2023 Priority Bills
Status: Passed | ||||||||
Cat | Number | Title | Patron | House | Senate | GA | Governor | updated |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
campaign finance | SB 854 Support | Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; disclaimer requirements.
more...
Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. ...
|
Barbara Favola (D-SD31) |
PBI
|
Passed
|
2/15/23 | ||
campaign finance | SB 1427 Support | Campaign finance; political action committees; certain large pre-election expenditures.
more...
Requires in-state political action committees to file a report for any single expenditure of $1,000 or more made between October 1 and the date of the November general election. ...
|
David Suetterlein (R-HD19) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed | 8/31/23 | |
campaign finance | SB 1471 Support | Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty.
more...
Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. ...
|
Jennifer B. Boysko (D-HD33) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/15/23 | ||
campaign finance | SB 1053 Support | Campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates
more...
Prohibits candidates, campaign committees, and political committees from soliciting or accepting contributions from any public utility, as defined in the bill, and prohibits any public utility or any political committee established by such public utility from making any such contribution.
|
Jeremy McPike (D-SD29) |
PBI
|
Passed
|
2/15/23 | ||
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 | ||
climate | HB 1604 Support | Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; regulation of rates.
more...
This bipartisan Act, will lower
energy costs and put money back in Virginians' pockets by holding regulated utilities accountable
for overcharging customers.
|
Lee Ware (R-HD65) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed | 8/31/23 | |
climate | SB 848 Support | Public school bldgs. & facilities; construction & renovation, renewable energy generation facility.
more...
Expand access and use of solar energy and, under SB848,
perform a study to assist interested school divisions with incorporating renewable energy
generation facilities in the construction or renovation of K-12 school buildings.
|
Barbara Favola (D-SD31) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
climate | SB 1321 Support | Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act; regulation of rates.
more...
Affordable Energy Act. This bipartisan bill restores the State Corporation
Commission's ability to lower electric rates and prevent monopoly utilities from overcharging customers. Since 2009, Dominion Energy has overcharged Virginians by at least $1.9 billion.
|
Creigh Deeds (D-SD25) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed
02/21/23 House: VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N)
02/24/23 Senate: Enrolled
02/24/23 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1321ER)
|
8/31/23 | |
climate | SB 1266 Support | Public utilities; shared solar; minimum bill.
more...
Expand access and use of solar energy.
|
Scott Surovell (D-SD36) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/16/23 | ||
climate | SB 1083 Support | Shared solar programs; SCC to establish by regulation.
more...
Expand access and use of solar energy.
|
Scott Surovell (D-SD36) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/16/23 | ||
climate | SJ 240 Support | Study; Department of Energy; impacts of data center development; report.
more...
Directs the Department of Energy to study the impacts of data center development on
Virginia's environment, economy, energy resources, and ability to meet carbon-reduction goals.
|
Chapman Petersen (D-SD34) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
climate | HB 2267 Support | Electric utilities; cost recovery; alternative to rate adjustment clause.
more...
Rate Adjustment Clause Reform. Protect Virginians from excessive
surcharges on their electric bills by restoring the authority of regulators to determine the appropriate way
for utilities to recover costs from customers.
|
Tony Wilt (R-HD26) |
Passed
|
PBI
|
2/20/23 | ||
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 | 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 | ||
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 | ||
climate | SB 1166 Support | Energy planning and electric utility oversight; Commonwealth Energy Research Consortium established.
more...
Requires the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (the Commission) to establish the Commonwealth Energy Research Consortium (the Consortium), consisting of public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth, to conduct energy research and policy analysis for the Commonwealth. ...
|
Scott A. Surovell (D-SD36) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed
02/25/23 Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (31-Y 9-N)
02/25/23 House: Conference report agreed to by House (93-Y 0-N)
02/25/23 House: VOTE: Adoption (93-Y 0-N)
|
8/31/23 | |
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 | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||
education | SB 818 Support | Public elementary and secondary schools; programs of instruction on mental health education.
more...
Requires each public elementary, middle, and high school to provide at each grade level, in addition to health instruction, an additional age-appropriate course of instruction on mental health. ...
|
Lionell Spruill (D-SD5) |
Defeated
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
education | SJ 228 Support | Students; qualification & training requirements of school personnel who administer health services.
more...
Directs the School Health Services Committee to study the feasibility of implementing the recommendations of the Department of Education relating to standardizing the qualification and training requirements for school personnel, such as school nurses, who administer health services to students in order to improve the equity, consistency, and quality of school health services, including mental health services, provided in public schools in the Commonwealth.
|
Barbara A. Favola (D-SD31) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
education | SB 1118 Support | Employment of teachers; English as a Second Language Incentive Reward Program and Fund;established.
more...
Provides that each local school board shall adopt employment policies and practices designed to promote the employment of highly qualified teachers to effectively serve the educational needs of students who are English language learners, including providing financial support for teachers seeking and obtaining an endorsement in English as a second language pre-kindergarten through grade 12. ...
|
Ghazala F. Hashmi (D-HD10) |
Defeated
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
education | SB 1334 Support | Board of Education; Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting participant code of ethics.
more...
