2023 Priority Legislation

of the Virginia Grassroots Coalition

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Cat	Number	Title	Patron	House	Senate	Governor	updated
2023 Priority Bills Legislation we oppose
justice	HB 1365 Oppose	Admission to bail; rebuttable presumptions against bail. more... Creates a rebuttable presumption against bail for certain criminal offenses enumerated in the bill and for persons identified as being illegally present in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who are charged with certain offenses. The bill also requires the court to consider specified factors when determining whether the presumption against bail has been rebutted and whether there are appropriate conditions of release.	Wren M. Williams (R-HD9)	Passed	PBI		2/13/23
education	HB 1371 Oppose	Education Savings Account Program established; Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits. more... Establishes the Education Savings Account Program .. whereby the parent of any individual who is a resident of the Commonwealth and who is eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school may apply for an Education Savings Account for his child into which the Department of Education deposits certain state and local funds and from which the parent makes certain enumerated qualifying expenses to educate his child in a setting and a manner other than full-time education in a public school.	Phillip A. Scott (R-HD88)	Left			2/8/23
climate	HB 1372 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. more... Repeals the State Air Pollution Control Board's authority to implement low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards for vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later.	Buddy Fowler(R-HD55)	Stricken			1/19/23
climate	HB 1378 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicle emissions standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Tony O. Wilt (R-HD26)	Passed	PBI		2/14/23
education	HB 1379 Oppose	Public elementary and secondary school libraries; catalog of printed and audiovisual materials, etc. more... Requires the principal of each public elementary or secondary school or his designee to (i) maintain in an electronic spreadsheet or a substantially similar electronic format a catalog of all printed and audiovisual materials ...	Timothy Anderson(R-HD83)	Passed	PBI		2/16/23
justice	HB 1380 Oppose	Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses. more... Removes the provisions that provide that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) without a light illuminating a license plate, (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment, (iii) without brake lights or a high mount stop light, (iv) without an exhaust system that prevents excessive or unusual levels of noise, (v) with certain sun-shading materials and tinting films, and (vi) with certain objects suspended in the vehicle, and the accompanying the exclusionary provisions.	Ronnie R. Campbell (deceased)	Passed	PBI		2/13/23
education	HB 1387 Oppose	K-12 schools/higher ed. institution; designation of interscholastic, etc., sports based on sex, etc. more... Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport sponsored by a public elementary or secondary school or by a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex: (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 (a) males, men, or boys and (b) females, women, or girls....	Karen Greenhalgh (R-HD85)	Passed	PBI		2/16/23
guns	HB 1393 Oppose	Carrying a concealed handgun; permit not required. more... Allows any person who is otherwise eligible to obtain a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywhere he may lawfully carry a handgun openly within the Commonwealth.	Marie March (R-HD7)	Left			2/8/23
women	HB 1395 Oppose	Rights beginning at conception. more... Provides that life begins at conception .... The bill also repeals all provisions of the Code of Virginia allowing for the performance of abortions.	Marie March (R-HD79)	Left			2/8/23
education	HB 1396 Oppose	Education Savings Account Program; established, Education Improvement Scholarships tax credits. more... Establishes the Education Savings Account Program .. whereby the parent of any individual who is a resident of the Commonwealth and who is eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school may apply for an Education Savings Account for his child into which the Department of Education deposits certain state and local funds and from which the parent makes certain enumerated qualifying expenses to educate his child in a setting and a manner other than full-time education in a public school.	Marie E. March (R-HD7)	PBI			1/25/23
education	HB 1399 Oppose	Elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education; interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, and club athletic teams and sports; student participation; certain requirements. more... Requires each interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic team or sport that is sponsored by a public elementary or secondary school or a public institution of higher education to be expressly designated as one of the following based on each team member's biological sex at birth ...	Marie March (R-HD7)	Passed	PBI		2/16/23
justice	HB 1401 Oppose	Community Policing Act; repeals Act. more... Repeals the Community Policing Act that, under current law, prohibits law-enforcement officers and State Police officers from engaging in bias-based profiling in the performance of their official duties. The bill also repeals the provisions requiring the State Police to create the Community Policing Reporting Database into which sheriffs, police forces, and State Police officers report certain data pertaining to, among other law-enforcement activities, investigatory motor vehicle stops.	Marie March (R-HD7)	Failed			2/3/23
guns	HB 1420 Oppose	Carrying a concealed handgun; permit not required. more... Allows any person who is otherwise eligible to obtain a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywhere he may lawfully carry a handgun openly within the Commonwealth.	Bill Wiley (R-HD29)	Left			2/8/23
climate	HB 1430 Oppose	Clean Economy Act; non-bypassable charges, energy-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) industries. more... Defines EITE industries as companies that are constrained in their ability to pass through carbon costs due to international competition, companies that engage in importation of products that cause emission leakage, and critical infrastructure facilities identified by certain federal agencies. ...	Lee Ware (R-HD65)	Passed	Stricken		2/20/23
rights	HB 1434 Oppose	Student records; name change, court order required. more... Prohibits any school board member or school board employee from changing the name of a student enrolled in the local school division on any education record relating to such student unless the member or employee receives a change of name order for such student that was issued in accordance with relevant law.	Jason S. Ballard (R-HD-12)	Tabled			1/26/23
education	HB 1434 Oppose	Student records; name change, court order required. more... Prohibits any school board member or school board employee from changing the name of a student enrolled in the local school division on any education record relating to such student unless the member or employee receives a change of name order for such student that was issued in accordance with relevant law.	Jason Ballard (R-HD12)	Tabled			1/29/23
justice	HB 1445 Oppose	Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses and odor of marijuana, exclusion of evidence. more... ... The bill also authorizes a law-enforcement officer to lawfully stop, search, or seize a person, place, or thing or a search warrant to be issued based solely on the odor of marijuana if such odor creates a reasonable suspicion of a violation of the law prohibiting driving while intoxicated.	Scott A. Wyatt (R-HD97)	Incorp			1/18/23
education	HB 1448 Oppose	Public school library materials; DOE to make recommendations, model policies, selection and removal. more... Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with local school boards, public school librarians, parents of public school students, and other interested stakeholders, to make recommendations to the General Assembly, the Board of Education, and local school boards ... on the adoption of model policies for the selection and removal of books ...	Robert D. Orrock (R-HD54)	Passed	PBI		2/16/23
climate	HB 1480 Oppose	Va. Clean Economy Act; non-bypassable charges, energy-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) industries. more... Directs the State Corporation Commission to establish an EITE customer exemption pilot program for non-bypassable charges in certain provisions of the Virginia Clean Economy Act related to generation of electricity from renewable and zero carbon sources and development of offshore wind capacity. ...	Lee Ware (R-HD65)	Stricken			1/19/23
women	HB 1488 Oppose	Abortion; use of public funds prohibited. more... Provides that no agency of the Commonwealth shall enter into any contract with or make any grant of public funds to any entity that provides abortion services or operates a facility at which abortion services are provided. The bill also repeals provisions authorizing the Board of Health to use state general funds appropriated to the Department of Health to pay the cost of abortions.	John McGuire (R-HD56)	Left			2/8/23
education	HB 1508 Oppose	Virginia Education Success Account Program; established, report. more... Permits the parents of qualified students, defined in the bill, to apply for a one-year, renewable Virginia Education Success Account that consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the school division in which the qualified student resides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding for which the qualified student is eligible. ...	Glenn Davis (R-HD84)	Left			2/8/23
justice	HB 1703 Oppose	Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses. more... Removes the provisions that provide that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) without a light illuminating a license plate, (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment, (iii) without brake lights or a high mount stop light, (iv) without an exhaust system that prevents excessive or unusual levels of noise, (v) with certain sun-shading materials and tinting films, and (vi) with certain objects suspended in the vehicle ...	Tara A. Durant (R-HD28)	Incorp			1/18/23
climate	HB 1770 Oppose	Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; retail competitiveness, review proceedings, etc. more... Restricts the ability of the State Corporation Commission to keep energy costs affordable.	Terry Kilgore (R-HD1)	Passed	Passed	Signed 02/25/23 Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/25/23 House: Conference report agreed to by House (94-Y 1-N) 02/25/23 House: VOTE: Adoption (94-Y 1-N)	8/31/23
climate	HB 1783 Oppose	Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice. more... Limits local authorities' ability to set building codes and permitting rules.	Israel O'Quinn (R-HD5)	Passed	PBI		2/13/23
justice	HB 2013 Oppose	Probation, revocation, and suspension of sentence; penalty. more... Makes changes to the definition of a technical violation as it pertains to the revocation of suspension of sentence and probation...also adds the offense of crimes against nature ... to the list of offenses for which if some period of the sentence for such offense is suspended, the judge is required to order that period of suspension be for the length of time equal to the statutory maximum period for which the defendant might originally have been sentenced to be imprisoned.	Les R. Adams (R-HD16)	Passed	Left		9/14/23
