Virginia Bills

Requires the general registrars to consider the number of active registered voters and historical election data, including voter turnout, when determining the number of ballots to order to be printed for an election. This bill is identical to

Adds to both the Criminal Justice Services Board (the Board) and its Training Committee one citizen member representing community interests. The bill also replaces the member of the Board representing the Virginia Crime Prevention Association, which is no longer in existence, with a member representing the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The bill also directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in consultation with the Governor, to review the current composition of the Board and develop a plan for restructuring the Board in order to improve its efficiency in carrying out its duties and to submit the plan by December 1, 2017, to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.

Requires the Board of Health to adopt regulations to include neonatal abstinence syndrome on the list of diseases that shall be required to be reported. This bill is identical to

Increases from four to eight the number of banquet licenses a brewery or winery may obtain for events in any one-year period, provided that the event for which a banquet license is obtained is (i) at a place approved by the Board and (ii) conducted for the purposes of featuring and educating the consuming public about beer or wine products, respectively. The bill also specifically provides that such wine or beer manufacturer is limited to eight banquet licenses for such events per year without regard to the number of wineries or breweries, respectively, owned or operated by such manufacturer or by any parent, subsidiary, or company under common control with such manufacturer. The bill contains a technical amendment.

Increases the maximum amount of civil penalties that may be assessed by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry for certain violations of occupational safety and health laws from $7,000 to $12,471 and for willful or repeated violations of such laws from $70,000 to $124,709. The measure also requires the Commissioner annually to increase the maximum civil penalty amounts, starting in 2018, by an amount that reflects the percentage increase, if any, in the consumer price index from the previous calendar year. This bill is identical to

Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to grant an annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license to persons operating food concessions at any performing arts facility located in the arts and cultural district of the City of Harrisonburg, provided that the performing arts facility (i) is occupied under a bona fide long-term lease or concession agreement, the original term of which was more than five years; (ii) has been rehabilitated in accordance with historic preservation standards; (iii) has monthly gross receipts from the sale of food cooked, or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises that meet or exceed the monthly minimum established by Board regulations for mixed beverage restaurants; and (iv) has a total capacity in excess of 900 patrons. Such license shall authorize the sale, on the dates of performances or private or special events, of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption in areas upon the licensed premises approved by the Board.

Provides that arts and cultural districts may be created jointly by two or more localities. This bill is identical to

Provides that the information in the possession of the Prescription Monitoring Program disclosed by the Director of Health Professions about a specific recipient who is a member of a Virginia Medicaid managed care program to a physician or pharmacist employed by the Virginia Medicaid managed care program may be disclosed to such physician's or pharmacist's clinical designee who holds a multistate licensure privilege to practice nursing or a license issued by a health regulatory board within the Department of Health Professions and is employed by the Virginia Medicaid managed care program.

Adds conservation officers retired from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to the list of retired persons eligible to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. This bill is identical to