Public institutions of higher education; endowments; investment management; certain divestment practices prohibited. Prohibits any public institution of higher education or any affiliated foundation, investment management company, or other entity that is responsible for managing or investing endowment funds of the institution from establishing or implementing any policy or practice of divesting from all investments in any country or territory that is not the subject of an active sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Commending Lieutenant Colonel Theresa M. Claiborne, USAF, Ret.

Use of restraints on juveniles in court prohibited; exceptions. Prohibits the use of instruments of restraint, as defined in the bill, on a juvenile appearing before the juvenile and domestic relations district court unless the court makes a finding that (i) the use of such restraints is necessary (a) to prevent physical harm to such juvenile or another person, (b) because such juvenile has a history of disruptive courtroom behavior that has placed others in potentially harmful situations or presents a substantial threat of serious harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior, or (c) because such juvenile presents a substantial risk of flight from the courtroom and (ii) there are no less restrictive alternatives to such restraints that will prevent flight of or harm to such juvenile or another person, including court personnel or law-enforcement officers. The bill requires the court to provide the juvenile's attorney an opportunity to be heard before the court orders the use of instruments of restraint, and if such restraints are ordered, requires the court to make written findings of fact in support of the order.

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers in critical situations. The bill permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location, or to provide real-time aerial observation to rapidly assess incident scenes, deliver essential supplies, and enhance the response to emergency calls. The bill also authorizes the use of unmanned aircraft systems by law enforcement during large public gatherings, demonstrations, disturbances, or other similar events.

Grooming and boarding establishments; inspections by animal control officers. Allows an animal control officer to inspect a grooming or boarding establishment that is not regulated by the Board of Veterinary Medicine with the consent of the owner or person in charge or pursuant to a warrant upon a receipt of a complaint or twice annually upon their own motion to ensure compliance with state animal care laws and regulations. The bill requires an animal control officer, a law-enforcement officer, or the State Veterinarian to obtain the consent of the owner or person in charge of any business premises of any dealer, pet shop, groomer, or boarding establishment to investigate allegations of a complaint of a suspected violation of state or local animal care laws. Current law does not require such consent to investigate allegations of a complaint. The bill allows an animal control officer to search a building or place pursuant to a warrant after making a sworn statement regarding any potential violations of the cruelty to animals laws. Current law only allows a sheriff, deputy sheriff, or police officer to conduct such a search. The bill also directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to, in consultation with the State Veterinarian, convene a work group to consider whether to propose a state license and other regulatory requirements for animal boarding establishments similar to the current licensing requirements for animal shelters and submit its report of such findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 2313.

Weapons; possession prohibited in a hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly and intentionally possess in the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, a (i) firearm, (ii) knife with a blade over three and one-half inches, or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. This bill is identical to HB 1977.

Programs of instruction; family life education; instruction on human reproduction; inclusion of certain materials relating to human gestation required. Requires the curriculum guidelines developed by the Board of Education for a comprehensive, sequential family life education curriculum in accordance with applicable law to include, as a part of the guidelines for instruction on human reproduction, the viewing of a video recording of an ultrasound of a live human fetus in the uterus at (i) six to eight weeks' gestation, (ii) 15 to 17 weeks' gestation, and (iii) 27 weeks' gestation.

Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill establishes the Fire Service Cooperation Board to administer its provisions. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.

Campaign finance; coordination and required independent expenditure committee disclosure; civil penalties. Provides a more detailed definition of the term "coordinated" or "coordination" in the context of campaign finance than current law. The bill also requires all persons making independent expenditures to file statements of organization and to file campaign finance reports thus making such persons subject to existing civil penalties for violations of filing laws.

Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2025, shall as part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of the premises of any area of a state park that he knows or has reason to know is a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium. A violation is a Class 6 felony.

Reckless, aggressive, and improper driving; prohibited altered suspension system; penalties. Creates additional penalties for causing serious bodily injury to or the death of another person while recklessly, aggressively, or improperly driving a motor vehicle with certain prohibited alterations made to the vehicle's suspension system. The bill directs the court, in addition to penalties imposed under current law, to suspend the driver's license of such offender for 90 days and order the completion of 150 hours of community service for a first conviction and suspend the driver's license of such offender for one year and impose a penalty of $1,500 for any second or subsequent conviction.

Prohibited acquisition of single family homes; affidavit; civil penalty. Restricts any partnership, corporation, or real estate investment trust that manages funds pooled from investors; is a fiduciary to such investors; has net value or assets under management on any day during a taxable year; and holds an interest in more than fifty single-family homes from acquiring any interest in any other single-family home, as defined in the bill to include manufactured home parks and single family-residential duplexes, on or after July 1, 2025. The bill also requires an offering purchaser of a manufactured home park to provide a notarized affidavit certifying that the purchaser is not prohibited from acquiring such an interest. Any false statements on such affidavit shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per occurrence for deposit into the Revolving Loan Fund for the Purchase of Manufactured Home Parks pursuant to the appropriation act.

Unemployment compensation; increase weekly benefit amounts; report. Provides that, for unemployment compensation claims effective on or after January 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly benefit amount shall be $52 higher than the current weekly benefit amount, as denoted in the table in the printed bill. The bill directs the Commission on Unemployment Compensation, in consultation with the Virginia Employment Commission, to convene a work group to study making annual adjustments to individual weekly benefit amounts based on the average weekly wage. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation. This bill is identical to HB 1766.

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering; satellite facilities; percentage retained by racetrack and locality. Reapportions the distribution of the retainage for pari-mutuel pools by increasing the percentage paid to the localities in which the satellite facilities are located and decreasing the percentage paid to the locality in which the racetrack is located.

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.