Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
›Rights & public safety539 with · 12 against551 votes
Study; joint subcommittee to study the consolidation and scheduling of general elections in Virginia; report. Creates a two-year legislative study on the consolidation and scheduling of general elections in Virginia. A 13-member joint subcommittee is established, consisting of eight members of the General Assembly, four nonlegislative citizen members, and one ex officio member, and is tasked with weighing the potential and probable effects of moving some or all of Virginia's state or local elections to even-numbered years in order to coincide with the federal election schedule.
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to provide standards for and to approve vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting and to produce generalized voter education materials on ranked choice voting.
Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill.
Department of Energy; Offshore Wind Industry Workforce Program and Fund. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth.
Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2025, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.
Corporations; decentralized autonomous organizations. Creates a regulatory framework for decentralized autonomous organizations, defined in the bill as a distinct legal entity that operates through blockchain-based governance frameworks, incorporating self-executing smart contracts and decentralized decision-making mechanisms.
Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right.
Department of Energy; Offshore Wind Industry Workforce Program and Fund. Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth.
Electric utilities; energy storage requirements; Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Quality to develop model ordinances; work groups; reports. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy are required to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met.
Department of Education; culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services; guidance and policies . Requires, no later than October 1, 2026, the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and provide to each local school board guidance on the adoption of policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students in the local school division and permits any school board to develop and adopt policies in the local school division that are consistent with the guidelines adopted and provided by…
Virginia Health Care Protection Act established; prohibition on extradition for certain crimes; penalties. Establishes the Virginia Health Care Protection Act. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in the Commonwealth or employed by the Commonwealth or any of its localities or political subdivisions may investigate, arrest, or detain any person, seek the issuance of a warrant, or otherwise assist in or provide support for any investigation involving protected health care activity, as defined in the bill, not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth.
Obstructing reproductive health care facility; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who (i) by force or threat of force, or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, another person because such other person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services, defined in the bill, or (ii) intentionally damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, a reproductive health…
Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; noncompliance with rental agreement. Increases from five days to 14 days the mandatory waiting period after a landlord serves written notice on a tenant notifying the tenant of his nonpayment of rent and of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if rent is not paid before the landlord may pursue remedies for termination of the rental agreement. This bill is identical to HB 1719.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; material noncompliance by landlord; rent escrow; relief. Removes the requirement that, prior to the granting of any relief, a tenant shall pay into escrow any amount of rent called for under the rental agreement. The bill requires the tenant, during the pendency of the action, to pay into escrow the amount of rent that becomes due within five days of the date due under the rental agreement, unless or until such amount is modified by a subsequent order of the court.
Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own…
Transit-oriented housing overlay districts. Requires certain localities to establish one or more transit-oriented housing overlay districts covering qualifying areas, as defined in the bill, within their boundaries. The bill provides that within such overlay districts, the locality shall permit, by right, a minimum height of six stories and a minimum average density of 30 units per acre within one-quarter of a mile of a major transit stop and allow two units per lot and four units per corner lot between one-quarter of a mile and one mile from a such a stop.
Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities, (ii) on eligible public land, as defined in the bill, or (iii) within one mile of the boundary of eligible public land.
Department of Education; culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services; guidance and policies . Requires, no later than October 1, 2026, the Department of Education to develop, adopt, and provide to each local school board guidance on the adoption of policies governing the provision of culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services for students in the local school division and permits any school board to develop and adopt policies in the local school division that are consistent with the guidelines adopted and provided by…
Board of Education; Regulations Governing Allowable Credit for Teaching Experience; certain credit substitution allowance required. Requires the Board of Education to amend its Regulations Governing Allowable Credit for Teaching Experience for the purpose of salary placement credit to provide that teachers in the field of career and technical education, where the licensure requirement calls for occupational work experience beyond the apprenticeship level, may be allowed credit for one year of teaching experience for each one or two years of work experience.
Board of Education; teacher licensure; career and technical education; alternative pathway to provisional licensure. Requires the Board of Education to issue a provisional license to any person seeking an initial license in the Commonwealth with an endorsement in the area of career and technical education who has a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate and an industry-recognized credential, certification, or license in the area in which such person seeks an endorsement but has not completed all requirements specified in the Board's regulations for licensure to allow…
Corporations; decentralized autonomous organizations. Creates a regulatory framework for decentralized autonomous organizations, defined in the bill as a distinct legal entity that operates through blockchain-based governance frameworks, incorporating self-executing smart contracts and decentralized decision-making mechanisms.
Child labor; child engaged in the work of content creation; trust account. Requires that a child under the age of 16 who meets certain criteria specified in the bill to be considered a child engaged in the work of content creation be compensated by the content creator, defined in the bill, whose video content includes such child's likeness, name, or photograph.
High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use; civil penalties. Creates requirements for the development, deployment, and use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems, defined in the bill, and civil penalties for noncompliance, to be enforced by the Attorney General. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting.
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting.
Department of Military Affairs; feasibility of Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer; report. Directs the Department of Military Affairs to assess the feasibility of and develop recommendations related to establishing a Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer position within the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Program to perform victim advocacy services.
Voted against most of their party on 6 of 1,093 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Transportation (3), Rights & public safety (2), Climate & energy (2)
Punitive damages; hit and run drivers.
