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HB240 - Income tax, state; contributions to Virginia College Savings Plan accounts, report.
Delores L. McQuinn, Nadarius E. Clark, Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler
Last updated 9 months ago
10 Co-Sponsors
Income tax; contributions to Virginia College Savings Plan Income tax; contributions to Virginia College Savings Plan accounts; report. Increases the maximum individual income tax deduction for amounts paid or contributed to a prepaid tuition contract or college savings trust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan from $4,000 to $7,500 in taxable year 2024, $11,000 in taxable year 2025, and $15,000 for taxable year 2026 and thereafter. Such amount shall be adjusted for changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) beginning in taxable year 2024. The deduction is limited to $4,000 for taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income that is greater than $100,000 for an individual or $200,000 for married persons filing a joint return. The bill also creates an individual or corporate deduction, as applicable, of up to $4,000 for the amount a child day center or child day program paid or contributed to a customer's or client's prepaid tuition contract or college savings trust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan. The bill also provides a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxable years 2024 through 2028 for 35 percent of expenses incurred by a business during the taxable year for contributions into a Virginia College Savings Plan account owned by an employee of the business. If the employee receiving the contribution is a qualified employee, as defined in the bill, the bill specifies that the credit shall not exceed $500 annually for each such employee. If the employee receiving the contribution is a qualified employee who is not highly compensated, as defined in the bill, the bill specifies that the credit shall not exceed $1,000 annually for each such employee. The bill provides that the total amount of tax credits available for a calendar year shall not exceed $5 million and that any unused tax credit may be carried over for five years.
STATUS
Introduced
HB1284 - Firefighters and emergency medical services; collective bargaining by providers, definitions.
Alex Q. Askew, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Bonita Grace Anthony
Last updated 8 months ago
41 Co-Sponsors
Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved. Collective bargaining by firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Authorizes firefighters and emergency medical services providers employed by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to engage in collective bargaining through labor organizations or other designated representatives. The bill provides for the appointment of a three-member board of arbitration regarding any dispute arising between an employer and firefighters or emergency medical services providers. Under the bill, determinations made by such board of arbitration are final on a disputed issue and are binding on the parties involved.
STATUS
Engrossed
HB1486 - Vacant buildings; registration.
Joshua E. Thomas
Last updated 6 months ago
1 Co-Sponsor
Vacant buildings; registration. Permits any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law to register such building annually.
STATUS
Passed
HJR45 - Constitutional amendment; property tax exemption for certain surviving spouses.
Kathy K.L. Tran, Michael B. Feggans, Jackie H. Glass
Last updated 6 months ago
5 Co-Sponsors
Constitutional amendment (second reference); real property tax exemption; surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty. Expands the current tax exemption for real property available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty with a Line of Duty determination from the U.S. Department of Defense.
STATUS
Passed
HB893 - Attorneys appointed to represent parents or guardians; qualifications and performance.
Adele Y. McClure, Betsy B. Carr, Sam Rasoul
Last updated 6 months ago
35 Co-Sponsors
Standards for attorneys appointed to represent parents or guardians; child dependency cases; compensation; multidisciplinary law offices or programs; report. Requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar, beginning July 1, 2026, to adopt standards for the qualification and performance of attorneys appointed to represent a parent or guardian of a child when such child is the subject of a child dependency case, as defined in the bill. The bill also requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2026, to maintain a list of attorneys admitted to practice law in Virginia who are qualified to be appointed to represent indigent parents involved in a child dependency case. Prior to July 1, 2026, counsel must be appointed from the list of attorneys qualified to serve as guardians ad litem. The bill provides that beginning January 1, 2025, court-appointed counsel for a parent, guardian, or other adult in a child dependency case will be compensated in an amount no greater than $330, or in a case for the termination of residual parental rights, $680. Standards for attorneys appointed to represent parents or guardians; child dependency cases; compensation; multidisciplinary law offices or programs; report. Requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar, beginning July 1, 2026, to adopt standards for the qualification and performance of attorneys appointed to represent a parent or guardian of a child when such child is the subject of a child dependency case, as defined in the bill. The bill also requires the Judicial Council of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2026, to maintain a list of attorneys admitted to practice law in Virginia who are qualified to be appointed to represent indigent parents involved in a child dependency case. Prior to July 1, 2026, counsel must be appointed from the list of attorneys qualified to serve as guardians ad litem. The bill provides that beginning January 1, 2025, court-appointed counsel for a parent, guardian, or other adult in a child dependency case will be compensated in an amount no greater than $330, or in a case for the termination of residual parental rights, $680. The bill authorizes the establishment of up to two multidisciplinary law offices or programs in localities, jurisdictions, or judicial districts that affirm they have met specified criteria for the purpose of representing parents in a child dependency court proceeding or in a child protective services assessment or investigation prior to such proceeding. During any calendar year that such an office or program is in effect for at least six months, the office or program must submit a report on program outcomes, expenses, recommendations, and other pertinent information to the Office of the Children's Ombudsman and the Chairmen of the House Committees for Courts of Justice and on Health and Human Services and Appropriations and the Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations by November 1.
