(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed 185 bills into law ahead of his March 24 deadline, touching on school safety, student health and protections for children.
Of the more than 900 bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly this year, the governor has signed more than 300 so far. The full list of signed legislation ranges from local government reforms to updates in transportation, education and public health.
House Bill 1947 requires the Virginia Department of Education to survey public schools to find out how students currently access mental and behavioral health services. The department is required to use this information to improve services and help connect students with community resources. A report with findings and any recommendations is due to the Commission on Youth by Nov. 1, 2025.
While House Bill 1947 focuses on expanding student access to mental and behavioral health services, lawmakers also approved measures aimed at improving school safety.
House Bill 2063 changes how school divisions report certain arrests or convictions involving school employees. It removes the outdated requirement to send reports by fax and allows more secure options like email or certified mail while maintaining reporting requirements.
In addition to these measures, lawmakers also sought to pass new protections targeting child exploitation by strengthening criminal penalties for adults who use digital platforms to expose themselves to children.
House Bill 2310 makes it a crime for adults to use phones, computers, or other communication systems to expose their sexual or genital parts to a child with lewd intent. It creates a Class 1 misdemeanor and adds tougher penalties if the offender is significantly older than the child.
House Bill 1646 expands the legal definition of chiropractic practice to include recommending or directing patients to use vitamins, minerals and food supplements as long as they don’t negatively interfere with a patient’s existing medical condition.
One bill, House Bill 1882, strengthens legal protections for military families by allowing Virginia courts to honor protective orders issued by military officials.
Lawmakers also addressed firearm safety through tax incentives, House Bill 2595 updates Virginia’s firearm safety tax credit by defining an eligible purchase as one made from a commercial firearms dealer. The new definition will apply to purchases made on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
House Bill 1703 changes alcohol sales rules by removing some exceptions to tied house laws. It prevents alcohol manufacturers, distributors or sellers from making deals that block competitors’ products from being sold at certain businesses. This bill is identical to Senate Bill 834.
