Del. Kaye Kory

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from its current federally mandated level of $7.25 per hour to $10.00 per hour effective July 1, 2020; to $13.00 per hour effective July 1, 2021; and to $15.00 per hour effective July 1, 2022, unless a higher minimum wage is required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The measure also provides that the Virginia minimum wage applies to persons whose employment is covered by the FLSA and to public employees.

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wagefrom its current federally mandated level of $7.25 per hour to $9.75per hour, effective July 1, 2020; to $10.75 per hour, effective July1, 2021; to $11.75 per hour, effective July 1, 2022; to $12.75 perhour, effective July 1, 2023; to $14 per hour, effective July 1,2024; and to $15 per hour, effective July 1, 2025, unless a higherminimum wage is required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The measure also provides that the Virginia minimum wage appliesto persons whose employment is covered by the FLSA and to publicemployees.

Commending the Virginia Arab American PoliticalForum.

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.

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.

Campaign finance; audits of campaign finance reports;certain campaign committees. Requires the State Board of Elections toconduct audits of the campaign finance reports filed by the campaign committeesof candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and theGeneral Assembly. The campaign committees to be audited will be selected atrandom, with at least 50 percent of the campaign committees for candidates forGovernor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General and at least 10 percent ofthe campaign committees for candidates for the General Assembly being audited.The State Board is authorized to compel the production of all bank statementsfor the campaign depository; all copies of checks issued on the campaigndepository; and bills, invoices, and receipts for all expenditures made by thecandidate or his treasurer, of any campaign committee subject to an audit, inorder to conduct the audit. The bill requires the audit to be conducted inaccordance with generally accepted auditing standards and any proceduresadopted by the State Board, and permits the State Board to employ certifiedpublic accountants or other additional personnel to conduct the audits. If theaudit results in a determination that the balance in the campaign depositorydoes not reconcile with the amounts reported in the campaign finance reports,the State Board is required to forward its report to the appropriate attorneyfor the Commonwealth. The bill provides that discrepancies or missinginformation discovered during the course of an audit be handled in accordancewith current law for incomplete reports, including provisions for assessingcivil penalties as appropriate.

Allowing access to firearms by children; recklessly leaving loaded, unsecured firearm in manner that endangers child under 14; penalty. Increases from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person under the age of 14. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill was incorporated into HB 1083.

Firearm transfers; criminal history record information checks; penalty. Requires a background check for any firearm transfer and requires the Department of State Police to establish a process for transferors of firearms to obtain such a check from licensed firearms dealers. A transferor who fails to obtain a required background check and sells the firearm to another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill exempts transfers (i) between immediate family members; (ii) that occur by operation of law; (iii) by the executor or administrator of an estate or by the trustee of a testamentary trust; (iv) at firearms shows in accordance with law; (v) that are part of a buyback or give-back program; (vi) of antique firearms; (vii) that occur at a shooting range, shooting gallery, or any other area designed for the purpose of target shooting or for use during target practice, a firearms safety or training course or class, a shooting competition, or any similar lawful activity; or (viii) that are temporary transfers that (a) occur within the continuous presence of the owner of the firearm or (b) are necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. The bill removes the provision that makes background checks of prospective purchasers or transferees at firearms shows voluntary. This bill was incorporated into HB 2.

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use; childcare exception. Prohibits any person from converting any moneys,securities, or like intangible personal property contributed to acandidate or a candidate's campaign committee to his personal use,the personal use of the candidate, or the personal use of a memberof the candidate's immediate family. Current law prohibits such conversionof contributions to personal use specifically with regard to disbursementof surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee.The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have beenconverted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part,is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that wouldexist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintainingpublic office but excepts from "personal use" the ordinary and acceptedexpenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's childcare expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity.