Provision of abortion; parental consent requirement; ultrasound requirement; hospital regulations. Removes the requirement that a pregnant minor seeking an abortion obtain either parental consent or judicial authorization. The bill removes the requirement that a pregnant woman seeking to obtain an abortion undergo a fetal transabdominal ultrasound prior to obtaining an abortion at least 24 hours prior to obtaining an abortion, or at least two hours prior to obtaining an abortion if the pregnant woman lives at least 100 miles from the facility where the abortion is to be performed. The bill also removes language classifying facilities that perform five or more first-trimester abortions per month as hospitals for the purpose of complying with regulations establishing minimum standards for hospitals. This bill was incorporated into SB 733.
Sponsored bills
Provision of abortion; ultrasound requirement. Eliminates the requirement that a pregnant woman seeking to obtain an abortion undergo a fetal transabdominal ultrasound at least 24 hours prior to obtaining an abortion, or at least two hours prior to obtaining an abortion if the pregnant woman lives at least 100 miles from the facility where the abortion is to be performed. This bill was incorporated into SB 733.
Student journalists; freedom of speech andthe press. Declares that, except in certain limited circumstances,a student journalist at a public middle school or high school orpublic institution of higher education has the right to exercisefreedom of speech and the press in school-sponsored media, includingdetermining the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content ofschool-sponsored media, regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the school board or governing board, supported throughthe use of school or campus facilities, or produced in conjunctionwith a class or course in which the student is enrolled. The billdefines "school-sponsored media" as any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast by a student journalistat a public middle school or high school or public institution ofhigher education under the direction of a student media adviser anddistributed or generally made available to members of the studentbody.
Workers' compensation; presumption of compensabilityfor certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, or testesto the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupational diseasecovered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefightersand certain employees develop the cancer. The measure removes thecompensability requirement that the employee who develops cancer hadcontact with a toxic substance encountered in the line of duty.
Workers' compensation; retaliatory dischargeof employee. Prohibits an employer or other person from dischargingan employee if the discharge is motivated to any extent by knowledgeor belief that the employee has filed a claim or taken or intendsto take certain other actions under the Virginia Workers' CompensationAct. Currently, retaliatory discharges are prohibited only if theemployer or other person discharged an employee solely because theemployee has taken or intends to take such an action.
Workers' compensation; presumption of compensabilityfor certain diseases. Adds cancers of the colon, brain, and testes to the list of cancers that are presumed to be an occupationaldisease covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act when firefightersand certain employees develop the cancer.
Department of State Police; reporting hate crimes. Includes within the definition of "hate crime" a criminal act committed against a person because of gender, disability, or sexual orientation and requires the reporting of the commission of such crime to the Department of State Police. This bill was incorporated into HB 276.
Prohibited discrimination; sexual orientationand gender identity. Prohibits discrimination in employment andpublic accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or genderidentity. The bill codifies existing prohibited discrimination inpublic employment on the basis of race, color, religion, nationalorigin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions,age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran and adds discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity to thelist of unlawful discriminatory housing practices. The bill containstechnical amendments.
Protective orders; possession of firearms; penalty. Provides that it is a Class 6 felony for a person who is subjectto a permanent protective order (i.e., a protective order with amaximum duration of two years) for subjecting another person to anact of violence, force, or threat to possess a firearm while theorder is in effect, which is equivalent to the existing penalty forpossession of a firearm by a person subject to a permanent protectiveorder for family abuse. The bill also provides that such person may continue to possess and transport a firearm for 24 hours after beingserved with the order for the purposes of selling or transferringthe firearm to another person.
Renewable energy storage projects; brownfieldsand reclaimed lands; regulations. Directs the Department of Mines,Minerals and Energy to adopt regulations allowing appropriate brownfieldsand lands reclaimed after mining to be developed as sites for renewableenergy storage projects.