Electric vehicle battery suppliers; certification, penalty.

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; electric vehicle battery suppliers; certification; penalty. Requires each supplier of electric vehicle batteries operating in the Commonwealth to certify under penalty of perjury to the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that no electric vehicle batteries sold in consumer transactions, as defined in the bill, are manufactured in or sourced from African cobalt mines and that the manufacture or sourcing of such electric vehicle batteries involves no child or slave labor. The bill specifies that such certification is required by suppliers by July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Under the bill, it is unlawful for an electric vehicle battery supplier to sell, lease, or license any electric vehicle battery without first obtaining a certificate of compliance from the Commissioner, and a violation of this requirement constitutes a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.