Protection of memorials for war veterans. Provides that it is unlawful for localities or individuals to disturb or interfere with certain monuments, markers, and memorials for war veterans or to prevent citizens from taking proper measures and exercising proper means for the protection, preservation, and care of the monuments, markers, or memorials. The bill describes \"disturb or interfere with\" to include removing, damaging, or defacing monuments, markers, or memorials or, in the case of the Civil War, placing Union markings or monuments on previously designated Confederate memorials or placing Confederate markings or monuments on previously designated Union memorials. The bill also deletes current provisions that allow localities to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover such monuments or memorials. The bill changes an existing advisory referendum provision by limiting its applicability to those monuments, markers, and memorials that were erected at least 40 years ago and by requiring a two-thirds majority vote, both by voters and by the governing body, before any monument can be removed, relocated, or covered. The bill also establishes a process whereby any person with an interest can initiate an action against a person or locality that damages or defaces a publicly owned monument if a locality or its officers have failed to take such action within 60 days of the damage or defacement.

Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity. Amends the definition of renewable energy for purposes of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act to include energy derived from hydrogen and nuclear power. The bill provides that the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program that establishes goals for the sale of renewable energy shall also include goals for the sale of zero-carbon electricity and adds zero-carbon electricity generating resources and certain other resources approved by the State Corporation Commission to the list of eligible sources for purposes of the renewable portfolio standard program.

Taxable income; subtractions; military benefits. Removes the current cap of $40,000 of military benefits that may be subtracted from Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, such that the total amount of military benefits may be subtracted from such income.

Fantasy Contests Act; minimum age requirement. Increases from 18 years of age to 21 years of age the minimum age required to participate in fantasy contests.

Possession of controlled substances unlawful; second or subsequent conviction; mandatory minimum. Provides that the sentence of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act for (i) a second offense within less than five years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (ii) a second offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500; (iii) a third offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $500, unless the three offenses were committed within a five-year period, in which case the sentence shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of six months and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000; and (iv) a fourth or subsequent offense within 10 years shall include a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000. The bill also provides that the driver's license of any person convicted of possession of any controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Control Act (a) may be suspended for a period of up to 30 days for the first offense and (b) shall be suspended for a period of 30 days for a second or subsequent offense.

Robbery; air or gas operated weapon, etc.; penalty. Expands the crime of Class 3 felony robbery to include robbery committed by any person by using or displaying any air or gas operated weapon or any object similar in appearance to a firearm, whether capable of being fired or not.

Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; exceptions; competency evaluation. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for an evaluation to determine a defendant's competency to stand trial.

Release of accused on secured or unsecured bond. Removes the conditions requiring that any person arrested for a felony (i) who has previously been convicted of a felony, (ii) who is presently on bond for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction, or (iii) who is on probation or parole be released only upon a secure bond. Additionally, the bill adds to the factors a judicial officer shall consider in making a bail determination (a) the person's current bond status for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction and (b) the person's current status on probation or parole. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

Virginia taxable income; standard deduction; sunset. Removes the sunset on elevated standard deduction amounts for single individuals and married persons that is scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into SB 782.

Virginia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act; administrator to exercise due diligence to locate owner. Requires the State Treasurer or his designee to exercise due diligence to locate the owner of unclaimed funds or abandoned property previously paid or delivered to the State Treasurer or his designee. Such exercise of due diligence shall include, if necessary, that the State Treasurer or his designee coordinate with the Tax Commissioner to provide the Department of the Treasury with relevant tax information for the purposes of locating such owner. This bill was incorporated into SB 996.

Consumer Data Protection Act; social media platforms; responsibilities and prohibitions related to minors. Requires that any controller or processor that operates a social media platform shall (i) use commercially reasonable methods, such as a neutral age screen mechanism, to determine whether a user is a minor younger than 16 years of age and (ii) limit any such minor's use of such social media platform to one hour per day, per service or application, and allow a parent to give verifiable parental consent to increase or decrease the daily time limit. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026. 

Custodial interrogation of a person with autism spectrum disorder or a developmental disability; best practices for conducting interviews or interrogations. Adds best practices for conducting interviews or interrogations, including reading constitutional rights to the list of compulsory minimum and in-service training standards for law-enforcement officers on communicating with individuals with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; income exemption for personal care assistants. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to seek the appropriate approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create an income exemption for licensed providers of personal care assistance.

Nonresident concealed handgun permits. Requires the Department of State Police to immediately issue a nonresident concealed handgun permit after 90 days from the receipt of the application for such permit if, within that 90-day period, the Department has not issued such permit or determined that the applicant is disqualified from receiving such permit. The bill further requires the Department to revoke such permit if the applicant is later found by the Department to be disqualified from receiving such permit.

State correctional facilities; cell conditions; temperature monitoring; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to require that heat and air conditioning be provided in all state correctional facilities that are capable of controlling the interior temperature of such facilities so that a temperature of not less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit is maintained in each such facility. The bill also directs the Department of Corrections to evaluate the implementation of remote temperature monitoring and to report its findings to the General Assembly by October 1, 2025.