Institutions of higher education; confidential resource advisors. Requires each public institution of higher education and each private institution of higher education to designate at least one confidential resource advisor to serve as a confidential resource for students and employees to discuss alleged acts of sexual misconduct and receive information on resources available to such students or employees. The bill creates a statutory privilege between the confidential resource advisor and a student or employee who shares information with such confidential resource advisor.

Teachers; employment and licensure; locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credentials. Establishes, enumerates criteria for, and permits a division superintendent or a comprehensive community college to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, valid for a period not to exceed three years, to any individual who demonstrates expertise in content or subject matter area in order for such individual to provide instruction or coursework in a corresponding non-core subject or course, as that term is defined in the bill, in grades six through 12 at any public school in the Commonwealth or at a comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses. The bill delineates the criteria for issuance of such locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the employment of individuals under a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, including (i) permitting any school division or institution of higher education to hire any such individual on a full-time or part-time basis to teach a non-core subject or course; (ii) requiring any such individual to be subject to a background clearance check and the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements required as a condition of employment of any applicant who is offered or accepts employment at a school division pursuant to applicable law; (iii) requiring each employing school board to assign an individual employed by such school board as a mentor to supervise any individual issued a subject matter expert teaching credential; and (iv) permitting any division superintendent to renew an individual's locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential for a period not to exceed three additional years, provided that such individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations for each year of the original three-year locally awarded subject matter teaching credential. Finally, the bill requires each school division to annually report to the Department of Education the number of locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credentials issued for part-time and full-time teaching positions.

Registration of aircraft; fees. Increases fees for registrations of aircraft and creates multiyear registrations for aircraft for a period not to exceed three years. This bill is identical to HB 2022.

Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; English language learner students; report. Requires state-funded add-ons to be provided to support special education students that are calculated by multiplying weights set forth in the general appropriation act by the relevant basic aid per-pupil amount for each such student. The bill establishes the At-Risk Program for the purpose of supporting programs and services for students who are educationally at risk, including prevention, intervention, or remediation activities required pursuant to relevant law, teacher recruitment programs and initiatives, programs for English language learners, the hiring of additional school counselors and other support staff, and other programs relating to increasing the success of disadvantaged students in completing a high school degree and providing opportunities to encourage further education and training. The bill also contains provisions relating to certain funding requirements for the At-Risk Program. The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a data collection process related to English language learner expenditures and student English proficiency levels and identify other options to support English language learners and provide a status report to the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding on its implementation and data collection efforts by September 1, 2025. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or any other relevant stakeholders with expertise in special education as the Department of Education deems appropriate, to develop a plan for revised special education staffing requirements that addresses the staffing needs of each special education program in each school division as determined by the specific educational and behavioral support needs of students who receive special education and aims to improve special education teacher recruitment and retention and to report its findings to the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding by November 1, 2025. The bill is a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. This bill incorporates HB 1831.

Firearm transfers to another person from a prohibited person. Provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member may transfer a firearm owned by such prohibited person to any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm, provided that such person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing such firearm is 21 years of age or older and does not reside with the person who is subject to the protective order. Under current law, there is no requirement that such transferee cannot be younger than 21 years of age and cannot reside with such prohibited person. The bill also provides that such prohibited person who transfers, sells, or surrenders a firearm pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall inform the clerk of the court of the name and address of the transferee, the federally licensed firearms dealer, or the law-enforcement agency in possession of the firearm and shall provide to the transferee a copy of the form certifying that such person does not possess any firearms or that all firearms possessed by such person have been surrendered, sold, or transferred. The bill also provides that a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is subject to a protective order or has been convicted of an assault and battery of a family or household member shall be advised that a law-enforcement officer may obtain a search warrant to search for any firearms from such person if such law-enforcement officer has reason to believe that such person has not relinquished all firearms in his possession. This bill is identical to SB 744.

Christopher Newport University Board of Visitors; annual meetings at the University. Reduces from four to one the minimum number of annual meetings that the Christopher Newport University Board of Visitors is required to hold at the University. This bill is identical to SB 771.

Mineral Mine Safety Act; definition of "surface mineral mine"; mine inspectors; certificate renewal; use of cyanide or cyanide compound. Amends the definition of "surface mineral mine" in the Mineral Mine Safety Act to exclude excavation or grading when conducted solely in aid of onsite farming or construction and under certain conditions enumerated in the bill. The bill amends the definition of "mining" in existing law, relating to the exemption from permits for a mining operation, to extend the required completion time from six months to one year for excavation or grading conducted to construct or expand a farm pond for agricultural irrigation or provision of water for livestock. The bill also amends the qualification requirements for mineral mine inspectors, removes references to the defunct Board of Mineral Mining Examiners, and prohibits the issuance of any permit for a mineral mining or processing operation that includes the use of cyanide or a cyanide compound. This bill is identical to SB 969.

Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Secretary of Finance; evaluate public safety communications infrastructure updates and hardware replacements; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Secretary of Finance, to evaluate the need for public safety communications infrastructure updates and hardware replacements, and the cost of meeting such need. The Secretaries shall report any findings and recommendations, including possible funding options, to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2025. 

Department of Health Professions; health regulatory boards; regulations; licensure by endorsement. Directs each health regulatory board regulated by the Department of Health Professions to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway for qualified applicants as practitioners of the particular profession or professions regulated by such board. The bill specifies that the Board of Medicine shall be the first health regulatory board to enact regulations to provide a licensure by endorsement pathway. This bill is identical to SB 1438.

Electronic notarial acts. Specifies that, for the purposes of notarial acts being performed outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth, a "notarial act" means an act, whether performed with respect to a tangible or electronic document, that a notary public commissioned in the Commonwealth may perform under the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth.

Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance; Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; rights and requirements of dam owners; civil penalty. Amends various provisions of the Dam Safety Act to streamline the Department of Conservation and Recreation's enforcement powers for impounding structures under the Act and clarifies the Department's powers and duties during an active dam failure. The bill also makes changes to a dam owner's responsibilities under the Act, including adding requirements to obtain a general permit for a low hazard impounding structure, making a dam owner responsible for ensuring that his impounding structure that presents an imminent danger has a safety inspection performed as provided in the bill, and allowing a dam owner to identify the dam break inundation zone of his impounding structure by providing the limits of the dam break inundation zone in lieu of filing a map. The bill also changes certain criteria for applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund, including the project match requirements for grants or loans. Finally, the bill repeals the provisions providing civil penalties for violating the provisions of the Act and makes technical amendments related to such repeal. This bill is identical to HB 2000.

Study; joint subcommittee to study the consolidation and scheduling of general elections in Virginia; report. Creates a two-year legislative study on the consolidation and scheduling of general elections in Virginia. A 13-member joint subcommittee is established, consisting of eight members of the General Assembly, four nonlegislative citizen members, and one ex officio member, and is tasked with weighing the potential and probable effects of moving some or all of Virginia's state or local elections to even-numbered years in order to coincide with the federal election schedule. Any recommendations by the joint subcommittee to consolidate or reschedule Virginia's general elections must include recommendations for any amendments to the Constitution of Virginia and the Code of Virginia needed to effectuate the shift. The joint subcommittee is given two years to complete its study, with its final report due no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly. This resolution is identical to SJ 253.

Marine Resources Commission; Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program and Fund. Transfers from the Virginia Port Authority to the Marine Resources Commission the administration of the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program and Fund and requires the Commission to utilize the existing Municipal Dredging Operating Program and Municipal Dredging Operating Agreement adopted by the Authority for the administration of the Municipal Dredge Pilot Program operated by the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority. The bill also requires the Commission to utilize the Fast-Track Permitting Program for Disposal of Dredged Material when applicable for dredged material disposal in its implementation of the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Program.

Transfer of certain incarcerated persons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Requires the Director of the Department of Corrections, sheriff, or other official in charge of the facility in which an alien is incarcerated to, upon receipt of a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (i) provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with prerelease notification of such alien's release and (ii) upon request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, transfer custody of the alien to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon such alien's release, which shall occur no more than five days prior to the date on which he would otherwise be released from custody. Current law states that the Director, sheriff, or other official in charge of the facility may transfer such incarcerated person upon receipt of a detainer.

Protective orders; Military Protective Orders. Permits a court to issue a preliminary protective order upon evidence of a Military Protective Order issued by a commanding officer in the Armed Forces of the United States, the Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state in favor of the petitioner or the petitioner's family or household members. The bill provides that a Military Protective Order issued between the parties shall only be admissible or considered as evidence in accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Rules of Evidence of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or other relevant Virginia case law. The bill requires a law-enforcement agency, upon a defendant's violation of a protective order, if such Military Protective Order was issued against the same defendant as a protective order in a Virginia court and registered with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), to inform the military law-enforcement officer or agency that issued and entered the Military Protective Order into NCIC of such violation. This bill is identical to SB 957.