Celebrating the life of the Honorable GeraldL. Baliles.
World Prematurity Month; World Prematurity Day. Designates November, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as WorldPrematurity Month and November 17, in 2020 and in each succeedingyear, as World Prematurity Day in Virginia.
Use of handheld personal communications devices; school zones and school property; penalty. Adds school crossing zones and school property to the locations in which a driver is prohibited from holding a handheld personal communications device in his hand while driving a motor vehicle, with certain exceptions. The bill provides that a violation is punishable by a mandatory fine of $250. Current law prohibits (i) the reading of an email or text message on the device and manually entering letters or text in the device as a means of communicating and (ii) the holding of a handheld personal communication device in a highway work zone, with the same exceptions.
Compensation of local jails for cost of incarceration. Provides for local jails to be compensated for the actual cost of incarcerating convicted felons at the rate calculated in the Compensation Board's annual jail cost report. Current law provides for jails to be compensated for the cost of incarceration of convicted felons as provided for in the general appropriation act. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Alcoholic beverage control; online sales ofspirits by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.Allows the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic BeverageControl Authority to establish an online sales platform for the saleand delivery of (i) alcoholic beverages other than beer and winenot produced by farm wineries, (ii) mixers, and (iii) certain productslicensed by the Virginia Tourism Corporation to persons located within the Commonwealth.
Alcoholic beverage control; possession and sale of alcoholic beverages at school sporting events; penalty. Prohibits persons from drinking alcoholic beverages in or upon the grounds of facilities hosting public elementary or secondary school sporting events and prohibits facilities hosting such events from serving alcoholic beverages during such events. A violation of the provisions of the bill is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Absentee voting; application form contents.Removes the requirement that a person applying for an absentee ballotprovide supporting information regarding the reason he is eligiblefor an absentee ballot. The applicant will still be required to providethe reason he will be absent or unable vote at his polling placeon the day of the election.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Eva MaeFleming Scott.
Department of Transportation design standards; modifications. Authorizes a Residency Engineer of the Virginia Department of Transportation, a licensed engineer designated by a Residency Engineer, or a licensed engineer selected by a Resident Administrator to approve modifications to the Department's design standards in certain situations.
Health insurance; coverage for prosthetic devices.Requires health insurers, corporations providing health care coveragesubscription contracts, health maintenance organizations, and the Commonwealth's Medicaid program to provide coverage for prostheticdevices, including myoelectric, biomechanical, or microprocessor-controlledprosthetic devices that have a Medicare code. The measure repealsthe existing requirement that coverage for prosthetic devices beoffered and made available. The measure has a delayed effective dateof January 1, 2021.
Alcoholic beverage control; distiller licenses;Internet orders and shipments. Allows the Virginia AlcoholicBeverage Control Authority to include provisions in its agency agreementswith licensed distillers operating government stores that allow such distillers to sell spirits and low alcohol beverage coolers throughInternet orders and ship such orders directly to consumers withinthe Commonwealth for personal consumption. The bill also clarifiesthe power of the Board of Directors of the Authority to sell alcoholicbeverages through Internet orders and to ship such orders directlyto consumers or licensees within the Commonwealth.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices. Prohibits any locality, its employees, or its appointed commissions from discriminating (i) in the application of local land use ordinances or guidelines, or in the permitting of housing developments, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap or (ii) in the permitting of housing developments because the housing development contains or is expected to contain affordable housing units occupied or intended for occupancy by families or individuals with incomes at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area where the housing development is located or is proposed to be located, unless at the time of the municipal decision, a proposed development will be located in a census tract wherein more than 50 percent of the units serve families or individuals at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area. The bill also requires the Fair Housing Board, after determining the existence of an unlawful discriminatory housing practice and after consultation with the Attorney General, to immediately refer the matter to the Attorney General for civil action.
