Health insurance; pharmacy benefits managers; definition of covered entity. Removes hospitals, as defined in existing law, from the exemption to the definition of covered entity for the purposes of existing law relating to pharmacy benefits managers. This bill is identical to HB 2392.

Boxing and wrestling events; license requirements for examining physicians. Provides that a physician examining a boxer, martial artist, or professional wrestler prior to such athlete entering the ring must have held a license to practice medicine for at least three years in any jurisdiction of the United States and must be currently licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth. Current law requires such physician to have been licensed in the Commonwealth for at least five years. The bill also requires a promoter to furnish to the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, within two weeks following the completion of an event, a report showing (i) the number of tickets sold, unsold, and given away; (ii) the amount of gross proceeds; and (iii) the total gross receipts received from distribution rights of such event. Current law requires such report to be furnished to the Department within 24 hours of the completion of an event. This bill is identical to SB 1245.

Virginia State Police; Bureau of Homeland Security established; powers and duties; work group; report. Establishes the Bureau of Homeland Security within the Virginia State Police to coordinate efforts in the ongoing assessment of the Commonwealth's vulnerability to and ability to detect, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism or potential threats to the security of the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, the Department of Emergency Management, and the Department of State Police, to convene a work group to study the proper allocation of responsibilities for the detection of, prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from threats to the security of the Commonwealth and to report the findings of the work group to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Public Safety and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology by November 1, 2025.

Virginia Gaming Commission; established. Establishes the Virginia Gaming Commission as an independent agency of the Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government, to oversee and regulate all forms of legal gambling in the Commonwealth except for the state lottery. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the appointment of a Commissioner and Virginia Gaming Commission Board members, provides powers and duties of such Commissioner and Board members, and provides for the transfer of current employees of relevant state agencies to the Commission. The bill contains numerous technical amendments.

Public schools; record of student attendance. Requires a teacher in every public school in the Commonwealth to keep an accurate daily record of attendance of all children, both (i) at the beginning of the school day and (ii) if applicable, for each class period. Current law requires such a daily record of attendance but is silent on records of attendance for each class period.

Firearm safety device tax credit; definitions. Redefines an "eligible transaction" for purposes of the firearm safety device tax credit as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a commercial retailer, as defined in the bill. Current law defines "eligible transaction" as one in which a taxpayer purchases one or more firearm safety devices from a federally licensed dealer. The provisions of the bill apply to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2025. This bill incorporates HB 1581 and is identical to SB 1389.

Chief judges; designation of cases to be heard in the Twelfth Judicial District. Allows the chief judges of the Twelfth Judicial District General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court to designate by order cases to be heard in courtrooms in the Colonial Heights General District Court or Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court whose proper, preferred, or permissible venue is laid in Chesterfield County. The bill provides that such designations made by order shall not be subject to objection. Additionally, the bill provides that its provisions shall supersede all other provisions outside the bill related to the venue of cases to be heard in general district court or juvenile and domestic relations district court. The bill also prohibits such use of the City of Colonial Heights courtrooms until the city manager of Colonial Heights and the county supervisor of Chesterfield County have executed a memorandum of understanding detailing the terms and conditions of the use of such courtrooms. The provisions of this bill shall expire at such time that the Twelfth Judicial District General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court courthouse buildings located in Chesterfield County are expanded or otherwise redesigned to suitably accommodate the office and courtroom space for an additional judge and additional administrative staff.

Virginia Cannabis Control Authority; draft regulations governing cannabis; report. Directs the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to draft regulations governing the indoor cultivation, processing, manufacturing, testing, packaging, labeling, distribution, sale, and delivery of marijuana to adults age 21 or older in the Commonwealth, which shall (i) include appropriate application and license fees; (ii) include transaction limits; and (iii) model, to the greatest extent practicable, the regulations promulgated by the Authority governing the Medical Cannabis Program. The bill requires the Authority to report such draft regulations to the General Assembly by November 15, 2025, and indicate the date by which it would be able to implement and enforce such regulations, issue licenses, provide adequate enforcement, and implement a transitional sales program for pharmaceutical processors. The bill specifies that any regulations drafted by the Authority pursuant to the provisions of the bill shall not become effective until such regulations are approved by an act of the General Assembly.

Line of Duty Act; payments to beneficiaries. Provides that if a deceased person, as that term is defined in the Line of Duty Act, died as a result of certain cancers within 10 years from his date of retirement, his beneficiary shall be entitled to the payment of certain benefits. Under current law, such beneficiary shall be entitled to such payment if the deceased person's death (i) arose out of and in the course of his employment or (ii) was within five years from his date of retirement.

Public elementary and secondary schools; compulsory attendance requirements; religious exemption; requirements. Amends the provisions permitting any child and his parents to receive an exemption from school attendance by reason of bona fide religious training or belief, as defined in relevant law, to require the parent of any such child, in order to receive such exemption, to provide (i) evidence of the parent's ability to provide an adequate education for his child; (ii) notice to the division superintendent by August 15 of each year, or as soon as practicable in the event that such child and his parents move into the school division or seek to receive an exemption after the start of the school year, of such child and his parents' intention to receive such an exemption and certification that the child will receive an alternative form of instruction, including a description of the curriculum to be studied in the coming year; and (iii) evidence of the child's progress in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

Baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; boards of visitors; intercollegiate athletics programs; athletics revenue and subsidy requirements; report. Amends provisions relating to intercollegiate athletics programs and athletics revenue requirements by expanding the allocations of athletics revenues that may be excluded from the subsidy for the purposes of calculating the subsidy percentage, as defined by applicable law, to include athletics revenues allocated to medical expenses and insurance. The bill also directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to (a) study the impact of the provisions of the bill on intercollegiate athletics in the Commonwealth and make recommendations on any further legislative action or policy considerations that should be made based on the impact of the provisions of the bill on intercollegiate athletics in the Commonwealth and (b) submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, and the House Committee on Appropriations by November 15, 2025. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2026.

Commonwealth Rail Fund; Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund. Removes the $4 million cap on those Commonwealth Rail Fund (Fund) moneys distributed to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation that may be applied to the Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund and instead provides that up to 50 percent of such Fund moneys may be applied to the Shortline Railway Preservation and Development Fund. The bill retains the current provisions granting 93 percent of Fund moneys to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and seven percent to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation. This bill is identical to HB 1603.

Department of Motor Vehicles; work group; design and implementation of new tow truck license plate; report. Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group to identify certain information needed to design and implement a new tow truck license plate to aid in the enforcement of registration of tow truck drivers and towing violations.

Board of Education; out-of-school time programs; exemptions from licensure. Exempts from licensure any out-of-school time program, defined as any program that (i) serves only school-age children; (ii) operates primarily before or after regular school hours, during the summer, or at times when school is not normally in session; and (iii) is offered for the purpose of promoting expanded childhood learning and enrichment, child and youth development, or educational, recreational, or character-building activities, that (a) is affiliated with a national organization with established health and safety requirements and is in compliance with such health and safety requirements; (b) has adopted standards and requirements relating to staff training and qualifications that are consistent with those of the Board of Education; (c) requires all applicants for employment or volunteers to undergo background checks in accordance with applicable law; and (d) has policies and procedures relating to emergency preparedness and response, child abuse prevention and response, and internal incident reporting and investigation.

Carrying concealed weapons; exceptions; penalty. Adds any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of compressed air to the list of concealed weapons the carrying of which is prohibited in public.