Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons. Provides that a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating, or transferring civil actions upon finding that separate civil actions brought by a plaintiff on behalf of multiple similarly situated persons involve common questions of law or fact and arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences. Under current law, such order is permitted only where six or more plaintiffs have filed such actions. The bill further requires the Supreme Court to promulgate rules no later than November 1, 2020, governing such actions. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021.
Additional transient occupancy tax in Spotsylvania County. Authorizes Spotsylvania County to impose an additional transient occupancy tax at a rate of four percent, for a total maximum rate of nine percent. The bill requires that revenue from the additional tax be spent on tourism marketing.
Persons other than ministers who may celebrate rites of marriage; filing of the marriage record. Provides that a marriage license application shall allow parties to a marriage to designate an officiant to celebrate the rites of marriage, provided that such officiant is not younger than 18 years of age and is not a party to the marriage. The bill provides that a license issued with such designation shall serve as authorization for such officiant to celebrate the rites of marriage anywhere in the Commonwealth without the necessity of bond or further order of authorization. The bill removes the bond requirement for a person chosen by a religious society having no ordained minister to complete the certification of marriage. The bill further removes confinement in jail from the penalty for celebrating a marriage without a license. The bill also removes confinement in jail from the penalty for a clerk knowingly issuing a marriage license contrary to law. The bill further allows either the officiant or a party to the marriage to file the marriage record with the State Registrar within five days after the ceremony. Under current law, the officiant is required to file such a record, but a party to the marriage is not allowed to do so.
Conditional release of geriatric, terminallyill, or permanently physically disabled prisoners. Provides that any person serving a sentence imposed upon a conviction for a felonyoffense, other than a Class 1 felony, who is terminally ill or permanentlyphysically disabled is eligible for consideration by the Parole Boardfor conditional release. The bill also provides that any person serving such sentence (i) who is 65 years or age or older and hasserved at least five years of the sentence imposed or (ii) who is60 years of age or older and has served at least 10 years of thesentenced imposed is eligible for consideration by the Parole Boardfor conditional release without the need to petition the Parole Board.
Traffic incident management vehicles. Authorizes traffic incident management vehicles, defined in the bill, operated by persons who meet certain training requirements to be equipped with sirens and flashing red or red and white secondary warning lights and to be exempt from certain traffic regulations at or en route to the scene of a traffic accident or similar incident. This bill incorporates HB 635.
Single-use plastic and expanded polystyreneproducts; local prohibition; local tax. Authorizes a localityto prohibit by ordinance the purchase, sale, or provision, whetherfree or for a cost, of certain single-use products that are not recyclable or compostable and for which there is a suitable and cost-effectivecompostable or recyclable alternative product available, with certainexceptions. The bill also authorizes any locality to impose a five-centper item tax on single-use plastics and polystyrene products providedto customers by certain retailers, with certain products being exemptfrom the tax. The bill directs revenue from the local tax to be usedby the locality imposing the tax for cleanup or education programsdesigned to reduce waste. The bill allows every restaurant or retailerthat collects the tax to retain one cent of the five-cent tax if the tax is paid in a timely manner.
Appointed school boards; members; salaries. Eliminates the annual salary limits for appointed school board members and permits any appointed school board to pay each of its members an annual salary that is consistent with the salary procedures and no more than the salary limits provided for local governments in Article 1.1 (§ 15.2-1414.1 et seq.) of Chapter 14 of Title 15.2 (Counties, Cities and Towns) or as provided by charter. This bill incorporates HB 1578.
Libraries; assessment for costs in civil actions; disbursement for law libraries. Increases from $4 to $7 the maximumassessment a county, city, or town may make as part of the costsincident to each civil action filed in the courts located within itsboundaries. Such funds are disbursed by a locality's governing bodyfor the establishment, use, and maintenance of its law library.
Motor vehicle liability insurance coverage limits. Increases the minimum motor vehicle liability insurance coverageamounts from $25,000 to $100,000 in cases of bodily injury to ordeath of one person, from $50,000 to $200,000 in cases of bodilyinjury to or death of more than one person in any one accident, andfrom $20,000 to $40,000 for property damage coverage.
Eminent domain; notice of intent to file certificate. Provides that the notice required to be sent to a landowner prior to an authorized condemnor recording a certificate of take or certificate of deposit shall state that (i) the certificate of take or certificate of deposit will be recorded between 30 and 45 days from the date of the notice and (ii) that the property will transfer to the condemnor upon recordation and that the owner has the right to petition the court for distribution of the funds represented in the certificate.
Protective order; family abuse; restitution;temporary spousal support. Allows the court to order the respondentin a protective order issued in a case of family abuse to make restitutionto the petitioner for damage or destruction to the petitioner's property,medical bills related to treatment of injuries caused by the familyabuse, and petitioner's financial loss caused by the respondent.The bill further allows a court to issue a temporary spousal supportorder for support of the petitioner in conjunction with the issuanceof such a protective order.
City council salaries. Removes the statutorysalary caps for members of city councils.