justice	HB 2384 Oppose	Marijuana; search and seizure; driving or operating a motor vehicle, etc., while intoxicated. more... Removes certain offenses, described in the bill, from the prohibition of searches without a search warrant for the odor of marijuana and establishes a presumption of intoxication if a person has a blood concentration equal to or greater than 0.003 milligrams of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per liter of blood. ...	Les Adams \| (R-HD16)	Passed	PBI		2/14/23
climate	SB 778 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations, low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Richard H. Stuart (R-SD28)		Incorp		1/18/23
climate	SB 779 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicle emissions standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Stephen Newman (R-SD23)		PBI		1/18/23
climate	SB 781 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicle emissions standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Bill DeSteph (R-SD8)		Incorp		1/18/23
climate	SB 782 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicle emissions standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Bryce E. Reeves (R-SD17)		Incorp		1/18/23
climate	SB 785 Oppose	State Air Pollution Control Board; motor vehicle emissions standards. more... Repeals the requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. ...	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		Incorp		1/18/23
education	SB 787 Oppose	Public school libraries; printed or audiovisual materials, selection, evaluation, & checkout proced. more... Requires each local school board to adopt policies addressing the selection and evaluation of all printed or audiovisual materials purchased by, donated to, or otherwise made available to the school division that will be made available to students in school libraries, with clear procedures for (i) mandatory prior written parental consent before a student is permitted to check out from the school library any such printed or audiovisual materials that depict a child engaged in the fondling of the	Bill DeSteph (R-SD8)		PBI		1/23/23
women	SB 791 Oppose	Save adolescents from experimentation (SAFE) Act; established, health benefit plans, etc. more... ...prohibits gender transition procedures, defined in the bill, for individuals under 18 years of age and prohibits the use of public funds for gender transition procedures for individuals under 18 years of age. ...	Amanda Chase (R-SD-11)		PBI		2/2/23
voting rights	SB 794 Oppose	Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. more... Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement... Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		PBI		1/17/23
education	SB 823 Oppose	Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts; established, report. more... Diverts funding form public schools to parents in the name of school choice.	Amanda F. Chase (R-SD11)		PBI		1/29/23
voting rights	SB 834 Oppose	Absentee voting; permanent absentee voter list repealed. more... Repeals the provisions of law by which any registered voter may apply to receive absentee ballots for all elections in which he is eligible to vote and remain on the absentee voter list until the voter requests in writing to be removed from the list, the voter's registration is canceled or placed on inactive status pursuant to law, or the voter moves to a different address not in the same county or city of his registration.	Amanda Chase (R-SD11)		PBI		1/17/23
justice	SB 858 Oppose	Defendants; evidence of mental condition admissible, etc. more... Eliminates "mental illness" from the list of mental conditions for which a defendant may offer evidence to show his mental condition at the time of an alleged offense.	John Cosgrove (R-SD14)		PBI		1/19/23
justice	SB 875 Oppose	Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses. more... Removes the provisions that provide that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) without a light illuminating a license plate, (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment, (iii) without brake lights or a high mount stop light, (iv) without an exhaust system that prevents excessive or unusual levels of noise, (v) with certain sun-shading materials and tinting films, and (vi) with certain objects suspended in the vehicle, and the accompanying the exclusionary provisions.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		PBI		2/1/23
justice	SB 877 Oppose	Admission to bail; act of violence. more... Provides that a magistrate shall not admit a person to bail who is charged with an act of violence without the consent of the attorney for the Commonwealth for the jurisdiction in which the case it filed.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		PBI		2/1/23
voting rights	SB 878 Oppose	Voter registration; noncitizens of the United States, penalty. more... Provides that a person who is not a citizen of the United States is not entitled to register to vote and makes it a Class 6 felony for any person to intentionally procure, assist, or induce another to register to vote knowing that such person is not a United States citizen.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		PBI		1/17/23
voting rights	SB 880 Oppose	Absentee voting; absentee voting in person available beginning seven days prior to any election. more... Limits the availability of absentee voting in person to the week beginning seven days before the election. Under current law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to the election.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		PBI		1/17/23
