Physical evidence recovery kits; victim's right to notification; storage. Provides that for a physical evidence recovery kit that (i) was collected by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as part of a routine death investigation and the medical examiner and the law-enforcement agency agree that analysis is not warranted, (ii) was determined by the law-enforcement agency not to be connected to a criminal offense, or (iii) is connected to an offense that occurred outside of the Commonwealth or another law-enforcement agency has taken over responsibility of the investigation and such kit is not transferred to another law-enforcement agency, the law-enforcement agency that received the physical evidence recovery kit shall store such kit for a period of 10 years or until 10 years after the victim reaches the age of majority if the victim was a minor at the time of collection, whichever is longer. The bill provides that after the mandatory retention period, the law-enforcement agency may destroy the physical evidence recovery kit, or in its discretion, may elect to retain the physical evidence recovery kit for a longer period of time. The bill also provides that when a state or local law-enforcement agency located within the Commonwealth has taken over responsibility for the investigation related to the physical evidence recovery kit, unless one of the other exceptions for submitting such kit to the Department of Forensic Science applies, the physical evidence recovery kit shall be transferred to such law-enforcement agency and such law-enforcement agency shall submit the physical evidence recovery kit to the Department of Forensic Science within 60 days of receipt from the original receiving law-enforcement agency.The bill also requires the law-enforcement agency to inform the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin of the unique identification number assigned to the physical evidence recovery kit utilized by the health care provider and the personal identification number required to view the status of the physical evidence recovery kit and provide information regarding the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit Tracking System, unless disclosing this information would interfere with the investigation or prosecution of the offense, in which case the victim, parent, guardian, or next of kin shall be informed of the estimated date on which the information may be disclosed, if known. This bill is identical to SB 658.
Sponsored bills
Virginia Board of Workforce Development; collaboration to develop apprenticeship program. Directs the Virginia Board of Workforce Development (the Board) to collaborate with the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Education, and the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce and Trade and rely on data from the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment in reviewing the performance of current apprenticeship programs in meeting high-demand industry needs. The bill requires the Board to prepare recommendations for creating a primary office for apprenticeship programs based on such review and report its recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2022. This bill is identical to SB 661.
Early childhood care and education; regionalentities; Child Care Subsidy Program Overpayment Fund established.Requires the Board of Education to establish a system of regionalentities that will be responsible for coordinating early childhoodcare and education services, guiding quality improvement of suchservices and coordinated access to such services for families, andimplementing the uniform measurement and improvement system. Thebill establishes the Child Care Subsidy Program Overpayment Fund,consisting of all overpayment moneys collected or recovered by theDepartment of Education or any state or local agency contracted toadminister the Child Care Subsidy Program, net of any refunds due to the federal government, to be used solely for the purpose ofcovering the cost of providing training and supports to early childhoodcare and education entities.
Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent DeJure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against AfricanAmericans; expiration. Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2024,the expiration of the Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent DeJure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against AfricanAmericans. The bill also provides for the nonlegislative citizen membersof the Commission to continue to serve for the duration of the extension.This bill is identical to SB 151.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; mentorship program. Directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to administer a mentorship pilot program under which established businesses or industry sector experts act as mentors to start-up women-owned and minority-owned businesses.
Stalking; venue; penalty. Allows a personto be prosecuted for a stalking charge in the jurisdiction wherethe person at whom the stalking conduct is directed received a communicationfrom the person engaged in the stalking conduct that placed him in reasonable fear of death, criminal sexual assault, or bodily injuryto himself or a family or household member. The bill also providesthat evidence of any such conduct that occurred outside the Commonwealthmay be admissible, if relevant, in any prosecution for stalking. Currently, such evidence is admissible as long as the prosecutionis based upon conduct occurring within the Commonwealth.
Admission into evidence of certain forensic medical examination reports by sexual assault nurse examiners and sexual assault forensic examiners; testimony by two-way video conferencing. Allows testimony offered by either party in a preliminary hearing or sentencing hearing, or offered by the accused in any hearing other than a trial, by a sexual assault nurse examiner or sexual assault forensic examiner who performed a forensic medical examination to be presented by two-way video conferencing. The bill also allows such testimony to be presented by two-way video conferencing when offered by either party in a trial or by the attorney for the Commonwealth in a hearing other than a preliminary hearing or sentencing hearing, with the consent of the court and all parties.
Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of ColorHistoric Preservation Fund established. Establishes the VirginiaBlack, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fundfor the purpose of awarding grants to eligible state-recognized andfederally recognized Indian tribes, private nonprofit organizations,and localities for the eligible costs of acquiring land or permanentprotective interest therein, and of undertaking preservation activitieson such land, that is of cultural or historic significance to Black,indigenous, or people of color communities. The bill provides thatland or interests acquired with grant funds shall grant the Boardof Historic Resources or other holder a perpetual preservation interestin the property. This bill is identical to SB 158.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable FloraLonette Davis Crittenden.
Commending Bob Brown.