Requests the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, as directed through the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority, to conduct a two-year study to determine what regulatory reforms and market incentives are necessary to increase the use of energy storage devices in the Commonwealth.
Makes several changes to the teacher licensure process, including (i) permitting teachers with a valid out-of-state license, with full credentials and without deficiencies, to receive licensure by reciprocity without passing additional licensing assessments and (ii) permitting a local school board or division superintendent to waive certain licensure requirements for any individual who holds a provisional license and is employed by the local school board. This bill incorporates
Permits any school board to employ an individual who, at the time of the individual's hiring, has been convicted of a felony, provided that such individual (i) was employed in good standing by a school board on or before December 17, 2015; (ii) has been granted a simple pardon for such offense by the Governor or other appropriate authority; and (iii) has had his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. This bill is identical to
Increases from $200 to $500 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill increases the threshold by the same amount for the classification of certain property crimes. This bill incorporates
Requires General Assembly members, full-time legislative staff of General Assembly members compensated with state appropriations, and full-time employees of each legislative branch agency to complete sexual harassment training once every two calendar years. Training offered by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Office of the Clerk of the Senate must be substantially similar and provided to their respective members and their staff. All other legislative branch employees shall complete the sexual harassment training course offered by either Clerk. The training must be available online 24 hours per day, seven days per week and be substantially similar to any sexual harassment training course offered through the Commonwealth of Virginia Learning Center administered by the Department of Human Resource Management. Persons elected to the General Assembly or commencing or recommencing full-time employment in the legislative branch will have 90 days from the election or their dates of hire to complete the training unless the person previously completed such training earlier in the same calendar year. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2019. The bill incorporates
Designates the red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) as the state salamander of Virginia.
Establishes procedures to be used by courts to monitor the payment of restitution by defendants. The bill requires that a probation agency ordered to monitor the restitution payments of a defendant placed on supervised probation notify the court and the attorney for the Commonwealth of the amount of unsatisfied restitution (i) 60 days prior to the defendant's release from supervision or (ii) if the agency requests that the defendant be released from supervision, at the time the agency submits its request for the defendant's release. The bill requires that the court conduct a hearing prior to the defendant's release from supervision to review the defendant's compliance with the restitution order. The bill also requires that in the case of a defendant who was not placed on supervised probation, the court must schedule a hearing within two years of the date of the restitution order or release from incarceration to review the defendant's compliance with the restitution order. The bill requires that the court continue to conduct hearings to monitor a defendant's compliance with the restitution order for a period of 10 years from the date of the first review hearing or the period of probation, whichever is longer. The bill provides that a court may discontinue hearings to review a defendant's compliance with the restitution order if the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay and will remain unable to pay restitution for the duration of the review period. The bill also sets forth the remedies available to the court, including contempt, in the case of a defendant who fails to comply with a restitution order. This bill is identical to
Adds proceedings involving family abuse protective orders to the list of civil proceedings involving alleged abuse and neglect of a child for which a court may order that the testimony of certain child victims or witnesses be taken outside the courtroom via two-way closed-circuit television.
Provides that a locality's comprehensive plan may consider strategies to provide broadband infrastructure that is sufficient to meet the current and future needs of residents and businesses in the locality. In the preparation of a comprehensive plan, broadband infrastructure shall be included among the matters that the local planning commission shall survey and study.
