Dear Friend,
Summer festivities are in full swing. Whether you are staying local during the summer or finding time to travel, I hope you find a chance to rest and relax. The first of July marked the enactment of many new laws; and, Independence Day is upon us with a plethora of celebrations taking place. Below is an update on newly enacted laws, other state news and local happenings.
Special Session Update
The General Assembly will convene July 18, 2pm to vote on legislation repealing changes made to the Virginia Military Survivors Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) in the compromised budget. The program has undergone exponential growth that has been unsustainable for institutions of higher education, prompting the initial changes. In response to concerns from veteran families over the changes and how soon they would go into effect, the legislature has moved to repeal the changes so further study, including a review by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission as well as public testimony, can be considered before changes are adopted. You can find the legislation at this link. You can watch a livestream of the session here.
New Laws in Effect
July 1 marked the enactment of the 845 pieces of legislation that were approved by the General Assembly and the Governor. These pieces of legislation range a wide array of topics; from minor tweaks to major changes. Some pieces of legislation will be immediately noticeable and others will cause behind-the-scenes changes. Below is a small recap of some of the newly enacted laws.
New Biennial State Budget
The most significant legislation is the State budget. I have covered the compromise budget that was passed in mid-May in previous newsletters, but a helpful refresher can be found in this article from The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Gun Safety
HB36 & SB44 create a felony that carries a maximum of 10 years in jail for parents who allow their children access to firearms if the child is known to pose a threat of violence.
HB22 bans the use, possession, or distribution of auto sears, also known as switches, which are small devices that convert firearms into automatic firearms.
SB363 makes it a class 1 misdemeanor to posses and a class 6 felony to purchase, sell, or distribute any firearms that have had their serial number removed or destroyed. This law does not apply to antique firearms.
Marriage Equality
HB174 prohibits the denial of a marriage license on the basis of sex, gender, or race of the parties involved.
Hate Crimes & Anti-Discrimination
HB18 & SB7 expand anti-discrimination and hate crime law to include victims who were targets of hate crime based on their ethnic origin or individuals who were unlawfully discriminated against in employment or places of public accommodation on the basis of their ethnic origin.
Subscription Payment Plans
HB744 is a new consumer protection law that requires vendors that offer automatic renewal provisions with their continuous service products to alert Virginia customers of their option to cancel 30 days prior to the contract renewal date.
Utility Shut Offs
HB906 prohibits public utilities from disconnecting service during periods of extreme temperatures, during declared state of emergencies, and on Fridays, weekends, state holidays or the day preceding a holiday.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC)
Through a provision in the budget, ABC is now an independent state agency. Additionally, several ABC-related bills have gone into effect.
HB688 & SB635 make “cocktails-to-go” permanently legal, by repealing the 2024 sunset date that was included in previous legalizing legislation. Additionally, third-party delivery licenses are set to be repealed in 2026, while a workgroup meets before then to establish recommendations.
SB26 allows for public consumption of alcohol on campgrounds, with some controlling provisions.
Several pieces of legislation standardized and streamlined the mixed beverage licensure for performing arts venues (such as Richmond’s Riverfront Amphitheater) and sports facilities.
Further reading on ABC-related laws can be found in this blog from ABC as well in this article from The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Nicotine Product Regulations
HB1069 & SB550 establish a regulatory framework to curtail the sale of illegal and unregulated nicotine vapor and cigarette products. A registry will be created at the Office of the Attorney General with products that meet certain criteria, including FDA approval. Additionally, HB790 & SB582 prohibit internet sales of vapes unless it is to retail dealers and also creates large penalties for retailers who sell vapes or other liquid nicotine products to individuals younger than 21 years old.
Preventing Financial Exploitation of Elders and Vulnerable Adults
HB692 & SB174 allow elders and vulnerable adults to submit and update lists to financial institutions that the institution can contact if there is suspected financial exploitation of the elder or vulnerable adult.
Clockwise from top left: Touring the International Rescue Committee’s Richmond Office; Representatives from Ceres a nonprofit advocacy group focused on sustainability; Touring the Moore Street School with Colette McEachin and Jerome Legions; Presenting a commending resolution for The Shepherd’s Center to Julie Adams-Buchanan.
Data Privacy & Security
Several bills regarding data protections were enacted, including:
HB707 establishes data protections for children including a ban on storing data of minors if it is used for target advertising. Additionally, it is prohibited for online and data firms to collect geolocation data of minors.
