Everything you need to know about new Virginia laws taking effect July 1

Miami Herald

2 days ago

Virginia lawmakers passed hundreds of bills during the General Assembly this year, and dozens will become law soon. Here are some of the bills slated to take effect Tuesday.
Driving
As of July 1, exhibition driving, which encompasses drag racing and transporting a passenger on the hood or the roof of the car, will fall under reckless driving. People caught drag racing can face a six-month license suspension and car impoundment.
A separate provision requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to include on driver's licenses if people have non-apparent disabilities. Previously, the DMV was required to indicate if drivers are diabetic, deaf or hard of hearing, or if they have a traumatic brain injury, an intellectual disability or autism. A non-apparent disability describes an impairment – physical or otherwise – that affects daily living and may be invisible.
-Drones
Also effective beginning July 1, civilian police employees can use drones without a warrant to photograph the scene following a car crash, survey the residence where law enforcement intends to serve a warrant, or locate someone during a police chase. Law enforcement officers were permitted to do this, but the law expands those permissions to other employees who are not sworn officers.
And, it will now be a Class 4 felony to fly a drone over a private defense-industry facility. The bill was sponsored by Hampton Roads lawmakers after a Chinese student was arrested last year for flying a drone over Newport News Shipbuilding, a maker of Navy aircraft carriers and submarines and the state's largest industrial employer.
-Housing
Landlords are now unable to charge tenants processing fees for rent payments unless they provide an alternative for payment that doesn't include additional fees.
Also, victims of family abuse, sexual abuse, stalking or human trafficking can break their lease early with a preliminary protective order, or if there's a warrant, summons, or indictment charging any such crime. Previously, tenants in those circumstances required a permanent protective order or conviction.
-Drugs
Also new this year, selling nitrous oxide containers - colloquially known as whippets - to minors is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The law also makes whippets illegal for recreational use, adding nitrous oxide to the list of substances that are illegal to smell or inhale with the goal of becoming intoxicated.
Another law expands the list of exceptions to banned drug paraphernalia to include drug checking products used to determine if there are harmful contaminants in drugs - previously, the exception was limited to narcotic testing to check for fentanyl.
-Children
A new law requires children under 16 who meet the criteria to be considered content creators be compensated for that work through a trust account they can access when they turn 18.
And parents can access their child's academic or health records, even if those records are stored online through a secure website.
-Schools
A new law requires Virginia school boards to come up with policies that restrict cell phone usage during the school day, including between classes, except for in cases where they are needed for health or education purposes. The law specifies that students cannot be suspended expelled for cell phone violations by themselves.
Schools will also be required to have a cardiac emergency response plan.
-Cosmetology
Ear piercers can now be board-licensed, and the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology must adopt regulations for that licensure that are separate from body-piercing salons.
-Other
The State Treasurer can now automatically issue payments for unclaimed property - like last paychecks - for amounts less than $5,000 if the owner is known.
Also, legislation passed several years ago is phasing out use of Styrofoam containers in Virginia. Starting July 1, restaurants with more than 20 locations in Virginia will be unable to use Styrofoam containers. Smaller businesses will be unable to use Styrofoam beginning in July 2026. The law initially passed in 2021, but its implementation was delayed through the budget process.
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