Religious-exempt child day centers; staff-to-children ratios. Provides that, with respect to a child day center that is exempt from licensure due to its operation under the auspices of a religious institution, the applicable staff-to-children ratio for children receiving care in a group shall be based on the age of the youngest child in such group. This bill is identical to HB 1235.
Religious-exempt child day centers; staff-to-children ratios. Provides that, with respect to a child day center that is exempt from licensure due to its operation under the auspices of a religious institution, the applicable staff-to-children ratio for children receiving care in a group shall be based on the age of the youngest child in such group. This bill is identical to SB 927.
Collection of town taxes by county. Authorizes the board of supervisors of any county that has adopted the urban county executive form of government to enter into agreements with towns located partially or wholly within such county for the collection and enforcement of real or personal property taxes by the county official responsible for assessment or collection of taxes. The authority granted to such counties is similar to authority granted to Loudoun County under existing law. This bill is identical to HB 1534.
Sales tax exemption; gun safes. Establishes an exemption from retail sales tax for a gun safe with a selling price of $1,500 or less. The bill defines "gun safe" as a safe or vault that is (i) commercially available, (ii) secured with a digital or dial combination locking mechanism or biometric locking mechanism, and (iii) designed for the storage of a firearm or of ammunition for use in a firearm. Under the bill, "gun safe" does not include a glass-faced cabinet. This bill is identical to SB 268.
Department of Education; microcredentials; plan. Requires the Department of Education to develop a plan to adopt and implement standards for microcredentials used toward add-on endorsements and renewal of licenses earned by Virginia license holders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The bill requires such plan to include (i) a process for reviewing and administering educator microcredentials; (ii) assurances that educator microcredentials rely upon demonstrable evidence from the submission of artifacts, such as student projects and teacher lesson plans, that are then objectively scored against existing rubrics; and (iii) assurances that educator microcredentials focus on interrelated competencies leading to logical teacher professional development pathways and stacks of educator microcredentials and align with the Board of Education's ongoing work on educator professional development. Such plan shall also include the resources needed for statewide implementation. The bill requires the Department of Education to complete and submit the plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2020.
Possession, distribution, production, publication, sale, financing, etc., of child pornography; venue. Provides that venue for a prosecution of child pornography possession, distribution, or production may lie in the jurisdiction where the alleged offender resides. Under current law, venue for a prosecution of such offense may lie only in the jurisdiction where the unlawful act occurs or where any sexually explicit visual material associated with the unlawful act is produced, reproduced, found, stored, or possessed. This bill incorporates HB 478.
Candidate petitions; residency of petition circulators; signed statement required for nonresident circulators. Removesthe requirement that a person circulating a petition of qualifiedvoters be a legal resident of the Commonwealth. The bill requiresa nonresident petition circulator to sign a statement on the affidavitaccompanying the petition that he consents to the jurisdiction ofthe courts of Virginia in resolving any disputes concerning the circulationof petitions, or signatures contained therein, by that person. Thesignatures of qualified voters collected by a nonresident petitioncirculator who fails to sign such statement, or who later fails toappear or produce documents when properly served with a subpoena todo so, shall not be counted towards the minimum number of signaturesrequired by law.
Prisoners; obtaining certain identification documentation upon release. Requires the Department of Corrections and the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator of a local correctional facility to provide the assistance necessary for any prisoner who does not already possess a government-issued identification card to apply for and obtain such identification. The requirement would apply for any prisoner who has been confined for a period of 90 days or more. If a prisoner is unable to obtain a government-issued identification, the Department would provide a Department of Corrections Offender Identification form. The bill further requires all costs and fees associated with obtaining such identification documentation to be paid by the prisoner unless the prisoner is determined to be indigent. Current law authorizes local correctional institutions to issue special identification cards prior to the release of any prisoner and requires the prisoner to pay all costs and fees associated with obtaining such card. This bill is identical to HB 1467.
Custodial interrogation of a child; parental notification and contact. Requires that prior to the custodial interrogation of a child who has been arrested by a law-enforcement officer for a criminal violation, the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian be notified of the child's arrest and the child have contact with his parent, guardian, or legal custodian. Such notification and contact may be in person, electronically, by telephone, or by video conference. However, notification and contact prior to a custodial interrogation is not required if the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is a codefendant in the alleged offense; the parent, guardian, or legal custodian has been arrested for, has been charged with, or is being investigated for a crime against the child; the person cannot reasonably be located or refuses contact with the child; or the law-enforcement officer conducting the custodial interrogation reasonably believes the information sought is necessary to protect life, limb, or property from an imminent danger and the questions are limited to those that are reasonably necessary to obtain that information.
Injuries to churches or church property; mutilateddead animals. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person towillfully or maliciously place a mutilated dead animal within anychurch or on church property.
Recounts; special election to be held in the case of a tie vote. Provides that if, after a recount of an election, the recount court finds that each party to the recount has received an equal number of votes, there shall be a special election to determine which candidate is elected to the office. This provision would not apply in cases of tie votes occurring after a recount of an election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, which the Constitution of Virginia provides for, or for electors of President and Vice President of the United States, which will continue to be determined by lot. This bill incorporates HB 178 and HB 692.
Workers' compensation; presumption of compensability for certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational disease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefighters or certain employees develop the cancer. The presumption shall not apply for any individual who was diagnosed with one of the conditions before July 1, 2020. The measure removes the compensability requirement that the employee who develops cancer had contact with a toxic substance encountered in the line of duty. The bill also reduces the number of years of service needed to qualify for the presumption from 12 to five for various types of cancer. For hypertension or heart disease, the bill adds a requirement that an individual complete five years of service in their position in order to qualify. This bill is identical to SB 9.
