FCPS will have a new policy, requiring students to be cell phone-free during the school day, fostering learning and positive social behavior in the classroom. Exceptions are permitted. SB738, introduced by Sen. Stella G. Pekarsky; HB1961, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul (Chief Patron) addresses cell phone use in a new light starting July 1.
Health, consumer protection, seatbelts: some of the new state laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2025 session. They are grouped by topic, and nearly all of which take effect on July 1, 2025. The legislature sent 916 bills to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, of which he signed 599, amended 159, and vetoed 157. For the complete list of legislation from this year’s session, visit the Virginia Legislative Information System website.
Health care, pregnancy, and pregnant prisoners
* HB2083, introduced by Irene Shin (Chief Patron), requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to establish a special enrollment period for a pregnant qualified individual to enroll in a qualified health plan at any time.
* HB2235, introduced by Rae Cousins (Chief Patron) prohibits local and regional correctional facilities to use restraints on prisoners known to be pregnant or in postpartum recovery unless a deputy sheriff or jail officer makes an individualized determination that (the prisoner will harm herself, the fetus, the newborn child, or any other person; the prisoner poses a flight risk or the totality of the circumstances creates a serious security risk.
* Consumer protections
* SB1339, introduced by David W. Marsden (Chief Patron), is the Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act; telephone solicitations by text message. Effective January 1, 2026, it permits an individual receiving a telephone solicitation via text message to request not to receive telephone solicitations from a telephone by replying with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" or "STOP” and requires the solicitor to honor such request for at least 10 years.
Cocktails to-go, Vaping changes
* HB2058, introduced by Paul E. Krizek (Chief Patron) / SB 811 Aaron R. Rouse (Chief Patron), makes the previous temporary policy permanent and allows restaurants and other licensed businesses to deliver wine, beer, and cocktails to-go by third-party delivery providers.
* HB1946 Vaping ban for those under 21, introduced by Patrick A. Hope (Chief Patron), prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco or hemp product intended for smoking.
Child support
* SB805, introduced by Scott A. Surovell (Chief Patron), updates the amounts in the schedule of basic child support obligations based upon gross monthly income from $35,000 to $42,500.
Nazi graffiti
* HB2783, introduced by Marcus B. Simon (Chief Patron), creates a Class 6 felony for any person vandalizing property with a Nazi symbol, such as a Nazi swastika, intending to intimidate. The law can apply to private property as well as highways or public places.
Education & Changes in Virginia schools
* SB738, introduced by Stella G. Pekarsky (Chief Patron / HB1961, Sam Rasoul (Chief Patron)), Virginia school districts have been enforcing the bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order last summer. Each school board is required to develop, and each public elementary and secondary school is to implement age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate policies relating to the possession and use of cell phones by students on school property during regular school hours.
The policies must restrict use deemed disruptive to the learning environment, with limited exceptions, such as those necessitated by a medical condition as outlined in a child’s IEP or 504 plan. This law prohibits any student from being suspended or expelled as a consequence of violating these policies.
* HB 2774, introduced by Del. JJ Singh / SB1240 introduced by Sen. Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., requires Virginia public school principals and heads of private schools to report certain information to the parents of enrolled students within 24 hours of a confirmed or suspected school-connected student overdose.
Fee visibility
* HB 2515 introduced by Del. Adele Y. McClure/ SB1212 introduced by Sen. Stella G. Pekarsky prohibits a supplier, in connection with a consumer transaction, from advertising or displaying a price for goods or services without clearly and conspicuously displaying the total price, which shall include all mandatory fees or surcharges. It includes electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and telecommunications service providers; certain costs associated with real estate settlement services; and the provision of air transportation by air carriers, as well as food delivery platforms including a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any additional fee or percentage charged, as defined in the bill, and after a consumer selects items for purchase, but before checkout, display a subtotal page that itemizes the price of such selected items and any additional fee or percentage included in the total cost.
Vehicles, Traffic, Transportation, Licensing
* HB2475, introduced by Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, requires all adult passengers in a vehicle to wear seat belts while the vehicle is in motion on a public highway. Current law only requires adult passengers to wear safety belts when occupying the front seat.)
* SB1416, introduced by Sen. Adam P. Ebbin, makes it a traffic infraction if a driver fails to stop for pedestrians and makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor if failure to stop results in the serious bodily injury or death of a vulnerable road user lawfully crossing a highway.
* HB2116, introduced by Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (Chief Patron), requires the DMV to add non-apparent disabilities on a driver’s license when requested by an applicant and upon presentation of a signed statement confirming the condition.
* HB2501, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, requires the DMV to implement a program for promoting, printing and distributing envelopes to assist officers in communicating with drivers with autism. Envelopes shall contain information on how to best communicate with the person, as well as space for vehicle registration, insurance and emergency contact details, along with directions for the driver on what to do with the envelope.
Protection for minors, Child labor
* SB854, introduced by Schuyler T. VanValkenburg, requires social media apps to provide age verification for accounts and, for any account holder under 16, limit the application's use to one hour, with a parental consent option to override this limit.
* HB 2401, introduced by Del Jackie H. Glass / SB998 introduced by Sen. Angelia Williams Graves, requires that a child under the age of 16 who meets certain criteria must be compensated when taking part in content creation. Parents or guardians who are earning money from online content involving children must set aside earnings for those children in a trust account with access to the children when they turn 18 or are declared emancipated.