Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings; exceptions; penalty. Prohibits any law-enforcement officer, defined in the bill, from wearing a facial covering, defined in the bill, while engaged in the performance of his official duties. The bill sets out several exceptions to such prohibition, including protective facial coverings to protect against disease, infection, and exposure to toxic substances and facial coverings worn by any law-enforcement officer assigned to a special weapons and tactics team while engaged in the performance of his official duties with such team. The bill subjects the law-enforcement officer to disciplinary action, including dismissal, demotion, suspension, transfer, or decertification, and creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any law-enforcement officer who wears a facial covering in violation of the provisions of the bill unless the law-enforcement agency that employs such law-enforcement officer has adopted and established a written policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings. The bill also directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop a model policy for and restrictions on the use of facial coverings by law-enforcement officers. This bill is identical to HB 1482.

VA SB352 2026

Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings, exceptions, penalty.

Possession or transportation of certain firearms by certain persons; penalty. Prohibits any person younger than 18 years of age from knowingly and intentionally possessing or transporting a handgun or assault firearm within the Commonwealth. The bill also prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age, with certain exceptions outlined in the bill, from purchasing a handgun or assault firearm in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that a violation of the provisions of the bill is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates SB 797. 

VA SB643 2026

Firearms, certain; possession, transportation, or purchase by certain persons, penalty.

Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information; 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. Moves the deadline for receipt of an absentee ballot, information required to cure an absentee ballot, or proof of identification to accompany a provisional ballot provided for lack of identification from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 82.

VA SB58 2026

Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information, etc.

Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. The bill also provides for the manner of appointing electors when such agreement does and does not govern the appointment of electors. This bill is identical to HB 965.

VA SB322 2026

National Popular Vote Compact; enters Virginia into an interstate compact.

Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program; established; sunset. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites. The bill requires the Division to establish and publish guidelines and criteria for the awarding of grants and general requirements of the Program. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2026.

VA HB2113 2025

Solar Interconnection Grant Program; established, sunset, report.

Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention; creation. Creates the Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention within the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill states that the Center will serve as the primary resource for research, best practices, and strategies for the implementation of firearm violence intervention, community-based intervention, and group violence intervention programs designed to reduce violence in communities. The bill also requires that the Center evaluate state and community based violence intervention programs and policies that receive funding through the Center, apply for and accept federal grants, and provide technical assistance. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. 

VA HB1736 2025

Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention, Va. Center for; created, etc.

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, as defined in the bill, including those available over-the-counter. The bill prohibits a health insurance carrier from imposing upon any person receiving contraceptive benefits pursuant to the provisions of the bill any copayment, coinsurance payment, or fee, except in certain circumstances. This bill is identical to SB 780.

VA HB2371 2025

Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices.

Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; projects; low-income geographic areas; nature-based solutions. Provides that the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall give additional weight to projects located in low-income geographic areas and projects that incorporate nature-based solutions when distributing loans or grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund to particular local governments. Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund; projects; low-income geographic areas; nature-based solutions. Provides that the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall give additional weight to projects located in low-income geographic areas and projects that incorporate nature-based solutions when distributing loans or grants from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund to particular local governments.

VA HB673 2024

Resilient VA Revolving Fund; projects located in locality having low community resilience rating.

MEI Project Approval Commission; board-level gender and diversity requirements. Requires the MEI Project Approval Commission to consider, prior to recommending approval of any major employment and investment (MEI) project, a board diversity disclosure statement submitted by the business seeking incentives. The Commission is required to consider (i) whether such statement specifies the number and percentage of diverse directors who identify as female or as representing a national, racial, ethnic, indigenous, or cultural minority in the country of the business's principal executive offices and (ii) whether the business commits to annually updating and submitting such statement.

VA SB393 2024

MEI Project Approval Commission; board-level gender and diversity requirements.

Purchase of certain firearms; age requirement; penalty. Prohibits any person under 21 years of age from purchasing a handgun or assault firearm, with exceptions for the purchase of an assault firearm by a law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, jail officer, or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state. Accordingly, the bill prohibits a licensed dealer from selling, renting, trading, or transferring from his inventory a handgun or assault firearm to any person under 21 years of age. A violation of either prohibition is a Class 6 felony. The bill also expands the definition of "assault firearm" as the term applies to criminal history record information checks.

VA HB1174 2024

Assault firearms; age requirement for purchase, penalty.

Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The portions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025; however, the portions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2025.

VA HB173 2024

Plastic firearms & unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties.

Purchase, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalty. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2024. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm.