Directs the Board of Education to develop and enforce a code of ethics relating to appropriate participation and collaboration at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings among school staff, parents, students, and any other invited participants. ...
|
Ghazala F. Hashmi (D-SD10) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/15/23 | ||
education | SB 1215 Support | Public school teachers and other Standards of Quality-funded positions; compensation.
more...
Requires the Commonwealth to compensate its public school teachers at a rate that is competitive, defined in current law as at or above the national average teacher salary, in order to attract and keep highly qualified teachers. ...
|
Louise Lucas (D-SD18) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed
02/23/23 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1215ER)
02/23/23 House: House insisted on amendments
02/23/23 House: House requested conference committee
|
9/14/23 | |
education | SB 1325 Support | Standards of Quality; work-based learning, teacher leaders and mentors, principal mentors.
more...
Makes several changes to the Standards of Quality, including requiring the establishment of units in the Department of Education to oversee work-based learning and principal mentorship statewide and requiring the Board of Education to establish and oversee the local implementation of teacher leader and teacher mentor programs in Standard 5
|
Jennifer McClellan | Ghazala Hashmi |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/13/23 | ||
education | SB 1043 Support | Public education; student mental health and counseling, definitions, licensure requirements.
more...
Requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to develop, adopt, and distribute to each school board a model memorandum of understanding between a school board and a public or private community mental health services provider that sets forth parameters for the provision of mental health services to public school students enrolled in the local school division by such provider.
|
Jeremy McPike (D-SD29) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed
02/24/23 Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/24/23 House: Conference report agreed to by House (94-Y 0-N)
02/24/23 House: VOTE: Adoption (94-Y 0-N)
|
9/14/23 | |
governance | SB 1328 Support | Removal of officers; elected officers and officers appointed to elected office; recall election.
more...
Reforms the recall process so that it can be carried out in a more fair and standardized manner without increasing the cost to localities or the state.
|
Jennifer L. McClellan | Jennifer B. Boysko |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/14/23 | ||
governance | SB 1351 Support | Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic meetings, local and regional public bodies.
more...
Expands electronic meeting access for regional and local public bodies.
|
David Marsden |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/14/23 | ||
guns | SB 909 Support | Firearms; transfers to another person from a prohibited person.
more...
Ensures that the firearms required to be relinquished under a protective order or assault and battery of a household member are actually relinquished.
|
Barbara A. Favola (D-SD31) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/10/23 | ||
guns | SB 1139 Support | Firearms; storage in residence where minor present, penalty.
more...
Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows or reasonably should know that a minor under 18 years of age is present to store such firearm unloaded in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet and to store all ammunition in a separate locked container, compartment, or cabinet. ...
|
Jennifer Boysko (D-SD33) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/10/23 | ||
guns | SB 1192 Support | Assault firearms; carrying in public areas prohibited, penalty.
more...
Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public. ...
|
Ebbin (D) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
3/11/24 | ||
guns | SB 1181 Support | Unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms; sale, transfer, or purchase, penalty.
more...
Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor... for any person to knowingly sell, offer to sell, transfer, or purchase an unfinished frame or receiver ...
|
Ebbin (D) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
3/11/24 | ||
guns | SB 1382 Support | Purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding.
more...
Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction.
|
Creigh Deeds |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/10/23 | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||
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 | ||
rights | SB 1248 Support | MEI Project Approval Commission; board level gender and diversity requirements.
more...
Requires gender-balance and diverse members on the boards of corporations asking for incentives from the state of Virginia.
|
Louise Lucas (D-SD-18) |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/14/23 | ||
rights | HB 1895 Support | Employee protection; prohibited retaliation; prohibited nondisclosure and nondisparagement.
more...
The Silenced No More Act, to strengthen a statute protecting employees from retaliatory termination by further protecting persons who speak out or discuss/disclose conduct believed to be illegal discrimination (including sexual assault and harassment), or waste, fraud or abuse, and to void and make unenforceable nondisclosure agreements (but for settlement amounts) and nondisparagement agreements (unless otherwise requested by the victim).
|
Eileen Filler-Corn |
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)
|
9/14/23 | |
voting rights | SJ 223 Support | Constitutional amendment; qualifications of voters and the right to vote (first reference).
more...
Amends the Virginia Constitution to restore voting rights to felons after they complete their sentences.
|
Mamie Locke |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/17/23 | ||
voting rights | SB 907 Support | Elections; protection of election officials, penalty.
more...
Enhances the protections afforded election officials and expands the criminal penalties for hindering or preventing an official from administering an election.
|
Lionell Spruill |
Tabled
|
Passed
|
2/14/23 | ||
women | HB 1511 Support | Midwifery; administration of medication.
more...
Allows licensed midwives to obtain, possess, and administer drugs and devices within the scope of their practice. The bill limits liability of entities that provide or dispense drugs or devices to a licensed midwife and that rely in good faith upon the license information provided by the licensed midwife.
|
Dawn M. Adams (D-HD68) |
Passed
|
Passed
|
Signed
02/20/23 House: Enrolled
02/20/23 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1511ER)
|
9/14/23 | |
women | SR 255 Support | Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom (first reference).
more...
Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that the right to make and effectuate one's own decisions about all matters related to one's pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means.
|
Jennifer McClellan | Jennifer Boysko |
PBI
|
Passed
|
2/17/23 |
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.