Land application of sewage sludge; permit exemptions; sunset. Exempts from permitting requirements for land application, marketing, and distribution of sewage sludge any land application for a research project when such land is owned and operated by an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the institution of higher education to notify the Department of Environmental Quality and the owner of every adjoining property of its intent to land apply such sewage sludge at least 30 days prior to commencing any land application of sewage sludge. The bill also requires the institution of higher education to comply with setback and recordkeeping requirements outlined in the Virginia Pollution Abatement Permit Regulation. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.

Study; JLARC; causation and resulting impact of the migration of individuals age 60 and older out of the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to identify causes of the migration of individuals age 60 and older out of the Commonwealth of Virginia, determine the impact of the migration of such individuals to the Commonwealth, and provide recommendations to address such causes. The resolution directs JLARC to report its findings by the first day of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Department of Motor Vehicles; proof of financial responsibility in the future. Clarifies when a vehicle owner is required to furnish proof of financial responsibility or proof of financial responsibility in the future. The bill specifies the forms required when providing proof of financial responsibility in the future. This bill is identical to SB 959.

Students who need or use augmentative and alternative communication; documentation of needs on individualized education program; staff training. Requires each school division to document on the individualized education program of a student with a disability who needs or uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) such student's AAC and communication access and support needs prior to the provision of instruction or support to such student, including any extended school year period. The bill defines AAC as any method or tool other than oral speech that an individual uses to communicate, including gestures, facial expressions, writing, and speech-generating devices. The bill also requires each school division to provide to each employee or contractor who provides instruction or direct support to a student with a disability who needs or uses an AAC individualized training as an assistive technology to support the student's use of AAC and to ensure that access to curricula and instruction is designed or adapted as necessary to accommodate the student's unique communication access needs. The bill also establishes a timeline for such training based on certain circumstances. This bill is identical to SB 1034.

Drug paraphernalia; controlled paraphernalia; drug checking products; exception. Creates an exception for drug checking products used to determine the presence or concentration of a contaminant that can cause physical harm or death from the definitions of drug paraphernalia and controlled paraphernalia. Under current law, the exception applies only to narcotic testing products used to determine whether a controlled substance contains fentanyl or a fentanyl analog.

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. This bill is identical to SB 1402.

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; acceptance of signed and sealed plan in lieu of local plan review. Authorizes a locality subject to the provisions of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to accept a set of plans and supporting calculations prepared by a licensed professional, as described in the bill, for any land-disturbing activity that disturbs 2,500 square feet or more but less than one acre in an area of a locality designated as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. The bill provides that such plans and supporting calculations shall satisfy the requirement that the locality retain a certified plan reviewer or conduct a plan review.

Electric utilities; construction of certain transmission lines; notice required. Requires any electric utility that is responsible for the construction, operation, or maintenance of an electric transmission line of 138 kilovolts or more within a locality to provide at least 180 days' written notice to the governing body of such locality prior to the construction of such transmission line.

Joint Commission on Health Care; duty to study proposed health insurance mandates. Shifts the duty to assess, analyze, and evaluate the social and economic costs and benefits of any proposed mandated health insurance benefit or mandated provider that is currently assigned to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Local and regional correctional facilities; treatment of prisoners known to be pregnant. Prohibits the use of restraints, defined in the bill, on any prisoner of a local or regional correctional facility who is (i) known to be pregnant or (ii) in postpartum recovery unless a deputy sheriff or jail officer makes an individualized determination that (a) the prisoner will harm herself, the fetus, the newborn child, or any other person; (b) the prisoner poses a flight risk; or (c) the totality of the circumstances creates a serious security risk. Under current law, such prohibition applies only to state correctional facilities. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to include in the compulsory minimum entry-level training standards training regarding pregnant prisoners for deputy sheriffs and jail officers who are employees of local or regional correctional facilities who may have contact with pregnant prisoners.

Electric utilities; renewable energy standard eligible sources; zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities. Provides that, for the purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard, eligible sources include zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities located in the Commonwealth.

Income tax; eligible conception tax credit. Allows, in taxable years 2025 through 2029, a refundable income tax credit for an individual or married individuals whose family Virginia adjusted gross income does not exceed 400 percent of the poverty guidelines, defined in the bill, in an amount equal to $250 per eligible conception, also defined in the bill, during such taxable year.

Commending Mark Merrill.

Electric utilities; energy storage requirements; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality to develop model ordinances; work groups; reports. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 5,220 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 3,480 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2030. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission.The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to create model ordinances for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects and to convene a work group to develop such model ordinances and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill directs the Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Quality to convene a work group to develop recommendations and financial incentives related to the development of long-duration energy storage projects and submit a report by December 1, 2025. The bill also directs the Department of Energy to engage with PJM Interconnection, LLC, in reviewing regional market conditions related to energy storage resources and permits Dominion Energy Virginia to propose a partnership with institutions of higher education to deploy energy storage resources. This bill is identical to SB 1394.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; state plan for medical assistance services; crisis stabilization services for nonhospitalized individuals; emergency. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek the necessary federal approvals to remove the prohibition against the use of crisis stabilization services for nonhospitalized individuals in institutions for mental disease and, upon receiving federal approval, (i) authorizes the Department of Medical Assistance Services to implement such change through agency guidance documents prior to the completion of any regulatory review process and (ii) directs it to promulgate regulations to implement such change to be effective within 280 days of receiving federal approval. This bill is identical to SB 1304.