Children's Ombudsman; powers and duties. Authorizes the Children's Ombudsman to take action on behalf of children for whom a report of abuse or neglect was made. Under current law, the Children's Ombudsman has the authority to take action on behalf of children receiving child-protective services, in foster care, or placed for adoption and children who may have died as a result of alleged abuse or neglect.

Study; JLARC; economic and workforce impacts of the automation of ports in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), in collaboration with the Modeling and Simulation Advisory Board, the College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University, and the Department of Political Science and School of Social Work at Norfolk State University, to study the economic and workforce impacts of the automation of ports in the Commonwealth. JLARC is directed to report its recommendations no later than the first day of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Electrical generating facilities; capacity factor; report. Requires the owner of any electrical generating facility in the Commonwealth with a nameplate capacity of at least one megawatt to provide an annual report to the State Corporation Commission, including for each month of the immediately preceding year (i) the amount of electricity produced by such facility and (ii) the capacity factor, as defined in the bill, for such facility. The bill requires the Commission to compile all information reported pursuant to the bill's provisions and to publish an annual report of such compiled information.

Emergency custody and involuntary admissions; transfer of custody to facility. Permits the law-enforcement agency or alternative transportation provider providing a person subject to an emergency custody order transportation to a facility or location for the required evaluation to transfer custody of such person to such facility or location if it (i) agrees to accept custody of the person; (ii) is actually capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the person and others from harm, including having appropriate security personnel; and (iii) in cases in which transportation is provided by a law-enforcement agency, has entered into an agreement or memorandum of understanding with the law-enforcement agency setting forth the terms and conditions under which it will (a) accept a transfer of custody and (b) request that the law-enforcement agency will return to the facility or location upon request to protect the person and others should the security needs of such facility or location be exceeded, provided, however, that the facility or location may not require the law-enforcement agency to pay any fees or costs for the transfer of custody. Current law permits such transfer of custody if the facility or location (1) is licensed to provide the level of security necessary to protect both the person and others from harm, (2) is actually capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the person and others from harm, and (3) in cases in which transportation is provided by a law-enforcement agency, has entered into an agreement or memorandum of understanding with the law-enforcement agency setting forth the terms and conditions under which it will accept a transfer of custody, provided, however, that the facility or location may not require the law-enforcement agency to pay any fees or costs for the transfer of custody.

Retail sales and use tax; exemptions; gold, silver, or platinum bullion; sunset. Extends to June 30, 2032, the exemption from the retail sales and use tax for gold, silver, or platinum bullion and legal tender coins. The exemption is currently set to expire on June 30, 2025.

Admission to bail; rebuttable presumptions against bail for an alien illegally present in the United States. Creates a rebuttable presumption against bail for an alien illegally present in the United States charged with certain criminal offenses enumerated in the bill. The bill also requires the court to consider specified factors when determining whether the presumption against bail has been rebutted and whether there are appropriate conditions of release.

Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.

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) defining such term for the purpose of various laws and regulations relating to approval, procurement, and no-cost provision of such materials; (ii) 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, including by consolidating and simplifying the applications for all state and federal programs that provide funding to local school boards into a single application; and (iii) 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 an endorsement in early/primary education preschool through grade three, elementary education preschool through grade six, middle education grades six through eight, and secondary education grades six through 12 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.

Authority of Attorney General; criminal cases; human and sex trafficking. Authorizes the Attorney General to prosecute violations of criminal law relating to human and sex trafficking offenses in connection with racketeering.

Classification of tangible personal property; computer equipment and peripherals used in data centers; facilities housing systems used to engage in digital asset mining business activities. Provides that, for purposes of the separate tax classification of tangible personal property for computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center, a data center includes facilities housing systems used to engage in digital mining business activities, defined in the bill.

Vehicles used for agricultural purposes. Provides that trailers and semitrailers used for certain agricultural purposes may be operated without tail lights or brake lights on the highways of the Commonwealth, except in Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia), that are not interstate highways between sunrise and sunset, provided that such trailer or semitrailer has affixed to the rear end either (i) two or more reflectors of a type approved by the Superintendent of State Police or (ii) at least 100 square inches of solid reflectorized material. The bill requires such a trailer or semitrailer operated without tail lights or brake lights to keep to the rightmost lane, except when turning at an intersection or avoiding any hazard. The bill also prohibits the operation of such a trailer or semitrailer operated without tail lights or brake lights whenever (a) certain conditions reducing visibility are present or (b) windshield wipers are in use as a result of fog, rain, sleet, or snow.

Reckless exposure of illegal fentanyl to certain persons; penalty; arrest and prosecution when experiencing or reporting overdoses. Provides that any person who unlawfully possesses fentanyl, including its isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, and recklessly exposes a law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, jail officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel, as those terms are defined in relevant law, to such fentanyl and causes severe bodily injury or an overdose to such officer, firefighter, or personnel is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill also provides that no individual incarcerated in a local, regional, or state correctional facility shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for such offense if such individual seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for himself or another individual experiencing an overdose or is experiencing an overdose and another individual seeks or obtains emergency medical attention for him.

Motor vehicle accidents; actions brought by uninsured motorists; limited damages. Places limits on the amount of recoverable damages in a motor vehicle accident resulting in personal injury or property damage when the person injured or whose property was damaged is an uninsured motorist. The bill provides that the limits do not apply if (i) the tortfeasor was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, (ii) the tortfeasor failed to stop and report the injury of damage after such accident, or (iii) the injury or damage was a result of an intentional act taken by the tortfeasor to injure the person or damage such person's property.

Real property tax; exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses; driveways. Clarifies that any driveway used to access land otherwise exempt from real property taxes as being owned by a veteran who has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability shall also be exempt from such taxation. The bill also clarifies that any driveway used to access land otherwise exempt from real property taxes due to being owned by a surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces who died in the line of duty shall be similarly exempt from real property taxes.

Child in foster care; provision of certain documents; 16 years of age. Directs local departments of social services to provide children in foster care with certain documents when such children reach 16 years of age. Under current law, local departments of social services are required to provide certain documents when children are leaving foster care upon reaching 18 years of age.