Elections; general provisions; prohibited area. Adds the five feet beyond any area designated for voting outside the polling place to the prohibited area where campaigning and certain other activities are unlawful during elections.

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 is 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, and covered institutions to further the Commonwealth's efforts to meet the goals established under the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance the development of small businesses, microbusinesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and service disabled veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth.Finally, the bill requires the Director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct, or contract with an independent entity to conduct, a disparity study every five years, with the next disparity study due no later than January 1, 2026. The bill specifies that such study shall evaluate the need for enhancement and remedial measures to address the disparity between the availability and the utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The provisions of the bill other than those requiring such study have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026, and apply to covered institutions beginning July 1, 2026.

Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalties. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2025, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 1869. 

School boards; policies relating to volunteer student life counseling and support services; guidelines and requirements. Permits any school board to adopt a policy permitting certain individuals or groups to provide, on a volunteer basis, student life counseling or support services, as defined by the bill, on school property after regular school hours, in accordance with the requirements in the bill. The bill (i) requires a school board to hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for public comment on the proposed policy prior to adopting such policy, to ensure that each student is free from pressure from the Commonwealth to engage in or refrain from religious observation on school property, and to ensure that the constitutional principles of freedom of religion and separation of church and state are observed at all times and (ii) requires such policy (a) to include background and criminal records check requirements for individuals volunteering to provide such support services; (b) to require written parental consent before any minor student participates in or receives such support services; (c) to require any approved individual or group to include on materials provided to students and parents information a parent or student may need in order to provide full and informed consent; (d) to be neutral with regard to religious preference, affiliation, or belief, or lack thereof, in the approval of an individual or group to provide such services and in the administration, oversight, or supervision of such services; and (e) to ensure that no such services are provided during regular school hours or in any manner that could cause conflict with instructional time.

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.

School boards; Internet safety education program; Internet Safety Advisory Council established. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish and appoint no more than 12 members to the Internet Safety Advisory Council and requires the Council to (i) develop, annually review, and update as necessary model policies, model instructional practices, and best practices for school boards relating to Internet safety and the safe use of media and technology by students and teachers in public schools; (ii) develop, post, and maintain on the Department of Education's website, and update as necessary, a webpage with links to instructional practices, curricula, and other teacher resources for the safe use of media and technology by students and teachers that school divisions may incorporate into their Internet safety instructional programs; and (iii) submit a report of its findings to the Board of Education and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than October 31, 2025. The provisions of the bill have an expiration date of July 1, 2026.

Preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty. Creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal on publicly supported housing, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes localities to implement an ordinance that requires an owner to accept a right of first refusal offer by the locality or qualified designee, defined in the bill, in order to preserve affordable housing for at least 15 years. The bill requires that any locality adopting such an ordinance to preserve affordable housing submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to existing law.

Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments and related student assessment methods; assessment development, implementation, and administration reform. Modifies provisions relating to assessment methods for determining the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives by all students, including (i) requirements relating to assessment administration aimed at maximizing instructional time and optimizing time used for assessment administration; (ii) criteria and guidelines for the structure and content of Standards of Learning assessments and alternative assessments developed by local school boards, including criteria for the types of assessment items that shall be included; (iii) provisions relating to eligibility and timelines for students to retake assessments; and (iv) the scoring of Standards of Learning assessments and related assessments, including a requirement that all such assessments be scored on a 100-point scale. The bill contains a provision exempting from the requirement that all end-of-course assessments be administered no earlier than two weeks prior to the last day of the school year any assessments administered as a part of a competency-based assessment system. The bill requires the Board of Education to provide any teacher who participates in the scoring of Standards of Learning assessments professional development points toward renewal of his license for the time spent scoring such assessments. The bill also requires the Board of Education to develop and make available to each school board certain templates and guidelines relating to assessment content and structure and assessment scoring. Certain provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly and certain others have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; remote patient monitoring; high-risk pregnant patients. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to amend its regulations, guidance, and provider manuals to clarify that remote patient monitoring services for high-risk pregnant patients include pregnant patients with maternal diabetes and maternal hypertension. The bill requires the Department to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2025, on the number of persons receiving remote patient monitoring services for maternal diabetes and maternal hypertension and the cost of providing such services.

Environmental Justice Task Force; report. Establishes the Environmental Justice Task Force, for the purpose of furthering environmental justice in the Commonwealth, consisting of appointees from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of Emergency Management, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, State Corporation Commission, and Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The bill requires the Task Force to advise the Governor and state agencies of the Commonwealth and establish certain policies to be used by such state agencies on environmental justice issues, particularly issues related to historically economically disadvantaged communities. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, regarding its activities.

Sale and procurement of dogs by pet shops; pet shop regulations. Requires a pet shop, upon taking custody of a dog, or any representative of a pet shop upon taking custody of a dog on behalf of the pet shop, to make a record of the matter containing certain information relating to the custody of the dog. The bill requires the pet shop to maintain such records for at least two years and make them available to the State Veterinarian at the time of inspection or upon request. The bill requires the pet shop make a summary of such records available to the State Veterinarian during inspection or upon request. The bill also directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to include in its regulations governing the keeping of dogs and cats by a pet shop a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per violation for each finding in a given inspection of a pet shop upon communication to the pet shop, provided that the cumulative civil penalty does not exceed $5,000. The bill requires the civil penalty to be recovered in a civil action brought by the Attorney General in the name of the Commonwealth and paid into a special fund in the state treasury to the credit of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independent expenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allows such reports to be filed either electronically or in writing. The bill increases the reporting and disclosure thresholds for independent expenditures from $1,000 or more for a statewide election or $200 or more for any other election to $5,000 or more for a statewide election or $1,000 or more for any other election and exempts the sponsor of an independent expenditure from disclosing its top three contributors if its independent expenditures aggregate to less than $20,000 in an election cycle. Finally, the bill includes in the definition of "political action committee" any organization holding tax-exempt status that expressly advocates for or against candidates, solicits donations for such purpose, and makes contributions or independent expenditures in excess of $20,000 for such purpose.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science; study of the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to study the cumulative impacts of surface water intakes on aquatic fauna and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its major Virginia tributaries. The bill requires VIMS to submit a report of its findings and any recommendations to the Governor, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and the House Committee on Appropriations no later than October 1, 2028.

Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund established. Establishes the Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund and requires any eligible designated funds received under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to be deposited into the Fund. The bill authorizes the Director of the Department of Energy to provide grants for certain projects described in the federal Act relating to the protection of public health, safety, and property from the adverse effects of coal mining practices.

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.