Abortion; born alive human infant; treatmentand care; penalty. Requires every physician licensed by the Boardof Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to (i) exercisethe same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preservethe life and health of a human infant who has been born alive followingsuch attempt as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health carepractitioner would render to any other child born alive at the samegestational age and (ii) take all reasonable steps to ensure theimmediate transfer of the human infant who has been born alive toa hospital for further medical care. A physician who fails to complywith 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 licensedby the Department of Health to establish a protocol for the treatmentand care of a human infant who has been born alive following performanceof an abortion and for the immediate reporting to law enforcementof any failure to provide such required treatment and care.
Sponsored bills
Utility easements; pole attachments. Declares that aprescriptive easement, including the right to use such easement for bothelectric and communications services, exists in an area unserved by broadbandwhen an electric cooperative has a utility map showing the placement, datingback not fewer than 20 years, of facilities owned, maintained, or controlled bythe electric cooperative within an easement, and there is no documentation inthose records of the electric cooperative or in the public record showing agrant of an inconsistent express easement by the landowner to the cooperativewithin the easement area. The measure entitles a third-party nongovernmentalbroadband service provider to use such a prescriptive easement at no charge bythe electric cooperative for apportionment and lease of the real estate rightsof the cooperative. The measure also provides that when a cooperative hasacquired a prescriptive easement in an area unserved by broadband pursuant towhich it has the right to install, maintain, and use poles and wires orunderground conduits for a communications purpose, it shall be the publicpolicy of the Commonwealth to encourage broadband expansion and to interpretsuch easement to also include the right of a nongovernmental broadband serviceprovider to install, maintain, operate, repair, and replace broadband lines,systems, and facilities necessary for the provision and extension of broadbandand other communications services within such easement. The measure gives theState Corporation Commission exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute as to theright of an electric cooperative or nongovernmental broadband service providerto use such a prescriptive easement.
Redistricting; Virginia Redistricting Commission; localredistricting commissions. Establishes the Virginia RedistrictingCommission (the Commission) pursuant to Article II, Sections 6 and 6-A of theConstitution of Virginia. The Commission, tasked with establishing districtsfor the United States House of Representatives and for the Senate and the Houseof Delegates of the General Assembly, will consist of eight legislativecommissioners and eight citizen commissioners. The legislative commissioners consistof four members of the Senate of Virginia and four members of the House ofDelegates, with equal representation given to the political parties having thehighest and next highest number of members in their respective houses. Thecitizen commissioners are chosen by a selection committee consisting of fiveretired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia, from lists submitted to theselection committee by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the leader in theHouse of Delegates of the political party having the next highest number ofmembers in the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate ofVirginia, and the leader in the Senate of the political party having the nexthighest number of members in the Senate. The bill contains eligibilityrequirements for the citizen commissioners, including restrictions on holdingor having held partisan national or state public office. As part of theapplication process for service on the Commission, the Division of LegislativeServices acts as a repository for applications submitted by interested personsand is tasked with screening out applicants who are ineligible or submitincomplete applications. The applications of the citizen candidates selected bypolitical leadership and submitted for consideration to the selection committeeare public records. The bill also directs the Division of Legislative Services toprovide staff support to the Commission in the redistricting of congressionaland state legislative districts. The Commission is required to submit to theGeneral Assembly plans of districts within certain time periods, and the billsets out criteria by which the districts are to be drawn, including equalpopulation, racial and ethnic fairness, respect for existing politicalboundaries, contiguity, compactness, and communities of interest. Provisions toensure public participation in the redistricting process are included. Ifefforts to establish districts fail, the Supreme Court of Virginia isresponsible for establishing districts, and the bill directs the Court to enacta rule by March 1, 2021, establishing a procedure for implementing thisrequirement. Additionally, the bill requires the establishment of localredistricting commissions in each county, city, and town in which members ofthe governing body are elected from districts or wards and other than entirelyat large. These commissions will each consist of four commissioners appointedby the governing body, with equal representation given to the political partieshaving the highest and next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth forGovernor at the last preceding gubernatorial election.The bill has a contingent effective date of November 15, 2020,provided that the voters approve the amendments to Article II of theConstitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A, at theNovember 2020 general election.
Public institutions of higher education; in-statetuition; volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services providers.Declares eligible for in-state tuition charges regardless of domicileany individual who volunteers as a firefighter or an emergency medicalservices provider in the Commonwealth and has earned the minimumactivity points to be eligible for a length of service award pursuantto a length of service award program.
Reverse tolling on Interstate 66; toll revenueon Interstate 66 and Interstate 395. Requires the Departmentof Transportation, upon completion of the Interstate 66 wideningproject, to activate reverse tolling on Interstate 66. The bill requiresall such tolls and all toll revenue collected on Interstate 66 insidethe beltway and the high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 395 tobe directed to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
Carrying dangerous weapons to places of worship; repeal. Repeals the code section related to carrying dangerous weapons in places of worship.
Study; Virginia State Police; air emergency medical services; report. Requests the Virginia State Police to study the availability and affordability of air emergency medical services within the Commonwealth.
Car tax credit for tolls paid. Providesthat localities may allow taxpayers a credit against the amount oftangible personal property tax paid on privately owned or leasedmotor vehicles. The credit shall equal the amount of tolls paid bya taxpayer for traveling on highways in the Commonwealth in the periodfor which the tax was imposed. The credit shall be nonrefundableand cannot be carried over beyond the period in which the tax wasimposed.
Income tax deduction; primary and secondaryschool tuition or home instruction expenses. Provides an incometax deduction beginning in taxable year 2020 for education expenses incurred by the parent or guardian of a child under the age of 18. Qualifying education expenses for the deduction are defined in thebill as tuition for a primary or secondary school in the Commonwealth,or expenses directly related to the home instruction of children.
Family life education programs; student participation. Prohibits any public elementary or secondary school student fromparticipating in any family life education program without the priorwritten consent of his parent.