Department of Military Affairs; change of secretariat. Moves the responsibility of the Department of Military Affairs from the Public Safety and Homeland Security secretariat to the Veterans and Defense Affairs secretariat.
School attendance officers; petitions for violation of a school attendance order. Provides that an attendance officer, or a division superintendent or his designee when acting as an attendance officer, to complete, sign, and file with the intake officer of the juvenile and domestic relations district court, on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia, a petition for a violation of a school attendance order entered by the juvenile and domestic relations district court in response to the filing of a petition alleging the pupil is a child in need of supervision. The bill provides that such actions do not constitute the unauthorized practice of law. This bill is identical to SB 237.
Grand larceny; threshold. Increases from $500 to $1,000 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill increases the threshold by the same amount for the classification of certain property crimes. This bill incorporates HB 263 and is identical to SB 788.
Post-adoption contact and communication agreements;involuntary termination of parental rights. Provides that a child'sbirth parent or parents for whom parental rights were involuntarily terminated may enter into a post-adoption contact and communicationagreement with the child's pre-adoptive parent or parents.
Elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; racial segregation; repeal of provisions. Repeals several Acts of Assembly from 1901 to 1960 that contain provisions relating to the racial segregation of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 600.
Special license plates; #TEAMTOMMIE. Authorizesthe issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supportersof the Richmond Animal Care and Control Foundation bearing the legend#TEAMTOMMIE.
Fostering Futures program. Establishes the Fostering Futures program to provide services and support to individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 who were in foster care as a minorand are transitioning to full adulthood and self-sufficiency.
Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings. Permits the annual or biennial hearing required for persons acquitted of a criminal offense by reason of insanity to be conducted using a two-way electronic video and audio communication system unless objected to by the acquittee, the acquittee's attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth.
Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics AdvisoryCouncil; powers and duties; guidance; redaction of email addresses.Clarifies that the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics AdvisoryCouncil may give guidance to constitutional officers and legislatorsregarding the prohibition on representing clients before their agencyfor one year after leaving office. The bill also requires the Counciland the clerks of local governing bodies and school boards to redactemail addresses from disclosure forms prior to releasing them tothe public. Current law requires such entities to redact any residentialaddress, personal telephone number, or signature.
Accrual of cause of action; diagnoses of nonmalignant and malignant asbestos-related injury or disease. Provides that a diagnosis of a nonmalignant asbestos-related injury or disease shall not accrue an action based upon the subsequent diagnosis of a malignant asbestos-related injury or disease and that such subsequent diagnosis shall constitute a separate injury that shall accrue an action when such diagnosis is first communicated to the person or his agent by a physician. The bill is intended to reverse Kiser v. A.W. Chesteron, 285 Va. 12 (2013). This bill is identical to SB 661.
Virginia Council on Environmental Justice; established. Establishes the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice, consisting of 24 members, to advise the Governor and provide recommendations intended to protect vulnerable communities from disproportionate impacts of pollution and provide such communities meaningful involvement in the decision-making process. The bill provides that 18 members of the Council are appointed by the Governor and six are specified Cabinet Secretaries. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2023.
Music therapy; licensure. Requires the Board of Social Work to adopt regulations establishing a regulatory structure to license music therapists 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 music therapy or hold himself out or otherwise represent himself as a music therapist unless he is licensed by the Board. This bill is identical to SB 633.
