Del. Ellen Campbell

Hearing notice by localities. Expands fromonly localities in Planning District 23 to all localities a provisionthat provides that in any instance in which a locality has submitted a timely notice of public hearing to a newspaper published or havinggeneral circulation in the locality and the newspaper fails to publishthe notice, such locality shall be deemed to have met certain noticerequirements so long as the notice was published in the next availableedition. Under current law, this provision that was created by the2020 Regular Session and only applies to localities in Planning District23 will expire on July 1, 2022. The provision in the bill as itapplies to all localities will also expire on July 1, 2022.

Voter registration; list maintenance; listsof decedents transmitted by State Registrar of Vital Records.Requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit to theDepartment of Elections a weekly list of decedents from the previousweek. Currently, this list is transmitted monthly. The bill requiresthe general registrars to use this information to conduct list maintenanceand to promptly cancel the registration of a person on the list.

Virginia Law Enforcement Professional StandardsCommission Accreditation Grant Fund and Program. Establishesthe Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission AccreditationGrant Fund (the Fund) and the Virginia Law Enforcement ProfessionalStandards Commission Accreditation Grant Program (the Program). TheFund and Program shall be overseen by the Department of CriminalJustice Services. Disbursements from the Fund shall be made to law-enforcementagencies to pursue accreditation from the Virginia Law EnforcementProfessional Standards Commission.

Department of Health; certain communicationprohibited. Prohibits any person employed by or who has enteredinto a contract to provide services on behalf of the Department ofHealth or a local department of health from initiating communicationregarding health-related matters with a minor on behalf of the Departmentor local department of health without the consent of the minor'sparent, except as otherwise required by law.

United States Constitution; application fora convention of the states. Makes application to Congress tocall a convention of the states to propose amendments to the UnitedStates Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federalgovernment, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government,and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members ofCongress.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; contract clauserequiring subcontractor reporting of payments to employees and independentcontractors. Requires any contract awarded by a state agencyor an agency of local government to require the contractor to includein each of its subcontracts a provision requiring the subcontractorto report to the contractor on a monthly basis (i) payroll recordsfor all of the subcontractor's employees; (ii) records of all paymentsmade by the subcontractor to individuals classified as independent contractors; and (iii) the total number of individuals on the jobsite, including the number classified as employees and the number classifiedas independent contractors. The bill requires the contractor to compilesuch information and submit it in a monthly report to the Departmentof Labor and Industry.

Local control of firearms; concealed handgunpermit. Provides that any local ordinance that prohibits thepossession, carrying, or transportation of any firearms, ammunition,or components or combination thereof on specified public propertyshall not apply to a person who has a valid concealed handgun permit.

Voter registration; political party affiliation;closed primary elections. Adds political party affiliation tothe information that an applicant is asked to provide when registeringto vote. The political party affiliation or independent status selectedby the voter is included in his registration record, and the billpermits voters to change political party affiliation by providingnotice in writing or through electronic means authorized by the StateBoard of Election. The bill provides that only voters who are registeredas affiliated with a political party, or who are designated as independent,are permitted to vote in that political party's primary election.Voters who are registered on or before January 1, 2022, will be designated as independent, and the general registrars are required to notifythe voters of such fact and include instructions on how the votermay change his affiliation beginning January 1, 2022. The bill hasa delayed effective date of January 1, 2022.

Animal care; zoos and petting zoos; seizureof animals. Raises from reasonable cause to probable cause the standard for a belief that animal cruelty laws are being violatedfor purposes of an application for a search warrant. The bill addsanimals located at a zoo or petting zoo, defined in the bill, to agricultural animals as exceptions to the standards for seizure orimpoundment of companion animals. The bill also requires that beforea seizure can take place at a zoo or petting zoo, a direct and immediatethreat to an animal must exist that cannot be corrected in a reasonabletime or that the owner is unable or unwilling to correct. The billrequires humane investigators to be residents of the Commonwealth.The bill contains technical amendments.

Special hunting and fishing license for disabledveterans; 50 percent disabled. Authorizes any resident veteranwho has a service-connected disability of 50 percent or more to receiveat no cost from the Department of Wildlife Resources a lifetime licenseto hunt and freshwater fish. Current law authorizes the provisionof such license at no cost to a veteran who is totally and permanentlydisabled and at half-cost to a veteran who is 70 percent disabled.