Inquiry and report of immigration status; certain victims or witnesses of crimes. Prohibits law-enforcement officers from inquiring into the immigration status of a person who (i) reports that he is a victim of a crime or a parent or guardian of a minor victim of a crime or (ii) is a witness in the investigation of a crime or the parent or guardian of a minor witness to a crime. However, a law-enforcement officer is not prohibited from making such an inquiry if it is necessary for the enforcement or implementation of certain criminal provisions or if the parent or guardian has been arrested for, has been charged with, or is being investigated for a crime against the minor victim.
Board of Counseling; licensure of art therapists and art therapist associates. Requires the Board of Counseling to adopt regulations establishing a regulatory structure to license art therapists and art therapist associates, as those terms are defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth and establishes an advisory board to assist the Board in this process. Under the bill, no person shall engage in the practice of art therapy or hold himself out or otherwise represent himself as an art therapist or art therapist associate unless he is licensed by the Board.
Bonds for institutions of higher learning; emergency. Authorizes issuance of bonds in an amount up to $279,470,000 for revenue-producing capital projects at institutions of higher learning. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to HB 1246.
Election day page program; central absenteevoter precinct. Removes the prohibition against an election daypage program being conducted in a central absentee voter precinct.
Naloxone; possession and administration; employeeor person acting on behalf of a public place. Provides that anemployee or other person acting on behalf of a public place who hascompleted a training program on the administration of naloxone orother opioid antagonist may possess and administer naloxone or otheropioid antagonist, other than naloxone in an injectable formulationwith a hypodermic needle or syringe, in accordance with protocolsdeveloped by the Board of Pharmacy in consultation with the Boardof Medicine and the Department of Health. The bill defines "publicplace" as any enclosed area that is used or held out for use by thepublic, whether owned or operated by a public or private interest.
Local electoral boards; office vacated if board member ceases to be qualified voter of county or city. Provides that if a member of a local electoral board ceases to be a qualified voter of the county or city for which he was appointed, his office is vacated and such vacancy is to be filled as provided by law. The bill clarifies that a person must be a qualified voter of the county or city in order to be eligible to serve as an electoral board member of that county or city.
Local electoral boards; terms to begin January 1. Provides for terms of local electoral board members to begin on January 1. If the results of an election have not been certified by the board or a recount of an election has not concluded, the term will expire at midnight on the day the results are certified or the recount is concluded, instead of December 31. Under current law, terms begin March 1.
Employee misclassification; retaliatory actions prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening, discriminating against, or penalizing an employee or independent contractor because the employee or independent contractor reported or plans to report that an employer or any officer or agent has failed to properly classify an individual as an employee and failed to pay required benefits or other contributions. The measure also prohibits such actions against an employee or independent contractor who is requested or subpoenaed by an appropriate authority to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry by an appropriate authority or in a court action. These prohibitions apply only if an employee or independent contractor acts in good faith and upon a reasonable belief that the information is accurate. The measure authorizes the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to institute proceedings against an employer who has taken such prohibited retaliatory action. Available remedies include reinstatement of the employee and recovery of lost wages. An employer that violates these provisions is subject to a civil penalty equal to the employee's lost wages. This bill is identical to HB 1199.
Lists of registered voters; provided at no charge to courts of the Commonwealth and the United States for jury selection purposes. Directs the Department of Elections to provide, at no charge, the courts of the Commonwealth and the United States with the lists of registered voters in their districts for jury selection purposes no more than two times in a 12-month period. At any other time in the same 12-month period, the lists shall be provided for a reasonable price. This bill is identical to SB 466.
Virginia Energy Plan; covenants regarding solar power; reasonable restrictions. Provides that a restriction on solar energy collection devices is not reasonable if application of the restriction to a particular proposal (i) increases the cost of installation of the solar energy collection device by five percent over the projected cost of the initially proposed installation or (ii) reduces the energy production by the solar energy collection device by 10 percent below the projected energy production of the initially proposed installation. The owner shall provide documentation prepared by an independent solar panel design specialist that is satisfactory to the community association to show that the restriction is not reasonable according to the criteria established in the bill. This bill is identical to HB 414.
Officers of election; timing of additional training following change in law or regulation. Requires the additional training for officers of elections occurring after a change in an election law or regulation to take place not less than three days prior to the first election occurring in the locality after the law or regulation has taken effect. Under current law, such training is required to take place not later than three days prior to the November general election following the enactment of the law or regulation.
Misdemeanor sexual offenses where the victim is a minor; statute of limitations. Increases the statute of limitations for prosecuting misdemeanor violations where the victim is a minor from one year after the victim reaches the age of majority to five years after the victim reaches the age of majority if the offender was an adult at the time of the offense and more than three years older than the victim for the following misdemeanor violations: carnal knowledge of detainee by employee of bail bond company, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, infected sexual battery, sexual abuse of a child age 13 or 14 by an adult, and tongue penetration by adult of mouth of child under age 13 with lascivious intent. This bill is identical to HB 298.
