Del. Alfonso Lopez

Definition of law-enforcement officer; certain employees of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Adds special agents employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of the Inspector General to the definition of law-enforcement officer. The bill also grants such individuals the same authority and power as sheriffs to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth. Such individuals shall not be eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits.

Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium AssistanceProgram. Directs the Commissioner of Agriculture and ConsumerServices to establish and administer the Dairy Producer Margin CoveragePremium Assistance Program (the Program). The bill provides that anydairy farmer that has a resource management plan or nutrient managementplan and participates in the federal margin coverage program fordairy producers at the Tier 1 level as contained in the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is eligible to participate in the Program.Under the bill, each year a Program participant will receive a refundof its annual premium payment paid into the federal program.

Individual and corporate income tax credit; employers of National Guard members and self-employed National Guard members. Allows a tax credit for employers of National Guard members and self-employed National Guard members.

Voter registration; automatic voter registration.Provides for the automatic electronic transmission by the Department of MotorVehicles to the Department of Elections of certain information for anyindividual who (i) is not registered to vote; (ii) is of sufficient age toregister to vote; (iii) conducts a transaction with the Department of MotorVehicles to apply for a new driver's license or special identification card orreplace, renew, or update an existing driver's license or specialidentification card; and (iv) in the course of such transaction providesdocumentation demonstrating United States citizenship or answers affirmativelywhen asked if he is a United States citizen. Any such individual is given aprinted registration notice that (a) states that the individual will beregistered to vote based on the information provided and that the individualshould decline registration if he does not meet eligibility requirements, (b)explains the eligibility requirements, and (c) provides instructions for how hemay decline registration. The Department of Elections is required to transmitthe information to the appropriate general registrar, along with anyinformation indicating ineligibility. The Department of Elections is requiredto establish security requirements for transmission of information aboutpotential registered voters and to report certain information regarding voterregistration. The bill removes the requirement that the Department of MotorVehicles offer, accept, receive, and send voter registration applications.

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.

Virginia State Justice Commission; purpose; membership. Renames the Virginia State Crime Commission as the Virginia State Justice Commission. The bill also expands the purpose of the Commission to include studying, reporting, and making recommendations in the areas of diversion, rehabilitation, reentry, collateral consequences of conviction, and equity and fairness in the criminal legal system. The bill reduces from six to three the number of House of Delegates members and adds to the Commission the executive director of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or his designee, the Superintendent of State Police or his designee, and one nonlegislative citizen member to be appointed by the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security with an expertise in offender rehabilitation, reform, and reentry.

Health care services; payment estimates.Requires hospitals and practitioners licensed by the Board of Medicineto provide a patient or the representative of a patient scheduledto receive a nonemergency procedure, test, or service to be performedby the hospital or practitioner with an estimate of the payment amountfor which the patient will be responsible no later than one weekafter the scheduling of such procedure, test, or service. Currently,only hospitals are required to provide such estimate, and such estimateis required only (i) for elective procedures, tests, or services;(ii) within three days of the procedure, test, or service; and (iii)upon request of the patient or his representative.

Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatory housing practices. Prohibits any locality, its employees, or its appointed commissions from discriminating (i) in the application of local land use ordinances or guidelines, or in the permitting of housing developments, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap or (ii) in the permitting of housing developments because the housing development contains or is expected to contain affordable housing units occupied or intended for occupancy by families or individuals with incomes at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area where the housing development is located or is proposed to be located, unless at the time of the municipal decision, a proposed development will be located in a census tract wherein more than 50 percent of the units serve families or individuals at or below 80 percent of the median income of the area. The bill also requires the Fair Housing Board, after determining the existence of an unlawful discriminatory housing practice and after consultation with the Attorney General, to immediately refer the matter to the Attorney General for civil action.

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.

Virginia Urban Agriculture Advisory Councilcreated; report. Creates the Virginia Urban Agriculture AdvisoryCouncil as an advisory council in the legislative branch of stategovernment to encourage urban agriculture and contribute to buildinga local food economy. The bill has an expiration date of July 1,2023.