Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority; authority to dissolve. Provides that the board of directors of the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority may by resolution divest itself of property owned by the Authority and may transfer all such property to a locality. The bill provides that whenever the board of the Authority determines by resolution that the purposes for which the Authority was formed have been substantially complied with and all property of the Authority has been transferred and all bonds therefor issued and all obligations incurred by the Authority have been fully paid or adequate provisions have been made for the payment, the board may dissolve itself upon a majority vote of the board. The bill also provides that if the Authority ceases to operate or is dissolved, the title to its real property will transfer to the locality in which the majority of such property is located. Under current law, the property would transfer to the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 796.

Celebrating the life of James Stuart Weston, MD.

Public institutions of higher education; intercollegiate athletics program coaches; Mental Health First Aid or similar training required. Requires each coach of an intercollegiate athletics program at a public institution of higher education to participate in Mental Health First Aid training or a similar program within one year of the commencement of his duties.

Virginia Investment Performance Grants. Authorizes Virginia Investment Performance Grants to be awarded under more lenient requirements if the recipient is located in a locality with an unemployment rate and poverty rate that exceeds the state average. Specifically, the bill would authorize payment of such grants if the average wage paid by the eligible manufacturer or research and development service, excluding fringe benefits, is no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage. Grants may be paid for projects in such localities that pay less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage, upon a written finding by the Governor that the economic circumstances in the area are sufficiently distressed such that assistance to the locality to attract the project is justified. However, the minimum private investment and number of new jobs required to be created are still a condition of eligibility. This bill is identical to SB 1231.

Seizure of property used in connection with or derived from financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. Establishes a procedure for seizure of property used in connection with or derived from financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. The bill permits a guardian, adult proactive agent, or representative of the vulnerable adult to enforce such an action for good cause shown. 

School safety audit committees; annual meetings on school grounds with local law enforcement permitted. Permits each division superintendent or his designee and the school safety audit committee established by the division superintendent to meet annually on the grounds of any public school in the local school division with the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality or a designee from the local law-enforcement agency to discuss the annual school safety audit completed for such school.

Virginia Health Benefit Exchange; special enrollment period for pregnancy. Requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to establish by January 1, 2026, a special enrollment period for a pregnant qualified individual to enroll in a qualified health plan at any time after the commencement of the pregnancy.

Certain education preparation programs; self-audit; student literacy instruction and the identification of students at risk for learning disabilities; report. Requires each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that has not yet been audited in accordance with relevant provisions of law to complete a self-audit for compliance with requirements set forth in relevant law relating to coursework, student mastery, and field experience in student literacy instruction and the identification of students at risk for learning disabilities utilizing a rubric developed and provided by the Department of Education, with metrics that analyze the degree to which it has met each such requirement, and to submit the results of such audit and a plan for closing any gaps to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2026.

Public schools; textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. Makes several changes relating to the textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials that are utilized as the curriculum basis for public elementary and secondary school student instruction, including (i) requiring each local school board to adopt and implement textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials in English language arts for grades six through 12 and mathematics, science, and history and social studies for grades kindergarten through 12 and requiring the Department of Education to support such local adoption and implementation in several ways and (ii) requiring each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certification program that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education with certain endorsements to include a program of coursework and clinical experience and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in identifying and implementing textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. The provisions of the bill, with the exception of a provision that requires a study of and report on the textbook review and approval process by November 1, 2025, have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 2777.

Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council established; sexual assault forensic examiners; physical evidence recovery kits; report. Establishes the Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council (the Council), which consists of five members appointed by the Governor, each of whom shall have expertise in forensic examination of sexual assault victims and shall currently reside and practice in the Commonwealth. The Council shall review and make recommendations as necessary to the Board of Health with support from the Coordinator of the Virginia Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Coordination Program concerning (i) criteria to become a sexual assault forensic examiner, (ii) the process for certification as a sexual assault forensic examiner, (iii) the curriculum and training program of an entity seeking approval to train sexual assault forensic examiners, (iv) qualifications of prospective sexual assault forensic examiners, and (v) strategies for expanding access to sexual assault forensic examiners. The bill requires the Council to report, at least annually, to the General Assembly regarding the status of sexual assault forensics in the Commonwealth, including any recommendations to improve the quality of such services. The bill also amends provisions of law related to physical evidence recovery kits. This bill is identical to SB 1041.

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 by eliminating the repeal of such licenses that is set to go into effect July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 811.

Certificate of public need; expedited application and review; medical deserts. Instructs the State Health Commissioner to direct the State Health Services Plan Task Force to develop recommendations for establishing an expedited application and review process for projects requiring a certificate of public need in medical deserts. This bill is identical to SB 1203.

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.

Public elementary and secondary education; Office of Mathematics Improvement established; mathematics improvement and advancement policies and programs. Establishes several new programs and policies for the purpose of improving mathematics instruction and student learning outcomes in public elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth, including (i) directing the Department of Education (the Department) to establish the Office of Mathematics Improvement (the Office) as an office within the Department; (ii) directing the Director of the Office, in collaboration with the Department, to establish an Elementary School Mathematics Advisory Task Force, a Middle School Mathematics Advisory Task Force, and a High School Mathematics Advisory Task Force; (iii) creating several grant programs aimed at incentivizing, encouraging, and expanding opportunities for improving mathematics instruction for educators and mathematics learning outcomes for students, including the Summer Mathematics Intervention Grant Program, the Advance Placement Mathematics Exam Fee Elimination Fund and Program, the Mathematics Improvement and School Support Grant Program, and the Advanced Mathematics Teacher Incentive and Support Grant Program; (iv) making several changes to staffing requirements relating to teachers providing mathematics instruction, including creating a mathematics specialist microcredential program and establishing staffing ratios for mathematics specialists in public schools and permitting schools to use state funding appropriated to support meeting such staffing ratios to support teachers in completing the professional development or training necessary to receive the requisite licensure or endorsements; and (v) requiring the Department to expand the advanced mathematics courses offered through Virtual Virginia, as established pursuant to applicable law, for the purpose of ensuring that students attending public schools across the Commonwealth have access to a full range of advanced mathematics courses. The bill also (a) directs the Board of Education (the Board) to modify its regulations to increase the flexibility of receiving an Algebra I add-on endorsement for teachers; (b) directs the Board, in collaboration with the Office, to develop and approve a Geometry add-on endorsement for teachers; (c) requires the development and dissemination of various guidance documents for school boards and school counselors and online training programs and modules for educators relating to expanding and encouraging mathematics instruction and education, particularly advanced mathematics instruction and education; and (d) requires the Department to compile and post in a publicly accessible location on its website by August 1 of each year a report detailing the impact of the provisions of the bill on expanding mathematics offerings and improving mathematics learning outcomes in public schools across the Commonwealth. The bill provides timelines for modifying regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Certified community health workers; annual report. Directs the Department of Health to submit a report on certified community health workers to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriations and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget by November 1, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.