Del. Alfonso Lopez

Commending the Washington Nationals.

Constitution of the United States; Equal RightsAmendment. Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitutionof the United States that was proposed by Congress in 1972. The jointresolution advocates the position that the 1972 Equal Rights Amendmentremains viable and may be ratified notwithstanding the expirationof the 10-year ratification period set out in the resolving clause,as amended, in the proposal adopted by Congress.

Absentee voting; no excuse required. Permits any registered voter to vote by absentee ballot in any election in which he is qualified to vote. The bill removes the current list of statutory reasons under which a person may be entitled to vote by absentee ballot and removes references to those reasons from other sections of the Code. This bill was incorporated into HB 1.

Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases; penalty. Prohibits any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period and establishes such an offense as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts from this provision (i) persons who have been issued a certificate by the Department of State Police under certain circumstances and with an enhanced background check, (ii) law-enforcement agencies and officers, (iii) state and local correctional facilities, (iv) licensed private security companies, (v) persons who hold a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit, (vi) persons whose handgun has been stolen or irretrievably lost or who are trading in a handgun, (vii) purchases of handguns in a private sale, and (viii) purchases of antique firearms. This bill was incorporated in HB 812.

Elections; absentee voting by persons age 65 or older. Entitles persons who will be age 65 or older on the date of an election for which an absentee ballot is requested to vote absentee. This bill was incorporated into HB 1.

Campaign Finance Disclosure Act; unlawful conversionof political contributions to personal use; penalty.Prohibits any person from converting any moneys, securities, or likeintangible personal property that has been contributed to a candidate,a campaign committee, or a political committee to his personal useor the personal use of any other person. A contribution is consideredto be converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole orin part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expensenot related to the ordinary and necessary expenses related to seeking,holding, or maintaining public office or carrying out the ordinaryactivities of the committee. The bill provides that a violation ofthe prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Current law prohibits suchconversion of contributions to personal use specifically with regardto disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaignor political committee. The bill also requires the State Board ofElections to provide, upon request, formal advisory opinions regardingthe permitted and prohibited uses of contributions and publish suchopinions on the Department of Elections website.

Workers' compensation; presumption of compensabilityfor certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testesto the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational diseasecovered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefightersand certain employees develop the cancer. The measure removes thecompensability requirement that the employee who develops cancer hadcontact with a toxic substance encountered in the line of duty.

Workers' compensation; presumption of compensabilityfor certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, and testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupationaldisease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefightersand certain employees develop the cancer.

Uniform Collaborative Law Act. Creates the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, which provides a framework for the practice of collaborative law, a process entered into voluntarily by clients for the express purpose of reaching a settlement in a family or domestic relations law matter, including (i) marriage, divorce, dissolution, annulment, and property distribution; (ii) child custody, visitation, and parenting time; (iii) alimony, spousal support, maintenance, and child support; (iv) adoption; (v) parentage; and (vi) negotiation or enforcement of premarital, marital, and separation agreements. The Act governs disclosure of information, privilege against disclosure of communications, and scope of representation by the attorneys in the proceeding.

Commending the Washington Nationals.