The Virginia General Assembly began its 2025 session on Jan. 8, which was also the deadline for any pre-filed bills.
There are a number of bills that could have effects locally.
House Bill 1554, sponsored by District 47 Del. Wren Williams of Stuart, would change the funding formula for compensation board deputy sheriffs. While currently calculated as one deputy per 1,500 people, the bill would add one deputy per 1,500 people or every 25 square miles, whichever is greater. The bill would apply to counties and cities without a police force.
House Bill 1557, sponsored by District 72 Del. R. Lee Ware of Powhatan, would establish a short-term rental (STR) registry within the Virginia Department of Taxation. Accommodation providers or intermediaries would have to supply a name and address for each STR property along with receipts and taxes paid quarterly. The department also would supply access to localities to notify any STR operating unlawfully within the locality.
House Bill 1563, sponsored by District 74 Del. Mike Cherry of Colonial Heights, would add emergency dispatchers to the Virginia Law Officers Retirement System.
House Bill 1597, sponsored by District 97 Del. Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach, would increase penalties for anyone who fails to secure a firearm where a minor or anyone prohibited from possessing a firearm is likely to be present. The bill would increase the penalty from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 4 misdemeanor and a Class 5 felony if it results in a crime or injury.
Three constitutional amendments are proposed in both the House of Delegates and Senate. House Joint Resolution 1/Senate Joint Resolution 47 would provide a fundamental right to reproductive freedom. House Joint Resolution 2/Senate Joint Resolution 48 would automatically restore a convicted felon’s right to vote upon release rather than petitioning the courts. House Joint Resolution 9/Senate Joint Resolution 49 would affirm the right to marry and make a marriage between two individuals.
Local bills
District 67 Del. Hillary Pugh Kent of Warsaw is the chief patron to four pre-filed bills for the new session that have yet to be assigned to committees.
House Bill 1590 would exclude from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act any mandatory disclosure of personal information of minor participants in state-run apprenticeship or internship programs.
House Bill 1593 would require parental access to a child’s record through a secure website where the records are contained.
District 25 Sen. Richard Stuart of Montross has a single pre-filed bill. Senate Bill 806 would repeal the State Air Pollution Control Board’s authority to implement low-emissions or zero-emissions vehicle standards. It has been referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.
Budget amendments
The General Assembly also will work towards making final budget bills House Bill 1600/ Senate Bill 800.
In December 2024, Gov. Glenn Youngkin released his proposed amendments to the biennial budget which he says “prioritized tax relief for hardworking Virginians.”
Proposals include:
- Removing the individual income tax on tips.
- Making the existing $8,500 individual/$17,000 joint standard deductions permanent.
- Providing a car tax relief in the form of $150 credit for individuals with a federal adjusted gross income (AGI) less than $50,000 or $300 for couples with an AGI less than $100,000.
Proposed education-related
amendments include $517.6 million in direct aid for education, $66 million for a new Standards of Learning assessment system, and an additional $290 million for school construction and modernization.
Other key dates for this session include Feb. 4, Crossover Day, the deadline for bills to be considered in their originating chamber.
