Virginia Freedom of Information Act; release of criminal investigative files exception. Exempts a victim's insurance company and attorney from the prohibition on releasing photographic, audio, video, or other records depicting such victim. The bill also permits a victim, a victim's immediate family members if the victim is deceased, a victim's parent or guardian, the victim's insurance company, or the victim's attorney to waive the 14-day period for a public body to respond to a request for criminal investigative files.
Criminal Justice Services Board; special conservatorsof the peace and private security services business personnel; patrolrifle training. Requires the compulsory minimum, entry-level,and in-service training standards for armed special conservatorsof the peace established by the Criminal Justice Services Board toinclude patrol rifle classroom training. The bill also requires theregulations adopted by the Board establishing training standardsfor persons employed by private security services businesses to allowa special conservator of the peace who (i) has completed entry-levelhandgun training for special conservators of the peace, (ii) is employedby an institution of higher education that has a memorandum of understandingwith the local law-enforcement agency, and (iii) has the approvalof the attorney for the Commonwealth responsible for the jurisdictionwhere he is employed to complete the entry-level patrol rifle classroomtraining required as part of the firearm training for private securityservices business personnel who carry or have immediate access toa firearm while on duty regardless of whether such individual hassuccessfully completed security officer handgun training.
Criminal justice training academies; curriculum. Provides that an approved criminal justice training academy may utilize an alternative curriculum and lesson plans that meet or exceed the compulsory minimum training standards without seeking a waiver from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Under current law, the Department is required to develop a uniform curriculum to be used at all criminal justice training academies unless a waiver to the uniform curriculum is granted by the Department.
Towing violations; enforcement; fuel surcharge fee. Authorizes localities in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed and regulate the monitoring practices that may be used by towing and recovery operators. Current law authorizes localities other than those in Planning Districts 8 and 16 to require written authorization of the owner of the property from which the vehicle is towed at the time the vehicle is being towed. The bill changes the penalty for certain trespass towing offenses in Planning District 8 from $150 per violation paid to the Literary Fund to 10 times the total amount charged for such removal, towing, and storage to be paid to the victim of the unlawful towing. The bill also changes the expiration date of the authorization for towing and recovery operators to charge a fuel surcharge fee of no more than $20 for each vehicle towed or removed from private property without the consent of its owner and the prohibition on local governing bodies limiting or prohibiting such fee from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.
Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act; partial termination of certain time-shares. Allows for the partial termination of a time-share project by a developer or an association and provides the procedures for any such partial termination. The bill also sets a one-year statute of limitations on any legal challenge or action for damages or equitable relief arising out of any termination of a time-share project in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act. The bill's provisions are declared to be effective retroactive in accordance with certain provisions of the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act. This bill is identical to SB 600.
Contractors; workers' compensation requirements.Removes the requirements that the governing body of a localityshall forward a signed certification to the Virginia Workers' CompensationCommission and the Commission shall conduct periodic audits of selectedcontractors to whom such body has issued business licenses, therebyeliminating the need for commissioners of the revenue to send theCommission 61A forms.
Financial institutions; reporting financial exploitation of senior citizens. Requires each financial institution with more than 20 employees to conduct a training to instruct the employees and officers of such financial institution on how to identify and report the suspected financial exploitation of a senior citizen, as defined in the bill, internally at such financial institution, to a designated trusted contact, as defined in the bill, and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and local law-enforcement authorities. The bill permits financial institutions with fewer than 20 employees to opt to provide such training in accordance with the bill's provisions. The bill requires an employee or officer of a financial institution who has received such training and reasonably believes that the financial exploitation of a senior citizen has occurred to promptly report such suspected financial exploitation to the FBI, the Department, and local law-enforcement authorities and permits such employee or officer to report such financial exploitation to any designated trusted contact unless such employee or officer reasonably believes that such trusted contact is involved in financial exploitation or other abuse of such senior citizen. The bill provides that no employees or officers who have received training pursuant to the bill's provisions shall be liable for disclosures pursuant to the bill's provisions if such disclosure was made in good faith and with reasonable care. The bill states that no financial institution that has provided training pursuant to the bill's provisions shall be liable for disclosures made by employees or officers of such financial institution pursuant to the bill's provisions.
Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028.
Local departments of social services; employeecriminal background checks. Establishes a process for local departmentsof social services to conduct background checks for current or prospectiveemployees and prohibits local departments from employing any personwho has been convicted of a criminal offense that relates to hisemployment. The bill includes criteria for the local department toconsider when deciding if a criminal offense related to employmentis relevant when hiring a specific employment position.
Search warrants, subpoenas, court orders, or other process; menstrual health data prohibited. Prohibits the issuance of a search warrant, subpoena, court order, or other process for the purpose of the search and seizure or production of menstrual health data, as defined in the bill, including data stored on a computer, computer network, or other device containing electronic or digital information. This bill incorporates HB 1359 and is identical to SB 16.
Universal certification for certain law-enforcement officers. Provides that any sworn law-enforcement officer with at least one year of experience (i) whose training qualifications meet or exceed current training standards established by the Board of Criminal Justice Services and who is in compliance with the minimum qualifications, (ii) who has not had a break in service of more than 24 months, and (iii) who is leaving the transferring agency in good standing with no pending investigations or disciplinary actions shall be eligible for employment at any law-enforcement agency within the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions. Prior to any conditional offer of employment, the bill requires the hiring law-enforcement agency to request certain specified information from all prior law-enforcement agencies and to employ all reasonable means to obtain personnel records for law-enforcement officers transferring from an out-of-state or federal law-enforcement agency. The bill requires that upon the receipt of all requested information by the hiring law-enforcement agency, the applicant law-enforcement officer shall complete a sworn declaration that the provided information or records are, to the best of the applicant's knowledge, a true, correct, and complete response to such request. This bill is identical to SB 207.
Charter; City of Martinsville; town status;referendum. Amends the charter for the City of Martinsville torequire the circuit court for the City of Martinsville, prior tonotifying the Supreme Court of the City's adoption of an ordinanceand petition for an order granting town status to the City, to firstrequire an election to be held on the following question: "Shall theCity of Martinsville become a town?" The bill provides that if amajority of the qualified voters of the City voting on the questionare in favor of the transition from city to town status, the specialcourt shall enter the order granting town status in accordance withthe procedures, requirements, and provisions of general law.
