Del. Mark Sickles

Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

Local electoral boards; certification and abstractof results; deadline. Extends the deadline for local electoralboards to meet after an election for the purpose of certifying theelection results and submitting the abstract of results to the StateBoard of Elections from seven days after the date of the electionto 10 days after such date.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled tovote. Provides that every person who meets the qualificationsof voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have thefundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such rightshall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convictedof a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacityto understand the act of voting. A person who has been convictedof a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarcerationfor such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration forthat felony conviction and without further action required of him,such person shall be invested with all political rights, includingthe right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a personconvicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by theGovernor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also providesthat a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction aslacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacityhas been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitutionof Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to bementally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competencyis reestablished.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Sales and use tax; exemption for data centers.

Celebrating the life of Janet Marie Brooking.

Commending Peter A. Blake.

Commending Scott McGeary.

Absentee voting; voter satellite offices; minimumnumber required. Requires that absentee voting in person be availablein the office of the general registrar and in any voter satelliteoffice that the governing body of any county or city chooses to establish.Localities with a population of 50,000 or more are required to establishat least one voter satellite office to be in operation for the durationof the period during which absentee voting in person is available.Under current law, the governing body of any county or city, regardlessof its population, is authorized to establish as many voter satelliteoffices as it deems necessary.

Northern Virginia Transportation Authority; membership. Requires, rather than permits, the two members of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates to be members of the House of Delegates. This bill was incorporated into HB 201.