School Guardian Fund and Program; establishment.Establishes the School Guardian Fund and requires the VirginiaCenter for School and Campus safety to establish and administer theSchool Guardian Program for the purpose of providing grants fromthe Fund on a competitive basis to school boards for the appointmentor hiring of school guardians, which the bill defines as any individual,including any school resource officer, school security officer, orother school board employee, who is hired or appointed by a schoolboard to carry a firearm on school property during normal school hours for school security purposes. The bill requires each such schoolguardian to receive an annual stipend of $500 for the performanceof his duties. The bill requires the Center to (i) establish trainingand screening standards for such school guardians that include, atminimum, a requirement to receive a psychological screening and adrug screening prior to the commencement of school guardian dutiesand (ii) adopt such other rules and policies as it deems necessaryfor the administration of the Program, including rules and policies for grant applications and awards.
Motor vehicle safety inspection program. Abolishes the state motor vehicle safety inspection program.
Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments;report. Reduces the total number and type of required Standardsof Learning assessments to the minimum requirements established bythe federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.The bill requires the Department of Education to annually reporton the estimated projected and actual savings from the implementationof the bill and report the amount of such savings to the Governorand the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and theSenate Committee on Finance no later than the first day of each RegularSession of the General Assembly. The bill also requires that suchamount be included in the total for Direct Aid to Public Educationin any general appropriation act.
Confirming Governor's appointments; October1. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly October 1, 2019.
Appointment of a guardian ad litem; court-orderedcustody and visitation arrangements; best interests of a child; appointmentin circuit or district court. Provides that the court may appointa guardian ad litem to represent the best interests of a child inany case in which the custody or visitation of a child is at issue,regardless of whether the case is in a circuit or district court.
Confirming Governor's appointments; January3. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by GovernorRalph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly January 3,2020.
Confirming Governor's appointments; August 1.Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northamand communicated to the General Assembly August 1, 2019.
Virginia Lottery Board; regulation of the manufacturing, distributing, operating, servicing, hosting, and playing of videogame terminals; penalties. Authorizes the manufacturing, distributing, operating, servicing, hosting, and playing of video game terminalsin the Commonwealth, to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board.The bill specifies the licensing requirements for the manufacture,distribution, operating, servicing, and hosting of video game terminals,requires employees of such licensees to be registered with the LotteryDepartment, and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violationsof the law and regulations related to video game terminals. The billprohibits any host location licensee from offering more than fiveelectronic gaming devices to the public for play at such host location'sestablishment. The bill imposes a 10 percent tax on all gross profitsfrom the play of video game terminals and provides for how the taxproceeds are disbursed. The bill also establishes the Problem GamblingTreatment and Support Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to provide counseling and othersupport services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problemgambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants tosupport organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers.
Confirming Governor's appointments; June 1.Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northamand communicated to the General Assembly June 1, 2019.
Confirming the appointment of the Director ofthe Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Confirms the appointmentof Ryan Brown as the Director of the Department of Game and InlandFisheries.
Redistricting; Virginia Redistricting Commission. Establishesthe Virginia Redistricting Commission (the Commission) pursuant to Article II,Sections 6 and 6-A of the Constitution of Virginia. The Commission, tasked withestablishing districts for the United States House of Representatives and forthe Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly, will consist ofeight legislative commissioners and eight citizen commissioners. Thelegislative commissioners consist of four members of the Senate of Virginia andfour members of the House of Delegates, with equal representation given to thepolitical parties having the highest and next highest number of members intheir respective houses. The citizen commissioners are chosen by a selectioncommittee consisting of five retired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia,from lists submitted to the selection committee by the Speaker of the House ofDelegates, the leader in the House of Delegates of the political party havingthe next highest number of members in the House of Delegates, the President protempore of the Senate of Virginia, and the leader in the Senate of thepolitical party having the next highest number of members in the Senate. Thebill contains eligibility requirements for the citizen commissioners, includingrestrictions on holding or having held partisan national or state publicoffice. As part of the application process for service on the Commission, theDivision of Legislative Services acts as a repository for applications submittedby interested persons and is tasked with screening out applicants who areineligible or submit incomplete applications. The applications of the citizencandidates selected by political leadership and submitted for consideration tothe selection committee are public records.The bill also directs the Division of Legislative Services toprovide staff support to the Commission in the redistricting of congressionaland state legislative districts. The Commission is required to submit to theGeneral Assembly plans of districts within certain time periods, and the billsets out criteria by which the districts are to be drawn, including equalpopulation, contiguity, compactness, racial and ethnic fairness, respect forexisting political boundaries, and respect for existing communities ofinterest. The bill prohibits districts from being drawn for the purpose offavoring or disfavoring any political party, incumbent legislator or member ofCongress, or other individual or entity. Provisions to ensure publicparticipation in the redistricting process are included. If efforts to establish districts fail, the Supreme Court ofVirginia is responsible for establishing districts, and the bill directs theCourt to enact rules and procedures for doing so. The rules and proceduresenacted by the Court are required to allow public participation in the Court'sredistricting deliberations, to provide for the Division of LegislativeServices to provide staff support and technical assistance to the Court, and toensure districts established by the Court adhere to constitutional andstatutory criteria. The bill directs the Court to appoint a special master toassist in the establishment of districts and authorizes the Court to adjust thedate of the primary election and various related deadlines as may be necessaryto allow for the establishment of districts.The bill has a contingent effective date of November 15, 2020,provided that the voters approve the amendments to Article II of theConstitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A, at theNovember 2020 general election.
Congressional and state legislative districts.Provides criteria for the General Assembly to observe in drawingdistricts, including respect for political boundaries, equal population, racial and ethnic fairness, contiguity, compactness, and communitiesof interest. The bill prohibits use of political data or electionresults unless necessary to determine if racial or ethnic minoritiescan elect candidates of their choice.
