Bust of Oliver White Hill, Sr. Requeststhe Governor to direct that a bust of Oliver White Hill, Sr., bemade and displayed in the Old House Chamber of the Virginia StateCapitol.
Petition for vacatur and expungement of convictionsand police and court records of victims of human trafficking.Allows any person who was a victim of human trafficking at the timeof an offense that led to a criminal charge or conviction of certaincrimes to petition the court to vacate such conviction and expungethe police and court records related to such conviction or to expungethe police and court records related to such charge. The bill provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that a person's participationin an offense was a result of having been a victim of human traffickingif there is official documentation, defined in the bill, of the petitioner'sstatus as a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense.
State Corporation Commission; members. Increasesfrom three to five the number of members of the State CorporationCommission. The measure requires that the new members be initiallyelected for a six-year term during the earlier of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly or any special session convened priorthereto.
Voter registration by mail; certain first-timevoters permitted to vote by absentee ballot. Adds to the listof exceptions to the requirement that first-time voters who registeredto vote by mail must vote in person those voters who are entitledunder current law to vote by absentee ballot because they are confinedwhile awaiting trial or for having been convicted of a misdemeanor.
Juvenile offenders; parole. Provides thatany person sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committed while that person wasa juvenile and who has served at least 25 years of such sentenceand any person who has active sentences that total more than 25 yearsfor a single felony offense or multiple felony offenses committedwhile that person was a juvenile and who has served at least 25 yearsof such sentences shall be eligible for parole.
Constitutional amendment (first resolution);marriage. Proposes the repeal of the constitutional amendment dealing with marriage that was approved by referendum at the November2006 election. That amendment to the Bill of Rights (i) defines marriageas "only a union between one man and one woman"; (ii) prohibits theCommonwealth and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing"a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intendsto approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects ofmarriage"; and (iii) prohibits the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "another union, partnership, or otherlegal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations,qualities, or effects of marriage." The provisions of this section of the Constitution of Virginia are no longer valid as a result ofthe United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015).
Voter registration; preregistration for personsage 16 or older. Permits a person who is otherwise qualifiedto register to vote and is 16 years of age or older, but who willnot be 18 years of age on or before the day of the next general election,to preregister to vote. The preregistration does not entitle sucha person to vote in any election except as already permitted by law.The bill requires the Department of Elections to maintain a recordof all preregistered voters in the Virginia voter registration system, which shall automatically register a person who is preregisteredupon that person reaching 18 years or age or becoming eligible foradvance registration as already permitted by law, whichever comesfirst. The bill requires the Department to provide to the general registrars voter confirmation documents for such voters.
Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.
Employment; wage inquiries; prohibited retaliatory action. Prohibits any public or private employer from (i) refusing to interview, hire, or employ an applicant for employment because the applicant does not provide wage history; (ii) retaliating against an applicant for employment because the applicant does not provide wage history; or (iii) relying on the wage history of an applicant to determine the wages offered by the employer to such individual. An applicant or employee who is aggrieved by a violation may bring a private action against the employer. The measure also prohibits an employer from taking other retaliatory action against an employee because the employee (a) reports a violation or suspected violation of any law to a supervisor or to any governmental body or law-enforcement official; (b) is requested by a governmental body or law-enforcement official to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry; (c) refuses to engage in a criminal act that would subject the employee to criminal liability; (d) refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee believes violates any law; (e) provides information to or testifies before any governmental body or law-enforcement official conducting an investigation into any alleged violation by the employer; or (f) makes a prohibited wage inquiry. This bill was incorporated into HB 416.
School resource officers; memorandums of understanding. The bill requires that the required memorandum of understanding entered into by a local school board and local law-enforcement agency be consistent with the model memorandum of understanding developed by the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety. The bill requires that the model memorandum contain provisions that prohibit school resource officers from (i) conducting a search of a student's person or property while on school property unless such resource officer has probable cause to conduct such a search and either has a judicial warrant authorizing the search or has identified exigent circumstances necessitating a warrantless search; (ii) participating in any request for assistance from a federal agency without a subpoena or warrant; (iii) inquiring as to whether a student was born in a country other than the United States or is a citizen of a country other than the United States, unless such inquiry is in connection with an kidnapping or extortion investigation; and (iv) absent exigent circumstances, questioning any student without prior notification to the parent or guardian of such student's right to refuse to be questioned or searched. The bill also provides that the model memorandum of understanding shall contain provisions regarding the use of translators or appropriate guardians to assist students in responding to questions from a school resource officer. The bill requires each such school board and local law-enforcement agency to review the memorandum of understanding every four years or at any time upon request of either party. The bill provides that such memorandum shall be made available for public review and comment at least 30 days prior to its adoption. The bill also redefines "school resource officer" to specifically prohibit a school resource officer from investigating or enforcing violations of school board policies, including student conduct codes. This bill was incorporated into HB 292.
