommittee on unemployment insurance, which is removed by the bill, to the Commission. The bill provides that existing nonlegislative members of the subcommittee on unemployment compensation shall serve as the two nonlegislative citizen members added to the Commission until July 1, 2026, and thereafter, one such member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and one by the Senate Committee on Rules.Statutes affected: Introduced: 30-219, 30-221, 30-222 | Senate, Jan 22, 2025: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) |
| VA 2025 SB 1299 | Jeremy S. McPike | Workers compensation; injury or death caused by employers gross negligence or willful misconduct; cause of action. Workers’ compensation; injury or death caused by employer’s gross negligence or willful misconduct; cause of action. Creates an exception to the provision in existing law that the rights and remedies granted to an employee under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act exclude all other rights or remedies of such employee on account of such injury, loss of service, or death. The bill provides that if it is alleged that the injury or death of an employee is caused by an employer’s gross negligence or willful misconduct, the employee may either claim compensation under the Act or maintain an action at law for damages against the employer.Statutes affected: Introduced: 65.2-307Commerce and Labor Substitute : 65.2-307 | Senate, Jan 23, 2025: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1299) |
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