Certain practical nursing programs; common curriculum; transferability to registered nursing programs. Requires the Virginia Community College System (the System), in consultation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Board of Nursing, and representatives from both associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education that offer nursing programs, to develop a common curriculum for practical nursing programs that shall be implemented at each comprehensive community college in the System that offers a practical nursing program. The bill requires such common curriculum, to the extent possible, to (i) align with the degree requirements for registered nursing programs offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education and (ii) be transferable to each registered nursing program offered at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education or a baccalaureate public institution of higher education. The bill (a) requires each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to participate in a practical nursing program to registered nursing program transfer agreement with the System that aligns with the practical nursing program common curriculum established pursuant to the bill and (b) permits any private institution of higher education that offers a registered nursing degree program to be consulted regarding and participate on a voluntary basis in such a transfer agreement. This bill was incorporated into SB 953.

Illegal drugs; venue for certain distribution offenses. Provides that a prosecution for an offense related to distribution of a Schedule I or II drug, where an overdose death occurred from such distribution, may be had in any county or city in which (i) any act in furtherance of the crime was committed or (ii) the deceased person was located.

Supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists; work group; report. Clarifies that supervision of a certified registered nurse anesthetist requires that a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry is present during an operation or procedure or is immediately available to respond and provide patient care as needed. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine, Board of Nursing, and Department of Health Professions, to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to evaluate and make recommendations to increase the anesthesia provider workforce in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the work group to report its recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health and Human Services by November 1, 2025.

Court of Appeals; procedure on appeal; criminal cases. Removes the requirement that a copy of a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals in a criminal case be mailed or delivered to the Attorney General. This bill is identical to SB 896.

Fees for concealed handgun permits. Reduces from $50 to $25 the total amount assessed for processing an application for a concealed handgun permit by reducing the total amount charged by the local law-enforcement agency from $35 to $10.

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.

Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; temperature regulation. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to, during the 2024 Virginia Code Development Cycle, evaluate potential revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to require that certain owners and operators that rent, lease, or let one or more dwelling unit, rooming unit, or guestroom to supply cooling and furnish heat to maintain certain temperatures in all habitable rooms.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; project labor agreements. Repeals the provision of the Virginia Public Procurement Act that authorizes any public body, including any state or local government, when engaged in procuring products or services or letting contracts for construction, manufacture, maintenance, or operation of public works, to require bidders to enter into or adhere to project labor agreements on the public works projects.

Museum of the Virginia National Guard established. Establishes the Museum of the Virginia National Guard as a state agency and educational institution for the dissemination of education concerning the history of the Virginia National Guard. The bill provides that the Museum is governed by a 15-member board of trustees and establishes the duties of such Board.

Authority of Attorney General; criminal cases; criminal sexual assault and commercial sex trafficking committed against children. Authorizes the Attorney General to institute or conduct criminal prosecutions in cases involving a violation of criminal sexual assault or commercial sex trafficking when such crimes are committed against children.

K-12 schools and institutions of higher education; student participation in women's sports; civil cause of action. Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public school, or any other school that is a member of the Virginia High School League, or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on the biological sex of the students who participate on the team or in the sport: (i) males, men, or boys; (ii) females, women, or girls; or (iii) coed or mixed if participation on such team or sport is open to both males and females. The bill requires that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician's statement. The bill prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females from being open to students whose biological sex is male. The bill prohibits any government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or organization from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against any such school or institution of higher education based on a violation of the provisions of the bill and creates a cause of action for any school or institution of higher education that suffers harm as a result of a violation of the bill. Finally, the bill creates a civil cause of action for any student who suffers harm as a result of a knowing violation of a provision of the bill by a school or institution or as a result of the student's reporting a violation of a provision of the bill by a school, institution, athletic association, or organization.

Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information; 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. Moves the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots, information required to cure an absentee ballot, or proof of identification to accompany a provisional ballot provided for lack of identification from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that such right shall not be denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest, defined within the text of the amendment, and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment allows the Commonwealth to regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester when it is medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant individual or when the fetus is not viable. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or taking adverse action against an individual for exercising the individual's right to reproductive freedom or for aiding another individual in the exercise of such right.

Reproductive health care services; prohibitions on extradition for certain crimes. Provides that no demand for extradition of a person charged with a criminal violation of law of another state shall be recognized by the Governor if such alleged violation involves the receipt or provision of or assistance with reproductive health care services, as defined in the bill, within the Commonwealth unless the alleged criminal violation would also constitute a criminal offense under the laws of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that such limit on extradition shall not apply when the person who is accused of an alleged offense in the demanding state was physically present in the demanding state at the time of the commission of the alleged offense and thereafter fled from such state.

Funding for deputy sheriffs. Provides that the minimum number of deputies funded by the Compensation Board shall be one deputy per 1,500 persons or one deputy for every 25 square miles, whichever is greater. Under current law, the funding is fixed at one deputy per 1,500 persons only. The provisions of the bill apply to counties and cities without a police force.