Virginia Bills

Provides that when the Marine Resources Commission (the Commission) revokes a fishing license for a violation of the tidal fisheries law, it shall revoke only the particular type of license that is applicable to the fishery in which the violation occurred. The Commission may revoke other licenses upon a second violation within five years. The bill authorizes the Commission to revoke a person's underlying privileges when certain criteria are met. Under current law, the Commission is authorized to revoke all of the fishing licenses a person has been granted upon a first violation, irrespective of the location and type of fish described in the license. The bill also requires the Commission to accept credit card payment of any civil penalty it assesses for fishing under a revoked license or privileges.

Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly circumcise, excise, or infibulate the labia major, labia minora, or clitoris of a minor. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of a minor to consent to such circumcision, excision, or infibulation. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of a minor to knowingly remove or cause or permit the removal of such minor from the Commonwealth for the purposes of performing such circumcision, excision, or infibulation. The bill also provides a civil cause of action for any person injured by such circumcision, excision, or infibulation. The bill provides that any of these offenses shall be a separate and distinct offense and shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute.

Requires the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to formally adopt stress testing and additional reporting policies. The bill requires VRS to analyze and regularly report on projections of benefit levels, pension costs, liabilities, and debt reduction under various scenarios; to provide a detailed online statement of investment policy and include investment performance data in certain timeframes up to 25 years; and to report investment performance and expenses such as carried interest fees.

Requires one reading specialist employed by each local school board that employs a reading specialist to have training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder and to have an understanding of the definition of dyslexia and a working knowledge of several topics relating to dyslexia. This bill is identical to

Provides that unless an exception has been granted by the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, moneys in the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund shall not be used for any economic development project involving a business that relocates or expands its operations in one or more Virginia localities while simultaneously closing its operations or substantially reducing the number of its employees in another Virginia locality. Under current law, this limitation on the use of the Fund is stated as a general policy rather than as a requirement. The bill also requires the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to provide written notice to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees at least 48 hours prior to the final approval of the grant or loan. Currently, the notice must be provided promptly, and a time frame is not specified.

Expresses the time frame within which petitions for appeal from a final judgment of a trial court or the State Corporation Commission to the Supreme Court shall be filed, currently expressed in months, in an equivalent number of days. As introduced, the bill is a recommendation of the Judicial Council.

Provides that the jurisdictional limit for general district courts does not include any attorney fees. The bill requires that the amount of an appeal bond required for appeals from a district court include any amount awarded for attorney fees in the case.

Designates an investigator who is employed by an attorney for the Commonwealth as a conservator of the peace, provided that such investigator was an active law-enforcement officer within 10 years immediately prior to being employed by the attorney for the Commonwealth and retired or resigned from that position in good standing.

Provides that, effective July 1, 2019, the core of services provided by community services boards and behavioral health authorities shall include (i) same-day access to mental health screening services and (ii) outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services for physical health indicators and health risks and follow-up services for individuals identified as being in need of assistance with overcoming barriers to accessing primary health services. The bill provides that, effective July 1, 2021, the core of services provided by community services boards and behavioral health authorities additionally shall include (a) crisis services for individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, (b) outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, (c) psychiatric rehabilitation services, (d) peer support and family support services, (e) mental health services for members of the armed forces located 50 miles or more from a military treatment facility and veterans located 40 miles or more from a Veterans Health Administration medical facility, (f) care coordination services, and (g) case management services. The bill also requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to report annually regarding progress in the implementation of the bill. This bill is identical to

Authorizes the Supreme Court of Virginia to grant a 30-day extension of the deadline for presentation of the petition for appeal in all cases for good cause shown. Under current law, the Court may grant an extension in criminal cases only. The bill also expresses time periods, currently expressed as months, in an equivalent number of days to reduce ambiguity. This bill is a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia.