Abortion; born alive infant; treatment and care; penalty. Requires every health care provider licensed by the Board of Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to (i) exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of an infant who has been born alive following such attempt as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and (ii) take all reasonable steps to ensure the immediate transfer of the infant who has been born alive to a hospital for further medical care. A health care provider who fails to comply with the requirements of this act is guilty of a Class 4 felony and may be subject to disciplinary action by the Board of Medicine. The bill also requires every hospital licensed by the Department of Health to establish a protocol for the treatment and care of an infant who has been born alive following performance of an abortion and for the immediate reporting to law enforcement of any failure to provide such required treatment and care.
Sponsored bills
School security officers; scope of employment;carrying firearm in performance of duties. Provides that eachschool security officer, in addition to performing each enumeratedduty, is responsible for carrying out any other duty assigned to himby the local school board, excluding enforcement of discipline reservedsolely and exclusively to school administrators. The bill permitsa school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance ofhis duties if (i) within 10 years immediately prior to being hiredby the local school board or private or religious school, he was anactive duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States who servedon active duty for at least 10 years and received an honorable dischargefrom such service and (ii) he has provided proof of completion ofthe required training course.
Provision of abortion; right to informed consent. Requires physicians and authorized nurse practitioners to followcertain procedures and processes to effect a pregnant woman's informedwritten consent prior to the performance of an abortion.
Family life education programs; student participation; summaries. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary schoolstudent from participating in any family life education program withoutthe prior written consent of his parent. The bill requires the summarythat is required to be posted and distributed to parents for eachsuch program to include contact information for the individual oroffice responsible for maintaining printed and audio-visual programmaterials.
Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established.Permits the parents of qualified students, defined in the bill, to apply to the school division in which the qualified student residesfor a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Accountthat consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the residentschool division in which the qualified student resides, includingthe per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding for which thequalified student is eligible. The bill permits the parent of thequalified student to use the moneys in such account for certain education-relatedexpenses of the qualified student, including tuition, deposits, fees,and required textbooks at a private elementary school or secondaryschool that is located in the Commonwealth. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expensesmade from such accounts.
World Polio Day. Designates October 24,in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as World Polio Day in Virginia.
Girl Scout Week. Designates the week ofMarch 12, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Girl Scout Weekin Virginia.
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.
Commending the Sweet Briar College equestrianteam.
Firearms; removal from persons posing substantialrisk; penalties. Repeals the procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or law-enforcement officer may apply to a generaldistrict court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relationsdistrict court judge or magistrate for an emergency substantial riskorder to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injuryto himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transportinga firearm. The bill also removes the substantial risk order registryfor the entry of orders issued.