Bills filed in Virginia General Assembly to arm more school resource officers, extend election counting period by five hours

The trickle of legislation pre-filed for the 2025 Virginia General Assembly is increasing in volume and perhaps is more akin now to a babbling brook. The session begins on January 8 and here’s a look at some of the legislation filed so far this month.

• SB755 introduced by Senator Tammy Brankley Mulchi (R-9) would eliminate the requirement that a school security officer have ten years of law enforcement experience before being allowed to carry a firearm in the line of duty. The language would allow under the age of 75 to do so.
• SB756 introduced by Senator Mamie Locke (D-23) would require the Department of Education to establish a funding formula for early childhood care and establish a fund for early childhood education.
• SB757 also introduced by Senator Locke would make it a class 4 felony to knowingly fly a drone over a defense facility for the purposes of filming or surveillance.
• SB758 would extend reimbursement of telemedicine services for people who are pregnant or post-partum. Only high-risk pregnancies are covered now. This is another bill from Senator Locke.
• SB760 from Senator Barbara Favola (D-40) would add another five hours to the deadline for electoral boards to receive absentee ballots. Currently it is noon on the third day of the election and if passed this would be changed to 5 p.m.
• SB765 from Favola would clarify that a person considered to be incapacitated would not necessarily be considered mentally incompetent.
• Another bill from Favola, SB768, would require the Department of Education to survey local school systems to determine what access they provide to social services and what mental and behavioral health services they provide.
• If SB770 were to pass, the State Board of Local and Regional Jails would be required to consolidate all written reviews on inmate deaths into one report. This was also introduced by Senator Favola.
• HB1559 from Delegate Wren Williams (R-47) would eliminate the requirement that someone seeking to renew a concealed handgun permit have to demonstrate competency or provide proof of training.
• SB762 from Senator Mulchi would allow certain counties to raise the salaries for members of their Board of Supervisors.
• SB763 from Senator Ryan T. McDougle would provide an income tax credit for cash tips in line with Governor Youngkin’s budget proposal.
• HB1562 from Delegate W. Chad Green (R-69) is the equivalent bill in the House of Delegates.
• HB1565 from Green would make it so that the governor’s chief of staff and no executive branch Secretary be members of the same family.
• HB1560 from Delegate Joseph McNamara (R-40) would change the term “retail sale” to include the provision of short-term accommodations for less than 30 days. Currently that phrase is defined as less than 90 days.
• HB1561 from McNamara would allow all localities to tax improvements at a different rate than real property. Currently only a few localities can do that.
• SB764 from Senator McDougle would require the Department of Elections to require photo ID for anyone registering to vote who does not have a driver’s license, and make alterations to the process for provisional ballots.
• HB1566 from Delegate Green would require absentee ballots to be printed on security paper that includes a watermark.
• SB766 from Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-12) would create the Museum of the Virginia National Guard as a state agency with a 15-member board of trustees.
• Another bill from Sturtevant would increase the amount of grant funding the Department of Military Affairs can use each year to attract qualified recruits for the Virginia National Guard. The current limit is $50,000 and the new threshold would be $250,000. (SB767)
• SB769 from Senator McDougle would amend the Consumer Data Protection Act to require a provision where internet users can opt out of cookies being stored for the purposes of being tracked.
• Currently the Board of Visitors at Christopher Newport University are required to meet four times a year. SB771 from Senator Danny Diggs (R-24) would reduce that to one.