Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program authority; right of entry. Removes the restriction on localities that operate regulated municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) to only enter on those properties from which a discharge enters their MS4 and allows such localities to, at reasonable times and under reasonable circumstances, enter any establishment or upon any property, public or private, for the purpose of obtaining information or conducting surveys or investigations necessary in the enforcement of the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program. However, the bill restricts operators of an MS4 that are not a locality, or any duly authorized agent thereof, to only enter on those properties from which a discharge enters their MS4. This bill is identical to SB 1093.

Public schools; student discipline and codes of conduct; prevention of and response to cyberbullying; policies and procedures required. Requires the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct developed pursuant to applicable law standards for school board policies on cyberbullying, defined in the bill as bullying that occurs through the use of technology, including through cell phones and other electronic devices and technology capable of accessing the Internet. The bill requires each school board to expand on its policies and procedures relating to the prevention and prohibition of bullying that are included in its student conduct policies and procedures pursuant to relevant law by including policies and procedures that (i) address instances of cyberbullying that occur outside of school property between students enrolled in the school division; (ii) provide protections designed to ensure that any student who is a victim of or a witness to an instance of cyberbullying is not deterred from reporting or seeking support for such instance of cyberbullying by fears of retaliation, social alienation or rejection, or other negative treatment; and (iii) include a list of support services and resources available through each public school to any student who is a victim of cyberbullying relating to reporting and seeking support after experiencing an instance of cyberbullying.

Real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Authorizes localities by ordinance to provide a total exemption from real property taxes regardless of assessed value beginning in tax years beginning on and after January 1, 2025, for surviving spouses of members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Under law effective January 1, 2025, a total exemption is only allowed for such surviving spouses for those dwellings in the locality with assessed values in the most recently ended tax year that are not in excess of the average assessed value for such year of a dwelling situated on property that is zoned as single family residential.

Land records; recording and indexing fees. Provides that no clerk of a circuit court shall assess separate recording and indexing fees for one document that contains two or more instruments that may serve independent legal purposes, unless the person presenting such document or instruments requests that such document or instruments be recorded and indexed in more than a single instance. The bill also provides that no recordation tax shall be required of a quitclaim deed between a grantor and grantee when no consideration has passed between the parties, provided that such quitclaim deed shows on its face that no consideration has passed.

School boards; prohibition against hiring or contracting for the services of certain individuals; certain criminal convictions. Prohibits each school board from employing or contracting for the services of any individual who has been convicted of any felony crime of violence as defined in the bill or any offense involving a child. Current law prohibits each school board from employing or contracting for the services of any individual who has been convicted of any violent felony set forth in a certain statutory definition of "barrier crime" or any offense involving the sexual molestation, physical or sexual abuse, or rape of a child, or the solicitation of any such offense.

Public elementary and secondary schools; student discipline; student cell phone possession and use policies; development and implementation. Directs each school board to develop and each public elementary and secondary school to implement age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate policies relating to the possession and use of cell phones by students on school property during regular school hours. The bill requires such policies to (i) restrict, to the fullest extent possible, student cell phone possession and use in the classroom during regular school hours; (ii) aim to reduce or prevent any distraction in or disruption to the learning environment, including bullying or harassment, that could be caused or facilitated by student cell phone possession and use on school property during regular school hours; (iii) ensure that implementation and enforcement of the policy is the responsibility of the administration, minimizes, to the extent possible, any conflict with the instructional responsibilities of teachers or any disruption to instructional time, and does not involve any school resource officer; (iv) include exceptions to such policies permitting any student, pursuant to an Individualized Education Plan or Section 504 Plan or if otherwise deemed appropriate by the school board, to possess and use a cell phone on school property, including in the classroom, during regular school hours to monitor or address a health concern; and (v) expressly prohibit any student from being suspended or expelled as a consequence of any violation of such policies. Finally, the bill clarifies that (a) no violation of any such student cell phone possession and use policy shall alone constitute sufficient cause for a student's suspension or expulsion from attendance at school and (b) any such violation that involves, coincides with, or results in an instance of disruptive behavior, as that term is defined in applicable law, shall be addressed in accordance with the regulations on codes of student conduct adopted by each school board pursuant to applicable law. This bill is identical to SB 738.

Election of certain governing bodies; conversion to single-member districts. Allows the governing body of a locality that has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial election system under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convert one or more at-large members of such body to single-member districts. The bill provides that members of such governing body in office on the effective date of such ordinance shall complete their terms of office.

Workplace violence policy required for certain employers; civil penalty. Requires any employer of 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and maintain a workplace violence policy no later than January 1, 2027. The bill includes requirements for such a policy, such as procedures and methods for employee reporting of incidents and post-incident investigations. Employers subject to the bill are required to maintain documentation of workplace violence incidents for not less than five years. An employer that violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation. The bill prohibits retaliation from an employer on the basis of reporting a workplace violence incident and provides that any employee who makes a report of workplace violence shall be immune from civil liability. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

Elections; general provisions; prohibited area; within 10 feet of the curbside voting area. Adds the 10 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.

Living Shoreline Grant Fund established. Establishes the Living Shoreline Grant Fund to be administered by the Marine Resources Commission for the purpose of awarding grants to a local government or a federally recognized tribe in the Commonwealth to match federal or other matching funds. The bill requires such grants be used for the construction, renovation, or improvement of living shorelines greater than 1.5 miles in any shore angle direction. The bill requires the Commission to give priority to projects that (i) are located on public lands, (ii) demonstrate the ability for the living shoreline to migrate upland over time through documented control of upland properties, or (iii) are identified as priorities in the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

Public school teachers; written notice of noncontinuation of continuing contract. Provides that written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract by the teacher must be given by June 15 of each year; otherwise, the contract continues in effect for the ensuing year in conformity with local salary stipulations, including increments. Current law provides that written notice of noncontinuation of a continuing teacher contract by either the teacher or the school board must be given by June 15 of each year; otherwise, the contract continues in effect for the ensuing year in conformity with local salary stipulations, including increments. This bill is identical to SB 1032.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2027. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.41 per hour that is effective January 1, 2025, and increases the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2026, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish an adjusted state hourly minimum wage by October 1, 2027.

2025 Senate operating resolution.

Medical cannabis program; product labels; delivery. Changes the requirements for what is included on medical cannabis product labels affixed by pharmaceutical processors to include (i) the total milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product, both defined in the bill; (ii) the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving of the edible cannabis product or topical cannabis product; and (iii) the total percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the inhalable cannabis product, defined in the bill. Under current law, the product label of any medical cannabis product is required to include the total percentage and milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the product and the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each serving.The bill also allows a pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility to dispense or deliver cannabis products in person to a patient or such patient's registered agent, parent, or legal guardian at any residence, including a temporary residence, or business. However, the bill prohibits dispensing or delivering cannabis products to (a) any military base, child day center, school, or correctional facility; (b) the State Capitol; or (c) any public gathering places, including sporting events, festivals, fairs, races, concerts, and terminals of public transportation companies. The bill also specifies that all transportation or delivery of usable cannabis, botanical cannabis, cannabis oil, or cannabis products, whether by an employee or delivery agent, shall comply with all relevant laws and regulations and provides that the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority may suspend or revoke the privileges of any employee or delivery agent to transport or deliver such products for failure to comply.

Photo speed monitoring devices; placement and operation by certain localities. Allows localities without a law-enforcement agency to place and operate photo speed monitoring devices. The bill requires such localities to authorize by ordinance officers of the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction within such locality to issue the summons and to swear to or affirm the certificate stating that the information produced by such photo speed monitoring device shows evidence of a vehicle speed violation.