voting rights	SB 884 Oppose	Elections; registration, absentee voting, and conduct of election. more... Repeals provisions of law permitting registration on election day; requires an excuse to vote absentee; removes the option to vote absentee in person; requires absentee ballots to either be accompanied by a copy of an approved form of identification or be notarized;	Amanda Chase (R-SD11)		PBI		1/31/23
voting rights	SB 900 Oppose	Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. more... Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.	Ryan McDougle (R-SD4)		Left		2/8/23
education	SB 911 Oppose	K-12 schools/higher ed. institutions; interscholastic, etc., sports, teams based on biological sex. more... Requires each public elementary or secondary school and each public institution of higher education to expressly designate all interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic teams and sports sponsored by such school based on biological sex ...	John A. Cosgrove (R-SD14)		Incorp		2/2/23
rights	SB 962 Oppose	Elementary and secondary schools; athletics; participation in female sports; civil cause of action. more... Requires each public elementary or secondary school and each private elementary or secondary school that competes in sponsored athletic events against such public schools to designate all interscholastic athletic teams and intramural athletic teams sponsored by such school based on biological sex.	Mark J. Peake R-SD-22)		PBI		2/2/23
education	SB 962 Oppose	Elementary and secondary schools; participation in female sports, civil cause of action. more... ... the bill creates a civil cause of action for students and schools that suffer harm as a result of a violation of the provisions of the bill, provided that such action is initiated within two years of the harm occurring.	Mark Peake(R-SD22)		PBI		2/2/23
voting rights	SB 965 Oppose	Voter registration; verification of social security numbers, provisional registration status. more... Requires the general registrar to verify that the name, date of birth, and social security number provided by an applicant on the voter registration application match the information on file in the Social Security Administration database or other database approved by the State Board of Elections before registering such applicant. ...	Mark J. Peake (R-SD)		PBI		1/17/23
voting rights	SB 967 Oppose	Voter registration; registering in person up to and including the day of the election. more... Provides that only members of a uniformed service, as defined in relevant law, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and spouses or dependents of such members or persons are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records in person up to and including the day of the election. ...	Mark J. Peake (R-SD22)		PBI		1/17/23
voting rights	SB 968 Oppose	Voter identification; identification containing a photograph required. more... Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.	Mark Peake (R-SD22)		Incorp		1/17/23
climate	SB 1001 Oppose	Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act; repeal. more... Repeals the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act and directs the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to take all steps necessary to suspend the Commonwealth's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative market-based trading program.	Richard Stuart (R-SD28)		PBI		1/26/23
justice	SB 1010 Oppose	Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses. more... Removes the provisions that provide that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) without a light illuminating a license plate, (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment, (iii) without brake lights or a high mount stop light, (iv) without an exhaust system that prevents excessive or unusual levels of noise, (v) with certain sun-shading materials and tinting films, and (vi) with certain objects suspended in the vehicle, and the accompanying the exclusionary provisions.	Bill DeSteph (R-SD8)		Incorp		2/1/23
climate	SB 1125 Oppose	Renewable energy portfolio standard requirements; State Corporation Commission authority, report. more... Requires electric utilities to petition the State Corporation Commission for relief from the requirements of certain provisions of the Code that mandate the retirement of electric generating units that are coal-fired or emit carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity if such requirements would threaten the reliability or security of electric service to customers. ...	Travis Hackworth (R-SD38)		Failed		1/30/23
justice	SB 1229 Oppose	SB 1229 Admission to bail; creates rebuttable presumptions against bail. more... Creates a rebuttable presumption against bail for certain criminal offenses enumerated in the bill. The bill also requires the court to consider specified factors when determining whether the presumption against bail has been rebutted and whether there are appropriate conditions of release.	Mark Obenshain \| (R-SD26)		Failed		2/1/23
climate	SB 1265 Oppose	Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; retail competitiveness, review proceedings, etc. more... Allows regulated investor-owned utilities to restrict the ability of the State Corporation Commission to keep energy costs affordable.	Richard L. Saslaw (D-SD35)	Passed	Passed	Signed 02/25/23 Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/25/23 House: Conference report agreed to by House (91-Y 1-N) 02/25/23 House: VOTE: Adoption (91-Y 1-N)	8/31/23
climate	SB 1485 Oppose	Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice. more... Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas company authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. ...	Joseph Morrissey(D-SD16)		Stricken		1/30/23
women	SR 87 Oppose	Right to life; recognizing that life begins at conception. more... Recognizes that the right to life begins at conception.	Amanda Chase (R-SD-11)		PBI		2/3/23

