Commission on Unemployment Compensation; membership; compensation; powers and duties. Adds two nonlegislative citizen members to the membership of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation and transfers the powers and duties of the subcommittee on unemployment insurance, which is removed by the bill, to the Commission. The bill provides that existing nonlegislative members of the subcommittee on unemployment compensation shall serve as the two nonlegislative citizen members added to the Commission until July 1, 2026, and thereafter, one such member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and one by the Senate Committee on Rules.

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 SB 1110.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; solar photovoltaic equipment and facilities. Prohibits state and local agencies from including a provision in any request for proposal, procurement agreement, contract, ordinance, policy, permit, or accompanying document that directs the exclusion from use of any materials contained in or products associated with solar photovoltaic equipment and facilities that are manufactured in the United States. This bill is identical to SB 1165.

Reckless driving; exhibition driving; penalties. Expands reckless driving to include exhibition driving, defined in the bill. The bill prohibits (i) slowing or stopping traffic for a race or exhibition driving; (ii) riding as a passenger on the hood or roof of a motor vehicle during a race or exhibition driving; or (iii) aiding or abetting exhibition driving. The bill establishes penalties for violations and establishes a process for impounding or immobilizing motor vehicles driven by persons arrested for exhibition driving.

Casino gaming; eligible host localities. Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.

Celebrating the life of John Wilder McMillan, Jr.

Income tax; second-chance employment tax credit. Creates a nonrefundable second-chance employment tax credit for taxable years 2025 through 2029 for five percent of the amount of wages paid to a qualified employee during the taxable year. The bill defines a qualified employee as an individual who was convicted of a felony or a Class 1 or Class 2 misdemeanor. The annual amount of the credit that may be claimed by the employer shall not exceed $1,250 per qualified employee or $2,250 in the case of a qualified employee who is on probation or parole. The credit may be claimed in the first year in which the qualified employer employs a qualified employee and in each subsequent year in which such employer continues to employ such qualified employee. The bill requires that such qualified employer adopt and implement a second-chance hiring policy that meets or exceeds standards set in guidance by the Department of Human Resource Management. The aggregate amount of tax credits available in any fiscal year shall not exceed the amount appropriated for such year as provided in the general appropriation act.

Pilot program; electric generation from captured waste mine methane; renewable portfolio standard. Directs the State Corporation Commission to establish a pilot program for American Electric Power and Dominion Energy to submit proposals to deploy electric generation that utilizes, in whole or in part, captured waste mine methane, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, reasonable and prudent costs incurred under the captured waste mine methane pilot program shall be recovered through utility base rates for generation and distribution services. Additionally, the bill provides that electricity generated using captured waste mine methane with a non-combustion electric generator under the captured waste mine methane project shall be considered an eligible resource for purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard program until December 31, 2045.

State plan for medical assistance services; fertility preservation treatments. Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for coverage of fertility preservation for individuals diagnosed with a form of cancer who need treatment that may cause a substantial risk of sterility or iatrogenic infertility, as defined in the bill, including surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. The bill also requires insurers to provide coverage for standard fertility preservation for individuals who have been diagnosed with a form of cancer who need treatment that may cause a substantial risk of sterility or iatrogenic infertility.

Department of Medical Assistance Services; work group; state plan amendment; reimbursement for services by certified community health workers. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group to (i) design a state plan amendment to provide reimbursement for services provided by certified community health workers, (ii) identify opportunities to expand the use of community health workers by Medicaid managed care organizations, and (iii) determine the feasibility of developing flexible training and certification standards that allow community health workers to use their education and experience to satisfy some of the requirements for qualification as a doula or registered peer recovery specialist. The bill requires the Department to report the work group findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2025. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care.

Fleeing from a law-enforcement officer; penalty. Removes the requirement that a law-enforcement officer have the immediate physical ability to place a person under arrest in order for a person who flees from a law-enforcement officer to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill instead requires that the officer be within 30 feet of the person when such person knows or has reason to know that the officer is a law-enforcement officer.

Statewide housing targets for localities. Requires localities to increase their total housing stock by at least 7.5 percent over the five-year period beginning January 1, 2026. The bill provides that in order to meet the 7.5 percent growth target, a locality shall develop a housing growth plan that best meets the needs of the locality and may include any of various listed housing growth strategies. The bill further provides that after January 1, 2031, an applicant who seeks local government approval for a residential development that will have the effect of increasing the supply of housing in a locality and has that application rejected may, in addition to other remedies, appeal such decision to the Housing Approval Board, which shall be established by the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill authorizes the Housing Approval Board to overturn local decisions and approve applications under certain circumstances. However, if the Housing Approval Board determines that a locality has in good faith implemented at least three of the housing growth strategies listed in the bill and has not rejected more than 25 percent of new housing development proposals over the previous five years, the Housing Approval Board shall allow the local decision to stand. Finally, the bill provides that the Housing Approval Board shall give extra weight for increases in affordable housing and for the rehabilitation of current, underutilized housing stock.

Definitions; American Indians; Virginia recognized tribes; federally recognized tribes; sovereignty. Establishes definitions for "American Indian," "federally recognized tribe," and "Virginia recognized tribe" and amends various sections throughout the Code for the purpose of uniformity in terminology. This bill is identical to HB 2134.

Discovery. Requires the Commonwealth, upon request by the accused or his counsel to copy or photograph any discovery materials or evidence the accused is permitted to inspect and review, including relevant police reports, criminal records, and body-worn camera footage, and requires the Commonwealth to provide such copies or photographs, electronically or otherwise, to the accused or his counsel, unless such material is prohibited from being distributed by law or impossible to provide by electronic means. The bill requires the attorney for the Commonwealth in any district court to provide to counsel of record for the accused, if requested, by electronic means a copy of any police report at least 10 days prior to the date the case is set for trial or preliminary hearing, provided that counsel of record agrees to any reasonable redaction or restricted dissemination as requested by the attorney for the Commonwealth. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This bill incorporates SB 1355 and is identical to HB 1630.

Health insurance; reimbursement for services rendered by certain practitioners other than physicians. Requires health insurers and health service plan providers whose policies or contracts cover services that may be legally performed by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to provide equal coverage for such services. The bill requires the reimbursement for a service provided by a licensed certified midwife or licensed midwife to be in the same amount as the reimbursement paid under the policy to a certified nurse midwife performing such service in the area served, subject to certain conditions.