HB78 prohibits the issuance of a court order for the collection of one’s menstrual data.
Speed Limits
HB1071 grants localities the authority to lower the speed limit on state roads running through the localities commercial or residential zones.
All Terrain Vehicle Impounding
HB234 & SB516 permit localities to adopt an ordinance for the lawful seizure and impounding of an ATV or off-road motorcycle that is illegally operated on a sidewalk or highway.
Cannabis Use Protections for Employees
HB149 & SB391 ensure that employees are not discriminated against on the basis of their lawful use of medicinal cannabis oil. The law contains exceptions for jobs such as law enforcement officers.
Tenant Protections
Numerous tenant protections have come into law including:
HB957 holds landlords liable to remedy damages for tenants who had to vacate the property due to a building code violation that threatened their health and safety. Further conditions on the bill require the tenant to have notified the landlord and then to have been forced to vacate due to a condemnation of the building or unit.
HB73 requires courts to expunge eviction records for dismissed cases.
HB764 allows victims of domestic violence or sexual assault who have a permanent protective order to terminate a lease early.
College Admissions
SB46 prohibits legacy admissions at public institutions of higher education.
Legal Age for Marriage
HB994 establishes 18 as the legal age for marriage by removing previous language that granted conditions by which minors could get married.
Animal Welfare
HB223 & SB11 allow the court to prohibit those guilty of felony animal cruelty from ownership of companion or equine animals, for life. Those guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty can be prohibited from ownership of the same such animals for a period of up to five years. An additional new animal welfare law is HB1354, which prohibits the declawing of cats with exceptions for cases such as recurring infection or abnormality in the claws or paw.
Restroom Access
HB474 requires that retail establishments that do not have a public restroom but have an employee restroom, allow members of the public to use the employee restroom if they have a qualifying medical condition such as pregnancy, Crohn’s Disease or other conditions.
Further Reading
This is certainly not a comprehensive review of Virginia’s new laws. The Division of Legislative Services publishes “In Due Course,” a helpful and more thorough review of newly enacted laws. You can find the 2024 edition at this link. You can find a list of all approved bills here. In addition, there are numerous articles that have been published including:
This article from The Richmond Times-Dispatch highlighting bills that resulted from Richmond tragedies, but also a broader review of other new laws.
The Virginia Mercury published a housing law focused article, available here.
Axios Richmond published a broad round-up, available here.
Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission
On Monday, July 1, JLARC met to receive reports from the Auditor of Public Accounts spanning localities in fiscal distress to institutions of higher education. Additionally, the Commission received oversight reports and annual status reports on both the Virginia Retirement System as well as Virginia529.
You can watch a recording of the meeting here and find links to the reports at this link.
Fourth of July Celebrations
There will be numerous festivities across the Richmond region for the Fourth of July. Activities include a Naturalization Ceremony at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (more information available here). The Diamond will host a home game for the Flying Squirrels followed by a special fireworks display. Dogwood Dell will host a free night of live music and celebration. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden will offer free admission. The Capitol will host an Independence Day Celebration brought by the Virginia 250 Commission (more information here). For more local happenings, visit this guide from Richmond Region Tourism.
Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Conference
I joined several of my colleagues from the Virginia General Assembly in attending the 2024 SREB Annual Meeting & Legislative Conference in Dallas, Texas. Topics discussed included building a first rate teacher workforce in high poverty schools, using artificial intelligence to increase effectiveness and educational outcomes, career pathways for economic success, and addressing diverse literacy needs across lifespans. You can find presentations and other information from the SREB at this link.
Virginia Outdoors Foundation Grants
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation has made $1.7 Million from its Preservation Trust Fund available for grants supporting projects that increase public access, promote water quality, historic and cultural resources, wildlife habitat, or high-quality farmland and forests. More information available here.
Legislative Scorecards
Following each legislative session, various groups issue “legislative scorecards,” a form of accountability from legislators to issues of importance to these organizations. Recently I was informed of my “100%” rating from the League of Conservation Voters; my “100%” scoring from Equality Virginia; my “A+ Champion” designation from Repro Rising Virginia; and my designation as an “Economic Security Ally” from Freedom Virginia. Indicated above are links to the various scorecards.
Thank You
It is an honor to serve in the House of Delegates. Please never hesitate to contact me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1078 if I can be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Betsy