STATUS
Passed
HB441 - Polling place; assistance for certain voters, clarifies definition of "person with a disability."
Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Michelle E. Lopes-Maldonado, Adele Y. McClure
Last updated 6 months ago
10 Co-Sponsors
Assistance for certain voters outside of the polling place; definition of "person with a disability"; training. Amends the definition of "person with a disability" for purposes of the Elections title to mean any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his major life activities or who has a record of such impairment. The bill provides that any qualified voter who is a person with a disability shall be eligible for assistance outside of the polling place and makes technical amendments for consistency. The bill requires the training required for all officers of election to include specific training on voting outside of a polling place and directs the Department of Elections to incorporate into guidance documents for election officials the processes and procedures for voting outside of the polling place, including best practices for providing assistance for voters with disabilities.
STATUS
Passed
HB603 - Public elementary and secondary schools; programs of instruction on mental health education.
Marcia S. Price, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Candi Mundon King
Last updated 5 months ago
24 Co-Sponsors
Public elementary and secondary schools; health instruction, certain topics relating to mental health. Requires health instruction provided to elementary and secondary school students to include certain topics relating to mental health that are enumerated in the bill, including (i) general themes of social and emotional learning, including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness; (ii) signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges; and (iii) mental health wellness and healthy strategies for coping with stress and negative feelings, including conflict resolution skills. Public elementary and secondary schools; health instruction, certain topics relating to mental health. Requires health instruction provided to elementary and secondary school students to include certain topics relating to mental health that are enumerated in the bill, including (i) general themes of social and emotional learning, including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness; (ii) signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges; and (iii) mental health wellness and healthy strategies for coping with stress and negative feelings, including conflict resolution skills.
STATUS
Passed
HB43 - Polling place; assistance for certain voters, expands definition of disability.
Joshua E. Thomas, Alex Q. Askew, Michael B. Feggans
Last updated 9 months ago
4 Co-Sponsors
Assistance for certain voters outside of the polling place; definition of disability. Expands the definition of disability for purposes of providing assistance outside of a polling place to voters with disabilities to include any permanent or temporary disability. Under current law, the disability is limited to a permanent or temporary physical disability.
STATUS
Introduced
HB1395 - Historic preservation; filing of a historic designation application.
Patrick A. Hope, Joshua E. Thomas
Last updated 6 months ago
2 Co-Sponsors
Historic preservation. Provides that the filing of a building permit or demolition application shall stay a locality from issuing any permit to raze or demolish a historic landmark, building, or structure until 30 days after the rendering of the final decision of the governing body of the locality pursuant to a historic preservation ordinance. Historic preservation. Provides that the filing of a building permit or demolition application shall stay a locality from issuing any permit to raze or demolish a historic landmark, building, or structure until 30 days after the rendering of the final decision of the governing body of the locality pursuant to a historic preservation ordinance.
STATUS
Passed
HB1216 - Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report.
Adele Y. McClure, Carrie Emerson Coyner, Michael B. Feggans
Last updated 8 months ago
28 Co-Sponsors
Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program (the Program) to provide matching funds to employers in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (the Foundation). To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-delivery provider or to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to small businesses. Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program. Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program (the Program) to provide matching funds to employers in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees. The Program shall be administered by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (the Foundation). To participate in the Program, an employer shall agree to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall provide any other information deemed necessary by the Foundation. To the extent funds are available, the Foundation shall issue a state match directly to such eligible mixed-delivery provider or to a third-party administrator. Program funds shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; however, the Foundation is encouraged to prioritize awards to small businesses.
STATUS
Engrossed
BIOGRAPHY
INCUMBENT
Representative from Virginia district HD-021
COMMITTEES
Virginia House
BIRTH
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ABOUT
Joshua E. Thomas is from Park City, Utah. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Brigham Young University in 2016. Thomas is the Vice President at StorageCraft. He has also served as an Analyst and Engagement Manager at InMoment. Thomas served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Africa. He and his wife Emily have one daughter. They reside in Park City.read less
OFFICES HELD
Virginia House from Virginia
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