VA HB2 2024

Assault firearms & certain ammunition, etc.; purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., prohibited.

Minimum qualifications for law-enforcement officers; citizenship; waiver. Allows individuals who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to qualify for the positions of chief of police, police officer of a locality, deputy sheriff, jail officer, and law-enforcement officer. Current law allows only citizens of the United States to qualify for the named positions.

VA SB69 2024

Law-enforcement officers; minimum qualifications for positions of chief of police, etc.

Prescription Drug Affordability Board established; drug cost affordability review. Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill requires the Board to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements enumerated in the bill. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The bill tasks the Board with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, that are offered for sale in the Commonwealth and, at the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of any prescription drug product. The bill lists factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge for the health care system in the Commonwealth or high out-of-pocket costs for patients. The bill also provides that any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision and that the Attorney General has authority to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill provides that the Board shall establish no more than 12 upper payment limit amounts annually between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2028. Prescription Drug Affordability Board established; drug cost affordability review. Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill requires the Board to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements enumerated in the bill. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The bill tasks the Board with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, that are offered for sale in the Commonwealth and, at the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of any prescription drug product. The bill lists factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge for the health care system in the Commonwealth or high out-of-pocket costs for patients. The bill also provides that any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision and that the Attorney General has authority to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill provides that the Board shall establish no more than 12 upper payment limit amounts annually between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2028. The bill requires the Board to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly twice annually, beginning on July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Provisions of the bill shall apply to state-sponsored and state-regulated health plans and health programs and obligate such policies to limit drug payment amounts and reimbursements to an upper payment limit amount set by the Board, if applicable, following an affordability review. The bill specifies that Medicare Part D plans shall not be bound by such decisions of the Board. The bill also requires the nonprofit organization contracted by the Department of Health to provide prescription drug price transparency to provide the Board access to certain data reported by manufacturers. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025, and is identical to

VA HB570 2024

Prescription Drug Affordability Board; established, drug cost affordability review, report.

Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; powers and duties. Requires the Department of Energy's Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to identify and monitor any federal grant programs, loan programs, or other opportunities for federal funding to further the Commonwealth's energy efficiency goals.  Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; powers and duties. Requires the Department of Energy's Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to identify and monitor any federal grant programs, loan programs, or other opportunities for federal funding to further the Commonwealth's energy efficiency goals.

VA HB1002 2024

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Division of; powers and duties.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The bill satisfies a reenactment clause included in Chapters 1204 and 1242 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020.

Thomas Garrett

Virginia | District 56

96.88

Lifetime Key Issues Score

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American Culture

100.00%

Big Tech & Free Speech

N/A

Border Security

100.00%

Election Integrity

100.00%

Educational Freedom

N/A

Second Amendment

90.00%

Health & Medical Freedom

100.00%

Taxes and Spending

100.00%

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Bill	TPAction Position	Garrettposition	Comments	Year
VA SB352 2026	N	N	Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings, exceptions, penalty.	2026
VA SB643 2026	N	N	Firearms, certain; possession, transportation, or purchase by certain persons, penalty.	2026
VA SB58 2026	N	N	Elections; deadline for receipt of absentee ballots and certain other information, etc.	2026
VA SB322 2026	N	N	National Popular Vote Compact; enters Virginia into an interstate compact.	2026
VA HB2113 2025	N	N	Solar Interconnection Grant Program; established, sunset, report.	2025
VA HB1736 2025	N	NV	Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention, Va. Center for; created, etc.	2025
VA HB2371 2025	N	N	Health insurance; coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices.	2025
VA HB673 2024	N	N	Resilient VA Revolving Fund; projects located in locality having low community resilience rating.	2024
VA SB393 2024	N	N	MEI Project Approval Commission; board-level gender and diversity requirements.	2024
VA HB1174 2024	N	N	Assault firearms; age requirement for purchase, penalty.	2024
VA HB173 2024	N	N	Plastic firearms & unfinished frames, etc.; manufacture, import, etc. prohibited, penalties.	2024
VA HB2 2024	N	N	Assault firearms & certain ammunition, etc.; purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., prohibited.	2024

RioSlum Studio

96.88

Lifetime Key Issues Score

Learn More About Thomas Garrett

American Culture

100.00%

Big Tech & Free Speech

N/A

Border Security

100.00%

Election Integrity

100.00%

Educational Freedom

N/A

Second Amendment

90.00%

Health & Medical Freedom

100.00%

Taxes and Spending

100.00%

Votes

Vote Key

DONATE