Bills trickling in for 2025 General Assembly including independence for Richard Bland College

There are now fifty days until the 2025 session of the Virginia General Assembly. 

We don’t yet know what the exact make-up of the Senate will be because there are two special elections pending to replace members who were elected to the U.S. Congress. There’s also a special election for one of the House seats. More on that in a moment. 

But we do know that bills are already being filed. 

One of them would grant independence to Richard Bland College, currently a two-year school just south of Petersburg that is currently a part of the College of William and Mary.  

SB742 filed by Senator Mamie Locke would remove the authority of that institution in favor of a new body. 

“The bill provides for the transfer of relevant property and rights thereto, contracts, and duties from the Board of Visitors of The College of William and Mary in Virginia to the Board of Visitors of Richard Bland College,” reads the summary of the legislation. 

Richard Bland lived from 1710 to 1776 and was the author of a 1766 pamphlet called An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies. He died shortly after the creation of the House of Delegates in October 1776.

Other bills: 

• SB743 from Senator Barbara Favola (D-40) would prevent extradition of anyone who travels to Virginia for reproductive health services. 
• SB744 from Senator Barbara Favola (D-40) would prevent the transfer of a firearm owned by someone prohibited because of a protective order or being convicted of assault and battery to another person. 
• HB1552 from Delegate Bill Wiley (R-32) would allow the unlimited use of “swing beds” by “critical access hospitals” to increase capacity without needing to seek a certificate of public need first. Current law only allows 10 percent. 
• SB746 from Senator Ryan McDougle would make it a felony homicide in the second degree for someone who distributes a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance who then dies. 

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