No. of bills: 56

Note: The Rules Committees of both Chambers have limited the number of bills that individual members may introduce this Session: Senators have bill limits of 26, and Delegates have bill limits of 15.

General info

Introduced Bills by subject

Education bills

Continued from last session

2023 Session dates

Dec 12: Bills available
Jan 11: Session begins
Feb 8: Crossover*
Feb 15: Budget conferees named

Glossary

Dillon Rule. Restricts local government authority to enact ordinances.

Conference Committee. A temporary committee w. members from both the House and Senate, tasked with reconciling differences in legislation that passed both chambers.

Continued/Carried over. Action taken in an even-numbered year to postpone the consideration of a measure until the next regular session of the General Assembly.

Crossover. The last day for a bill to pass out of the chamber in which it was introduced and move forward for consideration in the opposite chamber. If a bill does not move forward, it is "Left" (dead).

Engrossed. A legislative stage when a bill passes the second reading in the House of origin. Every bill has to be "read" on the floor three times before voting on it. The action or any debate or discussion usually comes on the day of the second reading or the third reading.

Enrolled. Legislation which has passed both the House of Delegates and the Senate, signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, sent to the Governor, but not yet signed.

Failed to report. Defeated. The rejection of a motion to 'report' a bill to the full chamber.

Incorporated. Rolled into someone another bill. Either because they're identical, or they have incorporated *some* of the language in, and the patron agreed to have her name on the other bill.

Patron. Bill sponsor. There can be many patrons.

PBI. Passed by Indefinitely. Action to allow a committee to reconsider legislation at a later meeting. If the committee takes no further action, the bill is dead. [Usually the bill is dead.]

Referred. The assignment of legislation to another standing committee with no stance on the policy of the measure (neither endorses nor rejects the legislation).

Reported. The approval of a measure by the majority of the committee. The legislation may be reported by the committee with or without amendments. A bill may also be reported and referred to another committee.

Stricken. Legislation removed from a committee's docket, frequently at the request of the patron.

More definitions from League of Women Voters Virginia
More definitions from University of Virginia