What it does: Punitive damages; hit and run drivers. Provides that in any action for personal injury or death arising from conduct that constitutes a felony hit and run, punitive damages may be awarded to the plaintiff.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 10–11, Republicans 16–3
Driver's licenses; requirements for initial licensure, persons age 18 to 21.
What it does: Driver's licenses; requirements for initial licensure; persons age 18 to 21. Expands from 60 days to 90 days the length of time an applicant for a first-time noncommercial driver's license who is at least 18 years old…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 14–7, Republicans 8–11
Hunters and fishers; persons going on land, etc., without consent of landowner, Class 1 misdemeanor.
What it does: Board of Wildlife Resources; early special deer muzzleloading season; hunting with dogs. Directs the Board of Wildlife Resources to prescribe an early muzzleloading season to hunt deer that is no less than three weeks…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 12–8, Republicans 2–17
Hunting within certain areas of Monroe Bay in Westmoreland County; prohibited.
What it does: Hunting within certain areas of Monroe Bay prohibited; Westmoreland County. Makes it unlawful for any person to take, attempt to take, or pursue wildlife within the waters and shoreline of Monroe Bay in Westmoreland C…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 15–5, Republicans 4–15
Bus obstruction monitoring systems; parking, stopping, and standing enforcement, civil penalties.
What it does: Parking, stopping, and standing enforcement; bus obstruction monitoring systems. Allows localities to authorize the use of bus obstruction monitoring systems by a public transit agency operating within the locality fo…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 17–3, Republicans 1–18
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
HB 1011 · VA SENATE
Compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal infrastructure, etc.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the Governor's changes to HB 1011, which reword the "generator" definition, add an exception for a business showing in writing the facility will not accept the organic waste, and drop the expanded litter tax study. (AI-written)
Local competitive bidding for compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal infrastructure; civil penalty. Allows the governing body of a locality to give preference to compost or other products containing organic soil amendments produced within such locality in the case of a tie bid when determining the award of any contract for compost or other products containing soil amendments to be purchased for use by such locality.
Firearms, etc.; carrying concealed weapon by persons convicted of misdemeanor hate crime prohibited.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
Possession or transportation of firearms, firearms ammunition, stun weapons, or explosives or carrying of concealed weapons by persons convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime prohibited; penalty. Prohibits any person who, on or after July 1, 2026, commits assault or assault and battery against a person he intentionally selected because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or ethnic or national origin and is subsequently adjudicated delinquent or convicted of such offense from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting any…
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the Governor's changes to HB 1030, which set July 1, 2027 as the bill's effective date. (AI-written)
Discretionary parole eligibility guidelines. Requires the Virginia Parole Board to complete discretionary parole criteria guidelines, described in the bill, for each prisoner eligible for parole.
Science SOL & Curriculum Framework; instructional material to include climate change, etc.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
Board of Education; instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy; model policies and procedures for selection. Requires the Board of Education to make available to each local school board instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources.
Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements; report. Provides that public bodies shall require the contractor and its subcontractors for any construction contract, as defined in the bill, to complete certain safety training programs and maintain records of compliance with applicable laws. The bill requires written authorization from a state public body before any party to a construction contract provides remuneration to more than one independent contractor when such contract is valued at greater than $5 million.
Electric utilities; comprehensive assessments, surplus interconnection service.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals.
Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the governor’s changes letting a court, not the treasurer, decide whether the 25 percent wage-lien cap is lifted for a taxpayer who may flee or improperly dispose of assets, and removing the lien-reduction motion. (AI-written)
Wage garnishments; treasurers' liens for unpaid taxes and charges. Limits a treasurer's lien issued with respect to wages or salary to 25 percent of the delinquent taxpayer's disposable earnings in a single pay period.
Mammalian wildlife; separation and hybridization prohibited, exceptions.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the governor's changes, which let a board regulation set a species-specific age other than four months for separating captive mammal offspring, and require the exempting veterinarian to have training or experience with that species. (AI-written)
Department of Wildlife Resources; premature separation and hybridization of mammalian wildlife prohibited; exceptions. Makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity from the mother prior to the offspring turning four months of age, except that wildlife offspring may be prematurely separated if a medical necessity exists pursuant to a written order from a veterinarian with appropriate species-specific experience and expertise licensed to practice in the Commonwealth.
Division superintendents; Board of Education to amend regulations, qualifications.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the governor's substitute, which lets a superintendent candidate who lacks the required five years of educational experience qualify through a waiver granted by the Board of Education. (AI-written)
Board of Education; regulations; qualifications of division superintendents. Requires the Board of Education to amend its regulation that establishes the qualifications for division superintendents to (i) require the record of each candidate for the list of eligible division superintendents and the renewable division superintendent license under any of the four permitted options to attest to good character and demonstrated ability as an educational administrator and (ii) amend Option IV by requiring the candidate to have (a) completed five years of successful educational experience in a…
Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs & devices, including over-the-counter.
YesVOTED
Motion: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation
A yes vote accepted the governor's changes, which let insurers require an exceptions form to cover non-preferred contraceptive products with no cost sharing, and require coverage information in at least one location instead of a single location. (AI-written)
Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices. Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage, under any health insurance contract, policy, or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including those available over-the-counter.
