Del. David Bulova

Commending the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Virginia Lottery; Internet sales. Repealsthe prohibition on selling lottery tickets over the Internet.

Local regulation of unmanned aircraft. Authorizes a political subdivision, by ordinance or regulation, to regulate the take-off or landing of certain unmanned aircraft on property owned by the political subdivision in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Aviation. The bill requires the locality to report the ordinance or regulation to the Department and directs the Department to publish a summary on the locality's website. The bill also directs the Department, by January 1, 2021, to develop rules and regulations specific to take-offs and landings in consultation with representatives of the unmanned aircraft system industry, small and medium-sized businesses utilizing unmanned aircraft systems, localities, and other stakeholders. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates HB 311 and HB 1227.

Prohibited discrimination; public accommodations, employment, credit, and housing: causes of action; sexual orientation and gender identity. Creates explicit causes of action for unlawful discrimination in public accommodations and employment in the Virginia Human Rights Act. Currently, under the Act there is no cause of action for discrimination in public accommodations, and the only causes of action for discrimination in employment are for (i) unlawful discharge on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including lactation, by employers employing more than five but fewer than 15 persons and (ii) unlawful discharge on the basis of age by employers employing more than five but fewer than 20 persons. The bill allows the causes of action to be pursued privately by the aggrieved person or, in certain circumstances, by the Attorney General. The bill prohibits discrimination in public and private employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill also codifies for state and local government employment the current prohibitions on discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. Additionally, the bill (a) prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran; (b) prohibits discrimination in credit on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, disability, and status as a veteran; and (c) adds discrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran as an unlawful housing practice. The bill makes technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 3, HB 21, HB 23, HB 217, HB 1050, HB 1200, and HB 1512.

Holding handheld personal communications devices whiledriving a motor vehicle. Prohibits any person from holding a handheldpersonal communications device while driving a motor vehicle. Current lawprohibits (i) the reading of any email or text message and manually enteringletters or text in such a device as a means of communicating and (ii) holding apersonal communications device while driving in a work zone. The bill expandsthe exemptions to include handheld personal communications devices that arebeing held and used (a) as an amateur radio or a citizens band radio or (b) forofficial Department of Transportation or traffic incident management services.The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This billincorporates HB 377, HB 387, HB 512, and HB 1672 and is identical to SB 160.

Line of Duty Act; eligible dependents. Provides that children born or adopted after the death or disability of an employee covered by the Line of Duty Act are eligible for health insurance coverage if their birth or adoption occurred after the time of the employee's death or disability, but prior to July 1, 2017. Under current law, such children are not eligible unless they were adopted pursuant to a preadoptive agreement entered into prior to the death or disability. This bill is identical to SB 40.

Security freezes on credit reports; fees. Prohibits a credit reporting agency from requiring a consumer to pay a fee to place a security freeze on the consumer's credit report. Currently, a consumer may be required to pay a fee of no more than $5 to place a security freeze on his credit report. Victims of identity theft are currently exempt from the fee.

Commending Shirley Morrow Marshall.

Commending the Richmond Police Department.

Commending the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association.