Sponsored bills
Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board (the Board). The bill specifies the licensing requirements for casino gaming and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. Under the bill, casino gaming shall be conducted only (i) by an Indian tribe acknowledged by the United States Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law that has the authority to conduct gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and (ii) within a city with a population greater than 200,000. The bill imposes a tax of 10 percent on the adjusted gross receipts of licensees and provides for how the tax proceeds are disbursed. In addition, a referendum must be passed in the city on the question of allowing casino gaming in the city. The bill requires the Board to establish and implement a voluntary exclusion program allowing individuals to voluntarily list themselves as being barred from entering a casino gaming establishment or other facility under the jurisdiction of the Board. The bill also establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to provide counseling and other support services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to support organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers.
Expands the crime of abuse and neglect of an adult to include abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, defined in the bill as persons 60 years of age or older. Current law applies only to incapacitated adults, defined as persons 18 years of age or older who are impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age, or other causes to the extent the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out reasonable decisions concerning his well-being. The bill also expands the class of victims of the crime of financial exploitation of incapacitated persons to include persons incapacitated due to physical illness or disability, advanced age over the age of 60, or other causes that prevent such persons from understanding the nature or consequences of the financial transaction involved in an offense against such person. The current law applies only to victims who suffer from mental incapacity.
Authorizes the issuance of new driver privilege cards by the Department of Motor Vehicles to an applicant who (i) has reported income from Virginia sources on an individual tax return filed with the Commonwealth in the preceding 12 months and (ii) is not in violation of the insurance requirements for the registration of an uninsured motor vehicle. The bill provides that driver privilege cards shall confer the same privileges and shall be subject to the same provisions as driver's licenses and permits; however, driver privilege cards shall not (a) confer voting privileges, (b) permit an individual to waive any part of the driver examination, or (c) have their issuance be contingent upon the applicant's ability to produce proof of legal presence in the United States. The bill provides for the term "driver's license" to consistently refer to all driver's licenses, permits, driver privilege cards, and special identification cards issued by the Commonwealth or the comparable law of another jurisdiction. The bill allows the issuance of a limited-duration driver's license and special identification card to an applicant presenting valid documentary evidence that a federal court or federal agency having jurisdiction over immigration has authorized the applicant to be in the United States for a period of at least 30 days from the date of application. The bill authorizes the Tax Commissioner to provide to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles information sufficient to verify that an applicant for a driver privilege card or permit reported income from Virginia sources on an individual tax return filed with the Commonwealth in the preceding 12 months. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2020.