Immunizations; authority of the Commissionerof Health; religious exception. Exempts a person, including aparent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objects to administrationof a vaccine on religious grounds from mandatory immunization requirementsissued by the Commissioner of Health during an epidemic. Currently,exemption from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemicis available only to those persons to whose health the administration of a vaccine would be detrimental, as certified in writing by alicensed physician.
Provision of abortion; abortion based on thesex or ethnicity of unborn child prohibited; penalties. Providesthat, except in a medical emergency, a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse shall not perform, induce, or attempt to performor induce an abortion unless such physician or advanced practiceregistered nurse who is to perform or induce the abortion has firstconfirmed that the abortion is not being sought on the basis of thesex or ethnicity of the unborn child and has documented these factsin the maternal patient's chart, as well as in a report to be filedwith the State Health Commissioner within 15 days of the abortion.The bill further provides that any physician or advanced practiceregistered nurse performing such a prohibited abortion has committedan act of unprofessional conduct, that his license to practice medicineor as an advanced practice registered nurse in the Commonwealth shallbe suspended or revoked pursuant to the rules of unprofessional conduct,and that he is subject to a penalty of perjury for attesting to falseinformation on the required report and a civil penalty.
Release of developer performance guarantees.Clarifies that existing provisions related to the periodic partialand final release of developer performance guarantees also appliesto performance guarantees for erosion and sediment control measures,stormwater management facilities, and fill and borrow areas.
Elections; conduct of election; provisionalvoting procedures; type of identification to be noted. Requiresofficers of election to note on the green envelope used for personsvoting provisionally the specific type of identification presentedby the voter. Current law only requires officers to note whetheror not identification was presented.
Hunting within certain areas of Indian Riverprohibited; City of Chesapeake. Makes it unlawful for a personto take, attempt to take, or pursue wildlife within the Indian Riverfrom its confluence with the eastern branch of the Elizabeth Riverto its southern terminus at Military Highway in the City of Chesapeake, except that fishing is permitted in such area.
License plate reader systems; civil penalty.Provides requirements for the use of license plate reader systems,defined in the bill, by law-enforcement agencies. The bill limitsthe use of such systems to scanning, detecting, and recording dataabout vehicles and license plate numbers for the purpose of identifyinga vehicle that is (i) associated with a wanted, missing, or endangeredperson or human trafficking; (ii) stolen; (iii) involved in an activelaw-enforcement investigation; or (iv) in the vicinity of a recentcrime and may be connected to that crime. The bill authorizes andrequires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to establish a permittingprocess for installing and using such systems in state highway rights-of-way.
Conditional release of geriatric prisoners.Expands the list of offenses that prohibit a person from petitioningthe Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisoner.
Casino gaming; cruise ships. Authorizesthe conduct of cruise ship casino gaming in the offshore waters ofthe Commonwealth by a cruise ship operator that applies for and receivesa permit from the Virginia Lottery. The bill sets an annual permitfee of $50,000 for any cruise ship that uses a port or other pointof anchorage in the offshore waters of the Commonwealth for the purpose of embarkation or disembarkation of cruise ship passengers and anannual permit fee of $125,000 for any cruise ship that transits theoffshore waters of the Commonwealth without making a stop in theCommonwealth and conducts casino gaming activities while in suchwaters.
State psychiatric hospitals; temporary detentionorders; delayed admission to determine medical needs. Allowsstate psychiatric hospitals to delay admission of an individual undera temporary detention order until the state psychiatric hospitalhas determined that the individual does not have potentially life-threateningmedical needs that require immediate evaluation and treatment thatthe state psychiatric hospital is incapable of providing. This billis a recommendation of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commissionand the Behavioral Health Commission.
Discharge plans; portions provided to division superintendents in certain circumstances. Provides that prior to the discharge of any minor or individual who has been admitted to inpatient treatment and is a student at a public elementary or secondary school, if the facility deems that the discharge of such minor poses a threat of violence or physical harm to self or others, only portions of the discharge plan related to the threat of violence or physical harm shall be provided to the division superintendent upon the completion of the discharge plan.
Internet Safety Advisory Council; school boards;Internet safety education program. Extends from July 1, 2024,to July 1, 2025, the sunset date for the Internet Safety AdvisoryCouncil. The bill requires each school board, after considering themodel policy, instructional practices, curricula, and other teacherresources that are developed, recommended, or designed by the InternetSafety Advisory Council, to adopt policies (i) requiring all elementaryand secondary schools in the local school division to provide anInternet safety education program to each student in grades threethrough 12 at least once each school year but (ii) permitting theparent of any such student to opt his child out of participating insuch program.
Line of Duty Act; campus police officers; privatepolice officers. Provides employees of contributing nonprofitprivate institutions of higher education, defined in the bill, andcontributing private police departments, defined in the bill, withthe benefits granted to employees of participating employers underthe Line of Duty Act. The bill clarifies that the Line of Duty Actshall not apply to any private institution of higher education orprivate police department that is not a contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education or contributing private police department, respectively.
